Shared Feeling About Modelling

Just a common courtesy note, but hitting the enter key to break up long winding paragraphs works wonders in making your post easier to read and thus more likely to generate responses.

What I garner from your thoughts:

• Too many of certain subjects and not enough of others. Fair enough, some folks want the widest varieties, others want to model one favored subject in its entirety. Can't please everyone.
• You don't trust internet purchasing. Again, fair enough, there are plenty of shady vendors online. Search many of the online modeling forums and the unrecommended vendors will pop up across the board. There are many trust worthy vendors, like Squadron.com, that have been around for decades and have great sales on occasion.

I totally understand where you're coming from.  The only German kit I've got is an aging PZ IV J(?) from Dragon that I bought years ago...it was probably the last kit I actually bought in a store.  I usually will only buy supplies from stores, and like you, my nearest store is 2 tolls and and hour and half away.  The internet is where I buy, you just have to be careful.  I've had really good luck at several online vendors and if you shop around you can get FAR better prices online (I'm sure you've also noticed that as more kits come out with better quality the price goes waaaay up.  It was not long ago that the price ceiling was Dragon's MAZ-543 TEL w/Scud SS-1c kit.  Tigers cost around 40-50, but now to buy a truck (granted its new and awesome) Trumpeter's LMTV, I've seen it retailing for 70-80!  A TRUCK!  I've got three on my workbench (my living room table...hehe) as well and I just want to keep the progress rolling.  I find that this hobby is relaxing and mind numbing (a good thing to me) after a long day at work.

What I would recommend to you, before you get too burnt out; look through your stash, or reorganize it.  Transer all the German stuff to the back of the pile so you don't have to see it.  Build some odd stuff for a while.  Or, find some people that you know and get the started in the hobby.

My on the German kits proliferation: people keep buying and wanting them.  What does this mean for us?  We'll get a new kit of almost every piece of German armor that was ever developed or dreamed of.  I'm encouraged that most manufacturers are slowly dabbling or exploring new areas of the market

Tamiya and French Armor

Bronco and British/Italian Armor

Dragon and some of the others have been fairly consistent in slowly bringing out new Shermans, one or two each year.

If the trend was wanting to build cold war or modern war stuff, we'd be having the same conversation right about now.  I'm just hoping that we get some new polish kits out there, or perhaps just a 'good' and accurate 7TP.  

Don't feel bad about slowing down, I've had to quit for school several times, so since I've started modelling I"ve only been 'active' less than 50% of the time.

It's a hobby (for most of us... some can make a buck at it)... treat it as such and make it work for you. Build what you want to build and when you can build it. Burnt out... step back. Too many other things to worry about.

As far as having a LHS. Well, there's one about three miles away but, I'd rather purchase on-line or drive 20 miles to some other shop.

Any troubles at Spare Time Shop, Kevin?

I am a noob to the hobby, but I am too already tired of the same ole same ole. I catch myself building mostly "unusual" armor, and by that I mean anything besides m1/tiger/panzer/Russian T :) stuff like th M981, M3 Stuart, M 21, etc. The more weird the model looks the more fun I have building it.

And, boy, I can't wait until I develop the patience and skills to be able to work with the Zvezda models. I'd be in heaven...

As far as buying online - I have no problem doing it. The one HS we have around here had a decent selection of armor until the first time I walked in and bought a bunch of it. They haven't restocked since (months ago), only a handful of Tamiya paints and full MSRP quickly drove me away from it. I now buy form spruebrothers.com and I have only nice things to say. They always sell about $5 cheaper than the online competition, sometimes (like right now) they have additional % discount on your order and a lot of the slow-movers are on sale big time, which is fine by me, since they are usually some of the weirdest armor I've ever seen :) The only thing I lose by buying online is the expert's advice, but thanks to this and other  forums - never really missed it :)

Agreed with the original post.

Living in Canada I have tried Squadron a few times. They are excellent and have the delivery to the border customs within a week. There it sits for two weeks where they decide how much duty to charge. By the time I get the shipment and pay (bail out) duty tax there is no savings!

