I have this coming from my LHS any one know when it is going to be released?

You do mean the Trumpeter 1.350 one, right? My LHS has one now.

Steve,
I have had mine for a couple weeks now. I posted a review of the kit last week.

I've seen the review Jim, It just seems to me that there is very little excitement over this kit that's all.

I am not sure I would say that. I was waiting for this since it was announced last year.

I hope I explain this right. But, sometimes excitement over a kit comes from those who like to tear it apart and point out the problems in accuracy. We have all met that guy at work who is ALWAYS talking. He is most likely complaining about something.

When the PE was first announced people were excited, but most of the talk centered on what was wrong with the prototype. Most of the current buzz about the kit is the fact they did the 1945 fit. Almost everyone would love to see her as she sailed with Bismarck, or Dashed up the Channel.

The current PE does have some problems. But, they are not all that bad. Remember when the Nagato came out and the hull looked like a spread sheet? People talked about that kit all the time.

To me a good judge of a kit and the excitement toward it will be in a month or two. How many will be posted built on different sites around. Also if they are easy to find on the shelves of your LHS. Here is another gage, the review went live on October 1. Because of the way our system works there were probably already 20-30 hits on the review. But since then close to 1500. That is better than either of our reviews on the 3 deck Akagi got in is first 2 weeks of being live.

I hope I explained my feelings on that right.

Maybe we're all getting jaded like when Dragon started dumpng all those Armor kits on us i6 or 7 years ago. You get all worked up each time a new 350 scale ship came out. Now there are 4 or 5 players in the club and they all put out 3 or so totally new kits each year. I personally am not in any big rush to get this or any other kit right now. I'e got a huge stash of kits to build (just ships) and am finally beginning to be concerned as to where to put them all when I finish. This is probably true for a lot of guys. So now it just leaves the folks who really really want this ship in their collection.

You know you might be right with that as well Steve. Remember when the first Dragon DD came out people were all a buzz about them. Now for the most part people are giving them just a glance. They might be selling well, but it does seem the excitement has gone down some about them over all.

With more ships in the 1/350 scale coming out people are being spread out more and more. Like I also said unless there are some major problems with the kit it really does not get a good deal of commenting about it.

Plus I think something else we might not have been throwing into the mix is people just do not have a good deal of extra cash to put into kits. I have been very tight with my money as of late and have only bought 2 kits since July.

The saving grace with that is the staying power of kits. In just the last couple of years I have finally gotten back up to speed with the hobby after an enforced absence (for economic reasons) of fifteen years, but I kept my stash intact and I still have the kits from back then, although many are now obsolete thanks to the new releases. The point is, a kit bought now, even if expensive, will still be ready for construction years from now, or, if it's a major release, it can still be snagged on the secondary market in the future.

So, though usually pricey, a good kit is a reliable investment if bought now or put off later when more cash is available.

--Karl

It's a good time to be a ship builder what with the Prinz, 2 kits of the Graf Spee, a Hipper on the ways and a Scharnhorst. My son told me that he will buy the kits because he knows that it will be him that finishes them (all 400 of my kits).

The modeler's stash as family legacy, hmmm.......



--Karl

I told him that I would send some old car models that I built along time ago and he could see just how good his markmanship really is.

Yeah, I am hoping I can get my grandson involved in building when her gets a few years older. Otherwise my stash will end up either in a bon fire or at an auction house.

I kind of do two things. I liited my activies as I very very rarely do a car or a plane, i went through and saved a few choice kits, then gave the rest away to kids. I also keep a yearly list of buids and purchases and strive to make more than I buy. Counting the soon to be released Graf Spee, I have bought 11 currently finishing up the Bronco LWS which is 11. So 2 months left, Time to get one more big project or two smaller ones in.I thnk in January I will attack the Akagi, then I've got a cruiser and a BB for the 2 campaigns i entered. Then the Stryker with Slat ARMOR....NO REST FOR THE WICKED.

This is a update, my son sent me $300 so I bought 1 mag Battleship Scharnhorst by Kagero it's a 3d mag with mad details it will help me with my 1/350, 300.00 Iron Shipwrights resin kit and whenever the DML kit comes out this mag is excellent, massive thumbs up!!!!!!. Now on with Xmas I also bought the Hobby Boss Itie crusier Pola witch is nice for about 25.00 also I went with Academy Graf Spee, the extra 40.00 for a one piece deck and a couple pieces of etch aren't worth it, And the prize is the Prinz Eugene.

Steve,

I am sure you will be very happy with the PE. I am chomping at the bit to start working on mine. Thank you for the heads up on the book. I might just have to pick one up.

Jim just in glancing at the book and I am amazed really good detail, the PE is looking to be a really nice kit, I think I'll start with the Pola or the Graf Spee.

Anyone have any idea how difficult it would be to back date this kit to 1941?

Scott,

Just off the top of my head I would guess it will be easier to back date her than to forward date her. As for specifics I will have to dig out my references and take another look.

In addition to the kit PE what else is available and by who?

Right now there is no dedicated set. If I recall WEM is working on a set. I cna only guess that Lion Roar and Fireawk are probably working on sets as well.

Plus KA from Korea has been coming out with some nice items rather quickly, so keep an eye on them,

I'm saving this kit for my son to build and I will build the Hipper.

Just picked up the Hipper now to see if Trumpy got the Dimensions right.

So far it looks right, The Hipper is a little shorter than the Prinz.

These kits are really nice really good detail for a nice subject. be nice to see some German lights in 350th.