Airfix Vintage Classics

[AlexBB]

Hiya Guys,
Well I had an email this morning from Airfix, guess many of you will have had the same too!

It's about them Re-Releasing some old stuff in updated boxes with updated paint charts..

The mail said
"CELEBRATE AIRFIX MODELLING HERITAGE WITH THE LAUNCH OF OUR 'VINTAGE CLASSICS' RANGE!
For a limited time, we are bringing back some old favourites and highly requested kits from our archive tool bank.
Relive the excitement of nostalgic Airfix modelling with a ‘Vintage Classic’ twist – the kits and iconic artwork we all love, complete with original release details and current Humbrol paint references."


Well of course this caught my interest!!
Having had a look on the web site it seems they have Pre-Orders for 25 old kits and 1:76 figures....

The web site says....
"Since Airfix came onto the market in the early 1950s, it has excited and entertained generations of young boys and girls who have then carried on with the passion for the brand throughout their lives.

During these decades of modelling, Airfix has produced hundreds of fantastic models, across many different categories, and the majority of these tool moulds still exist. The plan is to make many of these available again of the next coming months and years. Not all will be possible, but we’ll certainly come back with some old favourites and nice surprises along the way.

These “new” Vintage Classics will contain kits from the pre-Hornby era; i.e. those not designed in CAD, and will carry where possible a older classic illustration. The box will include the year that the kit first appeared on the market, plus carry the modern Humbrol colour references. Therefore these Vintage Classic items will sit alongside the “new era” items and make it far easier to choose the one you want without any confusion on what period of Airfix’s fantastic history it comes from.

We know many of these models are a little more challenging for today’s modellers, but that’s part of this brilliant hobby’s fun. With some wonderful “only produced by Airfix” items to come, the excitement’s really building!"

I wonder what your thoughts are about this?

I have had a look and wonder who the hell they asked what kits should be re-released!!!

I for one can't imagine 50+ modellers like myself picking any of these if I had a choice! maybe they are restricted by licensing for some items such as Dr Who or Captain Scarlett stuff... but TBH there are tons of kits they could have picked!! I have no idea why its all 1:76 or ships and warships! The guy in my LMS says that ships & warships are his slowest movers... Maybe that's just round here perhaps...

I wonder who they actually asked? Or maybe they didn't! Would be strange not to use a focus group though for something like this!

I bought a box of the original 1:76 WW2 figures from Cosford for nostalgia reasons and they are as bad as I remember them lol.... Poor definition and awful quality, having built lots of GW figures & similar with my son and seen the detail and quality, I wouldn't even bother wasting my time trying to paint the old Airfix ones! I can't imagine what the new ones will like using 50 year old tools / moulds!!

There must be at least 10 boxes of the original ones buried in my old childhood garden in the flower beds and where mine & my brothers old sandpit used to be lol... Many of which were burned to death in the flames of petrol lighter fuel we used to create to get realistic war effects in out battles!! lol...

I just wonder why they have picked what they have picked to re-release! I can't imagine collectors will be interested in these as they want the real Vintage stuff... I can see the interest for some in building some of these older items and the 'challenges' they might involve, perhaps they should come with a free pack of filler!!

I would be very interested to hear your thoughts?

[Stokesy44]

Whist I understand the idea of nostalgia and being reminded of what we built as kids I have no wish to build kits that are of such low quality compared to what is available now. I think its a bit naughty of Airfix to be honest, they should be majoring on their new tool releases and making them as good as they can possible be.

And for Airfix to say they may be a bit more challenging is a real cheek. I have no interest in trying to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, its not where the hobby's at for me. If others are into it then all power to them.

I'll take a pass on this particular vintage, as I fear it may be corked!

[AlexBB]

I'll take a pass on this particular vintage, as I fear it may be corked!

I think you may be right!

I am thinking Airfix have dropped the ball here and is a bad direction to go down!

I can understand they may wish to maximise use of historic assets and I can part see the marketing ploy in that direction, but just too much of what I see as the wrong types of stuff!

Time will tell!

[Tomcat64]

I saw this come through this morning and have mixed feelings about it... I completely agree that I'd prefer Airfix to be focussing on the quality of their newer releases rather that wheeling out ancient moulds, but it'll be interesting to see what else they come up with for the next waves.

At least they're being up-front about the fact that these are old kits and aren't trying to pass off old kits in new boxes and calling them new releases like some manufacturers have done over the years.

As for who they asked I suspect it'll be the bloke in sales & marketing who spotted that there's a thriving market on e-bay (and others) for people who've stashed away old kits - it's what got me back into the hobby before I found out what else was out there and I still have some recycled 1/72 & 1/76 Airfix kits in the stash from back then.

The mix of subject matter they've chosen in this first wave does seem a little esoteric; I can see why they chose the armour but the ships (especially the sailing ships with those awful vac-formed sails) are an odd choice - I'm surprised they didn't include any aircraft in the first wave if they're trying to tick the nostalgia box.

I did like this quote from the blurb tho:

We know many of these models are a little more challenging for today’s modellers

I think this is code for "We know they're dodgy quality but we're hoping that enough sentimental over 50s go for them"

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be!

[digger303]

My well earned doesn't like buying yesterdays has beens.

[Willem]

Nostalgia's not what it used to be.

I won't be bothering with them.

[SteelScooter]

I am unusually one of the first to get all misty eyed with nostalgia but as far as stinky old Airfix kits go (and I had many a happy hour with them in the 70s and 80s) you can keep 'em. Don't insult our intelligence Airfix.

[digger303]

Really sounds like a desperate ( money problems ) attempt to squeeze some dollars out of the public without costing them much.

[barrythornton]

Much as it pains me to say it ...`good ol` Airfix` ..... `childhood memories` and all that, but .....
"Nothing to see here, move along please."