Hello everyone! (Introduction/Question)

Hello, and welcome to the Model Railroader forums! Sorry, wrong one.  If you like WWII-era German tanks, (I like 'em, too) try Dragon. I have a Dragon Nashorn - very fine!

Welcome to the world of armor building! Nothing much to add to what the others have said. There's so much available now in terms of armor kits, the key is deciding first what time-period/genre you like and then work from there. Most of the major kit manufacturers have lines of kits that cover a lot of ground subject-wise but that doesn't mean they are all of equal quality or builder-friendly.

Welcome....

As one of the "old timers" here let me just say, there are no limits. Give a poke around through Sprue Bros. Find something you like an ask about the particular kit. If you are coming up the learning curve, Tamiya kits many times are simpler than say a Dragon kit but the Dragon kit is more detailed. But....the best is decide what you want to build and ask about the particular kit.

Watch some of the guys here especially Doog and WBill if you are a Germaholic, you will get a ton of tips from them. The most important thing is to have fun. We will keep an eye out for you. If you decide to build some artillery, I will try to help you pull the lanyard!!

Rounds Complete!! 

I've been at the hobby for a little over a year now, and thanks to this forum and site I've learned what would have taken me years to figure out on my own, I really am glad I picked the hobby back up and picked it up during what seems to be a golden age.

As a semi-experienced, enthusiastic novice, I've come to really like Academy kits. I've yet to have any real fit problems with them, they have nice detail, and they're half the price of new Tamiya and Dragon kits usually. You might also look into Tamiya's line that consists of repressed kits from the 70's. They're usually anywhere from $15-30 dollars (got a Panzer III at HobbyLobby for 9.50), they always fits, have great decals, and as far as I'm concerned have plenty of detail for a novice. They're great kits to cut your teeth on in my opinion. I don't like Revell for armor, yet to do a nice kit... 1/48 aircraft on the other hand, solid value.

Another bit of advice, be sure to pick up this month's issue of FineScale, there is a really nice article on the basics of modeling, what you need (supplies), info on paint, general advice, there's even a glossary of modeler terms in there.

As a species, humans do everything they can to differentiate themselves from all other life on the planet. We boast about our large brains, praising our civilization and advancements in science and technology. And let’s not forget our opposable thumbs! There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.

Welcome GJ,,,,,    We're here to help.    You named a few good brands, but as Dupes noted, there are many others.       Quite the selection really.

One thing we all like,,,         pictures!

Be sure to post your photos, or your collabrative build efforts with your girl

Bill

http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Military_Vehicles/browse.php?s=0&t=2&u=10&pg=1&ppp=24&sb=stocknumber&so=a&era=6&ct=3&sc=35

This is a link to my model website of choice. I narrowed it down to 1/35 scale German tanks from WWII for you.

Welcome to the forums! 

I'd also take a look at Trumpeter and Academy.  They're a bit more expensive sometimes; but they've got some really good quality stuff.

Glad to have you aboard. I'd say Italeri are similar to the old Monogram kits. They need a little TLC.

Dragon is still the best bang for the buck. You can many of them on ebay for a huge reduction. They are pretty much ready to go, at least with the newer smart kits.

Hey there! You'll find all kinds of people here willing to help you out with all aspects of building armor.

As far as kit brands, don't limit yourselves just to those - there are a lot more to choose from (especially if you're focusing on German stuff). Go to www.greatmodels.com or www.spruebrothers.com and poke around their inventory to get an idea. Tristar, Academy, Hobby Boss, Bronco will all give you highly buildable kits as well.

Have fun!