Just frustrated in 1:18 scale

Your Main Forum For Discussing 1:18 Scale Military Figures and Vehicles.
VMF115
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Just frustrated in 1:18 scale

Post by VMF115 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:16 pm

It feels like 1:18 scale is dying a slow death and is being replaced by the 1:32 scale.
If no one will make the large 1:18 bombers and fighters of WWII and the present day fighters, then I don’t see a prolong future in 1:18 scale, or at the pace they are going at. How long will the collector hold out?
I mean how long can you keep one making repaints of the same aircraft?

Sure AT, 21st and Bbi are releasing new aircraft but are they going to be the ones that we are drooling over….I dare not hold my breath.

I for one would like many of the larger WWII birds along with the larger jet fighters of modern times

Just frustrated :(
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Let me hear your guns!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: My what?
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Your guns! Ack, ack, ack, ack, ack!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: [fires his airplane's guns] AHHHH!

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Post by VMF115 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:23 pm

I complied a list of aircraft that most of want or would not mid having in our collection, But I chose not to include it in this thread because it was a long list that would only depresses us.

The simple fact is there are many aircraft and so little time for the manufactures to get to them all so they have to be selective, I just wish that we could get a new bird once a month from 21st and AT.

Is it dreaming sure it is, but I have a feeling that I will be in my 40’s before I see a 1:18 scale f-14.
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Let me hear your guns!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: My what?
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Your guns! Ack, ack, ack, ack, ack!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: [fires his airplane's guns] AHHHH!

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Post by VMF115 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:29 pm

Am I jumping the gun a bit it, maybe it’s ‘s not even 2007 and the 2007 New York toy fair is about 9 or 8 weeks away, but I still feel disappointed, I hope I am wrong, but the natives are restless and the drums are beating louder and louder and they say GIVE US WHAT WE WANT !!!!!!!
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Let me hear your guns!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: My what?
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Your guns! Ack, ack, ack, ack, ack!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: [fires his airplane's guns] AHHHH!

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xd

Post by kevrut » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:51 pm

Wait and see....
:lol:

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Re: xd

Post by VMF115 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:52 pm

kevrut wrote:Wait and see....
:lol:
That’s like the old saying “are we there yet”??? or "Maybe" :(


I am about ready to have a full blown temper tantrum :D
Last edited by VMF115 on Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Let me hear your guns!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: My what?
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Your guns! Ack, ack, ack, ack, ack!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: [fires his airplane's guns] AHHHH!

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Post by MK » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:54 pm

Who cares about 1/18 aircraft? Where is our 1/18 armor? :D

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Post by VMF115 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:56 pm

MK wrote:Who cares about 1/18 aircraft? Where is our 1/18 armor? :D
Yup that will probably die a slow death too. :lol:
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Let me hear your guns!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: My what?
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Your guns! Ack, ack, ack, ack, ack!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: [fires his airplane's guns] AHHHH!

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Post by aferguson » Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:16 pm

i know exactly how you're feeling. I've been in this hobby for over six years and it's been alot of waiting around. However, when new planes do come out they are so spectacular i find it worth the wait.

However, if variety is your paramount concern than you may indeed want to switch to a smaller scale as 1/18 will never have the variety of any of them.

There have been times i've been tempted to switch to 1/32, 1/72 etc but each time i looked at the planes in that scale i just found them, disappointing, for lack of a better word. The large size just outweighs all other concerns, for me. So i wait and i compensate as best i can. (I've ordered a few custom 1/18 wood models, bought a few r/c planes that are close to 1/18 etc).

But that's me and everyone has to do what they feel is right for them. If the smaller size of 1/32 doesnt' worry you much, you will certainly see alot more variety in that scale in the future. And probably both a he-111 and ju-88 some day. :wink:

As far as 1/18 armour goes, i think it's on the upswing right now. :wink:

oh and as far as your comment : "Is it dreaming sure it is, but I have a feeling that I will be in my 40’s before I see a 1:18 scale f-14" goes, being in your 40's is not so bad, still a bit of life in this old boy yet, anyway. :lol:
i never met an airplane i didn't like...

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Post by FieroDude » Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:17 pm

Sadly enough (since I am as much an aircraft fan as I am an armor fan), I foresee a better chance for the long term survival of armor in 1:18 than aircraft. Why? Because the next aircraft we keep hoping to see start pushing the size envelope. On the other hand, short of some very unusual "armor", such as the massive self-propelled German mortars or the Atomic Cannon, I don't see much that would be larger than the Abrams, or higher than a $50-60 price point based on current pricing. And the lower hulls that form the basis for most of the German armor has been done--be it Tiger, Panther, or Panzer IV. Modern armor would add some variety (how about an Aardvark or Paladin in 1/18?), but size still wouldn't present the issues that a B-25 or even an F-14 might.
And truth be told--I really really hope I am wrong, and manufacturers don't see that size issue as barrier, but instead as a challenge to be overcome and a yardstick for success and innovation. Maybe it's time to start considering different approaches--such as a central plastic fuselage with foam wings. Or the ability to use a thinner plastic, but foam-filled or honeycombed for strength.
I share your frustration, VMF--I started out with 1:18 20 years ago with die-cast cars (I am not counting my 3-3/4" GI Joes), and when the 1:18 scale was introduced for aircraft and armor, I was thrilled. And much of the subject matter that interests me, at least for aircraft, still isn't available in 1/32 (or even 1/48, unless you feel like blowing $80 on Franklin Mint die-cast models). And I still stand by the fact that a 1/32 Stuka or F-16 will never leave the same initial "WOW" as it does in 1/18. People walk into my office at work, and are blown away (figuratively speaking, since I brought the airsoft tank home :twisted: ) 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.
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Verraten und verkauft,
Durch den Dreck und über den Tisch gezogen.
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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."

