Will price increase in new and second hand models make people scratch build?

[muddy water]

Since the pandemic statutes in March 2020, more and more people have started model railways. This is great for the hobby.

Though It has caused a problem with supply of models. Resulting in price increases in new and second hand online sales. Where basic, older models are going for incredible sums.

 

As a result of this are people turning to scratch building, not buying any more or just paying the increased prices?
 

I have been going through the cupboards finding stuff I bought years ago and final constructing them!

So I will only need glue and solder!
 

 

[Paul H Vigor]

28 minutes ago, muddy water said:

Since the pandemic statutes in March 2020, more and more people have started model railways. This is great for the hobby.

Though It has caused a problem with supply of models. Resulting in price increases in new and second hand online sales. Where basic, older models are going for incredible sums.

 

As a result of this are people turning to scratch building, not buying any more or just paying the increased prices?
 

I have been going through the cupboards finding stuff I bought years ago and final constructing them!

So I will only need glue and solder!
 

 

I guess this is more of a question for new starters in the hobby? Those of us who have been modelling for a while bought or built many of our models before the current craze began. Purchases tend to be focused, to fill gaps. Prices appear to be being driven ever upward by dealers/traders jumping on the bandwagon?

[Paul H Vigor]

36 minutes ago, muddy water said:

Since the pandemic statutes in March 2020, more and more people have started model railways. This is great for the hobby.

Though It has caused a problem with supply of models. Resulting in price increases in new and second hand online sales. Where basic, older models are going for incredible sums.

 

As a result of this are people turning to scratch building, not buying any more or just paying the increased prices?
 

I have been going through the cupboards finding stuff I bought years ago and final constructing them!

So I will only need glue and solder!
 

 

Consider how many models exist as 'dead stock' traded back and forth, back and forth; models that rarely escape the eBay orbit to rejoin the modelling community.

[Robert Shrives]

Kit and scratch building will continue but I think the "Airfix kit on a Saturday afternoon" apprenticeship  will need to be restarted to help develop manual dexterity and develop an inquisitive nature .  After mastering a spitfire ( other aircraft available) most modern kits while not simple will be much more understandable and achievable. 

 

A forgotten level of modelling is the almost right body on a already available chassis - this half way house gives a modeller a body to build as a superannuated airfix kit knowing it will run well on a factory chassis. Part  of many an older ( me) modellers "career path" follows this way. 

 

The next level is the kit chassis and mastering 0-6-0 or simple diesel bogies - adding brakes and springing at the "AS" level.    

Then if you model a rare aspect of the railway  then you are off on the scratch road.

 

But then some very clever folk did the 3D printing thing which brings a lot of modelling neatly back into to the world of today - may be no manual dexterity with a file as no metal work at school , but a GSE in CAD and design and "hey presto" a 3D printed body of your desired model.   Now that is a modern version of scratch building. Now gone the days of fitting it all to an almost chassis - 3D printed in metal bearing material, bought in motor and electronics and even battery and wireless control packages then modelling quite on its head to the idea of a  GEM kit and a triang chassis.  

 

All folk need is a desire to make and make the journey, slowly as time and finance allows - dreams are free at this time. With as noted the current cost of models then organ donation or child selling as potentially bad solutions doing a bit more than box opening and or web moaning will open a whole new world and RM WEb is an "Open university" of massive proportions.        

[gordon s]

I happened to buy a DJH kit for a J50 several years ago and before the Hornby model was available. Reading the DJH site a couple of days ago, the kit plus wheels, motor and gearbox are now £230. Hattons are selling the Hornby J50 for £69......

 

I have one of the Hornby model and it runs perfectly and the body is much better than anything I could kit build. Apart from the pleasure of saying I built that there is little to support buying a kit unless a RTR model is not available or the model itself is far from accurate.

[Steamport Southport]

8 minutes ago, Robert Shrives said:

Kit and scratch building will continue but I think the "Airfix kit on a Saturday afternoon" apprenticeship  will need to be restarted to help develop manual dexterity and develop an inquisitive nature .  After mastering a spitfire ( other aircraft available) most modern kits while not simple will be much more understandable and achievable. 

 

A forgotten level of modelling is the almost right body on a already available chassis - this half way house gives a modeller a body to build as a superannuated airfix kit knowing it will run well on a factory chassis. Part  of many an older ( me) modellers "career path" follows this way. 

 

The next level is the kit chassis and mastering 0-6-0 or simple diesel bogies - adding brakes and springing at the "AS" level.    

