Atlantis1 Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 Hello, I own Atlantis Model Company and wanted to know if there any interest in seeing the Aurora 1/48 Armor kits reissued. The price point would would be in line with current kits around 34.99 or so. I know these kits will bring back a lot of memories but I want to see if you guys would buy them if they were reissued. I know they have never been done since the late 1970's. Revell/Monogram did reissue the kits with a P-51 and Focke-Wulf plane that used a tree as a display stand other than that nothing. We would have to some work to get them production ready. Please tell me all you can about these classic kits.Peter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkirk Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 Hey Pete OH YEAH!!! I would love to see these kits back out 35$ is a bit pricy maybe when yall get these out production kits going the cost can come down. It would be great if the entire line can be produced again because where I grew up we didny get them all. I built 3 Shermans 2 JS3's because thats what my local drug store had! Now bring out the Diorama 1/72 kits and Ill be the first in line! Tim Kirkland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcorley Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 But how many guys would buy an old Aurora Sherman mold at $35 when the new (by comparison) Tamiya kit is $33?Guys who REALLY wanted this kit have managed to buy them up at shows or on eBay over the past few years. Plus, the 1/48 Armor range is not all that popular, as evidenced by our entry stats at the Nationals. I'd wager the ratio is 3:1 in favor of 1/35th.It's a losing scenario, IMO.... one that could kill Atlantis in the long run.What would be a winning scenario, IMO, is reissuing kits that have no modern equivalent - and there are a ton in the old Aurora catalog (if the molds weren't destroyed in the infamous train wreck)Talk to distributors about the selling strength of the newly reissued Lindberg kits at modern prices. I have heard anecdotal evidence from fellow shop owners (I cut my losses back in 2012 but still sell a limited amount) that they are tanking (at least at the local level) because the old kits are easily available at shows for little more than their original price. For instance, the Blue Devil destroyer kit now sells for $90, yet I have seen them at various local shows in the past year for as little as $20 ($50 is the norm - which is about the wholesale cost for a shop owner) so shops aren't stocking them by & large - they're only special order items.Please don't make a bad choice and join the "Aurora Club" - extinct model makers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Deliduka Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 I would also love to see many of the original Aurora models released. I've just completed the final aircraft from Aurora's line of 1/72 scale civilian aircraft. Re-releasing those with new decals; if the molds hadn't been destroyed in the train wreck, would be a tremendous thrill for me. I also agree that the old 1/72 scale diorama sets would be fantastic to re-release. There are many others, but those top my list. Good luck in this endeavor, I do hope you succeed and [roper beyond your expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonL Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 The 1/72 civil aviation stuff intrigues me. What's possible there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 (edited) As a 1/48 armor builder, I'd be interested...but ONLY in items that are not already currently available in 1/48. I wouldn't bother to re-release anything that's in the Tamiya 1/48 armor catalog, especially at a price that isn't significantly cheaper. I'd be VERY interested in anything that Aurora may have made in 1/48 that Tamiya (or anyone else) has not produced (say, an American Halftrack). Those items could be priced comparably (but not pricier) than their current competition from Tamiya, HobbyBoss, and Skybow. If this were to be done, that price point of over $30 would have to be seriously reconsidered. Most of the modern 1/48 armor stuff can be had for $25 on-line and in local shops (not to mention vendor areas), in spite of any "suggested retail price". And, it's much more detailed and accurate compared to the old Aurora stuff. Paying a premium price for a kit only to find it's not up to modern standards will only hurt the line from its inception. And, with on-line reviews and world-wide-web "word of mouth", there's NO getting around tough criticism for new releases that have significant drawbacks. I also don't believe there's enough "nostalgia interest" available to overcome that either. One last thought....IF you're considering reworking the old Aurora molds to "update" them somewhat, keep in mind that didn't work for Monogram back in the late 70s when they tried to rework and re-release the old Aurora kits they possessed. The old steel tool molds were much too hard (literally) to be reworked cost-effectively. Their only saving grace was that (at the time) all of the subjects they released were unavailable from anyone else. I like the idea in general, but there's so many conditions that need to be met, I'm not sure it's practical. GIL Edited February 21, 2016 by ghodges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGronovius Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 I loved the old Aurora kits and still have the original MBT70 I built in the 1970s as well as a few other Aurora kits I've collected up over the years. The modern M109, they did both a short barreled version and another release that added a long barrel option, was not a bad kit. Not knowing the difference between tanks and self propelled howitzers as a kid, the M109 was the baddest thing in my sandbox. I do have to echo the sentiments on the kits that have been surpassed by Hobby Boss and Tamiya; they have done a few nice kits so it would be hard to choose an outdated Sherman or King Tiger over a current kit that is fairly topnotch and cheaper. I've got an Aurora Panther and compared to a Tamiya version, it is a toy; albeit with molded on zimmerit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Deliduka Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 The 1/72 civil aviation stuff intrigues me. What's possible there? There are four that I have seen and acquired in 1/72 scale: Aurora Piper Cherokee: Aurora Cherokee Arrow: Aurora Piper Aztec: And finally, the Aurora Jet Commando: As you can see, they are pretty crude kits by modern standards, but they do build up into some nice looking aircraft. I am thrilled to have the complete line of them, in addition to a few from Arii as well. I hope that helps Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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