People forget its not just the purist rivet counters that build plastic models, its the younger generation that do too... When I was kid I remember fondly building Airfix kits because they were affordable. If it looked like a Spitfire then in my mind it was a Spitfire.

I have been building plastic models for most of my 53 years of life. I have built kits from many manufacturers. I have a few trophies from contests I have entered, so I would say I am quite good at the hobby. I left the hobby in the early 2000's and got back into it about 10years ago. My stash is quit large so when I did get back into the hobby I had no need to buy new kits. As my stash got smaller and the subjects I am interested in became available, I began to purchase modern kits. The first thing I noticed was how much the price of kits went up, most large scale kits are beyond my price range. The second thing was all of the hobby shops I used to go to have closed, and there are no new ones that took their place. I also noticed how most online reviewers have become rivet counters. Model building is fun. Let's not forget that.

I am 68 years old. Took up modelling last year after a 50 year gap. Absolutely love it to bits. Set up a table in a small shed and have purchased files, cutters, scissors, cements, decal treatments, lots of paints! and an airbrush. Have built a Airfix Endeavour...steep steep learning curve. Airfix Saturn 5...looks great in black and white..wow...every time I look at it I am transported back to July 1969...what more could a kit do? An Ebbro Lotus 79...small...argh...black not a great colour for old eyes! This one nearly beat me. Though looks stunning in Lotus black and gold. An Airfix Dam Busters Lancaster.. first time I did camo and weathering!. A Tamiya Leopard 2.....beautiful Kit. A small 1/350 US Gato sub....too small for old eyes. Just finished a Revell Space Shuttle with booster and fuel tanks..... love it.....did not love the five days of decal attachment. Both space craft actually hung on wall...look great. Planning an Academy Apache and a Airfix Sabre next. Research each on internet, plan the build, paint, weathering etc. Getting more skilled each time. What do I want from my models? They need to look good on the shelf. They need to look basically authentic. The Lancaster faces away from the viewer. This rear view looks exactly like the rear view that I saw in old war films....to me the model does it job 100%. Every minor detail is not to be agonized over especially if it is next to out of sight. I really want the shape and colour to be as good as possible..that is it. I have a fairly busy life what with grand kids, (am getting two grandsons into modelling!) golf, walking with mates, going out with the better half. The models have just added a great new element to my activities. All element are a great way to use your brain...important at my age! Every time I walk into the model room I get a great sense of pleasure and achievement...what more could anyone want?....the number of rivets...who really cares!

Every "bad" kit is a great opportunity for a learning experience and improvement in a modelers skills. Great job.

The good thing with Airfix for the last couple of years is that they print the design and tooling date on the side of the box now. When I got back into modelling around 10 years ago I felt that it was dishonest of them to be producing 1960's tooling in flash new boxes, and I was disappointed a few times, with the result that I stopped buying anything Airfix. But now I'm happy to buy Airfix again because I know what I'm getting, and the new stuff is brilliant. I recently built the Airfix 1/48 Hurricane and loved it. Having said that, the old stuff is fine as long as you know what you're getting into. I'm currently building the Tamiya 1/35 Leopard 1 from their 1969 tooling, and I'm enjoying that too, but I knew beforehand that there would be some work involved with some scratch built improvements needed. So there's a place for both the old and new kits, depending on the level of effort you feel like putting in at the time. I like both ends of the spectrum at different times, but I expect the manufacturers to be honest about what they're providing. Customers shouldn't have to do the research before buying, it should be stated on the box. Thankyou Airfix for doing that.

It'd be nice if other companies followed Airfix's example and slapped a "Classic" label on some of their older molds. Some of us occasionally enjoy tackling an older kit for nostalgia's sake.

I have very good childhood memories of building and playing with revell. I never painted the models. Just glued them together with the patience of a 7 year old and then played with it. So a few years ago I started watching videos of professionals like you building kits so I got hooked again, bought a kit and some tools, even got a compressor + airbrush from a friend. Turned out I still got the patience of a 7 year old :D Still like watching the pros!

Very interesting video. I've just turned 60 and am currently sorting stuff out with a view to semi-retiring and am looking forward to returning to the hobby after 40-ish years of not enough time or space to do it. But... I'm interested in returning to those old kits from Airfix and Revell, but this time doing them 'properly', with aftermarket add-ons, airbrush paint jobs and weathering. I guess I want to recapture the feeling of acquiring and building those kits, "put together over a weekend on the kitchen table, brush painted and hung from the ceiling". I also feel I want to honour the friends and family members who bought them for me or gave me the pocket money to save up for them, as many of them are no longer with me. I remember every kit and where I got them. I've already accumulated some of them over the years, kept safely in a dedicated cupboard. Can't wait.

