SOME CURRENT ROUND 2 INFO TODAY...

[Casey]

6 hours ago, Robberbaron said:

Which begs the question: will the Hurst mags be back?

I will guess yes, but as a newly recreated set, much like the wheels in the '67 Charger, '66 Nova, and '70 AMX kits. Round2 could include them in a reissued '65 Pontiac GTO kit, too...or the Hurst Hemi Under Glass Barracuda.

[niteowl7710]

Somehow I don't think this is exactly what you guys were expecting with this...(March Release)

AMTPP018/24 57 Fantasy Parts Pack

The Kats from AMT introduce the 57 Fantasy Parts Pack. It features specialized, gleaming chrome parts and pad-printed tires for customizing almost any 1/25 scale 1950s car model: side pipes, bumperettes, baby moon wheel caps, rolled rear pan, custom shift lever and diamond-tuft quilted quad seats. Best of all, a set of four Firestone Supreme tires with an exclusive pre-decorated white and gold pinstripe design are included!

Features:

• 1/25 scale, skill 2
• chrome plated customizing parts
• add style to almost any 1950s model car
• set of four Firestone Supreme tires with special white and gold pinstriping

Edited February 12, 2018 by niteowl7710

[Casey]

25 minutes ago, niteowl7710 said:

Somehow I don't think this is exactly what you guys were expecting with this.

Maybe not hoping for, but repackaging the re-tooled parts from the AMT '57 Ford "Flashback" reissue, and adding a set of whitewalls isn't that far off. I hope they didn't produce too many of these...

Edited February 12, 2018 by Casey

[Matt T.]

Swing and a miss.

[niteowl7710]

8 minutes ago, Casey said:

Maybe not hoping for, but repackaging the re-tooled parts from the AMT '57 Ford "Flashback" reissue, and adding a set of whitewalls isn't that far off. I hope they didn't produce too many of these...

 

Tooling money usage - A+.  But it seemed most people here wanted custom 1957 Chevy parts, not some generic seats and lake pipes.  Not sure the entire combination is worth $15 - which is the Auto World Store price - the actual MSRP is $17.  At that price you're creeping up towards what the entire '57 Ford costs if you attack it with a 40% of coupon ($19.17)...

[Casey]

7 minutes ago, niteowl7710 said:

Tooling money usage - A+.  But it seemed most people here wanted custom 1957 Chevy parts, not some generic seats and lake pipes.  Not sure the entire combination is worth $15 - which is the Auto World Store price - the actual MSRP is $17.  At that price you're creeping up towards what the entire '57 Ford costs if you attack it with a 40% of coupon ($19.17)...

Had they replaced the seats with the steel wheels from the '66 Nova or '65 Galaxie, it might be worth the $15, and would give the dog dish caps something to be paired with, but I doubt those wheel would fit the tires properly. I don't see this ending well sales wise for Round2. 

[Luc Janssens]

I'm scratching my head on this one, this is the sort of thing I would add to an existing kit, in a new customizing series or just as bonus parts.

Now you're paying more for the packaging then actual product.

But the proof is in the pudding....

[Rob Hall]

Wouldn't mind the tires by themselves, but the other parts don't interest me. 

[ChrisBcritter]

Sorry Round2, but that parts pack is a real letdown. Leftovers from the current '57 Ford in chrome? What about the Styline front and rear treatments that are needed for the use of many of these parts and that retooled DeSoto bumper? Plus the '57 Chevy pieces. 

I swear, I ought to just start casting these things myself (see below)! Anyone need a set of those '61 Dodge wheelcovers we didn't get in the '49 Ford reissue? I think I'll do them next.

Edited February 12, 2018 by ChrisBcritter

[ChrisBcritter]

10 hours ago, Richard Bartrop said:

According to https://kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Car_Craft_Dream_Rod 

the Dream Rod was restyled into the Tiger Shark in 1966, before the Hot Wheels.

I have the 2006 issue of the kit, and it looks like there are a couple of headrests and a headlight pod left over from when it was the Dream Rod.

 

Wish they could backdate it to the Car Craft Dream Rod. I picked up a set of its wire wheels at the Model Empire sale last year and poured a mold for them just last night - they're little jewels and I want to use them on a couple other custom jobs.

