Post
by tmanthegreat » Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:25 pm
New aircraft have to do with size and cost. It would cost alot to produce a 1:18 scale F-14, Mig-29, B-25, or B-17. It is certainly not that I would like any of those planes to be produced, just that I see them as being unlikely. The largest 1:18 planes we have today retail between the $70-$90 range, so just imagine what the larger planes would go for, especially with the level of detail we would expect! Hold a 1:48 or 1:72 scale model of a P-51 up to a B-17 or B-25 in the same scale and you will see what I mean...
Sure, such large aircraft appeal to me, and if a 1:18 B-17 or F-14 were made, I would get one as those are a couple of my favorites. However, the real question you have to ask, is would the average parent get a plane that costs over $100 and doesn't have any flying capability or electronic function for their kid at Wal Mart? A few would, but most wouldn't as the large part of the clintele at Wal Mart (at least in my area) cannot afford to make such a purchase. 32x planes seem to sell much better at the stores in my area than the larger planes, which often just sit around. Again, because people are much more willing to pay $15 for a toy plane as opposed to $40.
Also, remember, the few of us on this board represent a minority as far as toy buyers are concerned, so with only a few exceptions, companies such as BBI and 21c are going to make what they think will sell, which may not necessairly be what we collectors on this board want. Those companies have to do what they can to survive and catering solely to your smallest customer base (even if its the most loyal) does not make much business sense.
I think we'll be seeing alot of repaints yet, as there are always new collectors getting into this hobby. To those of you that didn't start collecting XD when it was first at TRU between 2000 & 2003, imagine if you were unable to purchase a Stuka, Corsair, or P-38 because the 21c decided to stop producing those after the TRU runs? Repaints, if spaced over time, do make alot of sense!
And finally, as for XD dying a slow death, anything can happen in the toy industry. Great toylines come and then go. Look at the GI Joe lines of the 1960s and in the 1980s. Even look what happened to the Star Wars line between 1985 and 1995! I'd love the 1:18th military line to continue, and I think it still has alot of life left in it with repaints, retoolings, and of course, new releases, but I can see it going away in the future as public interest changes or the economy shifts.
These are just my thoughts on the matters concerning the direction of the 1:18th scale. I'm not trying to be a kill-joy, just that I think we need a realistic assessment of the situation.
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
) by the planes and armor. The detail is great on the 1/32, and so is the selection, but I don't see myself ever jumping ship completely, and hope 1/18 has a long life ahead of it.