Everyone hates Revell's side-opening boxes

The thing people have to realize with these very old kits, like the Revell Spitfire, which dates back to the early 70s at least maybe even the 60s, is that they were made for kids. Model building was primarily a hobby for kids and teens and the kits were basically made to be toys. I first built that Spitfire kit around 1974 when it cost $2.50 U. S. There simply was no demand for super accurate, highly detailed kits at that time. Revell could possibly be faulted for not updating a lot of those old kits. I think it is a bit off to sell an non-updated early 70s kit for $100.00 U.S.

Both have some great kits, and both some poor kits. The thing is that some of the kits considered 'poor kits' are 50 or 60 years old. Some Airfix/Revell kits that I've seen rated as poor, were considered great kits when I built them in the 70s. I remember when the Airfix 1/24 Stuka came out about 1977, it was considered by far the best kit EVER.

As a kid I loved airfix. Mainly because of the range and that they were affordable. They were great for getting into the hobby. I'm sure there are better kits out there, but airfix were great for kids just wanting something to hang on your bedroom ceiling, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Tamiya's old Panther A is quite a good kit considering it is from 1969! If you replace the tools, and provide some details, it builds into a nice model. Out of the box, it is a great first tank kit.

The point you make about Scalemates is invaluable. Every manufacturer has sold crappy kits. I will not buy a kit anymore unless Ive checked Scalemates for a kit made in the last 15 years and watched atleast 1 or 2 unboxing reviews unless its a brand new kit.

My sole experience with Mistercraft was an F-16A. It was incomplete in the box, with a whole sprue missing, and part of another sprue with parts taken away. I have no idea if this was so from the factory, or parts had been removed at the shop or distributor. The shop replaced it with the Hobby Boss F-16A at no extra charge - so good job Frontline Hobbies in Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Those Revell kits bring back great memories of when I was a little girl building models with my dad. Not great molds but perfect for a kid, I remember those 1:32 kits being ENORMOUS!

There was a time when assembling the kits was considered to be fun! Remember? Open the packet, cut off the parts, a bit of sanding and shaping, a blob of glue..... those were the days. Some kits I neber even bothered to paint! Imagine that. The Horror. The horror. Now everyone grits their teeth and races through that "chore" as fast as they can in order to focus on the only part of modeling that counts: the weathering. Gotta perfect the techniques of ninety different wash blends, and 25 kinds of chipping methods, and........

Tamiya's "old" Panther A is as old as I am, and was originally designed to be a motorized kit. Despite it's age, and tracks with no detail on the inside, with a bit of love the kit can still kick ass. Same with the Panzer 2F/G. Both are great starter kits, and are durable enough to survive being touched by people who did not build them.

Revell Germany and Revell USA are two different standards. If you stick to the new release Revell Germany kits you will get great kits.

A lot of Revell’s kits are using molds dating back to the ‘60s and ‘70s. The molds are worn out. But, they are a great company for beginners. Had it not been for their inexpensive kits, I would never have gotten into or back into modeling.

As a child of 8-14 I had so much fun ‘building’ the Revell kits. I lost interest during my puberty, now as 45 year old I have picked up the old hobby again. I was afraid I would still make a gluey mess but luckily that has changed 😆.

When I was a kid models were glued together, often unpainted and then crammed with a banger or two/three and were blown up in the back garden. I did progress to using some brush paint but was told off for blowing up my cowboy fort kit in my bedroom. Unfortunately it caught fire, stank, and I had black whips of plastic floating in the air for ages. Whoops......

I have to agree with all you are saying. I've been a modeling addict for over 60 years and I've seen it all evolve just about from the start of plastic model kits. If you look back from the beginning in real depth it can drive you crazy on what the hobby has become. Back in the dark ages your Aurora Purple Me-109 kit was fantastic , or was it the yellow Japanese Zero ? I believe it's not so much as to whether the kit is "good or bad" at times. The biggest winners in the manufactures race to catch the eye of young builders were the ones with the best advertising and variety of subjects to build back then, not the quality. There was no real " whats the best kit " years ago, either you could put it together or you couldn't. A "true modeler" could put anything together was the norm. Then it all changed when up coming companies went up against each other over what was "the better kit" you should build. I think after all these years of building it all comes down to grabbing a kit from the shelf and and gluing your fingers together with a smile on your face.

