Do you think twice about spending $1500 on a model kit?

I blow $1500 fairly regularly on real guns, but a model.........no.

Hans von Hammer

Need a "You gotta be Sh****' me!" smiley..

Indeed !

FSM could use one of those smileys.

I suppose Dragon determined that the kit builders are unwilling and unable to modify existing 1/35 scale figures and have lots of spare cash to spend after blowing $1, 500 plus S&H and maybe tax.

DoogsATX

So...if you want to really either laugh or shake your head or find ammo to moan about how manufacturers' prices are insane...here's a link to just the figures. 

The Dora kit is ridiculous. But this is just stupid.

8 unpainted metal figures for a bit under $250.... that's over $50 each... Are they made from Sterling Silver?

Need a "You gotta be Sh****' me!" smiley..

So...if you want to really either laugh or shake your head or find ammo to moan about how manufacturers' prices are insane...here's a link to just the figures. 

The Dora kit is ridiculous. But this is just stupid.

Hans von Hammer

I'd probably do that too... IF I had the money, since it's just plain FUN to mess with my cats with R/C stuff... 

Good point. Cats are very curious/afraid of the thing. It can just outrun a toddler. The neighbors dogs run scared, especially when I fire it at them. Where do you put a 1/16 Tiger tank? In the book case in your living room, naturally. I had a girlfriend who laughed that I had a Tank! in my living room.  Hey, it''s a replica of Michael WIttman's tank, doncha know?? (alas, she did not know who Michael WIttman was)

I'd never spend the money for it--but it's not a mater of the cost, really--it's a matter of "Where the heck would I put the darned thing?!"

Maybe if I won thelottery and didn't have to work at all anymore and bouht a big house...?

And maybe pigs will fly across the face of the moon tonight?

I'd probably do that too... IF I had the money, since it's just plain FUN to mess with my cats with R/C stuff... 

I spent around $1000 bucks years back on a Tamiya 1/16 RC Tiger, radio, and aftermarket independent suspension kit. It was a fun build. It's fun to take out now and then and run around. I don't think I would do that again though, but I do eye the 1/16 Panther RC! For now, I'm gonna stick to conventional kits.

They showed the competition it can be made and they were the 1st even if they sell 1 every blue moon.

Heh.. Blue Moons happen far more often and with more predictablity, lol.. (For those that don't know, a "Blue Moon" has nothing to do with the Moon's color.. It's simply a second full moon inside of one calendar month...)

That said, it took me a bit to figure out what you meant with RPF.com, but then it dawned on me, lol.. I was looking for the floor-plans for the 1960's Batman Bat-Cave for a diorama featuring the 1/32 scale Batmobile, and the associated bat-poles, bat-consols, bat-computers, bat-water fountain, Atomic Bat-pile (), etc..

That price is a little out of my league. But what makes this kit so much better than the Soar kit that they decide to charge almost twice the amount for? And don't say the figures!

Not just the kit price of $1,500.

Gotta add in the cost of a new room addition and custom built display case...

plus all the new shoes for SWMBO............

The only 2 thing one needs to pay such amount for a kit are:

1-Disposable income

and/or

2- A genuine interest for the subject

I've seen folks at the RPF.com forums making line for X or Y caster to come up with a $600+ model. The studio scale Shuttle Tydirium comes to mind at almost $900. For us mortals or less hardcore, the MPC will suffice.

Another poster mentioned why some companies come up with this gargantuan subjects with equally large price tags. Some times companies want to make a statement. A few years ago Sigma announced their 200-500 f/2.8 lens. A lens that has very little to no practical use in the field due to its weight, size and of course, a price tag of almost $30K. Creating such a beast is a true marvel of optical engineering. They showed the competition it can be made and they were the 1st even if they sell 1 every blue moon.

This is the real thing, no doctoring whatsoever.

Yer right, Gino.. I was thinking that the "Eve of Destruction"  was a stand-alone five-ton, rather than a conversion/kitbash... 

Man, I'm more effed-up than a football-bat this morning...

Disregard my last about the AFV 5-ton kit, Bondo...

THIS is a kit, however... You don't wanna know the price though..

213.00 Australian Dollars is all I can find about price.. That's GOTTA be 40 or 50 bucks US, at least...

AFV makes a Five-ton kit, another Vietnam-war Gun Truck with a quad-fifty..

A little correction there.  The AFV Club Guntruck kit is a 2 1/2 ton M35A1.  There are no plastic kits of Vietnam-era 5 ton truck.  The only plastic 5 ton model is the modern(ish) M923 and M925 kits by Italeri. 

