N. Eberhard

OK, donate your old colors United 747 with plastic wings and get the absolute best United model ever made. Sure it is a few more dollars than any other 1:400 model by the other bigger manufacturers but it is way worth it. Notice I didn't say it was perfect because some whiner will find something wrong with it...but it is the best diecast United model on the market IMO.

Kozmania

She looks great!

It's funny only seeing the 3 holes up top with the 80's livery... A must have model!

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Kozmania

Aircraft at the "Casa de Koz" http://www.wings900.com/modeldatabas...ic.php?id=2871

AIRWEST N9345

Very nice...however it needs to be in the Friendship scheme, otherwise totally worthless to me!

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planemark

Have to pass. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful. But I have a 727 in the Saul Bass livery. I do have the SMA United 741 in gray livery (same mould) and I love it. It's nice to see BB400 doing more U.S. carriers. Got the Continental last month and it's also a beauty.

pleco6

I don't understand that reasoning at all. It's like saying I can't get a BA Landor 747 because I already have a 737 Landor scheme. Why not get both if you like it?

N. Eberhard

The 747 shows off this livery much better than the 727. Of course I have every Bass United model available in 1/400.

747-437ESN

I agree that the Friendship scheme would have been better, but this is still pretty hot. Apparently it's not flying off the shelves though, for some reason.

Celtic

Could it be because of the Pan Am Clipper? Even crazed collectors have limited budgets, and most may have shown more restraint than I did with BBs June releases.

N. Eberhard

In today's market there are very few models that fly off the shelves. For now the Aeroclassics line 'overall' is doing quite well. It may appear that other lines are doing great but IMO that is only due to the stupid low production #s which leaves nothing for those who are budgeting for later purchases or those who will enter the hobby in the near future which is hurting the hobby overall. Everybody in the know agrees that there are fewer collectors than in years past while we are swimming in model inventory from too many producers with over-ambitious production plans.

JOHN JOHNSON

Exactly! You said much better than I would! Also to add-on above, Especially, with special promotion (oversea) or certain model(s) being sold oversea-only also hurt the hobby so much too.

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Celtic

Sounds like there will be an eventual reduction in the ranks of manufacturers, and maybe vendors. When there get to be too many of any species, nature (and business realities) has a tendency to eliminate the excess.

Why do you think there are fewer collectors? Is it because the initial enthusiasm has passed, or have the layoffs and increasing job insecurities of the past few years taken a toll? (I myself lost three jobs in the last 13 years due to staff cuts, the last cut forcing me into early retirement. For me, there is nowhere near as much money now to maintain this hobby as there might have been back when!).

planemark

I completely agree with buy what you like, and if I had the room and unlimited resources, I'd buy a lot more. But my reasoning is that I try to get as much diversity in my collection while still displaying all models. I don't buy something to stow away. I try to repesent as many different liveries and airframes in a limited display space. Simple as that.

STEVEJ

Speaking only for myself, I have approx 400 models now going back to 1999( I remember my first purchase from you was buying your last DW PAA L1011) and while I would love to buy some of the stuff that is out there now, you can only collect just so many 747 767 777 etc , I have focused my interest to PAA, AAL and any new airframes, the exception would be the must haves, UAL 721 , PAA BBB 741 etc. I think most collectors storage areas are full to capacity at this point. I have the money, but I dont have the space, so I am forced to be rather selective, perhaps if I ever learned how E-bay works I could liquidate about half of what I have. I discussed this with my wife and we decided that if there is ever a show near NY, we would get a table and sell off maybe 200 models , then I could buy some new stuff.

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hkgdave

Steve
If you can wait so long, next year's Airliners International Show is a possibility:- http://www.ai2006.com/
From over here, Virginia doesn't seem too far from Long Island.
Keep some for me!!
Dave

george2

Could be cyclical...like most everything else. Pick and Choose is more the norm for me now. As am sure for the majority of the 'old timers'...

N. Eberhard

Oh, and another thing is that there are TONS of models on the used/secondary market for sale by collectors who have recognized that they have limited space and/or finances so in order to get something they want now they need to get rid of the dust collecting models via ebay, etc. This definitely has an effect on the retail side when it comes to selling the older issues.

Flying Ace

There was the LGA show last November and the EWR show in or around Sept or October...collectors were at the former selling off there stuff.