[stavanzer]

That's a real disappointment. Not sure who greenlit this product, or who thought it would sell. Would have been nice if they had asked some of us if we'd buy it, before they produced it. Saves me some money though to spend on something else. What hurts me most is that if this set is a flop, it will be used as ammunition in the never-ending "but Parts Packs don't sell" Wars.

[Mr. Metallic]

3 hours ago, alexis said:

. What hurts me most is that if this set is a flop, it will be used as ammunition in the never-ending "but Parts Packs don't sell" Wars.

I think we're well beyond that thought process from Round2 with regards to their Parts Pack program. It's been going strong for several years now, so I don't believe one "mistake"(which I don't think this one is anyway) will cause them to fold the project. If it wasn't doing well they wouldn't keep making new additions, and even spending some new tooling dollars on them.

Now, if they would just issue the new tool Ala-Kart  big and little tires as a parts pack my dreams would be fulfilled.

[horsepower]

On 10/26/2017 at 2:55 PM, niteowl7710 said:

I don't dispute your point other than to say the reissues of 2017 are often times cheaper than the original kit cost was when originally produced. They seem to have figured out what their price point is on already paid for tooling and don't try to match it to current new run kits. Whereas Round2 and Revell will charge you effectively the same price (within a couple of bucks anyways) for both new tooling and reissues. I can certainly see how that's leaving a bad taste in people's mouths especially on the "ancient" Round2 stuff from the 60s and 70a that was paid for eons ago. It's like any other acquisition, sure Round2 had to pay for all of the tooling again and has to recoup their costs, but I would expect the biggest chunk of cost went to buying the names and trademarks of AMT, MPC, and to a lesser extent Polar Lights & Lindberg- rather than the actual physical assets.

I'm always confused by the statement that the AMT/Round2 stuff was paid for long ago. It is true that AMT, MPC, have paid for the tooling costs decades ago, but that was for the companies that owned the tooling back then. Each time they sell to a different owner the tooling has to be paid for again, true it's probably less than the original cost was but with inflation being what it is probably not as much as you'd think. Then there's those pesky little things like shipping and molding costs. Not to mention the fears of large tariffs that the current regime is considering tacking on to items built in China for domestic companies. But don't even get me started on that trail of tears?. And with the skyrocketing costs of crude oil in the past few months the plastic (and anything else associated with oil) is going to follow closely behind. So if you look at it from the view of a company that has (relatively speaking) just recently purchased the company no, that tooling hasn't been paid for long ago. And another expense that wasn't hardly considered when a lot of the older kits were tooled up is that companies now days don't give away licensing rights for a $1 a year any longer. In fact in some cases the licensing fees would probably exceed the reasonable costs of producing an item with a company name and logo on it.

Edited February 12, 2018 by horsepower

[niteowl7710]

15 hours ago, horsepower said:

I'm always confused by the statement that the AMT/Round2 stuff was paid for long ago. It is true that AMT, MPC, have paid for the tooling costs decades ago, but that was for the companies that owned the tooling back then. Each time they sell to a different owner the tooling has to be paid for again, true it's probably less than the original cost was but with inflation being what it is probably not as much as you'd think. Then there's those pesky little things like shipping and molding costs. Not to mention the fears of large tariffs that the current regime is considering tacking on to items built in China for domestic companies. But don't even get me started on that trail of tears?. And with the skyrocketing costs of crude oil in the past few months the plastic (and anything else associated with oil) is going to follow closely behind. So if you look at it from the view of a company that has (relatively speaking) just recently purchased the company no, that tooling hasn't been paid for long ago. And another expense that wasn't hardly considered when a lot of the older kits were tooled up is that companies now days don't give away licensing rights for a $1 a year any longer. In fact in some cases the licensing fees would probably exceed the reasonable costs of producing an item with a company name and logo on it.

While I appreciate when people reply to a reply, quoting something out of context from 4 months ago is sorta odd.  The point I was making in my post is Japanese kit manufacturers somehow manage to reissue kits that are nearly, if not actually CHEAPER than the original issue of the kit, especially when adjusted for inflation.  Consider the follow examples...