Every model company has molded some roach kits. Revell generally does nice, affordable, reasonably accurate models. What is pure wicked-evil about Revell is their horrid, flimsy end-opening boxes.

People forget as they get older, that when you were 8 your Dad wasn't buying you a 1:12th scale German kit. You got an Airfix or a Revell. It looked like a plane. Job done. If you were really rich you got a Tamiya.

The majority of the kits I built when I was a kid in the 70's were Monogram. Both cars and planes. On occasion, I would build a Revell kit. I found them to be nicely detailed but they never fit together well. The parts seemed to be warped or twisted and you really had to work to get them to fit together for gluing. The Monogram models fit together just about perfectly.

Very well said. Have you seen the Tamiya A-10? Yikes! A point about airfix; they seem to have their production issues sorted and the latest releases are lovely. The 1/72nd P51-D rivals Tamiya for fit and detail (and is far cheaper) The P40B is a gem as is the Typhoon, their amazing Gladiator, Blenheims, Beaufort, SpitVc (in spite of thje crappy decal schemes), lacaster ... honestly I keep hurting my margins by taking them home myself. I stock a lot of Airfix in my store and subject and price point are superb. It does take some convincing of the older guys who are used to the sad old days. At least now rthe reboxes are identified aas "Classics" and some of them are very welcom returns. I hope they re-issue the Short Sky van sometime.

I just looked at a Mach 2 Caravelle aircraft kit recently. The price was $120 and the molding was horrible. Glad I found an old Lindberg one on E-bay. Half clear fuselage, what a classic.

I have very good memories of building mainly Revell and Monogram kits when I was a kid. I still buy some vintage kits for the nostalgia of just building them again. Building a in depth historically correct diorama I can see getting the best tooled kit. Both sides of the spectrum. .

As someone who is new to model kits, one issue I have with revel is there starter sets, compared to Airfix. Airfix have all the paints in the box to complete the model. Revel give you 4 paints and that’s it

The F15E and the F18E/F in 1/48 from revell are both good kits! I would recommend those to anyone. Especially considering how affordable they are.

I’ve recently got back into modelling again and have experienced some really good kits and some poor ones in different brands. Sometimes I buy the kit due to nostalgia reasons, for example the Airfix 1/24 Spitfire Mk 1a. I recognised the box art immediately from the 70s and it did have the ‘Classic’ series on it. I remember the poor fit problems around the cowling but the model seems to be even worse than I remember it to be (not to mention the new grey plastic vice white now being much softer). I wanted the challenge of making it better this time and this was the draw card for me. I wanted to hone my skills and this was the fun aspect for me. I respect Airfix for stating the classic on its box and the original box art. Also I built that Harrier model and I didn’t find too many issues. I do wish more people would analyse model ship kits as I recently purchased the Revell 1/350 Tirpitz Platinum model. It looks fabulous but I think this is beyond my skill level. No fault of Revell though as it did state skill 5 level. I have built the ICM Ju88 night fighter kit and it was fabulous. I think all manufacturers should state skill level required and the update year. Thanks for your review

Having been building model kits for more than fifty years, I appreciate many newer engineered kits, though many are ridiculously complex and over detailed. Often, I enjoy building some older vintage kits, for sentimental reasons. Atlantis is rereleasing many old Aurora kits. A rivet-counter's nightmare. Same with Lindberg. Sometimes simple can be fun. Modeling should be stress-relieving, not causing it!

The expectations are different today, look at the 1 200 scale ships for example. An old kit in a current package just confuses people. Given how much the kits cost, what one enjoys in the build, and the final result makes me pretty picky on laying out the money.

All I can say is RESEARCH - before buying a model, look at reviews, find the age of a model. Obviously that goes against impulse buying, but if you're serious about model making, then that's not a problem!

Models are designed for a specific audience. An example is Eduard kits are designed for serius modelers where revell and airfix are more budget oriented companies.

As the late Shep Paige once said, "Building a model is supposed to be enjoyable and fun. If it's not, then you need to do something else." A modeler's reality is that there is no such thing as a perfect model. Do what you want with what you want and let the fact checkers and perfectionists alone to be with others of their kind. In the end, what matters is this question. "Are YOU happy with the finished product?" Nothing else matters. And yes, I grew up in the era where models were meant for kids. Matchbox, 1/72 scale, had the most variety but were toy-like even to me at age 8. Just a little footnote for all: my first completed model was a 1/48 p61 by monogram glued together with super glue! I've come a long way since then but hopefully, you get the idea. It was quite a mess but it was fun! D.hughed Peoria, il.

