1/18 Aint dead.

[pickelhaube]

I was just sneaking around the 1/32 board and decided to put my 2 cents in. After washing my hands of course.

1/18 aint dead . There is just a lull until the economy and gas situation levels off. There has been a lot of talk about I wish we had this and I wish they had that in 1/18. Now is the time were some of us have gotten tired of this and have taken things into our own hands.
Some of us are banding together to bring the needs of the 1/18 world to the forfront. In the near future some of our cries into the winds will be answerd. Well some of our cries any way.
Stay tuned.

[B24guy]

Face it my friend, 1/18th scale is dead. Just take a deep breath, and you will get over it. Look at all the projects that have been talked about in that scale. The SDB Dauntless and Skyraider from Admiral. Where are they? We hardly even hear from Jason anymore. Where are the B-25, F-4, Mig-21 from 21st Century? Just talk is what all these models are.

[kimtheredxd]

Maybe it is just in a very bad coma?

[B24guy]

It was on life support, but someone pulled the plug.

[coreystinson]

Face it my friend, 1/18th scale is dead.

I think you're overreacting. First of all, Admiral has cut tools (IIRC) for the Dauntless so given that outlay it makes little sense for them to not proceed at this point.

I do think that Admiral, 21st, and others will have to test a higher price point against the market to see how they respond. The big question out there is: how many people in the hobby right now have been subsisting off of clearance-priced Wal-mart items and other "good deals" that they managed to land. I do think those days are over for the timebeing, so how many of us dedicated buyers does that leave?

Someone will have to test the market to find out.

[pickelhaube]

Face it my friend, 1/18th scale is dead. Just take a deep breath, and you will get over it. Look at all the projects that have been talked about in that scale. The SDB Dauntless and Skyraider from Admiral. Where are they? We hardly even hear from Jason anymore. Where are the B-25, F-4, Mig-21 from 21st Century? Just talk is what all these models are.

Those are the big guys. Time and time again they have let us down. Now it is time for the little guys to show the big guys how it is done. Oh... Oh... I am talking the talk . But can we walk the walk? Time will tell.

[aferguson]

no, i don't think it will ever die, but like most product lines it will ebb and flow with the economy, buying tendancies etc. For a variety of reasons (labour problems in chinese factories, slow down of chinese factories for olympics, huge spike in oil, 21c losing the WM deal etc) there has been a big lull in 1/18. But new items will come, probably at a slow pace and then one day that pace will no doubt increase again.

There is also the FOV wildcard to consider. From all reports, the Bravo Team line did very well, which is very promising for future, and no doubt better quality releases.

There will occassionly be other toy lines to the rescue as well, such as the IJ line, with its long desired items such as a german truck, sidecar motorcycle and russian troops.

But if you want to be constantly busy adding new things to your 1/18 collection, then you're either going to have to branch out your interests (i collect not only military, but sci fi, cars ,motorcycles, animals/dinosaurs, ships when i can, historical figures and on and on, all in 1/18 ) OR take matters into your own hands and start customizing, going a bit off scale (many combine 1/16 with 1/18, for myself i have several planes that are a bit off 1/18 scale but huge and cool nonetheless), use other products like r/c aircraft etc.

Many board members already do some or all of the above things to keep themselves busy. Others jump ship to another scale, which is fine. But for those who are addicted to the big scale then you have to get creative and a bit compromising....or go to a smaller scale, buy yourself a magnifying glass and good pair of glasses and be prepared to be let down alot by the small size of the items.

I have considered 1/32 many times but, while the variety is undeniably much better it still ain't great and i never felt that giving up the huge wow appeal of 1/18 was worth it for the small gain in variety. And if you combine 1/32 with 1/35 for greater variety well that's pretty much the same as going off scale with 1/18 (to 1/16 or 1/20), so why bother to leave the scale you love? The only true scale that has spectacular variety is 1/72 but they are just so small i can't get even a little bit excited about them......they don't convey and of the majesty any presence of the real thing.

[V2 MAN]

1/18 will never die my friends! I mean even though you may think that just because they've talked about a certain item like the dauntless or the b25 doesnt really mean they may make it. Right now the economy is slow and prices are rising on things there for the production of things like our beloved 1/18 is slow. So never say that 1/18 is over with cause it will
NEVER HAPPEN MY FRIENDS

[B24guy]

You guys keep saying things like the economy is slow, but why has that not hurt the 1/32nd scale models? Same economy there.

[pickelhaube]

You guys keep saying things like the economy is slow, but why has that not hurt the 1/32nd scale models? Same economy there.

Because they are tiny and cheap. Fast to produce small amounts of plastic and paint.

[aferguson]

and how do you know it hasnt hurt the 1/32 market? AT was going to do 1/32 but isn't. How many bombers or twin engine planes in 1/32 scale? In fact there isn't one 1/32 aircraft that is even close to as large as most 1/18 aircraft, but there certainly could be if they were produced. Any twin engine plane or small bomber. There isn't even a pre fab P-38 yet in 1/32.

I see lots of evidence of some stagnation in 1/32 as well, which is one reason i didn't switch scales..