The Fujimi Enthusiast Series BMW M635CSi kit was released with an original Yen MSRP of 1500 in 1986.  That works out to about $13.xx US more or less as it was after the Plaza Accord was signed and the value of the Yen to USD had flipped doubling the value of the Yen, and is slightly more than the present exchange rate of 105 to $1.  (At 100Y to $1 you would just put a decimal into the price).  The last time the kit was reissued was 2007 at that time the MSRP was raised to 3200 Yen, and when it was just reissued LAST MONTH (11 years later) it's price is again 3200 Yen.  When you adjust 1986 dollars for inflation it works out the kit should cost $31 - which is effectively EXACTLY what the kit now costs.  Plus if you were to buy it directly from Japan the sales price is around $25 making it cheaper than inflation dollars.  Consider they had to get fresh brand new 2018 BMW Licensing for the kit, new box art, all the 2018 molding costs, et al.  There is also the likely factor that you as an American couldn't have found a Fujimi BMW in 1986 unless you had a superbly stocked LHS who could order things from overseas as I don't think most Americans were exposed to the kit until Testors reboxed it, plus it was competing against the Monogram Exotics Series kit which was selling at relatively normal U.S. pricing at the time, which would have made the Fujimi priced Bimmer at $20-25 (figuring for export costs, LHS overhead etc) out of this world expensive by comparison

Now lets look at the AMT old school tooling of the 1957 Chevy.  That kit cost $1.99 in the 1960s, has been reissued a bajillion times by every company that has subsequently owned AMT (as opposed to three reissues of the above BMW), and in it's most recent "Pepper Shaker" reissue has an MSRP of $31.95.  That $2 adjusted for inflation is $14.  Are you SERIOUSLY going to tell me the reason that kit is priced at DOUBLE the inflation costs is because the value of the tooling - which has been paid for by AMT, Lesney, Ertl, Racing Champions, Tomika, and Round2 has DOUBLED?  I mean let's be realistic here, the value of that tooling is basically whatever the price of scrapping steel would be at this point.  After 4 intervening ownerships regimes since it was created (and undoubtedly paid off back in the Troy, MI days) there is no tangible value to that physical asset, or most of the rest of the tooling catalog at AMT/MPC.  Of the purchase price maybe 35% (and I feel I'm being generous) was the cost of those hunks of steel, the rest of it was for buying the name & trademarks of AMT/MPC.  Much like Revell, which if were to be sold tomorrow in Hobbico's bankruptcy, would be less about the model kits and more about owning the Revell/Monogram name.  If you were to win the lottery and buy either, and then rename it Horsepower Models - your sales would be an incredible uphill battle to convince people the new name was something that could be trusted.  Look at the fiasco Oakey went through over JoHan, and that is almost SOLEY about the name of the company since there isn't even tooling to speak of involved in that sale.

What it boils down to is that the cost of reissuing a kit, is nominal per kit.  When you buy 6k identical boxes, 6k identical decal sheets, 6k identical instruction brochures (which at Round2 aren't even being done fresh in terms of hiring someone to make new ones) you're talking a couple of bucks per kit in costs. I can sell you 26 tons of plastic pellets for around $40k delivered to your front door, which means the value of the plastic per kit is maybe...ehh a quarter.  There's a reason that reissues are considered to be "printing money".

[horsepower]

IF you read the entire post I also said that there are several other cost factors involved, and since you quote the adjusted cost of a kit that was $1.99 at the time it was originally issued would be $14.99 now let's look at oil prices, the cost of a gallon of gasoline at the time that same kit was produced was around .25¢ a gallon, and is now over $2.50 a gallon, and the American wage then was less than $2.00 an hour for a good paying job, and for a good paying laborers job today you're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 an hour. So all things considered the cost of an average model isn't that bad. But I also said that like crude oil prices are based on projected future demand and costs the prices of retail is susceptible to projected costs and if our fine president gets his wanted tariffs on items produced overseas by United States based companies it will take the extra costs to even break even, and if he does as threatened and halts ALL Chinese imports until they match the labor costs of American manufacturers, and match the import levels for American products imported into China to Chinese imports into America we won't have to worry about it because there won't be any companies left after that blow to OUR economy. So personally I'll buy the reissues I don't already have enough in my stash of, and keep hoping for the ones I want to be reissued. But what worries me are the people that have these older kits and only paid $1.49 for them and seem to think that when the manufacturer raises their prices that it's only fair they raise their prices to match. To me $150 for a Pinto sedan kit, or $200 for a '64 Chevelle kit isn't collector prices it's pure greed and no matter how bad I want one I refuse to pay that much for one, I'll go to building doll houses first??

