| I'm just now beginning to develop an interest in the small scale stuff. I am interested to know who's got the best products in this range. |
INVHO, they are:
1/400 - Big Bird, GeminiJets, AeroClassics, Pheonix, Aurora, and Seattle Model Aircraft Company (apparently now defunct)
1/500 - StarJets and Inflight (which just introduced a 1/500 line)
For me, GJ offers the best value for the buck. AeroClassics is mostly excellent, but with occasional clunkers (their Connie is superb). StarJets is top quality (no one better), and the new Inflight 1/500 line looks just as good (though I haven't ordered from that line--yet).
I think Herpa is considered the leader in the 1/500 line (and maybe 1/400), and they have huge offerings in other scales (see the list at diecastairplane). However, I don't like Herpa because of the plastic wings, and some of their early 1/500 offerings look kinda chintzy.
The 1/200 and 1/250 scales are getting popular, but they are very expensive.
My favorite dealers are JetCollector, diecastairplane, and eztoys. All of these have good service, good stock, and trustworthy organizations. However, there are dozens of good dealers out there, so it pays to look around. The best database available for these models is Wings900. They now have a list of almost all the diecast airliners ever made, and if you register, you can create a comprehensive database of your own collection which can be either kept private or shared with the community.