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Post by aferguson » Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:34 pm

i remember when i started collecting 1/18 diecast cars in 1990 how everyone was predicting it would be a short lived hobby because they were so big and that nobody would be able to store/display large collections. Yet here we are in 2007 (almost) and the hobby is stronger than ever.

So, you never know what will happen with 1/18 aircraft and armour. But it is definitely safe to say that it will never have the variety of any of the other smaller scales....until we all get to heaven anyway. :)
i never met an airplane i didn't like...

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Post by scbvideoboy » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:43 pm

My first few 1/18 diecast cars started a few years ago almost as a flashback to buying Matchbox cars. That slowly started to get going as I found the internet and all the better brands of 1/18 car/ truck diecast manufacteurs.

I now have over 150 with more on the way, a 1/18 drag boat with trailer cool...any way I freaked with I saw the first panther at TRU!

So everything is 1/18, even the Star Wars figures / vehicles match. Mostly

Size and detail and sheer presence is the key. Me, I could care less what is being done with 1/32 except for using valuable resources that should go to 1/18!!!!!!!!

1/32 is too close to 1/35 and everything is out there already in kit form. The 1/18 appeals as not a kit but as a collectible. And limited...

Some of you guys need some reality check for the big jets and 4 engine bombers, it ain't gonna happen...

There are tons of armor and trucks/ pieces that can be done in 1/18. I would love to see some russian armor and the British Centurion tank

There are plenty of planes, I wouldn't mind seeing some 30's civilian or 20's 30's Army Air corp planes. What about a few WW1 planes.

We haven't even seen a Hurricane, and people are saying 1/18 is dead? Or a jet, how about the Harrier?

Of course if the markeying committee, is only selecting new prospects on "guaranteed" sales at Walmart, then we have to expect some minor disappointments I believe.

A new plane? A Kate Torpedo bomber? YEAH!!! Wait in 1/32??????? BOO!!!

DH

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Post by VMF115 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:44 pm

My Christmas wish for the next year is that we get to see one of the larger aircraft in 1:18th…. Marry Christmas every one
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Let me hear your guns!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: My what?
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Your guns! Ack, ack, ack, ack, ack!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: [fires his airplane's guns] AHHHH!

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Post by Moth » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:48 pm

After Admiral's Kate being 1/32 issue, I've given up on seeing anything interesting in 1/18.
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Post by aferguson » Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:12 pm

where'd you find the 1/18 drag boat?
i never met an airplane i didn't like...

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Post by VMF115 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:19 pm

scbvideoboy wrote:Some of you guys need some reality check for the big jets and 4 engine bombers, it ain't gonna happen...
DH
No large aircraft then, How many more new aircraft could be produced? 10-20? If that holds trues then the end is near for the 1:18th collector, notice I wrote collector.

Now I do keep in mind that the cost of the larger birds is a marketing setback for many of the companies out there, along with the engineering challenges that they must overcome.
That maybe true for yesteryear but this is 2006 on the eve of 2007.


But in this day of age of CAD, automation, and overseas production, they cant make the large 1:18 birds cheap enough “$150-$200 max”?????
Come on, if they where made here in the US or Japan then I could see your point but they are made in China.
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Let me hear your guns!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: My what?
Colonel "Madman" Maddox: Your guns! Ack, ack, ack, ack, ack!
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: [fires his airplane's guns] AHHHH!

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Post by scbvideoboy » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:09 pm

Have anybody actually seen or been told of the investment costs to create a 1/18 item from the first drawing to the truck backing up to walmart?

Other than "its a lot"

It's not like in the 60s where a craftsman is actually making a mold out of clay, at least I would hope not!

http://www.scale18.com/cgi-bin/page/diecast.html

Under recent arrivals there are 4 racing boats and trailer. I wasn't going to buy until I saw a trailer. I believe GMP makes some too, but without a trailer.


Dave

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Post by Quixote511 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:20 pm

Don't get down. Look at all of the HT mods and other cool things we have recived this year. Though it might not be what you as an individual want exactly, we have gotten cool planes and vehichles this year and I look forward to more in the time to come.
Aaron

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Post by tosborne3 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:38 pm

Hey all, 1:18 scale in my opinion is the best scale to collect because of the massive variety available to collectors. Accessories, vehicles, etc. It is very frustrating waiting for the new products to come out but I think we need to just be patient. I believe 2007 will be a fantastic year for XD and it's competitors. I would like to wish all a Merry Christmas and am looking forward to the new year and all the new toys coming out. :D
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Post by 7thva_hunter » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:42 pm

The only aircraft I have is a Junkers Ju 87 stuka
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Post by tosborne3 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:51 pm

I love the Ju 87 Stuka, it's my favorite of the 1:18 scale planes. I have about ten planes, but that one I like the best. :)
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Post by 7thva_hunter » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:57 pm

I do not like to buy aircraft. :lol:
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Post by tosborne3 » Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:06 pm

I see :D , lol. I forgot to mention that I'm more of an armor person personally, also the figs. I can't wait to find the newest ones.
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Post by aferguson » Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:07 pm

whoa, those racing boats are wicked. Thanks for the heads up.
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Post by Birddog » Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:17 pm

I'm stilling waiting and hoping we see an A-10 in 1/18 of course.....hopefully some day.................
Go Ugly Early in 1/18!!

Still waiting and wishing for a 1/18 A-10 Warthog.

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