From which model companies should I buy and which one should I avoid?

I think my answer depends on which scale and what type of model you are asking about.

In 1/72 scale, you will want to ask people about a kit, or if they know of a review of a kit.

That is because there are Jems and there are Clunkers, from any given company, depending on the kit in question.

If you want a 1/72 T-38 Talon, and see an old Starfix kit at a show for a very low price,,,,,,,,go ahead and buy it, it will be higher in quality as the higher priced newly boxed Hasegawa kit (they are from the same mold, but, that mold is aged now, it could be "flashy")

Haha, that above line says two things,,,,,,,,"Starfix is not automatically bad" and "Hasegawa is not automatically great"

Fujimi has some of the best kits in 1/72, at times,,,,,,,,,,but, also had the oversized and crude 1/72 F-8 Crusader kit, while Academy's TBM Avenger is a copy of the old Frog kit, but Academy produces the "best" 1/72 F-8 Crusader

People on these sites will help answer any questions you ask, some answer in general, and some will drill down to details if that is what you are after

welcome to the forums

Rex

It depends on scale, subject and your wallet.  Most companies make some good kits and bad kits.  They also trade molds.  A well regarded company might get a bad mold from another company and reissue it without any changes or improvements.  And vice versa.  Your best bet is to come here and ask about a kit that has your interest.

Being new to modeling, you should be informed that this particular question is often regarded as one of the more useless ones a modeler can ask.

Just about every manufacturer has poor old kits and nice new kits still available in their lines.

Many companies rebox one another's kits so the 1/72 F-123 from "Company A" will be the same as the F-123B from Company B.

Additionally, many companies excel in one area and may not make as nice kits in others. So a company that makes great American car models may not make the best armor models or vice versa.

Buying a model kit just because of the brand name on the box is a poor way to spend your hard earned modeling dollars. Even the great and mighty Tamiya still sells their old, poor 1970s armor kits at a premium price at stores like Hobby Lobby.

The best way to ask about a kit or to be pointed in the right direction is to ask about a specific kit (i.e. How is the 1/72 scale Airfix Spitfire V?) or ask about a certain subject in a specific scale (What is the best 1/24 scale 1970 Corvette kit?)

As other have said, this is a tricky question. Many of us do have preferred companies. For me, if its aircraft i will first look at Hasegawa, for armour it Dragon. But you really have to take it on a kit by kit bases.

Also, while some companies may have a bad reputation, that could simply be some peoples experiance and they may well do models that you want and no one else does.

Dragon 1/72nd aircraft have a bad name for fit. But for my interests they have some great subjects which few other cover. And of the tewo i have built so far i have had no major issues. So maybe i have just been lucky.

What they all said. And sometimes, the kit from company X is the only game in town of whatever subject in a given scale. So you have no other options. Welcome to the hobby and have fun!

So what's your poison? It would help to answer your question. 

Any thing made by the French!

Price and availability also play in. For example, Trumpeter makes arguably some of the best 1/72 aircraft and some very unique releases. However, they are also quite pricey. Tamiya is also very good, and slightly cheaper. I personally have found that Academy kits are usually pretty nice and have a very good, middle of the road price as well. Also look at what is available in your area. Some of the best kits out there come from European or Asian companies that never make it to America.

Just my thoughts, hope it helps!

It's a hard question,people enjoy the challenge of building any company no matter their rep,you know "it's all in the skill of the modeler" Me,I like shake and bake,easy construction.my favorites are Tamiya,Dragon,Hasegawa.I have also enjoyed AFV Club,Trumpeter.It's srictly up to you.I like to read up on the build reviews for a particular kit.

hellwarrior

Hi, I am new to modelling and I would like to know from which model companies should I buy and which one should I avoid?

Thanks for your help!

What everyone has said is true.  New kits today have a high level of detail you didn't have back in the 70-80's.  And you will pay for that.  But I still jump on a Monogram or Revell every chance I get (nostalgia?).  You have good companies and not so good ones.  You'll have brands YOU like, but others may not...and conversely, there will be ones others love and you won't spend a dime on.  My suggestion would be to try them all!  Yeah, grab a brand X kit when it goes and sale and give it a spin (make sure you let us know what you think!  Reviews are a great way to "see" if you are going to like a kit).  For me, Starfix kits are probably the worst I've seen.  But I came across about 3 of them at a yard sale for $1 each.  I grabbed them to have to try out a new technique or glue or something.  Bottom line.....make sure you're having fun at it! 

Eagle90

Thanks everybody for your help.

I will post another thread about what I'm searching in particular.  Thanks again.

...Avoid-Classic Airframes...and some Special Hobby kits, until you're more seasoned in modeling.

Classic Airframes is the name of the company?  

Thanks for your help Nathan T.

Rob Gronovius

Being new to modeling, you should be informed that this particular question is often regarded as one of the more useless ones a modeler can ask.

