Model Kits

General Chat
1

I’m working from home today (i.e. watching TV and sending one email per hour), and have just seen an advert on the TV for the Battleship Bismarck model kit (first issue £1.99!), which reminded me of my youth assembling Airfix models. I’ll admit, I’m intrigued (and slightly wistful as I remember my childhood constantly getting model parts glued to my arms, the table, the cat, etc).

I thought I’d have a look at the website to see what the overall cost would be, thinking you’d need maybe 20 issues for a full model? Nope, 140 issues. First issue £1.99, second £5.99, subsequent £8.99. That means you would spend £1,248.60 over 2 and a half years!! A quick Google and I find another Bismarck kit for £65.00 at Hobbycraft.

How can they get away with that kind of rip-off? I mean, you don’t get any accompanying magazines, but still… I’m gobsmacked. I wonder what the sign-up numbers are?

1 Like
2

Incredibly low, because most people recognise these things as being horrible value for money.

But they don’t need a huge number of foolspeople to lock in a subscription in order to make a profit.

1 Like
3

4

Thank you, I’m here all week, try the veal!

3 Likes
6

The market for then is direct subscription now. WH Smiths won’t sell more than the first issue or so. Often not even that - because people will subscribe direct, there’s almost nothing in it for them any more.

(Possibly other Smiths may differ, but this i know is true of the two branches I’m familiar with.)

1 Like
8

I’ve got a cupboard full of imported garage kits and Gunpla (the HGAC Oz suits are long overdue), but I don’t see the appeal of these subscription kits.

1 Like
9

I have unbuilt Gunpla that must be 15 years old or more. Not sure if I binned my excess gachapon or if I still have that too. :grimacing: