Models Put It All Together

Muscle cars are popular for a number of reasons, according to Jerry Ivancic, owner of Strongsville Hobby in Strongsville, Ohio. For men in their 30s and 40s, the cars bring back a taste of their youth. They recall seeing them drive down the streets during their childhood, or perhaps they knew someone who owned one. Corvettes, Fords and Chryslers from the ‘60s and ‘70s tend to be favorites with customers, Ivancic told TDmonthly Magazine.

Military planes, tanks and ships hold an allure for collectors in their 40s, 50s and beyond, whose fathers and grandfathers may have served in World War II. History buffs buy these kinds of models, too.

“Movies and television shows of World War II always help generate interest in modeling,” said Fred Medel, marketing manager at Tamiya America Inc., which specializes in producing military models. “The majority [of customers] are adult collectors or kids who have grandparents from that era. We see sales spike up and down, depending on what they see on TV and in the movies.”

World events play a role in the popularity of military models from other eras, as well, Medel said. “Currently our M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks are enjoying good sales because they are currently involved in Iraq.”

According to Patrick Kennedy, a sales representative for TheHobbySuperstore.com, rerun movies such as “Top Gun” or “Titanic” result in an increase in sales of Tomcats and Titanic models, and sales of Blue Angel jets increase after an air show.

Hobby store owners point to Revell-Monogram and AMT Ertl as being the industry standards for car models. Revell-Monogram’s subject matter, detailing and variety make its models appealing to people of all ages.

“Revell has been coming out with more and more snap kits, trying to get younger people into the hobby,” Ivancic noted. “The kids see their dads buying cars, and a lot of times the parents will buy a car for the kid.”

For the serious modeler devoted to fine detailing, Exact Detail Replicas is a popular option. The Watervliet, Mich., company has been designing its models since 1999. They are all produced in limited editions, which in almost all cases sell out.

Exact Detail specializes in classic cars from the '50s, '60s and '70s, explained product designer Eric Trapp. Attention to detail includes designers acquiring paint chips used on the actual full-size cars, which they then use for the models. Occasionally, that backfires in sales, however, because some customers are not impressed with the olive green and burnt orange of the '70s. “Some of the older cars were more subtle and toned down,” Trapp noted.

The company has learned to make a more limited edition of some of those colors, which will usually make them more attractive to collectors. “Some of these guys were around in 1968, and they appreciate when we do a car that’s historically correct like that.”

For now, it seems that hobby store owners and model manufacturers can count on nostalgia and history to continue to attract customers.

What follows are popular model kits and some upcoming releases, according to retailers and manufacturers.