model price limits

Depends on the kit. I look for stuff that is less than $20, but for hard to find stuff/out of production kits, I'll spend more.... with shipping up to $50. For that much, it's gotta be either a Spitfire or a P-40, and have something special about it. (Of course, I guess being a Spitfire or P-40 is special...)

I really wish Eduard would keep expanding their Weekend Edition line.... great kits for like $12.

DURR wrote:

do anyone of you have a price limit on what you spend on a single model i (am a bit of a cheapskate) limit my price to $20 per model although above 12 is still rare for me

Now that I've discovered ebay, I usually prefer to stay under $20. It hasn't been that hard either. I just don't run out and buy the kit of the day.

I'm a cheapskate when it comes to buying kits. The most I've spent on a single kit is the Tamiya 1/25 scale Tiger I for around $50 in 1991. Of course, I had just come from an all-expense paid vacation at an exotic location where I had limited chances to spend any money, so I figured I'd splurge.

Even in today's uber-kit market, I stay below the $40 mark for a single scale model kit.

Now, if you branch into the R/C model area, I did buy the Tamiya 1/16 scale M4 105mm remote control tank. I think that one was in the $200 range, but very reasonable for an R/C model. I also won the 1/16 Tamiya full R/C Tiger I. I did not pay for it, but it retailed for $750.

I do know a couple of people who have spent loads of money on vintage kits. I just sold a couple of small, but rare/vintage kits for $224 and $310.

My max limit is $50. Even then, the kit has to be good and a one of a kind. Kind of like the D-model Hornets in 1/48. Hasegawa makes the only one, and since I had to have it to round out my USMC collection in 1/48, I had to buy it. I wish I could find good prices on the 1/35 MRC H-60 variants, but they are always around $60, and so far, I am holding firm on not buying them. Otherwise, I like to stick between $20 and $30.

 Oh, and I've never, ever seen a "deal" on ebay. If I can add up the bid and shipping to what it'd cost me at the store or online retailer, forget it.

Andy

I try, for now to stay under the $30 mark for kits.  I'd love to make the line of Trumpeter 1/32 jets, but I need to improve my skills--a lot!--before I can justify spending $50 on a kit, let alone $125!

Flynavy1958 

What I've learned about myself is that, no matter how much money I DON'T have, I'll still spend whatever it takes to get what I want.

Horrible disease. Horrible.

Its a tough question. How much would i pay for a kit that i really wanted? If im browsing, ie in a store thats just opened liked 20meters from my front door :) (and i thought i was jinxed), i will spend no more than 30pounds on a kit, average is about £20.

But for akit i really wanted id pay up to alot more. ie like the UAV globalhawk, if i can get this in the UK, id pay up to £70-80 for it.

I out cheap you all.  Two of my current builds I'm into a grand total of $1.00. I purchased one from an estate sale for .25 and the other from a thrift store for .75 cents.  I will pay more for a kit but rarely over $20.

I also was the leader of the Budget Group Build a few years back where the idea was to build a good model for no more then $20 for everything, including supplies.

I don't really have a price limit per se.  It all depends on what I want and if it's worth it to me at the time. 

All of Dragons release the past year or so give a lot of bang for the buck.  At around $40 they are a bargain when you factor in the magic tracks, turned barrels, PE etc. so I'll gladly pay the purchase price.  Most of the aircraft models I buy are in the $20 to $50 range. 

I'd be willing to donate a body part though to get my hands on a Classic Airframes 1/48 Bf109A

It certainly depends on the kit. When I was a kid, I was paying .50 to a $1.00 on the old Hawk, Aurora kits and now I average around $50 per model. So far the most I paid for one model rather two since it was really a set, was over $1,000 for the Accurate Armor 1/35th U-boat and Quay side set. Figure I will build this as a retirement project some day. Today, I would check out the Squadron and Discount web sites for specials and sometime I can get a kit for $30-$40 off MFG price. Now if I can only build them OOB, the detail sets can run into big bucks too.

Scott

MaxPower wrote:

If I want it I'm going to get it. If I have to work some OT then so be it. I can pretty well just work one Saturday and get almost any 1/32 aircraft I want. One Saturday doesn't seem like a big deal.

I generally try to stay around $30, but I've picked up several DML releases recently for about $35, including shipping.  The most I've personally dropped on a kit was AFV Club's 3-in-1 German half track kit for about $65.  Of course that was 3 kits in one box.  I get all of them on Ebay or I keep a very close eye on the email announced sales at a couple websites.

