Do you think twice about spending $1500 on a model kit?

I've never spent $1500 on a model kit. However I've seen this kit built up and thought about what the price of it is

wow!!!! for this one you would have to ask the WHOLE family for permission.....thats an impressive kit!!! not to sure about the pose of that first figure though....

would sure like to see more detail pics....

c

No.  That's just too spicy for me.

Surprisingly, must be the only kit which is cheaper down under than up there.  LHS here had them some time ago for around $800.

Still too spicy.

Would love to see one built up though.

I don't even think once about it!  Way  too expensive for me. If it is a subject I just must have, I may do a little research to see if I can find scratch drawings for a scratch project.  But I won't spend that kind of money on a model. Even the expensive wooden ship kits are not that much!  Most I have ever spent on a model is three hundred bucks, and that was for one of those wooden POF kits of a French sail frigate.

No thinking would even be required. Alter ego Dr. NO would do all the thinking for me.

For that kind of money I hope it works and fires 1/35 scale artillery shells!

Man... that kit sure would look nice in the stash collecting dust.

cml

Would love to see one built up though.

It could probably get its own space in the garage...

Not unless you are going to build it for me. It would take me too too long

I would if it interested me in the least, but it doesn't, so "no"...

Me, not a chance that I would want it, but there's folks who do and it's a pretty spectacular looking thing.

dante821

For that kind of money I hope it works and fires 1/35 scale artillery shells!

Yeah... if I could build a scale track across my back yard so I could shell the irritating barky dogs several houses down on either side it would be worth every penny.

"Say hello to my leeetle friend!"

Well... not so little.  Even more than the cost is the space to display.  I build pretty much only 1/32 scale aircraft, and just finished the fourth since coming back to the hobby (with 3 good enough for me to display), and I'm already thinking of re-doing my office shelving to accommodate.  I'd need a whole NEW office for this one...

Sure is impressive, though.  This post had me looking for other data on the model, and theres a great 8 page build log on it over at Armorama.   

I want to go home and re think my hobby...

No I wouldn't even think once,out of the question for me.

Nope, I wouldn't even think once about it.  Way too expensive for a kit I have no desire to own.  Just because its huge and stupidly expensive doesn't make it a great model.

I'm with the rest of the "Not even think once" crowd.. In fact, I wouldn't even think about it at 10% of that price... (That's 150.00 bucks for my esteemed Marine Corps Comrades-in-Arms out there )

I'm a Redleg and all that, but ain't been the artillery kit made I can't live without..

Obviously the old saying of, "A fool and his money are soon parted" is still true.

If I had extensive, bloated funds,,,  rich beyond my comprehension,,,         probably.

I don't,,,   so,         no way.

BaBill212

If I had extensive, bloated funds,,,  rich beyond my comprehension,,,         probably.

I don't,,,   so,         no way.

Now I like that answer.

OK so since most of the redlegs are at the table here, and we're on our second pitcher, what would be a good choice of one, or maybe two or three, kit (s) that kind of solve the following:

1) plastc model of an artillery piece. SPG, towed, permanent in place all good.

2) Less than $ 100

3) Advanced skills ok, but not a lot of weird resin or cast metal parts that aren't pretty much finished.

4) Big, and a nice display.

I'm already interested in the M40 gmc, and I built the atomic cannon thank you very much,

SPG- M109-M109A2/A3, 1/35th, Testor's/Italeri.. OOP, but still on Ebay for about 30-45.00 price-range... There's eveb resin interior sets for both the turret and hull...Ammo canisters, projos, and loose fuzes/fuze-cans (look the same as .50 cal ammo cans, BTW), available from AFV...

Interior detail sets are expensive though, and require opening of gunner's top hatch, and the two turret side-hatches for easiest and most viewing area. When used with the AFV Club M548 Ammo track, it's a REALLY bif display, at least a foot and half long, two would be better... Add the crew's individual fighting positions (read: Foxholes) for width... Add the collimator too... Looks like a "spotting scope", emplaced "backwards"... It function is for aiming the gun on it's left-/right deflection...

M7 Priest 105mm SP Howitzer. Testor's/Italeri... About 30-35.00 on Ebay.. Built the Academy version, and saw no real improvements with it... None, at least, worth the extra 25.00 bucks over the Italeri kit..

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer. Don't know what to tell yas about this kit as I haven't built one, or even bought one.. Too rich for my blood, in other word...  Needs a 5-ton truck for a PM...

M102 105mm Towed. 1/35th AAFV Club. About 40.00.. Needs Duece & a half for a Prime Mover, M35A2, also available from AFV Club... Another 40.00 bucks.. Currently, the only truck kit is the Gun Truck, but can be built into the Arty Prime Mover be leaving off the quad-fifty (always can find a use for that somewhere else, as it's a stand-alone kit in itself, almost.)..