I'm 63' and have built a lot of models since my early years 9 yrs old ? So when I build kits from my beginning years, Revell, Monogram etc. I know they are going to take more work, puddy, sanding, some kitbashing etc. I actually like it, one thing is the old Box Art for me is just the best, give me nice old memories of Dad ! I Love the challenge also : )

I think a big part of the problem is the age of molds. As an example, my brothers and I built at least two 1/32 Revell F4U Corsairs in the 1970's. The molds were new and the kits went together quite well. (As did the Wildcat and P-40E we also built.) Sure they didn't have the level of cockpit and wheelwell details of newer 1/32 kits but no big deal. Fast forward to today and it seems everyone bags on that kit for fit issues. Well, after about 50 years those molds are probably worn-out. So to say the kit itself really isn't fair.

Don’t forget that time (1970 to 1990), enamel paints, sometimes I painted wrong kind like gloss or matt, it’s end up a millimetre thick and glues are not up to standard. Today are more better.

The big question & great debate. The good the bad & the ugly, depending on your skill levels & what your looking to get out of a kit in the first place & budget plays a big part too. I, as many others have built all of the categories & enjoyed & hated & binned them over the years. Scalemate is a great starting point. Love your channel & keep up the good work. Happy modelling

Young scale moddeller here. This comment section really makes me happy. I love making models, but i wouldnt say im very good at it, but thats not the point. If it looks like a spitfire to me and it looks like a spitfire to my mates, then thats what matters! And also the older kits just pose more of a challenge!!!

I must be getting old. Making plastic kits when I was ten years old seemed so easy compared to now!

I built a lot of Revelle in the 50's-60's. The company has gone thru a lot of hands since then. It was a labor of love for the original owners. Now it's strictly a business as is true for most companies around today.

When I was a kid in the 70s, I made a lot of models. Bullet holes, shrapnel punctures, etc. were fun to add to planes. I liked the Revel models over Monogram models. Monogram parts didn't seem to fit well, but the Revel parts did. If I got back into it today, I don't think I'd worry about the number of rivets, I'd worry about the price.

Agreed totally on everyone having their good ones and howlers :) When even Mach2 can knock out a proper DC-8 in 1/72 that looks the part, it can't be all bad :D

Tamiya's 1/48 Sea Harrier was given to me as a birthday present in 1985. It was awesome! My biggest gripe was the opacity of the white on the decals going over a dark sea grey...

I've been in the hobby for almost 60 years. I am delighted to build older and lower-priced kits.

Good point! I agree..but: My worst kit in 45 years of "plastimodels"... a model of Curtis Condor from Glencoe. I partially assembled it...I stopped and donated it so as not to throw it away, because this model was so bad to assemble. The parts did not fit right with gaps of more than two millimeters, especially in the engine fairing. Between the wing root and the engine fairing there was a scary unevenness that I couldn't level with sandpaper. Also, it was coarse and poorly finished, with a lot of thick burrs. It was my only withdrawal in 45 years of plastic modeling. Cheers

If it looks like the real thing in it's shape, that's already awesome, it doesn't have to be perfect to be a great model, also remember people, these "bad kits" that you need to use putty, sand and etc are the ones that teach you the most, this is where and how you learn and perfect your technics.

Revell tends to buy old molds from other companies. Even had a printed note inside a revell kit apologising for the poor quality. Check scalemates any time you buy a kit.

Great summary: I agree 100% with that you said there. Revell's problem are indeed old kits, repacked to appear new. I fell for this trap back in mid 2000's - i moved to UK for a while to work for a certain low cost airline, and in my spare time i decided to pick up on the old hobby of mine: Problem was that at a time i didn't have an access to internet, and my only supplier was a local store that only stocked Revell and Airfix. I remember how every kit was a lottery (i was doing 1:48 back then) - On one day i'd pick up a Spitfire or Corsair that would turn out reboxed hasegawa and were very nice kits. On other occasion i'd end up with old Monogram Phantom or some ancient BF-109 kit. I tired Airfix once: got a Tornado. I had one look into the box, at the level of details... and threw it into a bin. 10 years later it looks like Revell still relies on reboxes a lot (but those are nore mostly new ICM and Zvezda in particular) instead of doing more of their own kits: Things like Rafale, F/A-18E - maybe not as great as hasegawa Hornet, but close... and at half the price. Their F-15E was a great kit (it too many years for GWH to release something better). And they will always have a warm place in my heart for doing things no one at the time would attempt: Like 72 scale Gato... 48 Scale B-1 or my favourite: 1/144 Fletcher class destroyer... Nowadays maybe Trumpeter could try it, but back then? It was only Revell that would dare to do something so big - and for that i have to respect them. Also - im surprised KittyHawk didn't make it on the list - especially given the amount of negative comments their kits received all over internet (Personally don't know: have AH-6, MH-60 and couple Mirage 2000-s in my stash, but have not started yet)

I think the other issues with Revell was, until recently the spit between the US and German wings, though i guess it almost been 10 years sense they reemerged. But on the US end all Revell did was ride their old tooling with the exception of licensed products like star wars but even then they were following archaic practices like box scale. Also short of online order from hobby shops most people would only be able to find kits locally in craft shops like Michaels and Hobby Lobby where Revell kits were basically the only military kits there and almost all of those kits were the old monogram or Revell tools from the 60s and 70s and even then the selection was limited. so its easy from me to see why Revell got the brunt of it in the poll. Its getting better with the German kits making their way over here more regularly but locally for most you are still stuck with these old tools outside of modeling specialty shops or online

Some points to the companies you mentioned: - Smer - last kit this company really tooled is from the early 90s - so the comparison to Tamiya is quite inadequate. When taken in perspective to the age when these kits were created, they are not bad (can be compared to present shortrun kits and with some work are adequate). These kits are for those who want to get back to their modelling beginnings pr want a specific thing (Su-25 1/48 and some more) - MisterCraft never tooled their own kits, all of them are reboxes of old Smer/KP/Frog/other eastern Europe kits from 80s/90s (and the forms are not maintained properly so there is loads of flash) - Amodel - this is a specific company...for me their kits were a miss (better to get a piece of wood and carve the plane from it then from their kits - Trumpeter / Hobby Boss - perfectly buildable but some are really inaccurate shapwise and/or overcomplicated - Airfix - since the division to "Classic line" (old kits) and standard new kits these are a good thing - Zvezda - anything before 2008 is hit or miss, anything newer is quite good and usually really cheap compared to other companies - Italeri - interesting subjects, usually not so good in the fit department (but some kits have cartograph decals so...)

Don't knock the 1970s Pzr II and Panther kits! Bloody amazing value for money and for the vast majority they are more than accurate enough and the fit is great. :D Also this is a great addition to build videos as I learn so much about the wider hobby. Some awesome insights to help you choose the right kit for your needs.

Just to shout out a couple of kits I’ve got recently that have impressed me in the box..Miniarts T-55 and T-34..Yes big builds but they look amazing and I’m got to tackle one soon,just getting my builds up(since a few years back to the hobby)..Another kit that has wowed me is the Meng Panther..No,I’m not a expert on the Panther or Panther kits..I’m just saying the quality of the kit looks stunning to me..I’ve also got the Hobbyboss Panther G early and that looks a great kit as well..So to get me back to Panther’s I’m gonna build the ole Tamiya one just for a test run in zimmerit etc.. As ever,great video talk..Thank you👍

A friend got me to join a modeling club with him. I hadn't built for a long time. He was much better than me, but I needed a hobby and figured I could do better than when I was a kid. Went to several meetings and visited each other's houses. When I showed some of what I had done and had hanging on the garage I was met with "these are all crap." It was then that I knew I had a hobby for me and my enjoyment, not for the approval of others.

I have a 1/72 MisterCraft Mirage III & still has "Heller" moulded on the inner side of the fuselage.

It is annoying when some manufacturers are, shall we say, 'evasive', about the age of the tooling. But if you look around there are bargains to be had. I've just picked up the Revell 1/32 Corsair from Hobbycraft for £16.50. I probably wont be doing meticulous research prior to building it, so no doubt I will be unaware of any errors that somebody immersed in the subject will be tearing their hair out at. The fact that I only paid that much is only going to increase the grin factor when I build it and I will have nice model at the end of it. Well, I'll think it will be nice, and in the end that's all that matters really. Love the channel by the way. Best wishes for the new year and happy modelling.

