I know we get worried when another WNW kit goes out of stock but really, this is nothing unusual for a model producer; take any manufacturer you care to name from Airfix to Zvezda, their catalogues and stock availability continually change as production runs sell out (as an example, try to find a retailer with the recent Airfix 1/24th Typhoon in stock!). In many cases the kits reappear after a time - often with different markings and boxes.
WNW have stated (not sure when but near the start of the operation) that the kits will not be available in their original form once sold out. Firstly, that's not really any different from other producers - it's just that Wingnuts have stated it - secondly, if you look at the recent WNW OAW Albatros D.V, that is in effect no different from Hasegawa reissuing their FW 190 for the nth time with different box and decals and thirdly, the demand for WNW product may be growing far quicker than they initially expected and this policy may have been reviewed.
In any endeavour where products are produced in batches (kits and... decals, for instance) production volume generally impacts markedly on unit cost, so there is an optimum production cost/stock holding cost for any given production batch volume and this must be linked to demand. If I can give a decal example: I produce a decal set in a volume which gives me the best relationship between unit cost and total cost of the run (the decals must be paid for as produced - not when sold). I balance this against what I think the expected demand will be over a period of several years and when this batch sells out I will not normally reprint until I believe that there is sufficient demand built up again. This demand is rising at an increasing rate, because the quality and success of WNW kits are growing the size of the market all the time - look at the growth of this site of Des' - many modellers joining here are newcomers to WWI aircraft modelling and almost to a man they are building WNW kits.
The main conclusion I draw is that WNW know their market size (no one else does and we can only throw out more or less wild guesses) and monitor its growth and they will surely know when the time is right to mould another batch so that the "new" customers can benefit from being able to buy an out of stock kit. Those crazy prices on ebay are a great indicator of this rising demand. Just a cautionary thought occurs: for certain kits, if the original batch was produced in very large numbers to keep down unit cost (and therefore retail price), then demand for a second run may never be sufficient for a new run volume to match the size and therefore the unit cost (and retail price), of the first batch, so a second run will be less likely.
So I'd say nil desperandum, although if you want a WNW kit (or a Pheon decal sheet for that matter!) buy it as soon as you can afford it but if you miss out it will probably be round again in a few years, so long as the market continues to grow sufficiently and the subject itself is popular enough. And for those who want to speculate on high prices when kits do go out of stock, keep your wits about you, pick the subject with care and sell your "investments" sooner rather than later, never forgetting that if you think it's a good idea, you won't be alone and demand and "SOLD OUT!"ebay supply won't necessarily always be as it has been for the HB 29....
