32 replies to this topic

[Ta152H1]

This Spit looks quite nice but our friend Buddee's on an another planet!

http://www.ebay.com/...=item231ceb3414

Nagao-san's build is very nice,clean and surely would look stunning when seen in the plastic but a price tag in the excess of six grands is a little bit on the insane side !I can't see many refinements to the already beautiful Tamiya kit,so I've asked myself how much Buddee's masterpiece would set a potential buyer back,when put on the same table as Nagao-san's!
Cheers
Lou

[Hartmann352]

But hey...It has an upgraded cockpit door, sharpened exhaust pipes, hand-painted markings, and detailed with metal tubing to simulate hoses and wiring!!
You know, that sort of stuff that you never see, ohh, say, like, maaayyybe.... around here.
Pssshh, and free shipping to boot.
What a bargain


Cheers,
Dave


(Then there is the Zero that he built... 8K? - http://www.ebay.com/...=item231ceb30f3 )

Edited by Hartmann352, 24 May 2012 - 06:43 PM.

[Ta152H1]

But hey...It has an upgraded cockpit door, sharpened exhaust pipes, hand-painted markings, and detailed with metal tubing to simulate hoses and wiring!!
You know, that sort of stuff that you never see, ohh, say, like, maaayyybe.... around here.
Pssshh, and free shipping to boot.
What a bargain


Cheers,
Dave



(Then there is the Zero that he built... 8K? - http://www.ebay.com/...=item231ceb30f3 )

Wow...that Zeke...from Zero to Hero...me likey!!!But...hey...wait a minute....EIGHT GRANDS ???
Cheers,
Lou

[LSP_Typhoonattack]

$60, maybe. $6000? No chance,... none whatsoever.

[geedubelyer]

Hi Lou,

Thanks for the link. I found the whole experience fascinating.
The E-Bay presentation appeared very professional to me. The description and visual imagery seemed most impressive on the whole.

However, whilst there is no question that the vendor's work is good I don't see how it can possibly command those sorts of figures. As you mention, Wolf's work is equal to, if not much better (as are a great many models on this and other sites).

Perhaps there are well heeled collectors out there in the world that have neither the time, inclination nor skill to create this sort of model but do like the idea of owning one. If that is the case then I'm sure there is a market for high quality models. Good luck to anyone who makes a go of it.

Cheers.

[RedStar]

Heck I'll do it for half price, and do it better (and there are many here that could do it better)....

I think you have it right G-dub, they're gunning for military collectors that don't understand what they're buying. They just see a big price, and assume it must be valuable.

I particularly liked the silvered decal on the "upgraded door."

Very amusing, thanks for sharing the link!

[moeggo]

Its a bit over priced in my book.. I wouldn't charge that much!

[Dekenba]

Bloody hell.

He's even using the kit decals - Barracuda's $10 door makes an appearance, the kits $160, free shipping $50.

$6,377?! $8k for a Zero?

You can even buy a PHOTO of a model for a few $'s.

Crazy stuff.

[Ta152H1]

Geedub got it right indeed!But in my book 8 grands for that Zero or 6 for the Spits are absolutely insane!I don't have anything against our Japanese colleague and I wish him to sell many models but I seriously doubt he will.If he's aiming at military collectors I don't know what they would say if they'd see what is and has been posted here or on other fora!
On the other hand if you take a look at the prices for the ZM accessories and kits it's clear that the seller is trying to make a profit by buying at the source and re-selling at inflated prices,in fact the eBay seller is not Nagao-san,rather a third party who IMHO commissions Nagao the model you like!
Cheers
Lou

[Bryan]

There are many builders on this and other forums who could match that build, and quite a few also who could far surpass it.

I wish there was a market for built models. I have very limited storage space, and would love to be able to get decent money for completed builds, but it's never going to happen. Too many skilled people building models....and far too few people interested in buying them. I have seen very well done models on Ebay for which the builder is asking a large sum of money. They never seem to sell. I have also seen very well built models on Ebay for which the builder is asking a modest sum ($200 or thereabouts) and those generally don't sell either.

If you think about the time that goes into a well built model.....there is just no way in the world it will ever be a profitable enterprise, sadly.

I guess you cannot blame them for trying.

Edited by Bryan, 24 May 2012 - 11:03 PM.

[Shane aka Smokey]

When I see these models I'm always of 2 minds.

Initially it's shock at the price, then I wonder about how long it took to build and try and work out an hourly rate.

I suppose the proof of the pudding will be if he manages to sell it at that price, but you'd think for that money you could specify your own markings.

