YOUR Buld-A-Rama Wishlists!

[Jesse James]

Title says it all really, but what would you like to see from Build-A-Rama?

Myself, I just never have the extra $ to order, but I'm maybe going to aim my girlfriend in that direction this holiday season. hehe

Mark from BAR has not had a lot to say, which makes me hope the business is going alright, but I figured I'd start a little thread just so everyone remembers that BAR's still there and the stuff is still looking great. And can anyone have TOO many sandbags, or rubble kits? Come on you know you want more!

So whatta ya want BAR to come up with next? Keep it reasonable... IE: No figures, tanks, etc... Try being realistic I guess is what I'm saying since the company is small and not injection molding stuff on a mass scale I'd guess.

I'd like:

Sci-Fi/G.I. Joe series:

-Computer Console with Swivel Chair... A generic computer console type thing, with keyboard on a desk, and a console mounted to a wall above the desk like. It'd work for Star Wars, G.I. Joe, etc... Could even be worked into a command/control bunker for modern military stuff really.

-Medical Gear... Futuristic medical stuff. Tools, maybe a futuristic stretcher of some sort? Just thinking out loud, no real idea on what it'd be exactly, but something neat.

-Sniper Kits... Like their winter sniper Joe kit, but maybe for other environments like desert, mountain, tunnel rat/subterannean, urban, etc.

Military:

-Clothing? Work in 1:18 scale clothing perhaps, like coats and things? My 1st series XD would really dig some trench coats I know, so they look good with the BotB figures.

-Cloth tents with pegs or frame... Sort of like the Vintage G.I. Joe tent, but in 1:18 scale. I'd kind of dig seeing tents. Modern or WW2, or Nam... It'd be neat ot have real cloth tents.

-Bunks... For the diorama hounds?

-Tools/Generic... Wrenchs, screwdrivers, etc., for airplane ground crews or tankers working on their lifelines.

-Medical Gear... Plasma bottles, bandages, blankets, doctors coat, stethiscope perhaps? I know I'd dig an opening cloth shoulder bag for making a field medic or something. An operating table would be real neat too.

-Daily Gear... Maybe books, note pads w/pencils, cigarettes, maps, compasses, observation gear, personal photos, more food type items (like the bottles, sacks, etc.).

-Working Parachute... I wish someone would devise a neat parachute that worked. Not one that could open itself or whatever, but one that looked realistic strapped to a figure, and you could undo it and unfurl it and chuck the dude in the air and he'd come down. This would kick much ass I believe.

-Weapons... Maybe some weapons that aren't commonly found in packs or wherever. An AK-47 for instance... Pick up where J&R productions left off, just don't piss Hasbro off or tread on their Copyright info. IE: Don't mention G.I. Joe AT ALL ANYWHERE. Remain real generic.

Anyone else?[/u]

[75th Ranger]

buildings,
bunkers,
civilian stuff
wounded soldiers,
body parts (replacements)

and more, more stuff
HOOAH!

[macvsog]

1:18 all the way:

-med gear

-heavy weapons set: mortars etc

-some kind of american or german arty.

-kit sets that allow us to bash something like the sherman into another vehicle that uses the same body etc.

-mike-

[Big Duke 6]

1/18 Alice packs / Molle packs !!!!!!!


BD6

[Mad Ewok]

Medic helmets
Medic armbands
105 howitzer
Flak 88
Mortar
Browning .30 cal with tripod
Nebelwerfer

[Adeleron]

155mm Mountain Howitzer... With lots of 1:18 scale 155mm ammo

[KWR190]

I like the sniper idea I would like creates for the K98K bigger winter camo net, German radio pack more crates for bigger stuff like panzerfust and any thing German pertty much.
Kurt

[kenhil2]

good topic, i will definatly agree i would like to see a sniper set with like a 50 cal or bolt 302, and ghillie suit for 1:18, that would kick major ass

, and the idea about weapons production in general would be good, the only reason J&R was shut down was because they were replicating copywrited material with figure sculpts and names,

but there was nothing hasbro could do about weapon molds modeled after real world weapons,

i would personally love to see some decent weapon lines produced.

[Jesse James]

The J&R problem was two fold, though as I understand it, Hasbro's action was due to the use of the G.I. Joe name(s) and stuff. The casting of their equipment for sale is also a no-no though... They had a beef if they'd wanted to pursue it, but it seemed like only the actual use of G.I. Joe names were their driving motivation.