Then if you model a rare aspect of the railway  then you are off on the scratch road.

 

But then some very clever folk did the 3D printing thing which brings a lot of modelling neatly back into to the world of today - may be no manual dexterity with a file as no metal work at school , but a GSE in CAD and design and "hey presto" a 3D printed body of your desired model.   Now that is a modern version of scratch building. Now gone the days of fitting it all to an almost chassis - 3D printed in metal bearing material, bought in motor and electronics and even battery and wireless control packages then modelling quite on its head to the idea of a  GEM kit and a triang chassis.  

 

All folk need is a desire to make and make the journey, slowly as time and finance allows - dreams are free at this time. With as noted the current cost of models then organ donation or child selling as potentially bad solutions doing a bit more than box opening and or web moaning will open a whole new world and RM WEb is an "Open university" of massive proportions.        

 

It never really went away.

 

The problem with that route is they start with an Airfix starter kit and continue with Airfix and other manufacturers plastic kits. You end up with aircraft and military modellers. You can pick them up for a fiver in ALDI at the moment. If they aren't in stock try the website.

 

Have you seen the newer Airfix kits? Next to no flash, parts fit well and they are a joy to build. The more expensive kits are as sophisticated and enjoyable as building any model railway locomotive kit. That's before you get to the aftermarket manufacturers of detailing parts and decals.

 

 

https://uk.airfix.com/products/grumman-f6f-5-hellcat-a19004?

 

If you want a generation of model railway kit builders, you need to encourage them to build something like a Parkside kit. All of the magazines have featured builds recently.

 

 

Jason

[andyman7]

During lockdown I have been buying up 70s/80s D&E models for projects. My rule of thumb is not to pay more than £20 a loco, which rules out more than 95% of what's on ebay but the <5% remainder has still produced a rich seam. 

With Railroad models at around £70 and full fat D&E at £100-£175 this represents a massive saving on things to tinker with. My advantage of course is that I know what to look for, am completely unfazed about whether it's tested and working and have 40+ years of supplies, plasticard offcuts and so on to get by with. But we've all got to start somewhere.

 

This is my latest buy for the workbench:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-diesel-locomotives-used-D7516-British-Rail-green-Tested-and-working-/353398447134?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=%2FvspTMOpduihGinjwDW8NM3%2FnU0%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

Neither the picture or description will have helped sell it but you have to do a bit of work to find bargains.

Here's one in the 'shop', no etched parts being used, it's all done with plasticard offcuts and filler:

 

[Nearholmer]

These things level-out.

 

There is a bit of a craze for model railways currently, but the tide might recede a bit once lockdown is over, and dealers can only sell for what people are ready, willing, and able to afford. A price-bubble may pop once exhibitions re-start and table-top traders get out and about again.

 

Some of the newer recruits will remain, and possibly bring different skills from those of the "Saturday afternoon Airfix kit" generation (the smell of the glue and paint, with the football results on the radio as background, I remember it well), and never under-estimate the ability of the young to learn fast.

 

My bet would be a generation who are into "software enabled scratch-building and kit-bashing", using a combination of craft skill, 3D-printing, laser cutting, and whatever comes after that. There are some good examples on RMWeb of what I assume to be younger modelers who aren't afraid to wield a razor saw, and are prepared to share their work for others to see.

 

But, I wouldn't expect custom for r-t-r to dry-up all of a sudden due to cost. Reduce, yes, as people buy fewer things, but not suddenly disappear.

[john new]

 

1 hour ago, Robert Shrives said:

Kit and scratch building will continue but I think the "Airfix kit on a Saturday afternoon" apprenticeship  will need to be restarted to help develop manual dexterity and develop an inquisitive nature .  After mastering a spitfire ( other aircraft available) most modern kits while not simple will be much more understandable and achievable. 

 

A forgotten level of modelling is the almost right body on a already available chassis - this half way house gives a modeller a body to build as a superannuated airfix kit knowing it will run well on a factory chassis. Part  of many an older ( me) modellers "career path" follows this way. 

 

The next level is the kit chassis and mastering 0-6-0 or simple diesel bogies - adding brakes and springing at the "AS" level.    

Then if you model a rare aspect of the railway  then you are off on the scratch road.

 

But then some very clever folk did the 3D printing thing which brings a lot of modelling neatly back into to the world of today - may be no manual dexterity with a file as no metal work at school , but a GSE in CAD and design and "hey presto" a 3D printed body of your desired model.   Now that is a modern version of scratch building. Now gone the days of fitting it all to an almost chassis - 3D printed in metal bearing material, bought in motor and electronics and even battery and wireless control packages then modelling quite on its head to the idea of a  GEM kit and a triang chassis.  

 

All folk need is a desire to make and make the journey, slowly as time and finance allows - dreams are free at this time. With as noted the current cost of models then organ donation or child selling as potentially bad solutions doing a bit more than box opening and or web moaning will open a whole new world and RM WEb is an "Open university" of massive proportions.        

Fully concur; even if you manage the chassis the brass valve gear needs watchmaking skills. The development of the brass kit can be seen as both a bonus and a killer ; for those who can master the watchmaking it is great (look at Wright Writes for examples) for many it is a non-starter. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by john new

[Jeff Smith]

2 hours ago, muddy water said:

As a result of this are people turning to scratch building, not buying any more or just paying the increased prices?

It may depend on terminology.  Scratch building to me is starting with a sheet of brass or styrene.  But to other people it means a kit-bash or maybe a modified body on another commercial chassis.  If you have 'Airfix' skills you can certainly build styrene kits of rolling stock or line-side structures but soldering white metal or brass bodies is a completely different skill set.  Then there is the motor/gearbox/wheels side of the equation, you only have to look at the Branchlines list of available motors and gearboxes to see how complex these choices can be.

 

As is fairly well known and has been mentioned in this thread, loco kits are not cheap so unless you can wind your own motor, cut your own gears and turn your own wheels, those parts plus a chassis will buy you a RTR loco.......  However for anyone willing to combine some skills and build reasonable priced locos, the Dapol plastic bodied complete kits are I believe still available from Branchlines (no connection).  Having built the City of Truro I can attest that 'Airfix' skills are essential for the body!

[Nearholmer]

36 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

Scratch building to me is starting with a sheet of brass or styrene. 

 

Other materials are available.

 

Wood is very nice.

[Dunsignalling]

I think we need to differentiate between modellers and collectors. The growth in both quality and quantity of r-t-r over the past two decades has led many of us who consider ourselves the former to become the latter, almost without noticing!

 

In my own case, I am ashamed to admit that I could completely cease buying locos and rolling stock today with zero effect on my future ability to participate in the hobby. I've already cut back quite substantially on adding to the pile, albeit through consideration of space rather than cost. If I keep amassing the stuff, I won't have room for a layout to run it on....

 

There will always be those who take up the hobby because they like making things, and others who graduate to doing so having begun with r-t-r. I don't  see that changing substantially and scratch-building is not suddenly going to become "mainstream" because r-t-r becomes more costly. I reckon most will continue as before, but adjust the volume of their purchasing to keep within budget.

 

Reading contributions to various threads on here leaves an impression that quite a few, presented with the introduction of an attractive new loco, find it impossible to choose and buy all the versions! For them, perhaps, an injection of some focus, be it geographical, historical or both, might even increase their enjoyment.

 

John

 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Dunsignalling
Tidying up and spelling.

[The Johnster]

The OP suggests that the pandemic and the consequent availability of 'dispostable time' has resulted in a supply problem and price increases; I would question that this is the case.  Our models are over whelmingly largely made in China, where, because of the severe pandemic restrictions imposed on travelling outside of a factory's mmediate area and the continuation of production within the factories, a shortage of models was pretty much avoided.  Prices were and still are increasing anyway because costs in China are increasing, both material and labour costs as Chinese workers demand a better standard of living (and why shouldn't they?).  The days of waiting for your application to buy a Flying Pigeon bicycle are long over over there; people want cars, smartphones, two holidays a year, 42" tvs and all the rest of it.  The pandemic has not appreciably affected any of this.

 

As the UK trade went to China 2 or 3 decades ago in order to exploit their low cost, skilled, and adaptable labour force, I have little sympathy with them being somewhat bitten in the *rse now that the Chinese workers are being properly recompensed, and tbh little sympathy with consumers here that complain about price increases; it costs what it costs, and if you can't afford it I'm afraid that's how capitalism works.

 

I very much doubt that the proportion of scratchbuildiers among us will increase as a result of price increases.  They are a fairly limited number of people who have not only the neccessary skillsets but the inclination to build models in this way.  They do not save much money doing so, as although the materials required to build and finish a model are not expensive, the workshop and tools that you need to acquire are, as is the space available in your home which needs you to have a fairly high rate of earnings to afford such a spacious home.