These can be converted into a Vietnam-era M54 5 ton pretty easily, using the Italeri kit and an AFV Club M35.  Here is a link that describes how to do it.

[url=http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=301]M54 conversion[/ur]

It can come out pretty nicely.

There are resin M54 and M800 5 ton kits out there if you want to go that route.  They are available from Hobby Fan and Real Model and go for about $150+.

Whoops.. Gino covered The Pig...

Academy M12, 155mm WWII howitzer, about $25.  Nice kit with a good driver's interior.

Forgot about that one, and I even built it!

Also forgot about the Itaerli M114 155mm Towed Howitzer (Foregound piece, that's an M110 8-inch SP behind it)...   AKA "The Pig"...  That's no illusion, the tube's unpainted and polished.. If you see one painted, its "firing position" is outside the local VFW Hall or National Guard Armory... I only crewed this piece during AIT at Ft Sill, for two days or so, never been on one since... Didn't love it either, since that gun was NO fun at all.. 'Cept maybe for the gunner (the guy with the phone growing out of his head), who rode the left trail during firing..

For Vietnam-era through the 1980s, its Prime Mover is an M54 Five-ton..

Edited: AFV does NOT make a Five-ton kit.

If I ever spent this much on a model and my wife found out, I would have to find a new place to live.

$1500 for a model?

Maybe if I won the lottery.  Otherwise, no way.

You guys are GREAT!!!

I'm definitely looking for a BIG tube, being a Navy modeler.

The M40 looks the punk, as I think Dad was in a unit that had them, although I await his reply and he's a little low now.

Hammers 109 very awesome.

Gino I did build that 8" gun a while back (1972). It was a great kit and a possibility.

Thanks again.

Hans von Hammer

M7 Priest 105mm SP Howitzer. Testor's/Italeri... About 30-35.00 on Ebay.. Built the Academy version, and saw no real improvements with it... None, at least, worth the extra 25.00 bucks over the Italeri kit..

Dragon makes a Priest, too. Around $50. Definitely a better choice at the upper end vs. the Academy...

LOL! I'm kind of shocked at all the serious responses! I'm willing to throw down on an awesome kit, but this thing's just ridiculous, and the post was very much intended as tongue-in-cheek...

bondoman

OK so since most of the redlegs are at the table here, and we're on our second pitcher, what would be a good choice of one, or maybe two or three, kit (s) that kind of solve the following:

1) plastc model of an artillery piece. SPG, towed, permanent in place all good.

2) Less than $ 100

3) Advanced skills ok, but not a lot of weird resin or cast metal parts that aren't pretty much finished.

4) Big, and a nice display.

I'm already interested in the M40 gmc, and I built the atomic cannon thank you very much,

I'm ramping up a kit giveaway over on my blog, and as part of it I've been looking into various armor kits - you have to really hunt to find something that hits $100...

Honestly I think the AFV Club M40 is all kinds of awesome. And if I wasn't still quivering with rage over what a PITA their Achilles was to build (and all stupid, "they should know better" type issues...), I'd probably have one in the stash.

I've noticed that the lists so far have been limited to US guns. What about the Bronco Bishop? Distinctive subject and the thing's just oozing detail, especially if you build it opened up.

Not really sure what's up with the different colored bits in the shots - I picked one up at the Austin show a few weeks ago and if I recall it's all gray styrene save the PE. But it looks phenomenal.

Wouldn't think twice....Wouldn't think once.....Wouldn't even consider it. If I were going to spend that kind of money, I would buy a WW2 Jeep to restore. If you're going to put something in the garage, it might as well be useful. I'm just sayin'...

DoogsATX

Good lord. That's a lot of 229s...

Aoshima 1/35 Dora

Here comes Manny........ New thread: "Will your wife let your fish-boned spine purchase a $1500 kit?"

Would I consider a $1500 model kit?  No, I don't think so.  The most I ever paid for a plastic kit was in the $200 range, and even then I had to give it serious thought.

A friend bought the Soar Art 1/35 Dora (maybe the same kit?) and he said the box was too heavy to carry into the house!  He had to open the box and unpack all the smaller boxes in order to get everything inside.  I think the finished model is around 5-6 feet in length overall, so even my friend is unsure about building the beast.

I have no idea what the thinking is when manufacturers come up with gargantuan model kits like the Dora.  Yes there is the wow factor, but in the end how many of us want soemthing like that in our living room or garage?  The only appropriate place I can think of to display such a monster is at a hobby shop.

