Building Older Kits ?

I'd like another go around with Revell's old 1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner.
Lee

Excellent, thanks Woody, thats a new one to ' look forward ' to !

Here's a book for you "Remembering Revell Model Kits". Also has a price guide included. I'll include the authers email. I strongly suggest that anyone interested in building, collecting, or just the history of old kits joins Kit Collector Clearinghouse. The email for the book is <graham_s@popmail.firn.edu>

Its interesting to see that building is the main focus,and that many of us have older kits that we're prepared to assemble, even built oldies being rebuilt - i admire the skill it must take to reverse the process !
Often current or re-issues of older kits can be found to build but with these the newer they are the older the mould and luckily vice versa - perhaps we've discovered a type of time travel here !
Of course some names have long gone from the shelves......
Monogram seems to be a US name from the past, now merged ? i have a 1:48 Hurricane of theirs from 94' which seems retro packaged, so perhaps to some extent the company's themselves know that the past can be alluring to many of us - Frog and Airfix have been the subject of two excellent books published in the UK covering their kit history - Has there been any in the states written for say Revell or Aurora or others maybe ? - i have some old Revell catalogues but would love to see a book written.
From your posts i can see that rather than two camps there is a wide centre
ground which is good, i've started reviewing one or two oldies and was curious how relevent these may be amonst new releases..........

Bubbamoosecat , I think it is a win-win situation to rebuild old assembled kits. They are like orphans looking for a good home, as a matter of fact that's what I call the started kits I've gotten along with purchased collections. To have mint examples to go with your rare built kits, sounds like icing on the cake. If I come across an old Revell Skyraider I'll let you know. I do have a couple Esci 1/48 Skyraiders (AD-6 and A-1H). I'll try to dig through some more dusty boxes for that Revell kit.

'Collectible' kits may be rare, but in my opinion they were still made to be built. I have a couple of 'rare' kits (at least by my definition). I've chosen to not build them right now, but only because I'm working at building up my skills before I tackle them. I have a 'vision' in mind and just want to be confident that I can build it into the result that I want. Not for anyone else, just for me.

M.

I'd like to take another shot at that old Revell Skyraider with all the working parts!

Woody - I have a few that I plan on building (or restoring is a better word). I picked up a Revell Electra (American Airlines) on ebay that was already assembled. It came with original "Dodgers" box and decal sheet. I disassembled the model and plan on rebuilding it with those decals (if 40+ year old decals will still work). I also have a mint condition Dodgers Electra. Similar situation with the 50's Monogram "Airpower" set. I have one from my KCC days, kit is excellent, but the box is in poor condition. About three years ago, I picked up another Airpower set on ebay. This time, the airplanes were assembled, but the box was near mint. Someone gave me a spare set of the decals as well. I look upon these situations as being able to have my cake and eat it too!

I'm a collector but I caught this illness by hording old kits I want to build. Collecting is very big with me but building comes first. Having said that I do have quite a few kits that are too valuable to me to build. Almost all my kits are for sale and if someone wants to plunk down $100.00 for an old kit and build it more power to them! Some old boxes are collectable but most collectors are "kit collectors" not box collectors. They are just buying the box to replace a missing or damaged one. If the kit is worth $50.00 mint and you only have the box for it someone will give a couple bucks for it. Box only, kit with no box, and build ups are worth only a fraction of the mint book value.

I'm not as "experienced" as some of the members here so I don't have the luxury of looking back at the so-called "classic kits" but even the kits that I've had sitting on my shelf for awhile - they were all purchased for building. If it is a subject that I am interested in, it wouldn't matter how old, or new, the kit was, it was made to be built.
As far as sellers stipulating that the kit is not to be built - Don't sell it then. If you decide that you want to sell it, then you give up all your "rights" to that model. If you don't want it to be built, then keep it in your own closet. That just seems rather silly to me.

Ray

Yes, I enjoy building some older kits. I'm re-doing (I did one when I was a kid in the 70's) a Monogram Navy Grumman F3F-3 (the one with the folding up landing gear). Allthough I'm debating on making the landing gear solid, filling in the slots where the gears protrude thru the side.

As for the value of a classic kit being much higher unbuild in the box, Yes, it makes sense. However, if it's your money. You have every right to do with it what you want. The only one who suffers is you. So, Have fun and build one, you spend your money as you want and should have the right to enjoy it as you want.
After all the things were made to be built, right?

Tim H.

Great to hear you guys are happy to tackle a classic - collecting has taken off in the UK a fair bit in recent years with some nice books adding interest - maybe i need to buy a 'tamagawaskit' and see if it gets built - somehow if its old i am happier - one recent Matchbox kit a F9F Panther is displayed with its M stand, a little gem in its US Marines colour , and an Airfix WWI Dog fight double is near completion - Generally collectors are looking for mint box with kit intact and i tend to go for the sruffier boxes they've left behind, building is were the fun is for me tho i admit some kit value's make you think twice........
And decals are often a problem agreed

I build what I like or have interests in. If I like a kit that was mfg'd in the 60's, I'll build it no dout about it.
I have always heared that the box(excellent cond) is worth more than the kit itself. Its good if you have both(it may up the price a lil) but the box art is what there after. I may be wrong but the people that I have meet say the box itself is valuable.
Flaps up,Mike

Right now I'm working on an old Monogram B-26. I'm even using the decals as best as I can. I'm building 'Flak-Bait" for my clubs next theme: That 70's Kit.

I like some of the old Airfix stuff, but the real nostalgia for me is Matchbox kits, they really bring back some memories for me.

They were real easy, no real hang ups in construction and they were great for the shorter attention spans of younger modelers, plus they were also cheap enough that you didn't have a fit if you screwed up on them.

Fond memory makers:

Matchbox 1/72 F-101 Voodoo
Matchbox 1/72 EE Lightning series
Matchbox 1/72 EE Canberra PR.9
Matchbox 1/72 Bae Hawk 200

Airfix 1/72 EE Lightning F.3
Airfix 1/72 Sepecat Jaguar
Airfix 1/72 Bristol Blenhiem IV

Heller 1/72 SAAB 29 Tunnan
Heller 1/72 Gloster Javelin T.3

A real happy memory maker for me was Revell/Crown 1/144 B-52 Stratofortress. Real simple, real fun and about what you expected for the money.

About old kits not supposed to be built: thats like wine collectors saying not to drink such and such a vintage because of its rarity. You only live once and the guy who stomped those grapes wanted you to drink it and savour it not put it on display like some collector's plate or porcelain doll. The model manufacturers
don't do what they do for you to stick the kit in the back of some closet and not do so much as remove the shrink wrap.

Build the kit, drink the wine (yes, in that order. I've seen it the other way around and its just bad news)

Live, live, live!!!