Small Scale Military Headquarters

Hi

Hello fellow collectors.
This is my first post here but I am not new to diecast collecting and model building. I am French but have lived in the USA for 18 years now.
I have a collection of over 160 1/35 unbuilt scale models. I have built only 5 but I am lacking time for building.
So I recently went to a hobby show in Atlanta and the already built 1/32 scale got my attention.
I grabbed a FOV lav-25 and a pair of 21st century marder III for a low $15 each and fell in love instantly.
Now here comes the scale drama, I will always built 1/35 at my slow pace, have started 1/32 but beside American and German subjects there is not much from other countries in that scale.
So I decided to collect 1/50 diecast also from brands like Solido (French diecast brand) and Corgi.
Now browsing the web daily for deals or model reviews I am starting to think also "1/72" as the range is pretty impressive and the prices low even if I prefer bigger scale.
I don't have the same problem with aircraft as 1/72 is my scale and models to build and already made plastics or diecast for all eras and countries are plentiful in that scale.
Thank goodness 1/18 does not appeal to me as my wife would ship me back to France
Am I crazy to collect 4 armor scales?

Thanks

Patrick

Welcome vaindioux!

I have this delema also. I started at 1:6, then 1:18, then they started to dissapear, so I went to 1:32. Now that seems to be getting a little thin lately except for some Forces of Valor, and occasional BBI plane.
Slowly whittling down the size here.

Think I'm going to skip 1:48, but 1:72 seems to be a universal scale with aircraft, armour, and even submarines. I see a lot of new offerings lately, and lots of multi-engine aircraft too. 1:72's been around forever since I can remember.

There is a simple answer to your question. Collect ALL the scales and ship your wife back to France.

Dauntless

You are right 1/72 has been around forever. I think when I was a kid I built a German tank in that scale from Matchbox, I never forgot it, it came with a little desert type plate and a skull of a dead animal.
I just browsed the web again looking at 1/72 and I am really trying to resist starting that scale.
If only the 1/32 line from FOV & 21st century were 1/35 that would really make my day.
As of now here is in order my favorite armor scales, the top one being my favorite:

1/35: Love that scale, not too big, not too small. Kits have become extremely detailed in the last 15 years. Drawback is you got to build and paint it.

1/50: Diecast from Corgi & Solido: Here with Solido I can acquire my beloved French armor subjects and not just Leclerc or AMX 30 tanks, lots of oddballs that you wouldn't find anywhere else. Along with that Corgi & Solido offer an extensive collection of US, German, British, Russian and other countries armor.

1/32: I truly love what FOV & 21st century have released and prices are great too. Choice out of US and German armor is close to ridiculous.

1/72: Way too small for me, when I go to stores and look at them I am never too impressed. Big plus is the choice available.

Patrick

theToyFederation wrote:There is a simple answer to your question. Collect ALL the scales and ship your wife back to France.

Good idea but the wife is from Connecticut and doesn't speak the French language.
Maybe I can ship her to Australia

Patrick

it all boils down to which is more important to you: variety or size. They are pretty much mutually exclusive. The larger the models you collect the less variety you will have to choose from....seems to be a law of nature.

If the small size of 1/72 doesn't bother you than i would go whole hog with it and abandon all other scales. Variety of planes and armour is astonishing and there are even some ships to choose from. If i had a bionic eye i would be collecting 1/72 and 1/72 only.

But for me the small size of the models does not impress. So i have chosen large size (1/18) and have decided to put up with the low variety and try to fill in the gaps the best way i can.

However, if collecting more than one scale doesn't bother you than i think the clear choice is a combination of 1/32 and 1/72. 1/32 offering a more impressive size and 1/72 incredible variety.

it all boils down to which is more important to you: variety or size. They are pretty much mutually exclusive. The larger the models you collect the less variety you will have to choose from....seems to be a law of nature.

