The Sad State of the Monster Model

[palitoy]

I got the idea into my head recently that it would be fun for Halloween to build an Aurora monster kit with my son as a centerpiece for our dining room table. I don't get many good ideas.

We went to the hobby shop, to find nothing but a King Kong dragster. Not exactly the kit we had in mind. So we ended up visiting another 3-4 shops in the area and each time, came up with nothing.

Large department stores are the worst, you're lucky to find a car let alone something "unusual". I had planned to drive to the city tonight and hit another 2-3 stores in hopes of finding one when I just gave up and went to ebay. Not as cool as going to the store but what can a guy do?

It seems like these things were everywhere just a couple of months ago but now are all gone....

[Werewolf]

It's been hard for the Monster model kit builders since Polar Lights went down. Luckily a couple small companies have been trying to fill the void recently. But the kits are not widely distributed in chain stores and have to be gotten online or maybe in some of the few remaining mom and pop brick and mortar stores.

Moebius Models: High Quality Extremely Detailed Plastic Model Kits

Monarch Model Company

[Gorn Captain]

Yeah, kits are a dying breed.
I still have my Aurora's, which I built myself in the age of the dinosaurs.

We live in a "I want it NOW" society, when kids/collectors just don't have the patience anymore. Add to that improved sculpts and paint applications on ready-made figures, and you can consider the bulk of model kits extinct....

[ScottA]

I haven't seen one in a store in ages, and I mean years. I think only TRU had any of the monsters - Kong, Godzilla, etc. Only Hobby Lobby carried the PM Batmobile, Batcycle, Batplane, Spidey, Cap and Hulk reissues.

It would be nice to walk into a store and buy the new Captain Action or Invisible Man models.

[ThatBatmanGuy]

The monster model hobby is really in better shape than the mego hobby. You can find a few kits here and there without going on-line. You can't find any megos without going on-line.

If anyone really wants to get into or back into monster models, you really need to go to the Wonderfest show in KY. WonderFest USA - A Weekend of Fun for Movie and Model Fans! It's like mego meet but with kits instead.

Moebius will be re-issueing the old Monster Scenes kits with Big Franky too very soon. They are trying to get the MS kits in before Halloween.

Moebius Models: High Quality Extremely Detailed Plastic Model Kits

Bob

[palitoy]

The monster model hobby is really in better shape than the mego hobby. You can find a few kits here and there without going on-line. You can't find any megos without going on-line.

Well that depends on where you live because in my search, I found a hobby shop close to my work I was unaware of with $10 McCoys and Romulans! I also found some CTVT munsters at another store.

[4NDR01D]

I bought some a few years ago at "Retrofun" in Yorkville, sadly they are no more. The cost of gas these days I just figure it's cheaper to shop on the Bay rather than driving around looking for stuff.

[cjefferys]

We live in a "I want it NOW" society, when kids/collectors just don't have the patience anymore. Add to that improved sculpts and paint applications on ready-made figures, and you can consider the bulk of model kits extinct....

I'll bet that has a lot to do with it. I'll admit that I wasn't much of a model guy as a kid. I wasn't very good at putting them together and even more useless at painting them (probably early indications of me being far from a handyman around the house now as an adult). So I can definitely relate to the whole "want it now" deal, I always took action figures over models. I think the only monster models I had as a kid were an Aurora glow Frankenstein and a Rodan and Ghidorah.

But yeah, now that I think of it, I never see monster or even any kind of figural model kits in stores these days.

[kryptosmaster]

Well the other problem is the cost. You used to be able to buy models almost anywhere (Kmart, drug stores, dept stores, toy stores, etc) and they were reasonably cheap.
Toys R Us phased them out years ago (used to have a WHOLE AISLE!!!), Kmart also, even Walmart only has a small section.
You go to hobby stores and get sticker shock. The kit I used to pay no more than $5-$6 for is over $20!!
Plus they are all made in CHINA now!!!
No more USA made!
Which just adds insult to injury since you know they are made fro pennies in China as opposed to what they had to pay to make them here. I don't see that reflected in the price!

<sigh>

Rich

[ThatBatmanGuy]

Well that depends on where you live because in my search, I found a hobby shop close to my work I was unaware of with $10 McCoys and Romulans! I also found some CTVT munsters at another store.

It is true that all depends were you live. I've been to lots of hobby shops in my area. This would be Nashville TN. Never found a single old mego, CTVT or EMEC. Now in a couple comic shops I found some CTVT mad monsters.

The Moebius Monster Scenes kits and their Invisible Man kit are suppose to be forsale at Hobby Lobby stores late October 08.

If you want old Auroras or Polar Lights monster kits, you have to go on-line. Just like you do for megos.

Bob

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

If you're online they're EVERYWHERE! Especially if you don't mind garage and/or Japanese kits

BIOHAZARD CREATURES MA-39 CERBERUS 1/12 MODEL KIT JAPAN - eBay (item 320296330346 end time Nov-05-08 21:08:19 PST)

ZOMBIEDOG!!!!!

Windsor doesn't have much; but we DO have a great hobby shop (right by my gym) that stocks all sorts of monster kits. They'll order stuff too. (I have a bunch of the Moebius Monster Scenes on order right now....)

[ThatBatmanGuy]

Online is the place to buy monster kits of any kind. Just stay away from some of the "low priced" "too good to be true pricing" on some garage model kits. They are usually from recasters. To buy from them is a big no-no.

Bob