Global Scale Modeller

Hi,

I am not going to moan about the fact that the Dragon are getting sloppy with their packaging - it is now just reality.

It would be nice if they could reinstate the old dragon card - after all how much does a thin piece of cardboard cost !!!!
- and it would make a significant difference to us modellers how we receive certain important parts such as decals,tracks etc.

What do you think ?

I have no vested interest in any model company as i pay for all my kits like most of us - so from what I can see RyeField are significantly better in this area and their models are still competitively priced.To me RF have thought carefully about how they want their kits to arrive and to the modeller this care and thought means a lot.

Like all of us of working age - I work bloody hard for my wage and so when I spend my hard earned cash on the hobby I love - I f------ expect the parts from the models I purchase to arrive in good shape.

PS I am currently only building Tiger 1 tanks so I can only comment on these kits.

Regards,
Richard

The first thing Dragon needs to improve is the instructions. It's noteworthy when you find a kit of there's that

doesn't

have misidentified parts or pieces that are never added in previous steps suddenly appear.

...and this is why I just dont buy dragon kits anymore. Dragon kits are quite expensive, and yet All kits have rather silly problems with their instructions.
I build kit for relaxation, not frustration.

Edit: Forgot about their crushed/bent out of shape DS tracks...

I only recently started buying Dragon kits and thought I would throw my limited 2cents in. The two I have built one with DS and one with MT's after fixing the crushed DS tracks the rest of the build went really well (Wittman Tiger) The other one is the Cyberhobby Pz III. Was very surprised at how nice it looked and how easily it went together, the ins. sheet was a little hard to follow at times on both kits but if you think ahead and test fit it works out alright. Like I said though i'm very limited on Dragon knowledge so for what it is worth I would buy more of their kits (just not at the asking price) i'll wait until I can find them on sale.

The only way to get a manufacturer attention is by hitting them in the pocket book. When sales fall off they start to take notice to complaints and make changes. I sure Rye Field will cut costs once they reach their targeted market numbers.

Though I'm no fan of dragons cut backs in packaging, goodies in the kits, exclusion of magic tracks, and instructional issues, they're still one of my favoured kit makers.
You still get a tonne of extra parts, fairly decent fits, uber crisp detail, and high levels of accuracy when compared to other makers. I get more for my money with a dragon/cyberhobby kit than I do for a Tamiya.
However, Rye Field, bronco, afv club, trumpeter have made huge improvements to their line of kits and the gap is shrinking.
Dragon had better do something new and improved ... Like bring back the dragon cards, magic tracks and DS tracks in the same kits, and the better pe frets... Or they'll so be just one of the guys instead of the leader of the pack.

that sum's it up, even smaller manufacturers like ICM now make great soft skins. They are a growing company, how long before such makers make a real run at dragons product line.
Takom and are Meng making interesting kits not catered for by the biggies are taking market share. After all there is only so many of us, SO dragon better start taking some notice before they lose their Number one status in peoples minds. Bronco ( very nice kits) bought Tristar molds which gives them a line of product competing directly for the consumers dollar against dragon plus some others. But they represent value for a decent kit. Dragon won't keep their crown by offering less......a bad long term move I believe.

I think it's great with some healthy competition. The amount of model kit manufacturers seems to be growing and we get lots of new kits in all genres. And it's not just plastic kits, just look at all paints/tools we have nowadays, almost insane! (In a good way)