[stavanzer]

Can't sleep either, 'eh, Delton?

I agree with what you say.

[Casey]

 

MPC-876

1/25 Tiger Shark Show Rod

MPC-890

1/25 1978 Dodge Monaco Batman Joker Goon Car

[MyBradKeselowski]

11 minutes ago, Casey said:

 

MPC-876

1/25 Tiger Shark Show Rod

MPC-890

1/25 1978 Dodge Monaco Batman Joker Goon Car

I wonder why Round 2 is doing another reissue of Joker's Dodge Monaco?   I never really thought that was a hot seller.

Edited February 15, 2018 by MyBradKeselowski

[Casey]

32 minutes ago, MyBradKeselowski said:

I wonder why Round 2 is doing another reissue of Joker's Dodge Monaco?   I never really thought that was a hot seller.

Round2 has Batman licensing now, and they don't have the DOH licensing, so it makes some sense. The Joker Goon version seems to be mostly a box art thing, and I'd guess most build it as a police car.

[1972coronet]

7 hours ago, Casey said:

MPC-890

1/25 1978 Dodge Monaco Batman Joker Goon Car

Excellent ! No more ridiculous eBay prices ! 

I wonder if Round2 got rid of those deep dish wheels /  circle track tyres ?

[Mike999]

28 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

Excellent ! No more ridiculous eBay prices ! 

I wonder if Round2 got rid of those deep dish wheels /  circle track tyres ?

I sure wish they would provide some more "normal" wheels/tires too. But that probably won't happen.  Long as I'm dreaming, I wish they'd provide an extra decal sheet and some optional roof lights.  That Monaco was a very popular cop car.  But R2 probably plans to sell a ton of these "as is," to police car AND Batman fans. So I'm expecting the usual straight re-issue with nothing changed but the price.

Speaking of that...I just checked these on eBay. The RARE! COLLECTIBLE BATMAN MOVIE!! goons are up to their usual tricks with the high asking prices.  But checking "Completed Items," most of these kits seem to go for $20-30, and some have free shipping.  With current new-kit prices being $29.99 at Hobby Lobby, you might find this one cheaper on eBay than in the stores. 

[Rob Hall]

That thing that I always found weird about that one is the 'joker goons' cars' in the movie were not '77-78 Monacos...so it's bogus as a movie car.   

[CapSat 6]

2 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

That thing that I always found weird about that one is the 'joker goons' cars' in the movie were not '77-78 Monacos...so it's bogus as a movie car.   

I think the Goon Car that was shown on screen was an AMC Ambassador or something. I'm too lazy to look, but I'm sure it's easily verified online somewhere.

They put the Goon Car out as a two option kit - to be built either as a Goon Car or Gotham City P.D. car. My recollection is that the Gotham PD cars in that movie (c 1989) were 1980 Volares.

Highly doubtful that AMT/ MPC ERTL would have tooled up a 4 door AMC Ambassador or Volare 4 door at that time (or even now), so taking the Monaco off the shelf sort of fit the need.

I really wish they would replace the wheels and tires with something more sensible. In the last issue of the Roscoe Coltrane Dukes' car, they called the tires & wheels "Country Crusier" wheels or some such nonsense.

A new steering wheel would be nice, too. I don't think there is a 4 door Cop Car in any universe that ever got a Tuff Wheel from the factory. On the Goon Car box side (first issue), the pictures of the built up car showed another steering wheel, like the one from the old MPC Dodge Pickup and Van kits, but the kit still came with the Tuff Wheel. 

 

[CapSat 6]

I think Round 2 is missing the boat a little with some of their tools...they could put the Monaco in a repop of the old "T.J. Hooker" box, I think that would be a seller. It would essentially be an LAPD car from that era.

They could try a "Hunter" box. That was a cool show. "Build Hunter's unmarked car or a fully marked and equipped Police car." I'd probably buy one of those, too.  

Or maybe they could do what Jo Han did with their '68 Fury kit- offer decals from 4 (or more) agencies in one box, and maybe dig up that sweet lightbar that was only seen in the "Force 440" two door...

   

[Luc Janssens]

Yes it's a pitty they don't update that kit with decent wheels, tires and a few good lightbars.

One of the diecast comp