Japanese Plastic Model Kits

Fummy

How about a car?  Do you have a dream car to be recreated into plastic model kit?

YES!!!!!!!!

An M1008/1009 CUCVs!

I know you meant civilian cars and trucks, but I'd settle for just the M1008 (left) even without the tarp & bows assembly and radio racks (although they'd be nice to have included)...

Sorry to keep harping on this subject, but as of right now, MiniMan Factory is the only manufacturer of these vehicles, and they're in molded in resin with photo-etched and white metal parts,  they're terribly expensive, and I, for one, would buy at least three of each kit... But at around 60.00 US Dollars per kit, it ain't gonna happen... Now, for say, 25.00 USD, I'd gladly fork over that amount for several of the vehicles, especially the M1008... 

 It was a pretty important vehicle in the mid-1980s, especially for US Army Combat Support and Army National Guard units well into the 1990s, seeing service in the Desert Storm and later in Somalia,  as there was no medium truck to take its place as a workhorse in between the M151 and the Humvee...  Every towed Field Artillery Battery, for instance,  had three or four asigned to it in it's Modified Table of Organization and Equipment (MTO&E), one each, with trailers,  for the Fire Direction Center (FDC), Battery Operations Center (BOC), and two in the Maintenence sections...  Various models were equipped with troopseats,  van-bodies, ambulances, communications equipment, and even just as unit "hacks"....  Those trucks went from Saudi-Arbia to Kuwait City in ODS. 

C'mon Redlegs... Sound off about wanting to build these trucks! 

Echo139er

smeagol the vile:

 

Hans von Hammer:

 

One thing I've never understood about one genre of military modeling... In the case of the afore-mention CUCV kits... A 1/24-1/25th scale kit of a 1988 Chevy Silverado Pick-up or Chevy Blazer would run about 18-25.00 USD...

But put an "M-Number" in the name (M1008 or M1009 for instance), leave out a "complete" engine (only showing the bottom of it molded into the frame and maybe adding a separate part for the exhaust system), and mold it in 1/35th scale, it's now gonna be running 40-50.00 USD... 

Someone from Japan (or even a US Manufacturer) want to explain that?

 

My money would be on them just being greedy and not thinking you would notice.

 

...and, as long as we keep buying them the price will keep going up.  Simple economics, supply and demand.

I don't, anymore.. I shelled out about 33.00 bucks for a 1/48th Tamiya Duece & 'n a half ... Never again...   Even with the 40% coupon from Hobby Lobby, it costs too much...   Now, since I have an "inside guy" at Hobby Lobby, I bought two more, but it was coupled with the 40% coupon and the guy's 15% employee dicount, so I got them for 55% off... That put them at a reasonable price...  It's not like they have a hundred parts... Heck, they got only about 25 or 30 parts. IF you count the screws and weight as parts..

I've seen them at on-line stores too, but the S&H charges negate any perceived "savings", so those're a wash too...  Granted, I could make a big enough purchase to beat the S&H for some stores, but there just ain'nt that many models out there that I want to buy at one time.. My stash is big enough to keep my going for several years now, if I build at the rate of 0ne per Week...  Easy enough to do, but when you add the diorama time in, it drops to about one project every couple months, if I stay focused..

But, getting back to my original beef, I just received my November copy of FSM, and there inside, in all it's glory, was a friggin' "Technical" pick-up, 1/35th scale, injection-molded, with a driver figure, for around 25 bucks.. And yet, there ain't a CUCV kit anywhere in the world for that price,  much less an injection-molded one..

ARRRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Echo139er

Careful herc.  Manny might report you.  Keep it model related.

I have seen many variations of the warthog as RCs.  I am thinking it is just a matter of time before one shows up in green sprue.

Hey that was a model...coudn't you see the post shading I did on it

Careful herc.  Manny might report you.  Keep it model related.

I have seen many variations of the warthog as RCs.  I am thinking it is just a matter of time before one shows up in green sprue.

Echo139er

Owl, you beat me to it.  I was scrambling looking for a good pic of a warthog.  

Here is another picture...oh wait not that wart hog...couldn't resist:

Owl, you beat me to it.  I was scrambling looking for a good pic of a warthog.  

Fummy

How about a car?  Do you have a dream car to be recreated into plastic model kit?

yup, Halo's warthog series! 

How about a car?  Do you have a dream car to be recreated into plastic model kit?

waikong

Fummy, the term used in the US for what you call 'Mythical' category is 'Sci/Fi - Fanatasy'.  Thought you may want to know.

Stickpusher, Airfix has announced Land Rovers used by UK forces in Afganistan and Iraq in 1/48.

Thanks, waikong, but we don't really call it the "mythical" category, at least, it's not a term generally used at shows and in publications.  It was one poster's choice of words.  You are correct, generally, mythical figures are lumped into Sci-Fi/Fantasy.

smeagol the vile

 

Hans von Hammer:

 

One thing I've never understood about one genre of military modeling... In the case of the afore-mention CUCV kits... A 1/24-1/25th scale kit of a 1988 Chevy Silverado Pick-up or Chevy Blazer would run about 18-25.00 USD...

But put an "M-Number" in the name (M1008 or M1009 for instance), leave out a "complete" engine (only showing the bottom of it molded into the frame and maybe adding a separate part for the exhaust system), and mold it in 1/35th scale, it's now gonna be running 40-50.00 USD... 

Someone from Japan (or even a US Manufacturer) want to explain that?

 

My money would be on them just being greedy and not thinking you would notice.

...and, as long as we keep buying them the price will keep going up.  Simple economics, supply and demand.

Hans von Hammer

One thing I've never understood about one genre of military modeling... In the case of the afore-mention CUCV kits... A 1/24-1/25th scale kit of a 1988 Chevy Silverado Pick-up or Chevy Blazer would run about 18-25.00 USD...

But put an "M-Number" in the name (M1008 or M1009 for instance), leave out a "complete" engine (only showing the bottom of it molded into the frame and maybe adding a separate part for the exhaust system), and mold it in 1/35th scale, it's now gonna be running 40-50.00 USD... 

Someone from Japan (or even a US Manufacturer) want to explain that?

 

 

My money would be on them just being greedy and not thinking you would notice.

One thing I've never understood about one genre of military modeling... In the case of the afore-mention CUCV kits... A 1/24-1/25th scale kit of a 1988 Chevy Silverado Pick-up or Chevy Blazer would run about 18-25.00 USD...

But put an "M-Number" in the name (M1008 or M1009 for instance), leave out a "complete" engine (only showing the bottom of it molded into the frame and maybe adding a separate part for the exhaust system), and mold it in 1/35th scale, it's now gonna be running 40-50.00 USD... 

Someone from Japan (or even a US Manufacturer) want to explain that?

The new Blade Runner hover police car in 1/24 is cool. Revell's 1/32 Arado and Hawk are steps in the right direction. Good quality, well made , large kits at reasonable prices.  

Fummy

 

Thank you all for your valuale tips.

I personally wonder of how you think of Mythical category of Japanese model kits.

Hasegawa is going to release Cosmo Fighter kit from Reiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock.

Fine Mold released Laputa's robot in scale kit a while ago.

About Mythical and Car category, it is difficult to nail down the appropriate subject

for Asian / US / European market.

As I can see from your comments, MM might be a common caetgory for overseas market.

 

My friend I can tell you personally I would LOVE to have larger scale figures and kits from Japanese Mythos and their Feudal - Medieval period. 

I would go out of my way to buy a figure kit of Benkei and Minamoto no Yoshitune. 

Figures in the Feudal-Medieval period Japanese or European are VERY rare in scales outside of 1/72nd and I know alot of people who this is just to small to do and the details are just subpar because of the size. 

I want the Laputa Robot, I already have Bandai's full line of Nausicaa kits they re-released.

I would suggest staying away from cars, the market is FLOODED just completly saturdated.  Unless you can do something noone else has done before with them, I would suggest stay away.

Fummy, the term used in the US for what you call 'Mythical' category is 'Sci/Fi - Fanatasy'.  Thought you may want to know.

Stickpusher, Airfix has announced Land Rovers used by UK forces in Afganistan and Iraq in 1/48.

Rob Gronovius

Modern armor and armored trucks are gaining popularity because of their relevance in the world today. Will all the conflicts going on, many people who may want to start model building may turn to see models of vehicles they see in the news to build.

Additionally, movie based models do well. Model kits based on vehicles seen in war movies or action movies, like Transformers, tend to do well.

That's exactly what I did after the iraq invasion. I had to have a Abrams and Bradley. I'm not a modern armor builder, but my son is.

For Japanese manufacturers, my favorite are Tamiya for armor & Hasegawa for planes.

1.I think most folks welcome any new kit as long as it is good quality

2. It must be of a good subject

      2a.Priced consistent with what it is.

in other words don't price it to a point where I have to hide the kit with nine other things to get it past my CFO

No one has mentioned it, but I, and more than a few other US Army and Marine Corps veterans would like to see STYRENE kits of 1960s-1980s era "Soft-Skinned vehicles", or what's officially known as Tactical trucks in 1/35th scale to compliment the towed howitzers, and command-post vehicles.