I love model modeling. I've been doing it for about 9 years now, and ive never run into a kit that I hated, or could say was bad, probably cause I a majority of them were Tamiya kits. That being said...I finally ran in to the One(s)... I just finished building an ICM T-35 (No. 35041) and am working on the T-28 (No. 35031) from 1997. They are very old, and very...bad. My friend got them for $15 each from a vendor at a model show we went to, so it was a good price for some not so offer seen tanks. He was unable to build them due to both kits together being a little to much for him (He was new to modeling at the time), so we agreed I could build them for him. The T-35 looks nice when finished, but the process to get to the finished product was hell. "Fresh" out of the tattered box and yellowed bags, EVERY single sprue tree was coated in a thin layer of sticky grease. (I think it was the mold release agent coagulating after such a long time) Most of the parts were covered in flash of various severity, the plastic seemed to be inconstantly colored, with some parts or entire sprues being lighter than others, and dimples were in some of the thicker parts. The part fit was very inconsistent. Not a single hatch fit properly into its place except for the single hatches for the MG turrets. Not a single turret fit properly, or rather, not one could turn for more than a few degrees before getting entirely stuck. The tabs were too thick, and since they were on the hull and I didn't have a tool to fix it, I had to chop the tabs off and shave the Inner edge of the turrets to allow them to be positioned straight. The upper hull was warped upwards to such a degree that I had to tape it down and glue it so literally anything could mount properly to it. The lower hull was not as bad, but it still had the same problem. So far, in the case of the T-28, all the problems were the same, except for one unforgivable thing. The top half of one of the suspension units was just not there! It was only half molded, leaving the part unable to mount on to the tank at properly since it was now WAY to short! I had to cut a piece of sprue and do some modding so I could extent the incomplete part. I'm waiting for it to dry as I write this. Dealing with all of these problems before and while building both models made them absoulute nightmares to build, and they are hands down the worst models ive ever built, but at least they look nice when put together and weathered haha *pain*. I'm considering making my friend pay me for them, lmao. He still wants them, and ive already ranted to him about my troubles soooo... To Be Continued...

Airfix have started letting you know the older kits by calling them 'Vintage Classics'. They both have older kits, and much better newer kits. The Revell Star Trek TOS USS Enterprise is really well engineered, but is dreadfully inaccurate. The 1/72 Airfix Spitfire is a 'new' mould but the interior is too large and it causes the fuselage to have a huge gap in front of the cockpit. The Tamiya Harrier is from the early 70s, they've got better since then! Research on the internet before you buy! Pet Peeve - putting some paints, glue, and a shoddy brush, with some random kit, and calling it a starter kit...

The Revell F4U was my first model. Built it for a school project. Wasn’t the prettiest thing but still got a great compliment from a Korean War veteran.

Good discussion, of course there is no one answer! Build what you like after considering the alternatives. It’s about fun isn’t it!

Hmm I think the problem with trying to quantify good or bad is it means different things to different people. Personally I can’t stand Dragon they are for me overly complicated and expensive. I’m not saying they aren’t detailed and accurate but there are so many parts it’s an endless slog getting to the painting and weathering phase. Some of the most fun builds I have had are; on paper, awful 1970,s kits. Both Airfix and Tamiya. They may not be accurate but they go together quickly to get me to the point I like.

Thank you so much. I didn’t know how to determine when a particular kit was made. Love your channel.

What I’ve noticed is, as technology/time go on, there’s more attention to detail, which I think leads to a higher part count, more parts is a nexus for more fit issues, it’s why premium kits are at a premium price, more detail, more pieces, better fit.

A couple of months ago I picked up this hobby after about a 40 year break. This far I've built four Revell Level 5 kits, DH Mosquito B Mk IV, Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXc, Heinkel He 111 H-6 and Fw190 A-8/R-s "Sturmbock" and my experience is mainly positive. Revells Customer Service has been excellent, replacing parts that I've broken free of charge. The only modell I've had issues with is the He111, which is an old ICM kit, where the plastic was so brittle some parts broke when I was trying to cut the off of the sprues with a scalpel or when I was trying to clean them up and there were some issues with getting the kit to fit. Next project in line is a Trumpeter Bf 109F-4 and from the quick look I've had at it their instructions is lightyears behind the ones from the Revell kits.

The trouble with kits is, say Revell reboxes a model made by Lindberg from 1980, if that kits was so bad to start with, and you get someone who comes along who wants to get into making a model and builds this reboxed badkit, they then start going wrong when parts don't fit etc etc and it puts that person off on building another model. There should be in black and white on the box this is a reboxed kit on front of the packing!

