Small Scale Military Headquarters

Why is the JSI Adolf Gallan BF-109 a poor selling item? I think the quality and paint work is good. I know the ME and BF 109s have been done a thousand times but this one of the tops in quality.
Retail is $95.00 and I have it listed for $65 and less on ebay and no buyers. so it's not price what could it be?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JSI-Adolf-Galla ... 4ae7355e7c

I don't know, man. Those panel line shadows are awfully heavy.

It has been done before. Literally the same scheme, and after seeing those panel lines Im sure many collectors, myself included decided it was not worth any money to replace their 21st Century version for one that may actually look worse. The pannel line are insane on the Merit version, it looks like preshading.. put on after the paint job ...

Everyone thinks I hate Merit but its not the case. Their stuff has great detail and this 109 is no exception, the canopy is much better and other features make it a much better detailed model. That said, its the paint job that killed its sales. They should have choose something that is really cool that has not been done and put the preshading on before the paint job...

That said, Ill buy yours for $50 shipped as I need one to do a repaint. PM me if intrested.

The "weathering" is very overdone, and I think that is what hurt it. I would much prefer no weathering at all to a heavy handed attempt that is hard to un-do.

Thanks for the insight. I am going to pull one out of the box and see if the weathering is that bad in person.

Greetings:

Here is a picture of mine from my personal collection. The only thing I changed was adding thread for the radio aerial, adding a pilot and the addition of tail swastikas.



I might be in the minority here but I actually like the model personally. I had the 21st Century one back in the day and I think this one is nicer overall and corrected some of the issues of the 21st Century version. I personally don't find the weathering that bad, but that's me. My biggest personal complaint is somehow the German crosses on the wing of mine got different shades of black, almost like one was painted all the way and the other wasn't. Aviatornut if you have a damaged example with a better painted wing, let me know. I'd love to buy another wing! There were also some minor QC problems as has been common on these models.

I don't think the sales are reflective of the model itself. I've noticed all the newer models from the Dauntless to the new Sabre to the new BBI planes have been slow sellers. I think there are several reasons for it including the fact after 21st left the market and prices went up, a lot of folks quit the hobby. So the market itself is smaller. Prices for the newer models are much more than previously. Finally, with the exception of the Dauntless, all the models are reissues. If people collected back in the day, they more than likely already had at least one example of the type. These are also large models, I myself can only have a limited number of them. Many people aren't going to buy another Sabre if that is room they need to buy a completely new model like an FW-190 or a Harrier. I think that's why the sales have struggled for the newer planes.

I like the new 109, its a nice compliment to the NKK Spitfire I got from Digger awhile back.

-Corey

This is what it should look like:

Jnewboy wrote:This is what it should look like:

Gee, how did you get the forward fuselage and nose the right size and shape?

When I first saw the new Galland, I wondered why the camo was in gray, not black-green/green. Can't both be right....

Yea I hear you, the two tone grey paint looks bad and is very wrong. I just really hope that when and if we ever see their Fw-190a it is painted well enough to say they did their homework.

Thanks you for the input and Corey I would like to possible use your picture or post on facebook.
Jnewboy great custom on the BF-109.

Johnathan:

No problem on using the picture. I can even take it outside and take a few more for you if you need me to.

I get the points it is not 100 percent accurate, but none of the 21st planes were either and people bought those in droves. I really think the reason this plane is not selling is because it had been done many times in the past by 21st in a variety of schemes and people just don't have the room for another 109, let alone one that has been done before.

-Corey

Corey, I think you are correct but that puts the manufacturer in a place where they are only going to sell new items, then the molds for the old planes worthless to them. I have seen it with the P-51 (done a hundred times) very poor sells on the current release but the manufacture wants to make it because it is cheap to do.
I keep telling distributors and manufacturing that they build new desirable planes the customers will come back.

Aviatornut.com wrote:Thanks you for the input and Corey I would like to possible use your picture or post on facebook.
Jnewboy great custom on the BF-109.

Thanks but its not mine, its not even 1/18. Obviously a nice kit- maybe 1/32. Very well done, with the right colors and the right amount of weathering.

Thats why Axis was laughing, the 1/18 me-109e mold they use is not great to begin with. The front end is too short and too wide but most people don't notice this sort of stuff.

Jonathan:

I don't think releasing multiple schemes is a bad idea.

I think the problem is the planes they are rereleasing have been done multiple times already in the scale. Unfortunately, 1/18 scale is not a scale that fits neatly on a shelf like 1/72. In 1/72, one can have 10 P-51's or 10 Bf-109's...in 1/18 scale...not so much so.

Corey

I for one like the scheme but have never pulled the trigger .

I was on the edge of pulling out of 1/18th myself and switching to 1/6th armor.

but my real work a nose dive AGAIN and I had to go back to 1/18th just to put food on the table .

now I wish I had pulled the trigger on this when I had the chance and the funds.

Thats why Axis was laughing, the 1/18 me-109e mold they use is not great to begin with. The front end is too short and too wide but most people don't notice this sort of stuff.[/quote]

A great comparison opportunity about my observations about the 109E elsewhere. Note the lean, trim lines on the scale model compared to the thick, frumpy look of the 1/18. Got to keep reminding myself these are toys. Like Toy Story's Woody to Buzz Lightyear: "YOU ARE A TOY!!"

I saw your auction and definitely considered it. My issue is I just got the BBI 109 so couldn't justify a second 109 so soon. Also as much as I love Merit/JSI items like the amazing Dauntless, it would be nice if they produced pilots for their planes. It's a small thing but it has steered me more towards the BBI versions if they exist.

Most of what I was going to say has already been said, however, I also pulled the trigger on this one and rather like it. We still have to remember the the ME-109E tooling was part of the first batch of 1:18 aircraft ever and the Merit release is little changed from the model 21c released in 2000. The fact that tooling has held up this long is amazing. I felt the paint applications were well done on the Merit release and I rather liked the weathering, even if inaccurate. I also have the 21c "Galland" 109 as well as the S1 version, both of which I've kept for the time being, but prefer to display the Merit plane as it simply looks better with the newer releases. I can display it next to the far superior BBI Bf-109G and 21c ME-262 toolings without it looking too much out of place.

But I agree with Corey: repeated multiple releases of the same planes over the years has really limited diversity and selection. That combined with high prices further slows the market. (I'm not blaming the retailers for the high prices, but the factories in China). Increasingly, it has to be something interesting for me to consider a purchase. By interesting I mean a new tooling (think the Merit Dauntless) or a significant modification/repaint of an old model (think the BBI Blackhawk).

I understand being tired of the same planes and especially the same paint schemes.
I have been buggy the powers to be to make a F4 Wildcat with plug in wheels and price it under $95. and make 4 color schemes at the same time. I think it would bring excitement and the price point would be a winner.

I'll drink to that!

Aviatornut.com wrote:I understand being tired of the same planes and especially the same paint schemes.
I have been buggy the powers to be to make a F4 Wildcat with plug in wheels and price it under $95. and make 4 color schemes at the same time. I think it would bring excitement and the price point would be a winner.

A wildcat would be great!

Jnewboy wrote:

Aviatornut.com wrote:I understand being tired of the same planes and especially the same paint schemes.
I have been buggy the powers to be to make a F4 Wildcat with plug in wheels and price it under $95. and make 4 color schemes at the same time. I think it would bring excitement and the price point would be a winner.

A wildcat would be great!

The F4F Wildcat, FW-190A, and Hawker Hurricane are the three "important" WWII fighter aircraft that have yet to appear in 1:18 scale. They've been done as pre-built models in a variety of other scales from 1:144 to 1:32.

In addition to those, I would like to see a Sturmovik.

Snake Man wrote:In addition to those, I would like to see a Sturmovik.

I agree! we have still never had a soviet offering of anything in 1/18!!!

Thats hard to swallow but its true! No armor, No aircraft, nothing! nothing soviet!

Only the T-34 Pickel put out and my repaints of a P-40 and a Spitfire in soviet markings (Lend Lease Act)

ooohhh.... I would buy a 1/18 Hurricane.