[DADoser]

This may be difficult, however....

Choose the TOP FOUR factors that are MOST important to you when buying diecast aircraft*.

(You should be able to choose more than one option in this poll - if I posted it correctly w/ the right options. Also, I think you could actually vote for all 10 options, but please [try to] choose only 4 in order for the poll to reflect somewhat what "we" think are the most important factors - as well as open up the discussion more. thanks.)


*Criteria "stolen" from FormerViperDriver's post in the Pub - with his permission via PM.

http://forum.themodelhangar.com/showthread.php?t=3172

[DADoser]

For me - I voted the following:

Subject/scheme - individual pilot/unit history is just important as a factor in this hobby for me.

Scale - it pretty much has to be 1:72 for me - i.e. smallest scale/detail ratio combined with my limited display/storage space.

Price - I'm in education and my wife just took a HUGE salary cut as she left the company she was with for the last 15 years. Also I've got this $35 limit thing in my head - as anything over for a 1:72 single engined plane seems like too much for me.

Other - having a pilot (even one that's not that well done) , for whatever reason is huge for me. I think it goes to the Subject/scheme factor. Pilot/crew is the single most factor in my loyalty to Corg (except NO "Warbirds" models); my new found excitement for Gemini; and even my leanings toward FOV (1:72 planes and 1:72 armor)

Additionally -
Overall mold accuracy and detail accuracy/quality would tie for a close 5th

Lack of durabilty as well as lack of ease of asembly have led me to NOT even consider Dragon in my collection anymore.

[Cavtanker]

My choosings:

Subject/scheme - I prefer certain eras and U.S. aircraft only (for the time being)

Scale - 1/72 only - I'd get something out of that scale, but it has to be something that is significant to me

Detail Accuracy - I hate it when something just doesn't look right

Sturdiness - I hate it when pieces fall off when I give a diecast a odd look

[djjeffhall]

Thanks for adding this poll and thanks to Formerviperdriver for inspiring it.

My criterea are mould (I love WWII Era airplanes and will pretty much purchase at least one of everything.), accuracy, scale and price.

I've got a huge list of "I want!" that I'm eyeing up, however, I keep NOT pulling the trigger. I've been thinking about many of the issues brought up in the current discussion and its been effecting my shopping carts. Normally, I'd be looking at all the new IXO's already, but I've held off. Why, I'm going through a revaluation on what I want, and what I think might become available given time.

Will Corgi ever manufacture a Skua? Not out of the realm of possibility, so I've held off on purchasing the IXO.

How much does the attenna on the malcolm hood version of the Gemini P-51Bs bother me? Lots, so I'm only getting the regular hood versions. (A bit irrational I agree as the plane is otherwise one of the very best diecast in 1:72 scale.)

How much does the tail on the first Hobby Master A-10 bother me. To much, despite the fact that I would LOVE to add that particular bird to my fleet. (I'm confident that not only will Hobby Master fix that, but that they are going to offer me another 3-4 moulds that I will scarf up.)

How much has the cost increase on warbirds effected me? So much that when I saw the six planes I've placed in my shopping cart ran me $200.00 I stopped, got back on the forum and started looking for reason to NOT buy this bird or that. Should I purchase my 12th P-40 (You can NEVER have enough P-40s) or do I really want the IXO Tony, which is one of their best birds by all accounts? Tough enough call that I have put off buying either for the moment, hoping that the Flying Mule, os someone, has a "Tax Refund" sale which lets me pick and chose.

Scale, well that one is easier to deal with. I like to have my fleet be consistant with one another so I'm sticking to 1:72. As my fleet has grown, I find that I have fewer and fewer of the large scale airplanes and tanks out. No other bigger logic than this.

Does this make any of the other criteria that I didn't pick any less relavent? No, there certainly seems to be a growing trend towards the larger scales as they become more readily available and I sure wouldn't turn anyone away who handed me a 1:48, or 1:32 scale P-40. Will I go out and buy one? Not right now and unless I move into a much bigger place, not in the near future either.

[FormerViperDriver]

djjeffhall makes some good points.

