Ahoy, mates!

Our latest MSW Opinion Poll asks quite simply, "Are YOU happy with the subjects that ship model manufacturers are releasing?"

Voice your opinion in the vote, and leave your comments and details in this thread!

Link to Item

Thanks!
~Gunny

I'm very happy with the new releases coming out at present....I just wish I could afford them.


Mike

I would like to see manufacturers produce some 1/700 World War 1 kits. Especially the dreadnoughts and battlecruisers. It would also be nice to see some of the older 1/700 kits go through a retooling.

Kenny

The detail level of the newest kits is great.

The only problem is there are SO many ships that can be made and the manufactures are just not able to make us all happy.

I would die for some WW2 British carriers, and while I'm at it, some plastic WW1 subjects in 350th, starting with the Agincourt.

Frank

I had to vote with an "Aye" on this one, with the level of detail that has been greatly improved as well as options to kit bash things this way and that, it is a great time to be into modeling ships.

Since my current interest is limited to 1:72 submarines, my wiev might be somewhat bias, but from reding the "new releases" it seems that both styrenecompanies like Trumpeter and Dragon, but allso the resinmakes has confidence in the costumers wanting more kits to choose from.

The variaty seems good, without 945 relaeses of the Bismark in various scales.

Revell bringing out a Gato in 1:72 shows some guts too! - now would the only make some british subs and the XXI I for one would be happy for the next year .... And then theres lindberg ....

It seems like ten or fifteen years ago, there was more of variety of affordable kits than there are now. By that I mean more subjects and not several companies producing there version of the same ship. The quality has certainly gotten better over the years, but as I said variety has shrank. It seems almost that ships have gone the way of armor. How many variants are there of a Tiger? Ditto with ships. I would like to see a resurgence of Soviet submarines again. It seems like a couple of years ago there were lots to chose from, but now, the focus seems to be on U-Boats and Gatos and very little in the way of modern submarines. Cold War subjects seem to be waning in general and that was a period where you seen a greater variety of subjects. At any rate, i think the kits available are top of the line and I applaud the makers for this. I understand there are issues costs etc, etc. But I would like to see more variety again.

Well I casted my vote, and said Yes!

Now let me explain, in two steps:
1 - Big Companies (read injection models): We have nowadays a plethora of high quality offerings, and speaking only of 700th scale, from an excellent triple deck Akagi to a Type 33 (Romeo Class) submarine, passing by a french Battle Cruiser, ranging from a high price to a cheap one - depending on your wallet and of course, taste!
I am not even starting to mention the new fever of 350th scale models...
2 - Cottage Industries (read resin models): without having any kind of discrimination (plastic over resin), I must say that the resin kit manufacturers are the ones with more guts! They offer us top quality models, most of them multimedia ones (with the inclusion of dedicated PE sets, brass barrels/masts and eventually some white metal parts), with those models that make a difference on a water base, a diorama or a single full hull presentation... From tugs to light cruiser, aircraft carriers and other "strange" subjects, make the ship modeler a Happy Camper

The only thing I should point out is the focus on the new releases: United States Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy seems to get the most attention, with Royal Navy, Deutsche KriegsMarine, Soviet/Russian Navy and Regia Marina running close. There are more navies, there are more interesting subjects that would be interesting to see the light in model form.

On the other hand, PE and AM manufacturers seems to be on the top of the wave! They seem to take advantage of all the releases in every scales, covering almost every model and driving us, modelers, insane and poorer - but happy!

Just my 2 cents...


Rui

I've always wondered, what drives the choice of subjects? Why do you have periods where all you see is one era of ships, with the focus on one or two nations? Or any subject for that matter. Is this just cyclic or is this consumer driven or does someone or a committee in the corporate office get a wild hair and decide that the subjects of 2009 will be.....?

Hi Steve

Speaking of the injection companies... I really don't know, but the commercial success of it should be the center point!
Now, between a new tooling of DKM Bismark in 1/350 or a new 1/350 Portuguese Navy Frigate, the Bismark would be a better seller.
Why? Because there are already a established community that have build the previous releases of Bismark, it's a mile stone in naval history and it carries a myth with it...
a Portuguese Frigate would sell for the portuguese naval modeling community and in the best of chances, a little bit more for non-portuguese ship modelers!
There's also the issue of some important classes not being produced (British BB's, British AC, just to name a couple!). At least, imho, they would be great sellers - the reason of the "why not" beats me...

I remember the DML/Dragon's 1/350 Ship Survey and I wish (with no other interest apart from making a connection between what the modeler wants and what the manufacturer should produce) and all the emotions that this has aroused... perhaps more of this would be nice, no matter who the manufacturer is

Rui

Japanese market, simple as that.

Pure speculation on my part, but I believe that we westerners are a drop in the market compared to our Asian and Japanese friends. The exception seems to be the resin folks, Kombrig and company continue to release fantastic models geared more towards the European and North American markets.

Frank

I always try to build a of a subject that catches my interest. Then try to find a plan set, lots of times that is the hard part.
If it sells good, if it does not, oh well...

As a hobby returnee.... a big aye! plenty of kits to catch up with...

would love to see a good cutting edge mold plastic release of a sailing ship, the modern equivalent of the old revell kits.