What's the difference between the old Revell and the new Revell?

There are actually two Revells, Revell/Monogram (based in the US) and Revell of Germany.  My personal opinion is that Revell of Germany produces the best models of the two. The only 1/72 German subs available in 1/72 (VIIC & VIIC/41) are produced by Revell of Germany and can be built up into a fine representation of the orgional.

Thx. Can you tell between Revell USA and Revell Germany straight from the box?

So i should avoid Revel USA then. Because i'm thinkin to either build a Tamiya's 1/350 Fletcher DD or a Revell's(which one?) 1/72 Flower corvette to go in pair with my 1/72 VIIC/41. 

The Revell Flower Corvette uses a mold that Matchbox originally created (in the 70's I think) & that Revell picked up when Matchbox got into trouble. No matter what boxing, the sprues inside will be the same. I haven't made it, but have read reviews to the effect that its detail is a bit basic in places. Still, in that scale you can go to town correcting it.

Revell Germany has a tie up with Hasegawa to use some of their aircraft molds & this could I suppose bring about a difference between some Revell US & Germany kits of the same subject. Being seperate now, if Revell in the US ever re-released a 1/32nd FW190D kit, they may well choose to use the old mold that they have, whereas the Revell Germany boxing uses a more recent (& way better) Hasegawa mold.

Only speculation on my part?

Revell Germany and Revell USA used to be one company although each seemed to develop their own molds and kits.  They recently seperated from each other completely and are now seperate entities. 

Revell USA has not done much in recent years in terms of developing or releasing new kits.  They have however recently changed their packaging and logo.

Revell Germany on the other hand has developed some excellent new kits (including the 1/72 U-boats) of their own in recent years and has built a great reputation for themselves.  They also as mentioned above have a deal with Hasegawa to release or rebox some of their kits and they usually sell for less than the Hasegawa kits even though you get the same kit.  However, Revell Germany also reboxes several old kits mostly from the old Matchbox molds of which as mentioned includes the Flower Corvette.  I have that kit and it does indeed need some attention to get an accurate looking build but would be a great addition to your U-boat. 

The bottom line is you need to do your homework and find out which molds the kits come from before you buy.  The two revells are easy to distinguish by their packaging.  Your u-boat would have come in the typical Revell Germany packaging. 

Revell USA Boxes are Blue, and Revell Germany Boxes are green.

billydelawder wrote:

Revell USA Boxes are Blue, and Revell Germany Boxes are green.

 

Finally someone said the magic words. Thx

Unless it is an aircraft kit (which I accept may not be of much interest to a lot of you here), where the Revell Germany boxes are......... blue also.

The really easy way to tell the difference is to look at the side of the box. For Revell Germany stuff, there will be a small panel with information about the kit's origin.  This will include the words 'Printed in Germany'. Note that this box will also say where the kit is made, and this is not a reliable guide, because Revell Gemany kits are made (moulded) all over the world, from Mexico to Poland to Italy to China to Japan.

Cheers,

Chris.

Note that the Revell USA kit of the Constitution is made in China. Although made from tha same molds as the Revell Germany model (which I believe is made in the Poland), the quality control is better in China and the China kit is about 30% cheaper.

I have the Rewvell Germany model of the Flower Class Corvette. I am very impressed with the kit.

Revell USA was recently bought out by some concern. I am very vague on this and it is too early to determine the impact of this change.