I think disassociating yourself from all G.I. Joe material's your best bet. Casting your own sculpts though... I don't know what BAR has for sculptors, but their stuff they are casting that is original looks great. I'd think home-made weapons would too.

Good ideas guys, but... I'm serious when I say to keep things reasonable.

Artillery? I want it too, but you're talking pretty complex work, especially if it's not just a solid piece. BAR could do it I'm sure, but if they work with resin and not injection molded plastic, well... It's like Red's found out, that people don't want to pay for what it costs.

A resin artillery piece, even if it's a smaller one, isn't going to be too cheap.

I don't own BAR stuff though, so maybe they work in plastic and sell more units than I give them credit for. I don't know.

[Adeleron]

Your right about the artillery, it would be better to influence an injection molding outfit like PTE to create more artillery options.. A plastic artillery piece would be very much more cost effective..

It would be nice to see more 1:18 scale furniture for dio's: Computer consoles as mentioned above, desks, benches, chairs, bunks, modern provisions, tools.

I'm sure we all have a long list of 'found' items that we've used in dio's.. That we would have bought from BAR if they had them available.... I just paid ~60USD for two sets of 1:18 garage tools (diecast) but I would have bought them in resin if they were available..

Cheers,

Ryan

[Adeleron]

Ok - after conceding on the artillery

If BBI is not going to make a Minigun kit for the little bird... Maybe build-a-rama could resin cast a minigun!

Resin would work well... If nobody else does it I think I may have to make a mold from the PTE little bird minigun and cast it with Alumilite..
Better if the pro's at BAR do it..

[Jesse James]

PTE's a good option for semi-inexpensive WW2 items if they'd be willing to get into it... Their quality is lower overall, not to say it's bad of course, but it is less detailed generally.

Still, the work guys like Aferguson and others have done with NOTHING and make it look real would mean that if PTE got into the game it'd give a good base that I think anyone could work with to clean up and make realistic.

I for one would like to see Build-A-Rama actually go a little further in making the items that furnish a diorama... Some furniture, or things like that.

I like cloth accessories too sometimes, and would like seeing some more things like that. I think when done right they're quite realistic. Even coats and things can be done.

I also wonder if an inter-locking "brick wall" idea isn't possible too... Something small, maybe 2 or 3 pieces, that inter-connect and can be done so in many ways to simulate a destroyed wall, or a piece of a thoroughly destroyed building, and they'd be able to be bought in multiple sets to make multiple wall designs. I'd buy this not just for WW2 dioramas but for Star Wars as well.

I'd like to see that sci-fi concept extended, maybe after BAR took a look at some Star Wars diorama sites or sections for that on Star Wars forums. I think they could easily draw some generic inspiration for that genre which is a much MUCH larger market.

Another idea I thought may be good is actual pieces of torn up armor... A chunk of destroyed armor plating off of a tank or something. Just a single piece.

[MarkOne:18]

You guys really have some great ideas and suggestions, all of which have been noted. Some of the items mentioned are already in the works. As most of you know we tend to stay with the smaller products as they work well with our production capabilities. The modular building idea is what we have been working on for a while. I should have some type of structure system in the first half of 2005.

We are working real hard to get our final product release for 2004 out before Christmas so stay tuned. I think it is something we have all needed for some time.

Build-A-Rama is going strong and with your continued support, 2005 should be a great year for new items.

Thanks again,
Mark
http://www.build-a-rama.com

[Jesse James]

Thanks for chiming in Mark. It's good hearing the company is doing good. I'm intrigued what you may have before X-Mas too!

The modular construction thing sounds neat too. I'm excited to hear what you've got for us!

[don]

Your soldiers are hungry, and dying of thirst!

I want to see: 5 gallon fuel cans, 5 gallon water cans, water bottles (clear cast), gatorade bottles (clear, but color-tinted cast), MRE cases, MRE individual meals, a can of pringles chips (other snack food ideas?), more sizes of ammo cans. I think the full, and mini-size SINCGAR radio, maybe with vehicle mount, amplifier, handset, and speakers, would be nice.
Less likey, but I would still love to see: a soft plastic belt of ammo for my 1:18 (BBI) MK-19, other sizes of soft-plastic cast ammo belts. I think a folded up (non-functioning) army cot would be pretty easy to make.

I liked the previously mentioned ideas for desktop, or laptop computers, molle, or alice packs, and tools. I don't have any specific ideas, but would like to see the SciFi section expanded too.

Having done some (very little) casting myself I tried to keep my suggestions within the possible range.