If the small size of 1/72 doesn't bother you than i would go whole hog with it and abandon all other scales. Variety of planes and armour is astonishing and there are even some ships to choose from. If i had a bionic eye i would be collecting 1/72 and 1/72 only.

But for me the small size of the models does not impress. So i have chosen large size (1/18) and have decided to put up with the low variety and try to fill in the gaps the best way i can.

However, if collecting more than one scale doesn't bother you than i think the clear choice is a combination of 1/32 and 1/72. 1/32 offering a more impressive size and 1/72 incredible variety.

i really like the 1/72 in aircraft and armor! variety is great and the scale seems to be pretty consistent from company to company. but most important is the display possiblities. aswell as available display space. in one cabinet you can display alot of armor and or planes.
that said i do have many 1/18 pieces since they are just to cool!

Personally I love 1:32 and will continue to collect it but with the offerings becoming few and far between I think I may go back to 1:72. I had quite a few 1:72 Corgi and Easy Model aircraft a while back but foolishly sold them off. I think I may add 1:72 to my collection again because of the huge variety of aircraft and armor available.

Welcome to the forum! I started with 1/72, then 1/32, 1/18, 1/48 and dabble in 1/50 and 1/144. Don' sweat the wife, as long as you do it slowly and love her she will allow multiple scales. Trust me and go for it!

Oh, and 1/700 for ships!

I have a ton of 1/72 already, so it wouldn't be that hard for me.
When the Matchbox/Dinky planes came out at Target I bought them all. As well as the follow-up FOV planes they carried till recently. Also some of the armor.
Some of the Johnny Lightning military stuff is close to 1/72, and high quality.

Dragon sure offers alot. So does Corgi and Hobbymaster if you are willing to part with some $$.

Dauntless

I just want to make clear that I do collect 1/72 aircraft and also have a nice amount from spitfires variants to F-18's.
In 1/72 I have no armor yet.

Patrick

It's all good Patrick.

Well, since I like military, I collect 1/6, 1/16. 1/18, 1/32, 1/35, 1/48, and a few 1/72. The 1/72 is a liitle small for me, but does in fact have the most choices available. Have not gotten into the 1/50 at all. The thing is, each scale will have some item that you simply can't get in any of the other scales. Thats why if I like it, I get it. Scale doesn't matter.

I also collect diecast cars, so I guess you could add 1/24 and 1/64 to the scales I have. I feel that if you limit yourself to a single scale, you will end up passing on some very desirable items.

I stopped collecting 1/285 because I could no longer make them out. But near infinite variety.

I still occasionally collect 1/144.

Stopped picking up 1/72 because of price/size ratio.

Find 1/48 to be quite nice but very limiting in choice and the detail,isn't as good as 1/72??!!

Think 1/32-35 retain their value for me. But they take up so much room.

But not as much as 1/18.

I stopped collecting 1/285 because I could no longer make them out. But near infinite variety.

I still occasionally collect 1/144.

Stopped picking up 1/72 because of price/size ratio.

Find 1/48 to be quite nice but very limiting in choice and the detail,isn't as good as 1/72??!!

Think 1/32-35 retain their value for me. But they take up so much room.

But not as much as 1/18.

I have settled on 1/72 and am extremely pleased. I still purchase 1/35 once in a blue moon.

Scale has been a sore point for me ever since Tamiya got into the model business about 40 years ago. Monogram had a nice line (for the time) of 1/32 military stuff but Tamiya had to change the game to 1/35. In the smaller scales, half of the stuff was 1/72, and half was 1/76. And you couldnt have a consistent car collection as half were 1/24 and half 1/25. Go figure.

Now I'm basically into 1/6th and 1/32nd. I dropped 1:18th because not enough was coming out and the planes were just too damn big.

There is some interesting stuff in 1:16 (which I'll post pics of eventually), and I also have the excellent Marui 1/24th Tiger I plus 1/24th kits of the Opel Blitz and Kubelwagen to go with it. I think 1/24th is perfect for military vehicles.