One of the ones he makes that made me think is the one about waiting to by in the expectation of future, better releases to come (the Skua example). That didn't use to be much of a problem in the old days. I would buy stuff without a second thought about whether another brand would make the same (or similar)subject only better (and/or cheaper) a few months, or even a few years later. But now, with the plethora (woooo!) of new players on the street, that's a pretty big factor in my decisions. The competition is heating up. That's good in many ways as it should drive quality up and prices down in the longer term (assuming demand doesn't explode), but it will make the purchase decisions harder in some cases.

By the way, this will make forums such as this one even more valuable, as we'll continue be able to get almost immediate feedback on models and upcoming releases, hopefully helping with those tough choices...

FVD

[jim]

Originally Posted by FormerViperDriver

djjeffhall makes some good points.

One of the ones he makes that made me think is the one about waiting to by in the expectation of future, better releases to come (the Skua example). That didn't use to be much of a problem in the old days. I would buy stuff without a second thought about whether another brand would make the same (or similar)subject only better (and/or cheaper) a few months, or even a few years later. But now, with the plethora (woooo!) of new players on the street, that's a pretty big factor in my decisions. The competition is heating up. That's good in many ways as it should drive quality up and prices down in the longer term (assuming demand doesn't explode), but it will make the purchase decisions harder in some cases.

By the way, this will make forums such as this one even more valuable, as we'll continue be able to get almost immediate feedback on models and upcoming releases, hopefully helping with those tough choices...

FVD

I just cannot imagine anyone making a Skua but you never know. I have bought the IXO and I can live with it , I dont think its too bad.
The one thing more than any other that affects me is price. I have to be more selective nowadays. I now give a lot more thought to what I buy, however if a really good model comes out I have to admit I would buy it.

[LzyBns]

Not easy to answer,

Top for me was Subject / scheme , WW2 is much of what I have, but I don't want just P 51's in OD or Polished. or ME 109's in just basic camouflage there was a lot of planes with great "nose-art" and coloring like Graf's FW 190.


Scale, all I collect is 1/72


Price, 75% of my planes were purchased on E-bay.



Detail Accuracy /Quality, I am having second thought on this one with all the FW 190A's I have that are missing guns, or markings that are inaccurate or just plain missing.. I'll come back to this one. And like Jim, I have purchased a few (maybe more) IXO. I don't think anyone will come out with the Japanese aircraft they have or even a ME 109G or K. If it wasn't for there over detailed lines they would be up there with Witty Wings.

[stwhite]

Subject-I only collect WW2 birds (of course the new Cogri A-10 will be my first Post WW2 plane). I also prefer to collect planes flown by specific pilots not squardon based aircraft.

Detail Accuracy-I want a model as close to the real plane as you can get!

Price-It's my money, and I want the best deal I can get. Most of these models are now made in China and I am sure Corgi(and others) are making a killing selling them for $35+.

Ease of assembly-I had to put this since I have been rather vocal regarding my Dragon models. There is no reason for these models to EVERY require glue.

I actually needed a 5th

Scale Currently I only collect 1:72 however I started out my collection with 1:48.

[djjeffhall]

Jim,
Hey there.

RE: Skua - Corgi is, understandably, a VERY British oriented company. They are going to run out of U.K. WWII aircraft really soon. The Skua had a minor, but still remarkable life. It seems a logical plane for them produce.

Also, please don't take my post as IXO bashing. I've got more than my share of them and will get more. However, if I have a reasonable belief that a "better quality" company will put one out, I'll wait.

With the leaps and bounds that the hobby is changing, and improving, a more cautious approach (For me.) seems a wiser course of action.

[FormerViperDriver]

djjeffhall, my thinking parallels yours on this.

I do have some IXOs, because I think no one else will make them, at least for a long time to come. Examples: Do-335 and Hs-129, Ms-406 and Bloch-152. But the Skua I think might eventually be done by Corgi, if we wait a while. I mean, I never expected them to make the Gladiator, but they did.

Anyway, I may be wrong, but with the Skua not being an absolute must-have-immediately for me, I'm willing to wait and see.

FVD