New Bundles

[steven_kerfoot]

Being a less frequent visitor than some, my first stop of late has been the page listing the bundles. I buy a lot of models, (way too many but I know I'm not the only one) and even though I have them, I was tempted a while ago to pick up the V-bomber bundle. Ironically, after a water leak at my home, a lot of models were lost so certain ones will need to be replaced including a few Victors and Vulcans so at least I'd made a start. But I digress. Today when I looked, my first stop was the brand new saver bundle including ten kits.

I think this is a great offer to anyone who builds a variety of subjects, (guilty) and the saving is pretty good, especially with the club discount. The main issue, at a time when a lot of people are struggling economically, is going to be the headline price of £189.99. True, you can pay by instalments via Paypal, etc. but even so, was it really the best idea to include quite so many kits as to make it that expensive?

From my own point of view, a better idea would be two bundles. First, a bundle with at least two 1/35 AFV/tank kits. Yes, the wee 1/72-1/76 afvs are nice, but if you built a lot of 1/35 including just one kits of that scale isn't going to do it for you. So yes, two 1/35 afvs, two 1/48 aircraft and a few more 1/72 aircraft or military, whatever with a bundle price of £100 to £120. Second bundle, exclude the 1/35 kits, instead have the Vulcan, the other 1/72 aircraft, maybe one or two other 1/48 aircraft and finally two 1/600 warships, again with a price of £100 to £120.

To me that just makes sense, and a lot more bundles would be sold, some folk would even buy both. It is funny though that this is the way Airfix have gone rather than having the sales of old. After all, when people bought kits individually reduced rather than a bulk purchase, you could at least decide to buy only kits you wanted rather than what is a more prescriptive approach.

[Shaughan]

Fully agree with you Steven.

I couldn’t afford the old 1/35 tanks/afv bundle so no chance with these. Airfix have come a long way from their Woolworths days.

I don’t begrudge them as that was 60 plus years ago and costs have accelerated in all aspects of the industry. In them days every week my pocket money bought a new kit. You didn’t mind trying something new either. These days you have to decide what really hits the spot and then when you can afford it. I will not take “advantage”? of these buy now pay later schemes.

My best source for models comes from eBay where prices are more realistic (sic) and stuff from my childhood often shows up. I know there are risks, but touch wood, I have never had a problem.

[Madmac]

I tend to agree with you but would go further and say that perhaps it would be better to make the bundles in a single scale and a single genre. Many modelling fans stick to single scale in order to be able to appreciate the size difference between examples. I find it interesting, for instance, that a single seat RAF tornado from the gulf war is , physically, almost the same size as a WW2 c47 troop transport.