Here, Here!

Nothing wrong with price comparison. There are web sites out there making a nice living on it. IF money is no object then you are at full liberty to pay over the odds, the rest of us are more frugal...

Talk about over-pricing: Dragon's 1/350 Scharnhorst is roughly $160 USD; one 1/35 Tiger I is about $80 - $90 USD. By material volume, Scharnhorst = roughly 4 - 5 Tiger kits. So why doesn't Scharnhorst cost $325? Or, more to the point, why doesn't Tiger kits cost $35 - $40? It will be interesting to see how much Dragon is going to charge for their upcoming 1/35 AT-AT (Starwars vehicle) as it will require roughly 25 times the plastic of a Tiger kit.

Can you list the model companies that aren't interested in maximizing their income by using their existing capital and assets? KL[/quote] Some companies, tamiya for example, seem to also exhibit interest in investing in high quality new tooling on an ongoing basis, so as to ensure a continuous supply of golden eggs as oppose to dragon's efforts to kill the goose and get at only the eggs currently in the goose.

Apparently you didn't realize that it was a plainly a joke as I am not in fact a site official. Likewise it is apparent that you did not follow the link and read the thread there or you would have seen: "Now this isn't to say that people shouldn't write that "the hobby is getting too expensive for me" or "I don't think think that kit's a good value" compared to something else. Those are individual opinions based on individual circumstances, not an insistence that the market type be changed just for your own benefit." and "I think the real driver for these threads is that people just want a particular kit but don't like the price. It's much more socially acceptable to say the model companies are thieves rather than to write 'I want something and I can't have it. No fair! No fair!'" So when, in my opinion, people are just being crybabies and making broad, uninformed, and childish statements about what kits "should" cost, about the motivations of business people they can't even name, or about the business plans of companies they don't own, you'll fully support me expressing my opinions about how ignorant, petulant, and just plain wrong their statements are. Thank you. KL

And in my opinion, I think it's a despicable practice for Dragon to double the price of re-releases from only some four years ago ie: StuG, and StuH III w/Zimmerit nos. 6633, and 6454, respectively. They're not even Tiger I's! Of course, you don't seem to mind that Dragon wants to charge $80 (over $100 CDN) for a kit that was originally half that price. A hundred bucks for a StuG?? I'm glad I already bought one when they were cheap.

G'day everybody Gentlemen - please get down off your soap boxes! The initial purpose of this discussion was the Marder II armed with a 5cm Pak, not whether or not you have the right and/or ability to comment, and are or are not an Armorama moderator. WE DON'T CARE!! On the subject of what should have been produced long before this, where's the Bergepanther? Regards Rob

You are quite right: I don't mind, and it's not just because I'm not interested in that subject. It's not like they are obligated to keep the same price forever. I wouldn't "mind" if they charged $1000 - Why on Earth would I? I might think it's stupid idea, but I wouldn't give it a second thought. A hundred bucks for a Stug?? In the early 1970's I saw my first Tamiya kits. Sixteen bucks for a motorized King Tiger?!? Incredible! What's the difference besides the passage of years? KL

Some companies, tamiya for example, seem to also exhibit interest in investing in high quality new tooling on an ongoing basis, so as to ensure a continuous supply of golden eggs as oppose to dragon's efforts to kill the goose and get at only the eggs currently in the goose.[/quote] You also might have to kill the goose to have something to eat when a sack of seeds costs more than what you can make by selling eggs, or when you aren't sure the next egg will be gold, or if it will even appear. I guess you weren't around to chime in when Tamiya reissued their ancient Pz II, 88mm Flak, Sd KFz 251, brick wall set, M41, Panther, etc., etc., etc. for the umpteenth time. These kits pre-date the existence of DML and of many of the adult modelers who buy them. Tamiya may "exhibit interest" in making new molds but they don't shy away from maximizing their existing assets, either. KL