Shane

[Radub]

I must say that the model in those photos is superb.
We are looking at this with "modellers' eyes". But he is not pitching his product to modellers. And I do not see a modeller buying it. Any modeller worth his salt would just buy the kit and try his best.
How many people can safely/sanely say "100 million for VanGogh's Sunflowers? There is just about 50-bucks-worth of materials in it? I can do better for less!" :-)
Fair play to him. He is pitching to the collector and collectors look at this with differrent eyes, not like us. He charges a fair price in my opinion. Considering that he is going to put 150-200 hours (or maybe more) of skilled work in building it, he actually charges less per hour than a plumber.
Radu

[GrahamF]

Good luck to him, that's all i can say, yes he's not trying to sell to modellers but more the soft fingered city of London office types that I have to suffer on the train to my workshop everyday! who probably would struggle to put a fuse in the plug but hey that doesn't matter because they have all the money!

Graham

[Ta152H1]

I must say that the model in those photos is superb.
We are looking at this with "modellers' eyes". But he is not pitching his product to modellers. And I do not see a modeller buying it. Any modeller worth his salt would just buy the kit and try his best.
How many people can safely/sanely say "100 million for VanGogh's Sunflowers? There is just about 50-bucks-worth of materials in it? I can do better for less!" :-)
Fair play to him. He is pitching to the collector and collectors look at this with differrent eyes, not like us. He charges a fair price in my opinion. Considering that he is going to put 150-200 hours (or maybe more) of skilled work in building it, he actually charges less per hour than a plumber.
Radu

That makes sense Radu...and so do the replies from Shane,Bryan etc.We are looking at this with a modeler's eye and many amongst us have certainly thought to themselves "Hey...I can do the same!" or "I could do better!" not considering the time an average modeler puts into a decent build OOB...let alone a superdetailed build with countless hours of scratchbuilding sessions!
If we come to consider the whole thing going by your post then we can safey assume that Nagao charges MUCH,MUCH LESS than a plumber,in fact the eBay seller commissions the models to Nagao and charges a good % on Nagao's "wage",hence a model bought straight from Nagao could and would cost definitely less!
Cheers
Lou

[MARU5137]

I must say that the model in those photos is superb.
We are looking at this with "modellers' eyes". But he is not pitching his product to modellers. And I do not see a modeller buying it. Any modeller worth his salt would just buy the kit and try his best.
How many people can safely/sanely say "100 million for VanGogh's Sunflowers? There is just about 50-bucks-worth of materials in it? I can do better for less!" :-)
Fair play to him. He is pitching to the collector and collectors look at this with differrent eyes, not like us. He charges a fair price in my opinion. Considering that he is going to put 150-200 hours (or maybe more) of skilled work in building it, he actually charges less per hour than a plumber.
Radu

Radu,

I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point.. you make a very good observation indeed...when I saw that Nagao-San's build, I thought how exquisitely he builds them..I looked as a collector !


I collect coins and as a serious collector of gold and silver coins .... other will see them as just coins ,.... when I look at MY coins and the collection that I have attained, I looks at its exceptional beauty, the way it has been minted and the sheer beauty of its delicate qualities. I admire their striking spectacular designs and I also pay quite a lot for MY passion that gives ME so much pleasure and knowing that I have acquired one of the finest specimen of coins available.

To own such a beautiful coin which has been majestically depicted with fascinating art work , completed by a very renowed artist is pure Joy.

so back to the pastic models. When I saw that it was going , or being sold, for huge amount of money, and to some it seems exuberant price to pay for a model; I thought well the "artist" , in this case the modeler{ NAGAO-San} must have spent many many many hours on detailing his fine work and taken great care and time to perfect his model to a standard that I would love to have. I also came to the same conclusion as you Radu that this was aimed at a collector of finer things in life and who does know what he wants or loves ..

To think and assume that the person who collects these plastic models that were built by Nagao -San may not have the skills to build his own is wrong......I think that most collectors of various kinds of collectables. have a wider knowledge of things that they buy and or are artists themselves but like to own other peoples work as well. { Not ME though as I would be breaking the law if I minted MY own coins !! }..They show their appreciation of other peoples artistery whether it be a Picasso, a Van Gogh, or whether it is Buds's build or NAGAO models; or commissioned by collectors to have a specific model built whether it be a MIR or a Mustang for his show case.....Not because they don't know how to but maybe they find that their skills are not as they wish to to be, and to have someone else charge them for a model built by another person , is to them perfectly natural and they will pay for the privilege...

I have commissioned a build in the past and altough it was not that expensive , I would have been happy to pay what to the modeler is and was reasonable price as he has spent time and put in a lot effort and hard work into that build,

I think BEST OF LUCK to the guy.He deserves it for putting in all those hours doubled over getting the canopy or whatever it is just SO RIGHT !

MARU 5137.