I try and spread my hobby $ between the LHS here and two in Halifax. The best source seem to be vendors at contests, yet the one here and the other in New Brunswick happen in the spring time so that leaves the rest of the calender year thin. Supplementing my stash is raffle tickets at said events. I get there early and buy 20$ at least which adds variety to the stash.

German developments in fighting aircraft & vehicles is a fascinating subject and even more so how short of a time period it happened. Evolution on steroids or as Stalin said 'Necessity is the mother of all invention' One comparison I like is the German engineers traveled time, watched 'the Road Warrior' and returned to design equipment. Further more many designs were decades ahead of their time, lucky for us most were sidelines and prototypes without being in full production.

Another point would be a question: How many variants were based on the Pz IV chassis? I know its not a easy answer or a short one. Interesting eh?

For me the answer is supporting the LHS, sure the prices sting yet gas and duty taxes seem to creep up faster! Besides a trip to the city has hidden cost in time, lunch, extra stops and millage on the vehicle.

The only time I'll purchase a kit a the HS is if it's drastically marked down, like the 3 kits I got at my local Hobbytown at 75% off. Otherwise it's usually ebay and lately at the model show I went to. I will still buy my paints and other related supplies, but no longer kits, because i can save so much online.

Rob Gronovius

Any troubles at Spare Time Shop, Kevin?

Not any more. I did get the last laugh though and it was a real good one! Haven't been in there for about two years. I now spend it elsewhere.

You'll have to shoot me an email about the fallout. The place was a mecca for many armor modelers in New England.

atlrus

I am a noob to the hobby, but I am too already tired of the same ole same ole. I catch myself building mostly "unusual" armor, and by that I mean anything besides m1/tiger/panzer/Russian T :) stuff like th M981, M3 Stuart, M 21, etc. The more weird the model looks the more fun I have building it.

And, boy, I can't wait until I develop the patience and skills to be able to work with the Zvezda models. I'd be in heaven...

I agree regarding certain subjects. I only need to build one Tiger tank, and it doesn't really matter which variant. Other folks like to build every armored vehicle Michael Wittman drove passed on his way to the front.

I like building more unusual vehicles. It was one reason why I built a lot of 1/72 scale armor. That scale had a wider variety of non-regular tanks and softskins than other scales. But my eyes are not as good as they once were and I will be moving to the bigger stuff soon.

As far as Zvezda kits go, you can probably count on one hand all of their original kits. The vast majority of their kits come from Italeri, Dragon, Peerless Max and a plethora of other manufacturers. You can build a "Zvezda" kit, you just have to know which one to chose (i.e. one that is a decent rebox by someone else).

Rob Gronovius

You'll have to shoot me an email about the fallout. The place was a mecca for many armor modelers in New England.

email inbound Rob.

I agree SuppressionFire.  I have been tempted to order off the net, but by the time I factor in shipping (to Canada) and duty I'm better off buying from the local shop.  If I were in the States I would certainly order online.

After re reading my post, I must adamantly apologize to all my fellow modelers. I did not intend any opinion as a slur against any German anything. I guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I hope in the future to be a little more open to the experience of being one with my hobby. Thanks again for the attitude adjustment.

I don't think anyone saw your post as a slur against German armor subjects. They get a lot of tongue in cheek abuse because there is just so much of it out there.

It's mainly a friendly jealousy issue; why does the Tiger 1 get umpteen bazillion versions made by every major manufacturer in every conceivable variation and the (insert obscure non-German vehicle here) only come in a high priced rare resin kit from a country no one can find on the map?

Seriously though, the Germans made only 1,400 Tiger 1 tanks. There are probably that many different Tiger tank kits available! While the original M60A0 tank (a US tank that served from the 1950s into the 1990s) exists only as a pricey conversion inn 1/35 scale.

I too prefer kits that are off the beaten path.I also love unusual paint schemes.