A very well balanced reply. I've made award winning S structures from parts and scratch, no problems.... but can I do the same with some rolling stock kits*, the heck I can (except for an old Kinsman car kit, but they were near enough to scratchbuilding in any case!).
*I'm talking cast resin/whitemetal types here.... probably due to uneven thicknesses and differential shrinkage. --- In [email protected], Richard Karnes <rnk2202@...> wrote: > > Gents -- > > Interesting discussion of parts vs. kits. In my opinion, it takes a very > savvy > vendor to figure out how to approach the market. This is because of a > variety > of factors: > > Most modelers will not build a kit. This is because they are afraid to start > because they have no such experience. (But they will stockpile kits.) > > The modelers who will tackle a kit will not attempt to modify it. This is > because they cannot visualize what to change. > > Most modelers will not attempt to scratch-build a structure because, even > though > all the components (windows, doors, siding, gingerbread) are commercially > available. This is because, again, they cannot visualize how to put all of > these components together. > > I can remember our club putting together a diorama for the 1971 NMRA > Convention > in Seattle. It was designed to show off commercially-available S products. > There was a very small engine-servicing facility that featured an IESGAPN > sandhouse kit, built up, of course. The scene needed an auxiliary > out-building. So I spent about 20 minutes putting one together with some > spare > wood siding, sandpaper for roofing, some wire for hatch hand-holds, then > painting it. One of my club members was absolutely astounded that I could do > this -- He couldn't figure out how I knew what to do. The answer, of course, > is > that all of our brains are wired differently. While some of us are very > visual, > others are very verbal. Some of us can follow written instructions perfectly > while others are baffled by them. I have met people who can read maps > perfectly > but cannot relate them to reality. And I have known people who can describe > a > process in great detail but are not able to write down any of it. > > The point is that what many of us think is second nature just isn't. > > It takes an eye for proportion together with the ability to visualize in 3-D > to > jump into scratch-building and kit-bashing. In my opinion, the best that a > vendor can do is to offer a complete kit that fills a bona fide need, or -- > not > yet tried in S -- offer a completely built-up model of pretty much anything. > > Dick Karnes > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