BUT, the kit has been announced and is coming.  I wonder how many HLJ will move, considering the postage costs?

No way- I'm not stupid.

Mike,,  (GreenThumb),,       Cheers!

In addition to what Hans listed, there are a few others.

M51 Long Tom 155mm towed by AFV Club.  Nice, big towed piece, about $35.  You can get crew figures for it as well.

Revell/Monogram 1/32 M55 8"  howitzer, about $25.  Old molding, about on par with the Atomic Cannon. Has a partial interior and engine.  It can be brought up to par with tracks and other pieces from an M47/48 kit.

Academy M12, 155mm WWII howitzer, about $25.  Nice kit with a good driver's interior.

M198 by Trumpeter is a pretty nice kit, about $35.  Builds up nicely and is petty big.

M108 105mm by Iatleri.  Based on M109 chassis. OOP, but nice.

M107 175mm and M110 8" howitzer by Italeri.  Both based on 8" chassis.  Nice, big pieces.

M109A6 Paladin, Italeri.  Current 155mm howitzer.  Same comments as above.  Eduard has a good PE set for it.  AFV Club makes a good replacement track set for all M109 based howitzers by Italeri.

Italeri M1 155mm howitzer (announced by Bronco too).  Nice towed piece from WWII.  Easily updated to Vietnam-era M114.

M119 105mm from Mouse House.  Resin, about $75.  Really nice piece.  Current 105mm used by US forces.  A pretty easy build even though its all resin.

M270 MLRS, Dragon, $35.  Not really an SPG, but really cool anyways.  Comes with a complete cab interior and rocket pods.  Lots of extras for it. 

I'm sure there are some others out there that I am missing, but those should get you started.

I am also in the "not even once" crowd.  I am sure it would look "neat" but not $1500 neat. 

bondoman, for what it's worth, I started the 1/35 AFV Club M40 GMC a while ago.  It's a pretty nice kit.  A bit beyond my skill level due to the number of small and fragile parts.  No resin parts to deal with.  PE deck screens.  Aluminum gun barrel.  It comes with vinyl rubber band style T66 tracks.  Detail is pretty decent.

SPG- M109-M109A2/A3, 1/35th, Testor's/Italeri.. OOP, but still on Ebay for about 30-45.00 price-range... There's eveb resin interior sets for both the turret and hull...Ammo canisters, projos, and loose fuzes/fuze-cans (look the same as .50 cal ammo cans, BTW), available from AFV...

Interior detail sets are expensive though, and require opening of gunner's top hatch, and the two turret side-hatches for easiest and most viewing area. When used with the AFV Club M548 Ammo track, it's a REALLY bif display, at least a foot and half long, two would be better... Add the crew's individual fighting positions (read: Foxholes) for width... Add the collimator too... Looks like a "spotting scope", emplaced "backwards"... It function is for aiming the gun on it's left-/right deflection...

M7 Priest 105mm SP Howitzer. Testor's/Italeri... About 30-35.00 on Ebay.. Built the Academy version, and saw no real improvements with it... None, at least, worth the extra 25.00 bucks over the Italeri kit..

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer. Don't know what to tell yas about this kit as I haven't built one, or even bought one.. Too rich for my blood, in other word...  Needs a 5-ton truck for a PM...

M102 105mm Towed. 1/35th AAFV Club. About 40.00.. Needs Duece & a half for a Prime Mover, M35A2, also available from AFV Club... Another 40.00 bucks.. Currently, the only truck kit is the Gun Truck, but can be built into the Arty Prime Mover be leaving off the quad-fifty (always can find a use for that somewhere else, as it's a stand-alone kit in itself, almost.)..

M2A1 Towed 105mm.. Italeri, and Dragon... Needs Italeri or Tami Deuce & a half for Prime Mover..

http://www.finescale.com/en/Products%20and%20Reviews/Kit%20Reviews/2009/09/Dragon%201-35%20scale%20M2A1%20105mm%20howitzer.aspx

M101A1, Testor's Italeri pretty much the same as M2A1 105... Main difference i that it's an updated, Vietnam era gun, M35A1 for a Prime Mover (Gas burning, non turbo-charged truck vs the M35A2 multi-fuel deuce...

All 105mm ammo is available either in the kits, both as "loose" projos and in their fibers, or as accessories from AFV.. I used the 5-inch rockets from the Monogram F4U-4 and a few other kits to make complete rounds...

That takes care of the US Army side of the house, as far as what I know about..