Rob!  Don't scare the poor guy away!  LOL!  I think it's a wonderfully valid question especially for someone who is just getting into the hobby.  You have to start somewhere, right?

Models and the companies who manufacture them are a lot like snowflakes or fingerprints.  No two are alike.  Just because you have one type of experience with one kit does not mean it'll be the same experience with the next kit from the same company.  Ooo!  I've got a better comparison!  Model kits are like bowling.  One might be a strike but the next one can be a gutter ball (or vice versa).

The best thing to do is do your research.  On forums like this, it's pretty easy to get lots of opinions covering various aspects of a kit's quality.  Pick a subject in which you're interested and either do a forum search for it or simply post your question.  Usually the more "to the point" you are, the better your responses will be.  In other words, asking something like "I'm thinking of getting the 1/48 scale Monogram B-29.  How is the interior detail?  Do they make aftermarket sets for the cockpit area?"  Something like that might get you the answer you're looking for as opposed to "Is it a good kit?"

Best wishes and post some pics of your builds!!!

Eric

Yep. They make some great ww2 subjects, and their kits include some nice resin and pe, but the fit is tough and I'd only reccomened these kits to experienced builders.

echolmberg

Rob Gronovius

Being new to modeling, you should be informed that this particular question is often regarded as one of the more useless ones a modeler can ask.

Rob!  Don't scare the poor guy away!  LOL!  I think it's a wonderfully valid question especially for someone who is just getting into the hobby.  You have to start somewhere, right?

Eric

That's why I told him how to re-phrase his question. As you know and a half dozen other people have answered, the answer one receives to this question can be next to useless if we don't know what subject/scale he is interested in building.

Any answer like "you can't lose by buying Tamiya" or "avoid Lindberg at all costs" becomes irrelevant if he isn't interested in any type of kits Tamiya makes or only wants a model of a kit that Lindberg makes.

Personally, one of my favorite model companies is Fine Molds. Very expensive kits and they tend to focus on 1/35 scale Imperial Japanese Army tanks, Star Wars vehicles and some high end 1/72 scale WW2 Japanese aircraft. But my answer to a new modeler is worthless if he isn't interested in these subjects or if he feels his skills aren't ready for expensive hard-to-find kits.

I've always been pleased with anything from Tamiya.

Rob Gronovius

Any answer like "you can't lose by buying Tamiya" or "avoid Lindberg at all costs" becomes irrelevant if he isn't interested in any type of kits Tamiya makes or only wants a model of a kit that Lindberg makes.

So very true.  I also know that some manufacturers will make awesome tanks but lousy aircraft (or vice versa).  As you said, when posting a question, it's best to be specific since the answers can be extremely wide ranging.

Eric

Thanks again everybody for your help.  Tonight, I'm going at the hobby shop.  I will probably buy a 1/72 Spitfire and Hurricane from Airfix and I would like to try a tank.  Always from the 2nd world war.

When youre at the shop, ask the owner/clerk, and other customers there for any recommendations in your interst area. Often they will have helpful firsthand knowledge and advice for the novice builder.

Thanks stickpusher for the tip.  I will ask the clerk for their help.

I avoid Trumpeter because they are very customer UN-friendly.  They apparently do not care about customer service at all.  Too bad, they make nice kits.

There are so many ;

You need to find the company that makes what you are interested in and go from there .There are many that do fine OOB or (out of box) kits you could enjoy , for instance TAMIYA and HASEGAWA come to mind . The thing is , you have to find those products you want and you are comfortable with .     Tanker-builder

Thanks again for your tips guys.

I just arrived from the hobby shop.  Here is what I bought.

Revell 1/72 Sd.Kfz.251/9 Ausf. C

Revell 1/72 Sd.Kfz.173 Jagdpanther

Revell 1/72 Tiger II Ausf. B

Revell 1/72 Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel

Airfix 1/72 Consolidated B-24 Liberator B.V1

I think I will have a lot of fun for the next weeks or months to come :)

I beg to differ - Heller (at least in 1/72) seems to have some good kits

Finally, in those five kits, I have one level three, two level four and one level five.  I think I'm going to start with the level three.

qmiester

I beg to differ - Heller (at least in 1/72) seems to have some good kits

I'm not a Heller afficiando, but I know several of the kits I've built are pretty good. Some of their armor is pretty good, albeit over-engineered.

HW, that sounds like a good haul you picked up there! Armor and aircraft as well. I have never built any of those tanks in small scale, so I cant comment on those. But that Liberator, I suspect, has been around for awhile, and if it is that one, it should build up without any serious challenges, IIRC. Have fun with all those kits!

Certainly a nice haul there to be starting with. One thing to be aware of that can confuse the isse is that some companies somtimes box older kit by other companies as there own. Revell for example re box some old Matchbox kits, though i don't think any of those you bought are ex matchbox.

Some people seem to know the history of each and every kit, but i have no idea. But if you do get attached to a certain brand, it might be something to remember.