M2A1 Towed 105mm.. Italeri, and Dragon... Needs Italeri or Tami Deuce & a half for Prime Mover..

http://www.finescale.com/en/Products%20and%20Reviews/Kit%20Reviews/2009/09/Dragon%201-35%20scale%20M2A1%20105mm%20howitzer.aspx

M101A1, Testor's Italeri pretty much the same as M2A1 105... Main difference i that it's an updated, Vietnam era gun, M35A1 for a Prime Mover (Gas burning, non turbo-charged truck vs the M35A2 multi-fuel deuce...

All 105mm ammo is available either in the kits, both as "loose" projos and in their fibers, or as accessories from AFV.. I used the 5-inch rockets from the Monogram F4U-4 and a few other kits to make complete rounds...

That takes care of the US Army side of the house, as far as what I know about..

I am also in the "not even once" crowd.  I am sure it would look "neat" but not $1500 neat. 

bondoman, for what it's worth, I started the 1/35 AFV Club M40 GMC a while ago.  It's a pretty nice kit.  A bit beyond my skill level due to the number of small and fragile parts.  No resin parts to deal with.  PE deck screens.  Aluminum gun barrel.  It comes with vinyl rubber band style T66 tracks.  Detail is pretty decent.

In addition to what Hans listed, there are a few others.

M51 Long Tom 155mm towed by AFV Club.  Nice, big towed piece, about $35.  You can get crew figures for it as well.

Revell/Monogram 1/32 M55 8"  howitzer, about $25.  Old molding, about on par with the Atomic Cannon. Has a partial interior and engine.  It can be brought up to par with tracks and other pieces from an M47/48 kit.

Academy M12, 155mm WWII howitzer, about $25.  Nice kit with a good driver's interior.

M198 by Trumpeter is a pretty nice kit, about $35.  Builds up nicely and is petty big.

M108 105mm by Iatleri.  Based on M109 chassis. OOP, but nice.

M107 175mm and M110 8" howitzer by Italeri.  Both based on 8" chassis.  Nice, big pieces.

M109A6 Paladin, Italeri.  Current 155mm howitzer.  Same comments as above.  Eduard has a good PE set for it.  AFV Club makes a good replacement track set for all M109 based howitzers by Italeri.

Italeri M1 155mm howitzer (announced by Bronco too).  Nice towed piece from WWII.  Easily updated to Vietnam-era M114.

M119 105mm from Mouse House.  Resin, about $75.  Really nice piece.  Current 105mm used by US forces.  A pretty easy build even though its all resin.

M270 MLRS, Dragon, $35.  Not really an SPG, but really cool anyways.  Comes with a complete cab interior and rocket pods.  Lots of extras for it. 

I'm sure there are some others out there that I am missing, but those should get you started.

Mike,,  (GreenThumb),,       Cheers!

No way- I'm not stupid.

Would I consider a $1500 model kit?  No, I don't think so.  The most I ever paid for a plastic kit was in the $200 range, and even then I had to give it serious thought.

A friend bought the Soar Art 1/35 Dora (maybe the same kit?) and he said the box was too heavy to carry into the house!  He had to open the box and unpack all the smaller boxes in order to get everything inside.  I think the finished model is around 5-6 feet in length overall, so even my friend is unsure about building the beast.

I have no idea what the thinking is when manufacturers come up with gargantuan model kits like the Dora.  Yes there is the wow factor, but in the end how many of us want soemthing like that in our living room or garage?  The only appropriate place I can think of to display such a monster is at a hobby shop.

BUT, the kit has been announced and is coming.  I wonder how many HLJ will move, considering the postage costs?

DoogsATX

Good lord. That's a lot of 229s...

Aoshima 1/35 Dora

Here comes Manny........ New thread: "Will your wife let your fish-boned spine purchase a $1500 kit?"

Wouldn't think twice....Wouldn't think once.....Wouldn't even consider it. If I were going to spend that kind of money, I would buy a WW2 Jeep to restore. If you're going to put something in the garage, it might as well be useful. I'm just sayin'...

LOL! I'm kind of shocked at all the serious responses! I'm willing to throw down on an awesome kit, but this thing's just ridiculous, and the post was very much intended as tongue-in-cheek...

bondoman

OK so since most of the redlegs are at the table here, and we're on our second pitcher, what would be a good choice of one, or maybe two or three, kit (s) that kind of solve the following:

1) plastc model of an artillery piece. SPG, towed, permanent in place all good.

2) Less than $ 100

3) Advanced skills ok, but not a lot of weird resin or cast metal parts that aren't pretty much finished.

4) Big, and a nice display.

I'm already interested in the M40 gmc, and I built the atomic cannon thank you very much,

I'm ramping up a kit giveaway over on my blog, and as part of it I've been looking into various armor kits - you have to really hunt to find something that hits $100...

Honestly I think the AFV Club M40 is all kinds of awesome. And if I wasn't still quivering with rage over what a PITA their Achilles was to build (and all stupid, "they should know better" type issues...), I'd probably have one in the stash.

I've noticed that the lists so far have been limited to US guns. What about the Bronco Bishop? Distinctive subject and the thing's just oozing detail, especially if you build it opened up.

Not really sure what's up with the different colored bits in the shots - I picked one up at the Austin show a few weeks ago and if I recall it's all gray styrene save the PE. But it looks phenomenal.