We're talking about the M1008/1009 series of CUCVs (Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicles) basd on the Chevrolet Blazer and Pick-Ups, M35A2 Series 2 1/2 ton trucks, with both cargo bed and communication van-bodies, and  M39, M40, M54, Truck 5 Ton, 6x6 series of Cargo (Heavy Artillery prime movers), Wreckers (from Transportation Companies), and Dump-trucks (Combat Engineers)  Also, the M151A2 series of 1/4 ton jeeps... Add to that list the "Gamma-Goat" M561 6x6 truck

Start with the CUCVs, M1008/1009 CUCVs and the M561 "Gamma Goat"... And keep 'em under 45.00 USD...

Thank you all for your valuale tips.

I personally wonder of how you think of Mythical category of Japanese model kits.

Hasegawa is going to release Cosmo Fighter kit from Reiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock.

Fine Mold released Laputa's robot in scale kit a while ago.

About Mythical and Car category, it is difficult to nail down the appropriate subject

for Asian / US / European market.

As I can see from your comments, MM might be a common caetgory for overseas market.

1/48 armor seems to be taking off in popularity. Tamiya's line of WWII vehicles are nice, but the selection is still fairly limited. Even with other companies like Hobby Boss in the mix, there are still a lot of subjects that have not yet been covered in 1/48 injection moldings. And Post War, Cold War, and Post Cold War have been completely ignored in 1/48, save for some horrid R/C toy ones by Academy.

Bandai's 1/35th scale Batman Begins/The Dark Knight Batmobile Tumbler is by far one of the cooler movie based models in that scale.

smeagol the vile

 

Quite, he decided that he wanted to flush all modeling down to 5 categories and called Scifi 'mythical' for some reason.

That makes sense, a lot of the popular Sci-Fi of today have taken on a mythical status. And I'm sure the Odyssey was the sci-fi of it's day.

Now back to the topic at hand:

Here's some ideas:

WW1 stuff - Tanks, ships and aircraft. with the 100th anniversary coming up, there would be a market for affordable, well designed kits.

Video game models would be a good idea as well, start with snaps to get the kids building, then offer kits that could be customized to what they play (ex modern cars packaged like the old AMT 3in1 car kits for a popular driving game)

I'm very curious to see what you have on the drawing board and hope this helps.

... Uh because it makes sense!  Its a good fit in a very high categorization of model genres.

 Air, Sea, Land, Space and Mythical.  

Anyway.. back to the topic at hand.   

I think the Halo vehicles would make awesome kits. I know I would definitively buy them.

smeagol the vile

 

Rob Gronovius:

 

Additionally, movie based models do well. Model kits based on vehicles seen in war movies or action movies, like Transformers, tend to do well.

 

 

 

Rob is dead on with this, getting a license from a movie, TV show, or Video game would bring in more money then you would know what to do with, especially big name franchises like Halo, just to name one.

heck, yeah! I'd LOVE to see Halo kits come out in styrene! 

smeagol the vile

the Baron:

 

The Navigator:

 

What's the mythical category?

 

 

*chuckle*

I think he meant what's more commonly called Fantasy and Sci-Fi at most contests (a pretty broad designation, not always accurately applied, to be sure).

 

 

Quite, he decided that he wanted to flush all modeling down to 5 categories and called Scifi 'mythical' for some reason.

 

One mans mythical is one mans sc-fi, one mans garbage is another mans treasure.

I for one would love to see more Russian stuff, and I am always up for more IJN/IJA stuff

the Baron

 

The Navigator:

 

What's the mythical category?

 

 

*chuckle*

I think he meant what's more commonly called Fantasy and Sci-Fi at most contests (a pretty broad designation, not always accurately applied, to be sure).

Quite, he decided that he wanted to flush all modeling down to 5 categories and called Scifi 'mythical' for some reason.

To our new friend asking the questions I would make one more recommendation.  WWII is a fairly covered topic there is not much you can do that will not have been done by at LEAST three companies, two in Styrene and one in Resin.  If you want to stand out look elseware in subject matter

The Navigator

What's the mythical category?

*chuckle*

I think he meant what's more commonly called Fantasy and Sci-Fi at most contests (a pretty broad designation, not always accurately applied, to be sure).

Fummy

I'm working in a manufacturer in Japan.

And would like to know which product is popular and selling well in North America or Europe.

Sorry if you don't like this kind of survey. 

Konnichi-wa, Fummy-san and welcome to the forum!

It's not so much that we don't like surveys, we're all modelers and we all love to sound off about what we like best But you want to be careful, because FSM forbid commercial activity in the forums, so you might want to be careful.

To your questions, among Japanese manufacturers, I like:

Tamiya, for 1/48 WWII aircraft

Hasegawa, Tamiya and Fujimi, for 1/700 ships (I'm a fan of the waterline series that they collaborated on)

All of the manufacturers of MaschinenKrieger kits

Various independent makers of resin anime figure kits.

I also like Tamiya's paints, in jars and rattle-cans, and Gunze-Sangyo paints, though those are little harder to come by around here.

Best regards,

Brad

What's the mythical category?