I needed to see this video. I am new to the hobby and had no idea there was old stock out there being sold as new. I can't say for sure, but being new I have been looking for low cost kits, and it makes me wonder if these low cost kits are old stock? There is usually alot of trimming needed and many of the parts just don't fit correctly. Anyway, thanks for the heads up!!!

The thing I dislike most about the latest airfix kits is the soft plastic, I bought the 1/24 hellcat and the fuselage and wing sections were badly warped, maybe not airfix's fault as I guess the kit got very hot at one point but still a disappointment given the price

In my 40+ year modeling I rank AMT as a hit/ miss miss miss. Rare for me to find an AMT kit worth the cost. Also, Miniarts I will never buy anything from again; maybe I was unlucky but the several kits I have bought have either fit issues, missing parts, or instructions that look like a 6th grader drew them

Some months ago I've bought the new Revell's Ho229, I didn't know about its thing about reboxing old kits, I've had a few issues with parts fitting badly and the wings assembly to the fuselage made me swear a bit and only then I looked at the sprues' simbol and I found it that it actually was a 1992 Dragon's reboxed kit, I was kinda disappointed because I expected it to be a brand new kit.. Overall the final result had been truly satinfying but I'll double check the pictures before to buy another revell kit :P

Great video, very informative. I think we are being deceived by manufacturers re-boxing old kits and I think they should be advertising the year of First manufacture on the box...And I wish Scalemates gave a modellers rating of the kits, but I know we all rate them differently.

I fondly remember building Airfix, Monogram, Heller, Otaki, and Hasegawa kit when I was a kid.

Airfix kits from the late 60's onwards are brilliant, B-26, A-26, Blohm & Voss Bv 141, Super Mystere, F-86, Seasprite etc, etc, etc, unfortunately most modelers have probably only built Airfix kits from the late 50's / early 60's which suffer from poor shape and lack of detail, but if you have the patience some of the average Airfix kits can be turned into contest winners.

I’m loving these style of videos, hope you do some more of them

I saw the Revell 04147 Fw 109 F-8/R-14 on your thumbnail. I had to click, the kit I just bought had two wing sprues no body sprue. After about a month I received a body sprue. The flash and mold lines were so bad all the small parts were destroyed trying to clean them. The fitment... sigh if I wanted to have to rework 80% of the parts to get them to fit and use 1/2 a tube of contour putty to close the gaps, I would have just bought a straight jacket and had done with it. I was hoping to hear a comment on it to see if I just got a bad one or if this is just not a very good kit.

Used to get these as birthday gifts when I was 7. Never had the patience to build, paint, etc, I just wanted to play with what the picture on the box showed.

Loved the video. I think it is the first one from your channel that I have seen! Thanks for the opinions!

Great conversation, my problem is when people talk about kits they don't seem to mention the kit number. Given the number of kits out that number is a must have.

Agree with you on the Spit mark 2 Revell...very difficult to build. Lots of parts ...some that did not fit well. My spit came out good but it was a lot of work.

I made the mistake of getting the Razorcrest by Revell to build as a gift and it was a brand new tooling. Sixteen sink marks in the top moulding, several on component’s for the insides, oval engine nacelles (should be circular) and worst of all the Lucas film Disney logo moulded on the outside of the rear door. Absolutely shocking!

Sadly it does not help that some major players re-box short run kits without making it obvious on the box. Also Tamiya has reboxed some Italeri kits (for the Japanese market? - Import issues?) meaning you have Tamiya artwork on a Tamiya box but on the kit inside the engineering is clearly not up to Tamiya standards.

I'm 53 and remember 2 Monograms I did. 1. The TBD Devastator was excellent from great fit, contrast that with the Monogram B-26 which I followed it up with and was appalling fit. The gaps were so bad around the engine nacelles you could fit a pencil through them. I recently bought the same TBD kit to do again in my retirement years so looking forward to improving on my 10 year old effort.

I just built 2 Zvezda kits back to back. Each has about 400 pieces and I agreed with you that their newer kits can be a real fun

First you have to know the age of the molds. If the kit dates back to the 60-70, also you have to distinguish between Revell USA or Germany and Monogram ( now owned by Revell ) before you can properly judge a kit.

Great comment and ideas presented...now a days I go to Scalemates to check the kit pedigree. And yup I've gotten some dogs and pigs in my that I just pushed through the build.

