One thing you look for in a kit

I look at the subject matter and scale.  There are just some planes and helos that I want to build and my eyes ain't as young as they used to be.  Gotta be 1/48 or bigger.

As far as the panel lines go?  It doesn't matter to me.  Raised, recessed, who cares!  If it is of a plane or chopper that I want.

In order of importance:

1) Scale - if there are multiple kits see #2

2) Subject - I always know the subject up front. If there is more than 1 kit, see #3

3) Price - While this won't "make or break" a deal, it's important. If the kits are close, see #4

4) Engineering and Detail - If 1, 2, and 3 are all roughly equal, this is the clincher. 

What do I look for in a kit? Hmmmm....

Mostly plastic part thingys and some instructions and decals.

Seriously---

My preferred kit is 50-60 parts, reasonable (meaning less than $20 price), and the engineering is negotiable. Don't want it to be horrible, but I'm not too picky.

If Eduard keeps up with their Weekend Editions, I'll buy every WWII kit they put out. Engineered like Tamigawa, priced like Revellogram! 

 My criteria:

1. Subject matter and version

2. Manufacturer

3. price

4. review of the kit 

jwb wrote:

What do I look for in a kit? Hmmmm.... Mostly plastic part thingys and some instructions and decals.

LOL Funny one Jon 

As for me, I think the 1st thing I look for is if I like it.  

It be a Car, Boat, Plane or whatever just as long as I like it.

It could be a kit that only has 5 parts or 1000.

" If you build it, they will come" I mean If you like it then that's all that counts

Bud 

1) Subject (I only build WWII but can be armor, ship or aircraft)

2) Scale (1/72 only)

3) Value (If there is a "reasonable" alternative for less I'll usually go for the cheaper one)

For me it would mostly be the subject matter., but when buying through eBay it is the memory attached to certain kits. Outside of that it would be the manufacturer, the level of detail, the price. Sometimes I will buy an old MPM dog kit and try make a "silk purse out of a sow's ear." 

Cheers ,

Eric

I usually do a fair amount of research before I buy any kit. I look for good fit, detail and accuracy. If it's an aircraft kit, raised panel lines will usually be a show stopper for me as will horror stories regarding fit.

For aircraft I tend to stick with Tamiya and Hasegawa as generally they meet or exceed my expectations. For other than the most common subjects, I look to Classic Airframes and Accurate Miniatures.

Same goes with armor, Tamiya and Dragon consistantly meet or exceed my expectations so I stick with them.

I really do not look for anything in a kit. I build what catches my interest at the time. I built Revell's Peterbilt wrecker because I had seen a show about how companies customize the big tow truck/recovery vehicles. Another time I built an M36 Jackson TD because I was able to actually sit in one when I was in the Balkans.

Scale first 1/48 planes,1/35 helo's,1/35 armor,1/24-25 cars,1/20 F-1 cars.

Manufacturer- Hase,Tam for aircraft, MRC for helos,Dragon,Tam for armor,Tam for f-1 cars, and any man. for cars as long as I like the subject.

Parts count - yeah I know there are plenty of aftermarket parts or you can scratchbuild but I still look at it.

price

fit

clear directions

in that order

beyond that  everything else is just a bonus

Starting with the subject, I'm most interested in accuracy. Sometimes I go with simplicity of build. Don't feel like spending more time than need be. Also am interested in any extra goodies it may contain.

jinithith2 wrote:

what is one thing that you always look for in a kit?

I build 1/24th and 1/25th car models, mostly of the Muscle Car era and Hot Rods. I made a list of what I want and pretty much stick to shopping from that.

If I had to pick one thing in deciding which of the same kit I should buy off the shelf, it would have to be -
Does it offer a stock build version?

If they all or both do, then -
Which one looks more acurate and detailed?

If they are still tied -
Manufacturer: Revell is better than AMT, Tamiya usually curbside, (I want a complete kit).

Finally, price -
Is the $34.00 kit really better than the $12.00 kit?

To sum it up, I have a lot of Revell and AMT kits that are either Stock builds, 2-in-1's or 3-in-1's. With some extra filing and sanding most parts can be made to fit a little better. That's all part of the fun!

Plus cheap kits equal more kits, just ask Mama LOL. 

for me it is subject matter.....I build helicopters and thats pretty limited when you start comparing them to such things as the multitudes of FW/ME/Bf thingies in all possible scales. 

1 subject matter

2 decent enough fit. twenty years of putty experience I canfix just about anything, but why?

3 not a mass of poorly cast resin like SOME of the figures I have recently been given.....sigh....

Thats what I look for...

A) Scale, 1/48 Aircraft and 1/35 armor.  B) Subject matter.  C) Quality of kit.  A $30.00 Hasegawa will almost always win over a $10.00 Arii since I am going to spend that much or more on aftermarket details to bring the cheap kit up to snuff.