 

The quality of current RTR models is remarkable, as is the range of them, and they are still IMHO very good value for money (and I state that from the perspective of nobbut an impoverished pensioner on a fixed income!).  The only reason in my view to attempt the time and cash consuming excersise of building a kit is to obtain a loco or piece of rolling stock that you cannot acquire by any other method, and the only reason in (again) my view to scratchbuild is to obtain one that you cannot acquire by building a kit. 

 

I model the central Glamorgan valleys in the 1948-58 period, and concentrate on locos and coaching stock that were allocated to Tondu during that time frame.  I am well enough served with RTR locos, but am considering two classes only available in kit form (1854 and 44xx) and one which will have to be scratchbuilt or so severely kitbashed that it might as well be (Collett 1938 31xx). 

 

I am less well served with RTR coaching stock, though Comet kits have baled me out of much of this situation, and a Roxey Clifton Downs driving trailer is on the shopping list.  There are however some types of auto trailer that I am probably going to have to scratchbuild if they are to appear on my layout, Diagrams J, N, A10, and A20/21, Taff Vale Rly. gangwayed twin sets.  I want to build at least the N and the TV set.

 

Now, I've never scratchbuilt anything before and I doubt that many others have had a go at these particular prototypes, so these are going to be described as 'attempts' when I eventually get around to having a go at them, it being decided later whether or not they are successful, failures, or abandoned altogether.  The J, N, and A10 can at least use parts and bogies from RTR or kit auto coaches, but the TV sets are going to be a bit more completely scratched.  Should any kind RTR or kit manufacturer provide my with any of them I would regard it as a great service, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Seems to me that a good start would be a fairly thick and solid brass sheet cut to the floorplan and drilled for the bogie pivots, for everything else to be soldered to, and wing it from there; that's the best  plan I can come up with for now!

 

It seems to me that there are two sorts of scratchbuilder; those who do it because that is how they want to build models, and those like me who do it because it is the only way to obtain models.  The price and/or availability of RTR is irrelevant in each instance, but the quality (both in terms of detail and performance has made serious dents in the kit trade, just as many of the small cottage industry concerns are closing due to retirements or the owners going to operate that great layout in the sky.

[Jeff Smith]

I do agree with a whole lot of points you make.  I suggest you attempt a scratch build or two from styrene rather than brass.  It is easy to work with and can be laminated for coach panelling.  There are some tricks and shortcuts to be learned but it's relatively cheap and once you've built up a stock of various thicknesses, strips and sections, you'll find you can progress fairly quickly.

[sjp23480]

7 hours ago, The Johnster said:

people want cars, smartphones, two holidays a year, 42" tvs and all the rest of it.  The pandemic has not appreciably affected any of this.

 

I am not so sure, as people have been denied some of these luxuries, so they have more money in their pocket to spend on other ways to pass the extra time they have on their hands.  Demand for things will spike as lockdowns ease which will fuel inflation, driving up new prices, which drives the pre-loved market.

 

I suspect another factor driving prices are low interest rates, supported by the manufacturers drive to feed the collectors market with limited or special editions. Leading some to purchase models for the perceived return on investment: Hornby Clans, Bachmann SECR C class, Sir William Stanier and the recent Hornby anniversary editions spring to mind. 

 

Not sure what all this means but prices will likely only go one way for the foreseeable future.  

 

I agree with other posters: kit and scratch builders will continue to be a niche market populated by those with the time, skill and inclination to build it themselves. 

 

For what its worth, I kit build/RTR bash many items to augment my reasonably large collection of RTR.  My limited attempts to scratch build stock have been aborted because I lack the skill to achieve results that stand any kind of comparison to their RTR/kit built brethren.

 

Steve 

Edited March 4, 2021 by sjp23480
added text

[bmthtrains - David]

I’m not sure I agree with the OP’s observations as the only shortages I’ve been aware of are of Peco track products, and that was due to the factory shutting down not because of demand.

 

Yes, the hobby seems to have had a nice bump in the last 12 months, but no rolling stock I’ve seen on any of the main online retailers has been hiked in price. I couldn’t comment on second hand, but then eBay prices have been so ludicrous for years that I never even consider looking there. New model prices have been rising for years and as had been said, is due to cost rises in China and demands for added detail and features.

 

Railway modelling has always been, and will always be, a broad church with actual modelmaking only one part of the range of activities involved. It is hard then to draw broad brush conclusions that everyone will switch to scratchbuilding as models get more expensive. Those that enjoy making locos will continue to do so, those like me who buy rtr stock but scratchbuild all the scenery will continue. As will those who buy rtr stock and simply admire it.

