Is the Wingnuts phenomenon winding down?

[ermeio]

In the meanwhile on ebay at least two Hannover went for a fair price, nothing seen in the last months.
Are all the WNW fans sparing some cash for the Camel?

[Des]

Is the Wingnuts phenomenon winding down - yes is my answer, but it's not just Wingnuts but the whole WW1 aviation modeling and aftermarket suppliers as well. I firmly believe that Wingnuts have shot themselves in the foot with their latest price increases and the news that the free post will cease soon, but they are a business and need to cover costs. The aftermarket people are also doing it tough at the moment, word is that sales are down and interest has dwindled, some are finding it difficult to cover costs for development of new products. I have even noticed a backward trend in the member participation with not only this forum but many others. If Wingnuts do finally release any new kits interest will be sparked up again but only for a short time, same will apply for new releases from any company unless of course it is something of extreme interest. As always, the world money market is playing a huge role in what has happened, kit prices are rising but money value is falling. Many are saving their pennies for that elusive magical kit to come from Wingnuts, it is such a shame that primarily what happens to our hobby revolves around what Wingnuts does. Just my two cents worth.

Des.

[JiffyJDavies]

I agree with Des. WWI aircraft modelling, at least in 1/32, is WNW. We have all enjoyed their rise, but the negative side of dominating a market to the virtual exclusion of all others is now apparent. It's a monopoly and WNW can increase prices because they have no competition. However, with money still tight for most people, and delivery charges imminent, it may well be that WNW see's a reduction in total income despite increasing prices, as it sells far, far fewer kits at the higher prices.
Is there a risk that WNW will fail to increase revenue and run at a loss, leading to them closing their doors completely? That's something that concerns me a little.

[kornbeef]

I think Des & Jiffy have pretty much nailed it with that statement.

IMHO another contributing factor is the disappearance of the most popular such as the Albatrossen, Fokkers & Sopwiths. I know WNW always said their kits were limited run but the market has changed dramatically since they made that statement.
I'm sure if they changed policy and reintroduced the more popular sold out kits no one would complainand a steady flow of buyers would continue.  I'd for one would buy and build Albatros D series kits till they came out my ears, I'm kind of hoping Merit would do a 1/24th one, even if it were sketchy I'd buy at least 2 to kit bash.

With a tighter budget not so good eyesight & motor skills and little coming in WWI I'm re-exploring other aspects of modelling too.

For me there's no real excitement about what and if WNW will release these days, I'm not knocking their policies but recently it's done nothing for me personally, gone are the days of checking their website frequently and I've found their lack of communication disheartening not excitingly secretive anymore. I'm sure though if WNW hit is with a surprise Albatros W.4 or a Junkers D.I or one of the Austro Hungarian fold  or similar my interest will rise again but for now I'm slumbering (still building my Junkers J.I though slowly. )

I don't mean the above to sound as negative as it probably does.

Keith

[Jamo]

Could it be that our taste buds have become jaded after so many WNW kits? It is possible to have too much of a good thing

[Jamo]

No go away!   

[rhwinter]

Haha, remember that one too...!
I am with Kornbeef.
And I am back with Roden, too.

[boggie]

"And finally Sir, a waffer thin mint?"

Haven't heard that in a long time RB. Hahaha.

Is the correct responce,

No! Better get a bucket.   

[IvotB]

I'm full...

So is my stash

Ivo

[dr 1 ace]

As a bit of historical perspective, when Revell started the 1/32 WW II kits in the 1970s the same excitement and boom followed ( and joined by other companies) after all the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate kits filled the line, the next "new"  kits, of the lesser know vs. popular subjects; only displaced the worst selling kits  at the bottom of the pile, all prices rose and then came a drought of many years without any new releases. As we all know there is a resurgence in large WW II kits.   So despite the anecdotal examples, I think the doom of WNW is ...greatly exaggerated... it will exist until either Sir PJ gets all the kits he wants or tires of it before then.  Then like Dracula ( or more akin to modeling -Accurate Miniature Kits) it will rise from the grave by someone/some company who buys up the molds and puts them out again under different "Brand" names.

[rhwinter]

Revell 1:32 WW1-kits in the seventies and follow-ups? I can only remember the three 1:28 scale kits plus the Fokker D.VII.

[eclarson]

Could it be that our taste buds have become jaded after so many WNW kits? It is possible to have too much of a good thing

James, I think you nailed it with that statement. 

Eric

[ermeio]

That was about 1/32 kits in general...
Revell issued a series in the 70s but I remember they were way too costly for a boy's pockets.
They started to pile up on the shelves of the hobby shops with the Cadillac hasegawa kits of the 80s.

It was only in the 90s that they become affordable since revell reissued them at a cheaper price and the yen went down.
Some revell takara (namely the three or four Japanese fighters) became a holy grail until hasegawa and zoukei Mura issued new molds.

[jknaus]

I think they are hurting themselves with their business model. Yes prices went up, but they have been good for so long and they do have costs we know little of that will cut into the profit margin. So the prices had to be changed. The problem is they are so secretive and wont let anything out as other kit makers do. Yes the Camel is coming but who knows what else. Because of this people are always checking the site and conjecturing and that kept interest up. The quality for sure kept the interest up. But not re releasing top favourites such as the Fokker DVII and Albatross' means that all those markings that came out are of little use. After Market companies all of a sudden have little interest in their products becauser the base kit isnt available. All combined means that less people are devoutly folowing them now and maybe we have reached the tipping point where they are no longer the golden child of the modeling community. Less people making less noise making less interest.
But I think they have done a good job of introducing a broader number of modelers to the WWI gendre than anyone else. I know I would probably not have switched from WWII modeling to WWI if not for WNW. And now I have enough at my current rate to build till I go to the workshop in the sky.

[Jamo]

Richard told me that they have their new releases already mapped out to 2020, ie work in progress currently at various stages