 I did have the AMT Star Destroyer with fiber optic lighting bought for me back when it came out for $85 or so.  It never got done.   Same with the Revell B-29.....

DURR wrote:

do anyone of you have a price limit on what you spend on a single model

Nope, no limits. If I want it, I buy it. That's why I have a job; so I can buy things and enjoy life (not that "buying things" is in any way a prerequisite for enjoying life, of course! But you know what I mean.).

I always look for the best deals, though...no sense in spending too much if you don't have to!

J-Hulk wrote:

DURR wrote: do anyone of you have a price limit on what you spend on a single model Nope, no limits. If I want it, I buy it. That's why I have a job; so I can buy things and enjoy life (not that "buying things" is in any way a prerequisite for enjoying life, of course! But you know what I mean.). I always look for the best deals, though...no sense in spending too much if you don't have to!

Model Grandpa wrote:

I out cheap you all.  Two of my current builds I'm into a grand total of $1.00. I purchased one from an estate sale for .25 and the other from a thrift store for .75 cents.  I will pay more for a kit but rarely over $20.

Me too, I almost exlusively buy at sales and shows. Most of my models are in the € 5 (yes, five) price range. My most expensive kit is the Azur 1/32 I-16 which i bought for a little under € 30,- (on holliday in Czech, kit's are very cheap there!

Rob Gronovius wrote:

Hey Brian, I scored another Aurora MBT70 at my LHS. Ran me around $30-35.

 Sweet! Great price, too. I still haven't started on that second one I got from you, to finish off my MBT70 trilogy!

Which release is it?

I feel like this is a confessional!  LOL!  Forgive me for I have sinned.  About a year ago I went to two LHSs and spent a grant total of around $60.  At the time, that was the most I had "splurged".  With that money I purchased two kits, one of which was a $35 Phantom kit from Hasegawa.  I think I have been spoiled on the good old Monogram kits where you could pick up a 1/48 kit for $12.  So for me to have spent $35 on that one Hasegawa kit, even that made me feel a bit uneasy at the time.

Last year I spent $50 (that included S&H) for an Anigrand kit.  That was the most I have ever spent on one kit.  My "norm" is around $25 but even then it had better be something special.

Eric

As my stash has grown larger, I've become quite a cheapskate, too, in model buying.  I almost never pay MSRP for them.  I either wait until they go on sale at one of the big internet places, my LHS, or find them on ebay.  Generally, $25 is my limit for 1/48 scale aircraft.  If its a subject I really want in my favorite scale (1/48), though, I'll throw the limit out the window.  I did pay $28 plus shipping for an S-model vacform Vultee P-66 Vanguard.  Is the kit worth that, especially a vacuform?  By itself, not even close.  But I really wanted a 1/48 P-66, and in this scale, there's no other game in town.

I unfortunately have a real mental barrier with the prices of 1/72nd scale aircraft these days.  I guess because I built so many of them as a kid, buying them for a dollar or two. I just can't get over the $10 barrier for a single engine 1/72nd scale aircraft, and I don't care how much resin/PE is thrown in.  Guess this is why I could never settle for Sword's 1/72nd P-66, even though the P-66 was at the top of my want list, but would have paid even more than I did for the 1/48. 

jeff wrote:

If its a subject I really want in my favorite scale (1/48), though, I'll throw the limit out the window.  I did pay $28 plus shipping for an S-model vacform Vultee P-66 Vanguard.  Is the kit worth that, especially a vacuform?  By itself, not even close.  But I really wanted a 1/48 P-66, and in this scale, there's no other game in town.

I also like the P-66, a very intresting plane. I have the 1/48 Karo As kit (vacform with resin, white metal gear and PE) and I paid my favorite price for it ..... € 5,-! (it was on sale at my LHS) I could have had the Sword kit (for the same price) but I thought, bigger is better!

It seems like gas prices, model kit prices are getting out of hand. New releases are on average way over $25. Look at the upcoming Hasegawa 1/32 P-47D....MFG list price is $64. How many kids can afford a model like that let alone adults? I try to wait for a kit I want to go on sale, such as when I got the 1/32 F-18D from E-hobbyland last summer when they had them on sale for around $69, yes that's steep but I still save a bundle.

Scott

Note to Wayne....When were you with VMGR 252? I was with them from 79' to 82'