We old model builders retired and having bad eye problems with not lots of money have to do with whatever we can afford....good or bad or ok is the only choice....I as a kid paid 1.70 dollars for the Revell 32nd scale kits back in 1969/1970...and at that time they were the most beautiful in my mind....still have some in the shrink wraps....

Zvezda is my jam- some stinkers, but you can definitely tell they're really trying to make big strides. Take the 1/72 P-39N from the late 90's- not great, not terrible. The 1/72 Pe-2 from a couple years ago? Job well done. They seem to be positioning themselves (quite well) as a middle of the road company. Not quite Tamiya fit & finish or with a crazy amount of detail like some of the Dragon/AFV Club/others. But, the price point is exceptional for what you get- not exactly "bargain bin prices", but you're generally getting a kit that is, at least, average for what kits in the 21st century should be. As someone who loves Eastern Bloc subjects, it's nice to have a competitor to Trumpeter- both in terms of price (certain subjects) and catalog (looking at you 9K330 TOR).

Don't try Kitech - Chinese made. Soft plastic and half ton of filler needed for the 1/72.F18.

The P-51 has a canopy that doesn't fit. I bought two and they were both the same. Later, I read a review and learned that they're all like that. No response from Revell yet, I wrote them three months ago.

Does anyone remember the old Airfix 1/72 Churchill tank? Even when it was a new kit it was awful to put together.

I remember building the Bf 109 G-10 from Revell (my first but also my favourite model kit i've ever built). I recommend it for anybody who wants to start out in the hobby (i bought it as a starter set which included paint, glue and a brush) or for anybody who just wants to have some fun :)

Before I get too far in this, having built most my kits in the 80s and 90s, after buying Revel a few times I was so disgusted I would avoid it and stuck with Monogram at the cheapest. Mainly because of poor fitting parts, lack of details, bad decal sets, bad instructions. I do understand things have changed, like Revell buying and merging companies, but we are talking huge areas needed to be filled or plastic being warped, it was just unacceptable. Now I lived in the US, and I didn't really see much of airfix with any kit I wanted. Mainly 48th scale stuff. Mainly planes & 35th scale Cars.

The Revell P51D with the filleted tail is due for release soon this year..

The latest Special Hobby kits are superb. The Revell 1/32 Tempest is a rebox of their kit, without the etch brass. It’s excellent.

Here in America a Company called Atlantis has started reissuing the old model kits from molds they have bought that have not been marketed in years many of the from the 60's and 70's and they are selling well as baby boomers love seeing the old kits they grew up with being available again. I myself am finding seeing kits I had once modeled, or seen my brother modeling growing up and having them back bring back allot of memories. This trend of oh we want perfect replicas is just limiting people's choices not everyone is in this hobby to pay out the ass for a highly detailed kit that could be ruined depending on the modeler's skill level. would be interesting to know how many possible modeler's gave up the dream of modeling because they were turned off not only on the high prices of the newer kits. but also lost interest and heart finding a kit either too hard to assemble being a beginner modeler, or were disappointed seeing how their kit came out as as it was to overly engineered for a beginner's attempt. which they may not have gone through if they were modeling an older kit to hone their skill and get introduced into the world of modeling. This whole oh only the newer kits are worth modeling seems a bit snobby in my opinion.

Excellent video, on a touchy subject. As for the Revell P-51... great kit. I did a video series on that one several months back. It was a really enjoyable build, to be sure. One of my favorites. Their FW-190 and Bf 109G-10 are also really good in 1/32 scale.

The Tamiya 1/48 Sea Harrier, astonished it was a Tamiya. Still half built, half painted. Airfix, when I buy them and build them, surprised when there's no hassle. Hasegawa and Tamiya where my go to up to 86. Gave up the hobby and my Ducati when I got married. Returned to the Hobby in 2018, sadly not the biking.

Much of what you have described about model kit producers I have learned the hard way, by attempting builds from different manufacturers. The problems with reboxing has led to many abandoned attempts at basic construction. I am not one who can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, although there are those who have the skills. I have discovered that Airfix aircraft kits are loved by British builders and reviewers, but my experience has been rather poor, even with their reworked line. The plastic is too soft, there are sink marks, short shots, and just plain poor fits. Some construction I have had to give up on because there was no way I could get the components to align, despite cutting off alignment pins, trimming, sanding, etc. I enjoyed your discussion and look forward to more commentaries.