 

David

[Chris M]

I can’t see a new starter going into scratch building. RTR stuff is great and only the very skilled will come close to scratch building a loco as good as RTR.

Our hobby isn’t as expensive as many hobbies. You can pay over £10k for a high spec ebike and even my very modest spec ebike cost £2k. I’m told some fishing rods cost around £1,000. 
If a couple go out for a meal at a medium restaurant that will pay £60-£100 for it which is the cost of a small loco for one  modest evening out.

My score on scratch building is 1 and there it will stay. It was an interesting experience and it is certainly cost effective but RTR is my preferred route.

[Mark Dickerson]

18 hours ago, Robert Shrives said:

A forgotten level of modelling is the almost right body on a already available chassis - this half way house gives a modeller a body to build as a superannuated airfix kit knowing it will run well on a factory chassis. Part  of many an older ( me) modellers "career path" follows this way.

It's perhaps not as mainstream, but if you want to broaden your choice in industrials, 0-6-0t or more unusual Big Four types, there are still a number of suppliers offering resin and/or 3d-printed bodies designed for near-as or modified RTR mechanisms, with compromises to either.

[tomparryharry]

Like others, I haven't totally turned to scratchbuilding. It's more finishing what I've already got. One of my side projects is to re-establish my workshop, so I can re-start some of my flights of fancy. 

 

I have 2 scratchbuild projects in genesis; one is about quarter way through, whilst the second is at the 'parts acquisition' stage.  My buys & wants will never, ever make it to RTR land, so as before... BIY*

 

* Bodge It Yourself....

 

Cheers,

Ian.  

[letterspider]

RTR is reaching amazing levels of detail and paint finish - considering a project may end up a disaster after a lot of effort, the prices are pretty reasonable and, as the models are now very good quality, they retain a good resale value.

So it doesn't seem worth it for rolling stock which is already available off the shelf

However I now have more time to spend upon scenery and where you can get really good results for example with trees you only need to pay for flock.

[The Johnster]

It is difficult to fault current RTR; there are improvements I'd like to see but they feel unreasonable as expectations of volume produced products.  The sheer variety of prototypes that are avaialable is astonishing to someone who remembers when your choice was dictated by Triang, Hornby Dublo, or maybe Trix, with a smattering of Graham Farish and Gaiety.  The downside is that the magnificent plethora of kits available 30 years ago has more or less vanished, with the survivors often uncertain in terms of availability.  This may paradoxically result in a small amount more of scratching, as there will be oddball niche locos that we will want not available from the worlds of RTR or kits.  3D printing is filling some of this hole, but not in terms of motors, gears, or chassis parts, and not cheaply!  The likes of Comet or Southeastern who provide us with chassis kits and the few remaining loco kits are to be praised; sales of loco kits must be circling the drain. 

 

Motors are  another problem; many kits are designed to be built with motors that are no longer available, and some kits are not easy to insert DCC chips or loudspeakers in to.  In short, kits are survivors from a previous era of modelling; new input is found in 3D prints.  But this is mostly applicable to steam era modelling, probably in a terminal decline to 'niche' eventually  anyway.  Few locos, units, or rolling stock prototypes of current practice are not available, and this is probably the case back as far as the green diesel era, and one sees plaintive wishlisting for models in particular liveries or versions of liveries; this seems a bit 'millenial' to those of us who cut our teeth repainting and rebuilding RTR or kits into whatever we wanted, not always with conspicuous success it must be said.

 

Horrors from my teenage years include a 56xx made out of an Aifix kit prairie and a Jinty chassis, a 43xx from an Airfix kit CoT and a Black Princess chassis, and an S15 from an Airfix Schools and another Black Princess, this time with Walchearts from the kit...  I learned a lot, mostly not to continue building such abominations, but I was and still am happy to have a go, and to repaint and renumber locos to suit my requirements.  TTBOMK, only one Tondu loco for my period has ever been produced in RTR form; Hornby made 2761 at one time, but in an incorrect livery and this locos was one of the most involved 'working up' jobs.  The Tondu A30 auto trailers have all been produced, but no other coaches.  In any case, I make it a point of principle that no RTR item on my layout is in the same condition as when I first unboxed it.

 

Scratching is in my view an extension of  this approach.

[dpgibbons]

Going forward I think the likely progression from RTR will be 3D printing rather than scratchbuilding.

