Build a model magazines,good value or rip off?

Years and years and years ago, my Nan used to buy me the one that eventually made a large T-Rex model, it was pretty awesome but I was also unaware of the insane costs it more than likely had!
 
They are all HUGE ripoffs, and almost all entirely worthless items.

"FIRST ISSUE ONLY £1.99!" - yeah, you get like the smallest most insignificant component, or just enough to hook you in... then in smallprint "issue one of 725, thrice weekly". It's mass produced tat, as well.

There's also an advert going around for "pocket watch collectors". Yeah, I bet the pocket watches you get sent from a TV mail-order company are going to be true antiques one day!
 
I had a dinosaur one when I was about 6, you could build a model T Rex. I only got half the magazines though because you had to build the skeleton first, which looked more badass than the actual finished model, plus the bones glowed in the dark to add to the badassery :cool:

I don't think it was anywhere near as expensive per issue though as the ones above as there's no way my mum would have bought me it.

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ins0mn1ac said:
Years and years and years ago, my Nan used to buy me the one that eventually made a large T-Rex model, it was pretty awesome but I was also unaware of the insane costs it more than likely had!
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Aww yeah this guy knows!
 
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I work in a shop, first issues of these came in on Wednesday, i sent the **** straight back. Waste of bloody time, and almost always for us the customer tells us they want one keeping each week and they'll come and pay/collect, only for them to "forget" and we lose out as the distributor will say it's too late for credit. If people want these things it should be subscriber/up front payment only.
 
Bennie-Mac said:
I don't think it was anywhere near as expensive per issue though as the ones above as there's no way my mum would have bought me it.
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When I was a kid - getting on for 30 years ago now - there used to be more amature ones - I remember there was a spitfire one that had an awesome (or it seemed to me at the time) WW2 comic strip with each issue - I used to get the magazine as a hand me down - IIRC it was less than a quid per issue not sure on how many issues it took to get all the bits but was less than a year.
 
Kronos said:
Big leap from magazines to fags.
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I guess you could apply it to anything that is deemed a waste of money; smoking, drinking, drugs. I don't think the act of ship-building is the problem here, quite therapeutic I'd have thought but at those prices someone's definitely having a laugh, although I can understand why someone would spend their money on it.
 
Bennie-Mac said:
I had a dinosaur one when I was about 6, you could build a model T Rex. I only got half the magazines though because you had to build the skeleton first, which looked more badass than the actual finished model, plus the bones glowed in the dark to add to the badassery :cool
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I have that, my nanna used to buy me it each week :D Came with 3d glasses and a 3d image each week too. Got the full dinosaur in a cupboard somewhere :cool:

EDIT - This is it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Dinosau...re-Stereo-Listed-/300661757792#ht_1817wt_1397 - Dinsoaurs!
 
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If you guys are on about the new Sovereign of the Seas model, then calling it crap is so far wide of the mark you are making yourselves look stupid.

That ship has been researched and designed by the Professor of Naval History at Genoa University. It has taken him 3 years to research and devise plans. The project was then handed over to Artesania Latina who are among the finest of model makers in the world.

They spent another 6 months devising the parts and beginning to cut them. All the parts are wood and cast metal with not a hint of plastic in sight.

The total cost of the model is £810, and it is of a superior quality and more thoroughly researched than the Sergal model which costs £675. It is huge when finished. 3 1/2 foot long and 3 ft high.

For the extra money, you are getting a better model, a 135 issue magazine and most importantly, far more detailed and easier to follow instructions than any ready made kit gives.
 
sanaxe1 said:
Don't a lot of these magazines go out out business before the last issue anyway?
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There could be something in that.
During the 80s I subscribed to Murder Casebook which was about 150 issues and then I would also need the folders to put them in.
Even though it was ordered every week there were 3 issues I couldn't get and 30 of my issues stayed out of folders because they had run out and weren't making anymore.
This also happened in the late 60s/early 70s with an Encyclopaedia Magazine that my Grandparents bought for me and that was never completed.
Every time I look at these type of mags I just think that people will get ripped off.
 
robfosters said:
If you guys are on about the new Sovereign of the Seas model, then calling it crap is so far wide of the mark you are making yourselves look stupid.
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Pardon? I don't think anyone is making themselves look stupid here. The vast majority of these magazines are crap, so just because this specific one that you seemingly know so much about happens to be of higher quality doesn't really change anything as far as the others are concerned.
 
Dimple said:
There could be something in that.
During the 80s I subscribed to Murder Casebook which was about 150 issues and then I would also need the folders to put them in.
Even though it was ordered every week there were 3 issues I couldn't get and 30 of my issues stayed out of folders because they had run out and weren't making anymore.
This also happened in the late 60s/early 70s with an Encyclopaedia Magazine that my Grandparents bought for me and that was never completed.
Every time I look at these type of mags I just think that people will get ripped off.
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I can't speak for other minor companies, but De'Agostini has thousands of happy builders who have been looked after well by them.

The horror story's regarding incomplete series form DA stem from confusion, in that ALL partwork company's have to 'Test' series to gauge if there is enough interest to run a full series, ultimately there has to be a minimum number to make a series viable to run its full course.

Tests generally run for 4-6 issues in selected areas of the UK. When the test is complete, any buyers can obtain a full refund for the issues purchased.

Once the the results are known, a decison is then taken to progress the test to a full run or not, and if successful, generally a series will then appear as a full run approx 6-12 months after its test, as a TV advertised item, by which time tweaks may also have been made to the series to improve its content based on what the test customers thought of the initial issues seen.

Sadly its the nature of the beast that testing has to be done, but it has to be done to gauge potential and that the item will not turn out a financial loss.

Generally if you see a TV advertised item, then it is not a series test, simply because TV advertising is very expensive, and therefore would not be done for an item where its future roll out is uncertain.

So basically, if it's from DA and it's on TV, you will get the lot.

And believe me, ship building is so therapeutic it's untrue. I fond plastic models annoying and not worth it, but full wood models have numerous tasks such as planking the hull and sanding it smooth which are a delight to do. Unfortunately as I said earlier, the instructions in advanced ready made kits are normally inadequate and people get frustrated too easily and give up, leaving a half built model and spent cash.

In partworks, much attention is made to the instructions to make it as easy as possible to complete the model, making it a far more enjoyable experience. You also get a to read about the history of what you are building, which, if you are a maritime buff like myself, will find immensely enjoyable.

Also, a common trap of getting all the bits at once often leads to rushing and mistakes, which in a wood model, cannot easily be corrected. Getting a few parts each week means that more time can be taken, usually ending in a far more satisfying result.
 
I had the T-Rex too :D

I also remember getting some gem stone one too although that's slightly different because they're just individual stones so it didn't matter if you skipped an issue or stopped early etc. Used to love fools gold! :p
 
Dimple said:
During the 80s I subscribed to Murder Casebook which was about 150 issues and then I would also need the folders to put them in.
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There was also something like that in the early 90's called True Crimes about murderers and the like.

I subscribed at 13. My parents must have thought there was something seriously wrong with me :D
 
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