Flying Ace

Ditto...I display all that I have...and find no sense, purpose, or enjoyment in storing stuff away. So about 2 years ago I decided to adopt the attitude that a less is better approach...I call it the 'Jerry Maguire' approach...fewer planes. I started evaluating the collection as a whole, refining it, evaluating everything from mould quality, choice of scheme, recognition among collectors, to personnel interest...in pursuit of more accurate modeling features and characteristics. It's a blend that I have going across various scales and manufacturers, but I feel this more discriminating approach to collecting is having far better results than just buying and scooping things up without thinking about what I am buying. You would not go into buying a piece of real estate, a car, or stock without doing some research, and on the latter, it allways wise to diversify. I encourage the same approach to this hobby...keep a real open mind and consider the vast array of manufacturers (even those that are not commonly mentioned) out there. It keeps things fresh and may open up a new portal not previously thought of.

goldy

The models are expensive and there are a lot of them to chose from each month. Production may have out stripped demand. That is why the guys like Andrew Klein react so violently to the new kids on the block. The likes of Blue Balls and Nutz Models, as I call them. Not to say they have no right to compete, because they do, but to say they are jumping into an already crowded pool.

It is my opinion that, other than Herpa, that the bulk of the manufacturers do not do enough marketing to promote the product to find the new collectors. They are basicly counting on the existing base to step up to the plate month after month.

You can argue that you see the ads in the Airliners mags each month. I will ask you, what is the circulation of those mags and how many of those readers are model collectors? I hear the knock but, in my opinion, if it were not for Ebay there would be even less opportunity for these models to sell. Ebay appeals to the "occasional collector" in a big way. My most consitant and most popular seller? Hands down, I have sold cases of them. The Gemini Jets Alaska Airlines 737 with Micky Mouse livery. Nothing can touch it for units sold. Why? It has a broad apeal. Alaska employees, collectors, Micky Mouse collectors, women buy them...etc.

I have hooked several new collectors this month. One guy bought his first model. A AC TGA 707. He loved it. I got an email telling me so. Since he as ordered three more. We need more like this guy for the hobby to grow.

Goldy

Skymaster

there are not fewer collectors, there are more retailers growing every where!

Skymaster

how could you hook "any" new collectors when your only existance is on ebay? those already new about this hobby who went on ebay or internet searching for diecast models!
I think only the real stores could bring new colletors into this hobby by dispaying the actual models...

aklein707

I agree! I feel like a little kid in a candy store every time I step into an establishment such as The Airplane Shop, Aviation World, Skyjets400, or Horton Toy, (just to name a few) and still enjoy seeing all these models in the various display those shops have them in.
I was hooked into collecting by Collectors Aircraft Models over in London many years ago, not because they had cheap prices, but because they had such an incredible selection and display of the models. The airliner shows WERE great too; now they're just a dumping ground for excess inventory.
Personally, I think the internet (to a lesser degree) and e-bay (to a greater degree) have ruined the business end of this hobby, and the hobby in general!
Carry on!

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goldy

What have you been smoking tonight Andrew? Add up what Nick and I alone spend on your product over a one month period of time and then tell me that that the Internet has runied your business. Quite the reverse. You have profited quite nicely from it. Now let's add Dave Wilson, who sells exclusively from the Internet who got his begining via Ebay and tell me that you have suffered at all from the Internet and its impact on the hobby. If it were not for the Internet you would not have this hobby and you would not have a forum to promote the hobby. Thank Bill Gates for every bit of it.

And Andy, full or yourself, as always.

Goldy

N. Eberhard

The internet made the hobby what it is today....end of story. The ebay side of it has big pluses and some minuses. As in EVERY retail market there is going to be old stock that has to be price slashed to get them out the door and/or used as a loss leader to acquire new business and ebay is the world's marketplace for that AND the rare high-priced items. These concepts are marketing 101 but unfortunately certain people (not Andrew) do not understand these concepts and whine like little girls when they are being implemented. I guess they feel that someone selling a surplus model at cost is taking another TV dinner off their tray. Well the fact is that many Americans could stand to cut back on those calorie laden death trays anyways so I digress.

I have no doubt that I have acquired new customers and new collectors via ebay over the years. There are also people who are not collectors but have an interest in one airline or one subject (i.e. Disney) that are surfing ebay constantly to add to their 'shrine'. Thankfully we don't have to rely on most of them to sustain the hobby, but their purchases do open doors via word of mouth and new found enthusiasm, etc.

Anyways....buy the dam Big Bird United 747 before they are all gone!!!