Edited March 5, 2021 by dpgibbons

[Jeff Smith]

Yes but even with a 3D printed chassis you need wheels, gearbox and motor.

[PatB]

As far as cost saving is concerned, kitbuilding is a non-starter. Kits are not cheap and, contrary to seemingly widespread belief, they never were. Beyond Airfix, kits have pretty much always been more expensive than equivalent r-t-r. The only rational reason to build a kit has always been in order to obtain something you simply couldn't get r-t-r, or at least to the standard that you wanted, in which case the only option was to pay whatever it cost. With the explosion in r-t-r variety and improvements in quality and detail over the past 25 years (let's ignore Design Clever for the purpose of the exercise), the need to do this has diminished considerably, at least in 4mm.

 

True scratchbuilding, OTOH, perhaps does offer some savings. Doing it the 1940s/50s way, in the style of Freezer, Denny, Jenkinson, Williams et al needn't be expensive or require vast amounts of space or equipment, at least for the production of bodies and chassis. Motors, wheels and gears are something of another matter. Buying them from the specialists will easily push the cost of a model into r-t-r territory. There is some scope to cannibalise old r-t-r offerings for their mechanical bits, but, practically, that requires access to a well stocked stash of bits and pieces, either your own, a mate's or that of a dealer who isn't intent on retiring on the proceeds.

 

What old-school scratchbuilding also requires is an endless reserve of patience (do you really fancy cutting out every layer of a panelled coach by hand, David Jenkinson style?), a willingness to compromise to accommodate ones own limitations and those of the materials and methods available, and an acceptance that a lot of the end results of the staggering amounts of effort required won't actually be very good. Yes, that's right. Whilst there have been many absolutely superb scratchbuilt models, it has to be admitted that a lot of the work shown in the 1950s model press, even by the masters on occasion, is, whilst a great tribute to their efforts, actually pretty iffy. Reading between the lines of contemporary reports, it often didn't work very well either.

 

Given that the number of people actually doing extensive scratchbuilding was probably quite small back then, and contained a significant proportion only doing it because it was the only available means to a desired end, how many people now have the leisure and motivation? At least in the indoor scales? Ironically, something big and perceived as expensive, like SM32 probably offers more scope for economies as, apart from wheels, it's not too hard to build something satisfactory using DIY warehouse materials and mechanical bits from your local (or online) electronics supplier.

[Steamport Southport]

Not strictly true regarding kit prices. Kits such as K's, Nucast, GEM and Wills kits were much cheaper than RTR from Hornby, etc. back in the day. I remember them being piled high in model shops and there was always a brisk trade in them. Hardly ever saw people buying RTR locos though. That seemed to be a Christmas thing. Maybe people only bought one or two a year? There certainly wasn't much choice.

 

It's only been in recent times that the prices of kits seem to be more expensive and that is more due to the major RTR manufacturers moving production to cheap Far Eastern countries.

 

Even now Parkside kits at full RRP are a fraction of the price of RTR. A Hornby or Bachmann brake van is about £20-25. 

 

£12 for this. How much for a cheap kit of a mineral wagon? About £7 to £9.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/322402/parkside_models_pc58_lms_20_ton_brake_van_dia_1659_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

A Comet coach kit is about the same as a Hornby or Bachmann one at £45. But you can get much cheaper coach kits from Parkside/Ratio.

 

How much for your generic four wheelers from Hattons or Hornby? These are £11.50.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/16474/parkside_models_pc612_gwr_4_wheel_composite_coach_plastic_kit/stockdetail.aspx

 

Paint, adhesives, tools, etc are nominal as you would have them in stock anyway and are a gradually expense bought over years.

 

I just feel that people try and find excuses for not trying kit building. Cost is one that doesn't really add up. Pun unintentional. 

 

Put it this way if you can afford to pay £200 for the latest Hornby LNER Pacific then you can afford to buy kits. I see many on the RTR threads buying several large locomotives. I know, I'm one of them and don't see anything wrong with buying RTR. 

 

At the end of the day it's up to the individual. But I think the excuses for not even trying do get a bit bizarre. It's like asking the kids why they haven't done their homework and they start squirming to find an excuse. 

 

I can understand things like disability or that people might be busy. But most of the time people just don't want to try. Or they have a fear of failure.

 

 

 

As I mentioned above Spitfires and other kits in ALDI for a £5. Complete with everything you need apart from basic tools. Suitable for 8+. If you've never made one, try it. You might enjoy it.

 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/airfix-1%3A72-spitfire-mk-la-/p/086073419998009

 

 

Jason