Another reason i didn't switch is because of my broad range of interests. 1/18 has the best 'broad band' variety of ANY scale, including 1/72 if you factor in cars, motorcycles, star wars and other sci fi, animals/dinosaurs, etc. 1/72 is great for military but that's about it...and again they're so dinky it's like 'who cares'.

[Birddog]

The SDB Dauntless and Skyraider from Admiral. Where are they? We hardly even hear from Jason anymore.

I wouldn't be so quick to give up on them just yet...

I'm very willing to bet that when the Dauntless and Skyraider arrive you will say the wait was very worth it. I have faith it will be nothing like the extremely long wait with little to no information everyone had for the Avenger only to be disgruntled like many were with what they got in quality..

Oh, and 1/18 isn't dead either. Like Aferg said, look around at other lines that have been coming out. I also don't believe by any means that 1/18 military is dead.

[Jackson]

0101

[AirstrikeToys]

Now it is time for the little guys to show the big guys how it is done.

[ostketten]

I was just sneaking around the 1/32 board and decided to put my 2 cents in. After washing my hands of course.

1/18 aint dead . There is just a lull until the economy and gas situation levels off.

I don't think 1/18 is dead, far from it, but I do believe we will continue to see prices trend upward. The cost of oil is just part of the picture, transportation costs, which are closely tied to fuel prices, are also a significant factor. There was much hand wringing and lament over the perceived "outrageous" price increase for the new XD Panther, but I think it's more an indication of future cost trends than anything else. Time will tell I suppose, but I don't think we need to start the funeral dirge for 1/18 just yet.

[B24guy]

Ok, it's not dead. It's future is repaint after repaint, after repaint, after repaint, after repaint, after repaint, after repaint, after repaint.................................................................................................................................................................................

[Birddog]

I don't believe will see it go the way of repaint after repaint either. I'm sure repaints will be in there though. I see it getting more pricey with longer periods (like what we're seeing now) between NEW subjects.

At this point I think everyone needs to get over the expectation of $40 1/18 items unless another mass retailer picks up one of the manufacturer's lines. If we want aircraft like the F-4 in 1/18 with the detail level most have come to expect or more, I would expect to pay no less than $120 and that's a reserved low number on my guessing. I've seen Admiral's 1/18 F-4 in person and I'll tell you guys, it is most impressive. For the extra level of detail they were planning to put into it on top of what they had done so far, it would be well worth that original $149 price tag that Bad Cat had shown in my opinion.

[iflabs]

It's dead (laying dormant or whatever) unless I see something in my hands. I've accepted it and moved on.

More money for a Cinemaquette Predator? Yes!

[DocTodd]

This has been coming for a while. Especially when WM couldn't move those big birds. It will be interesting to see what the future holds but it appears that releases will be few and far between-but that will allow more time to save up some dough to pay the higher prices.
T

[dandaman]

Why do you say 1/18 is dead? Just because there aren't enough 1/18 vehicles for your liking?

Sometimes I go to TRU and just stare in awe at these big honking 1/18 jet fighters that 21st Century produces...they're huge. I can see why they don't sell. Try bringing that home to your wife and explaining why you just chunked down $40 (plus gas) for that behemoth. Most people won't do it.

Now 1/18 figures are a whole different story. They will never die. They took off in 1977 with the Star Wars line and people have loved them ever since.

1/18 figures are just so...fun! They're fun to collect and scoop up off the pegs, they're fun to chase and hunt down, and they're fun to hoard in big bins in your closet. Big honking vehicles...not so much.

[tmanthegreat]

I can't say whether 1:18 (or any other scale for that matter) will live or die. All I can say with accuracy is that toy lines and often companies come and go, and that often determines what sort of items stick around. Giants like Hasbro have been around for years and can weather various setbacks like a failed toyline, the economy, oil prices, changes in public opinion, and the like. Smaller and more product-focused companies such as AT and 21c will have a much harder time. I always think back to Galoob toys back in the 1980s and 1990s which for all said purposes was a family-owned toy company based out of northern California, just like 21c. In their final years, they were producing some really great items, but despite contracts with various mass-retail stores, it was not enough to keep the company afloat and they were bought out by Hasbro. So, anything can happen...

[Grilledcheese]

Over in my little universe it really won't matter if the scale is dead or not. Between fuel prices (which will only increase) and the advertised prices of upcoming 1/18 offerings I really don't have the cash necessary to stay in the hobby.

But that's just in my universe.



Jeffrey

[dandaman]

Maybe 1/18 wouldn't be so bad off if they would stop making stupid choices with their releases.

Case in point: Platoon figures.

These things are ruining it for everyone. Talk about over-saturation and lack of interest! It's ridiculous.

If I was new to the hobby and all I saw was pegs and pegs full of Platoon figures, I would run the other way too!

[pickelhaube]

Maybe 1/18 wouldn't be so bad off if they would stop making stupid choices with their releases.

Case in point: Platoon figures.

These things are ruining it for everyone. Talk about over-saturation and lack of interest! It's ridiculous.

If I was new to the hobby and all I saw was pegs and pegs full of Platoon figures, I would run the other way too!

You are right. I think that the Platoon figures would have been better in the hey day of Vietnam movies and the show (Platoon) when it aired in the 80s.