Most Wanted Kit Scales Choices Question For FSM And Fellow Members

I dont think pre-builts have any place in modelling.  If people want to collect them, fine.  But I put them in the same boat as Model Maniac.  They are buying items to collect look at, and display, with little or no "modelling"  actually done.  I have spoken out previously against an RC Heng Long tank that was given a few tweaks and a coat of paint and then given gallery space in an edition of FSM.  Its not modelling, at least not IMO anyway.  I know there are some out there that disagree with me, so each to their own. 

If I bring someone into my model room, I want to be able to point at everything on the shelves and say "I built that"- pure and simple.

I must admit, I was asking for some big kits in that model survey, stuff like a 1/72 C5 Galaxy or a 1/100 Spruce Goose, so space isnt an issue for me.  I think some of the small jets, like F5, A4, Mirage, could translate nicely into 1/18 scale.  Be pricy though, I just dont know if the demand would be there.  If they could keep them under US$150, I;d be a starter, but given the price of the large jet offerings lately (Trumpeter, I'm looking at YOU !)  They'd probably be more like $250.

Wirraway:

Did you ever build the 1/32 Revell Bf-110C you mentioned in your 2007 post

Aaaargh ! Revell re-released the 1/32 Bf 110 !

or buy the Dragon kit instead?

But back to my response:

Wirraway, you appear to have misunderstood the reason for my post.

I do not advocate pre-builts as a "legitimate" re-presentation of the art and hard work we all have performed to make unique display models.

The few I own are due to two things: either the pre-built is something I can't find in kit form in any scale or I would like to scratchbuild a model and the pre-build provides a shortcut to more elaborate work as demonstrated by Dr. Menelaos.

As I mentioned in the post, Monogram started out producing half toy / half kits and 21st Century briefly produced kits -with very nice decals- of some of their poorly assembled pre-built models at prices most anyone could afford and provided an introduction to the serious side of the hobby.

I reiterate my point:

The modern hobby of SERIOUS mainstream model building -in any scale -started as half toys.

At what point does any scale become mainstream?

Wirraway

I dont think pre-builts have any place in modelling.  If people want to collect them, fine.  But I put them in the same boat as Model Maniac.  They are buying items to collect look at, and display, with little or no "modelling"  actually done.  I have spoken out previously against an RC Heng Long tank that was given a few tweaks and a coat of paint and then given gallery space in an edition of FSM.  Its not modelling, at least not IMO anyway.  I know there are some out there that disagree with me, so each to their own. 

If I bring someone into my model room, I want to be able to point at everything on the shelves and say "I built that"- pure and simple.

This sounds a bit like the modeler vs assembler stance. Pre-assembled "kits" are certainly a grey area but I have seen some diecast cars with more additional work done on them than what would be done on some basic kits OOB. Then there are those who consider taking it out of the box and adding one or two loose parts as "building".  I'm sure there was a time the guys carving blocks of wood looked down on the new plastic models.

Just saying we should be careful about pitching anyone from the modeling community out of hand.