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If you owned a model shop...

Yes....
You mean to stock? Well the big ones of course.
Complex sailing ships that only a few people ever finish (looking in mirror) but that could be a lot of money sitting on the racks.
 
moon puppy said:
Yes....
You mean to stock? Well the big ones of course.
Complex sailing ships that only a few people ever finish (looking in mirror) but that could be a lot of money sitting on the racks.
Click to expand...
"Big" as in size, or "Big" as in name? I have one 1:350 Saratoga (big in size and name, and unfortunately in price), and two 1:700 ships, and one Santa Catarina with sails is all. I am not sure ship building is a big category and the kits take a lot of shelf space and I don't know how much to dedicate to ships. I wonder what percentage of modelers make ships. I am just looking through the ship collections from my vendors and I have no idea what to get.
 
My local shop (which is a pretty big hobby shop) has mostly 1/700 scale ships with some 1/350 and an occasional 1/200 scale. It seems the 1/72 scale submarines do fairly well as they appear then are gone. I would think any of the really large ships or sailing ships should probably be special order only due to size and cost.
 
That depends upon what sort of ship model builders you have. Atlantis Models re-issues some of the old stand-bys,
https://atlantis-models.com/model-ships/
Some of the vintage Revell and Renwal toolings. They are releasing their own version of Aurora's Sealab III in 1/96 (?) scale.
Pros: They are fun to build, affordable and have operating features. Cons: They can be a little less than accurate and not in a constant scale.

Revell of Germany has issued some very fine model ship kits lately. They also own some of the old Monogram/Revell molds.
www.revell.de

Schiffsmodellbausätze | Online kaufen im Revell Online-Shop

Buy ship models in the Revell Online Shop. Discover now at www.revell.de
www.revell.de www.revell.de
Pros: Excellent quality, Fine details, instructions that make sense. Cons: Availability can be spotty. Prices and shipping costs can run high.

I used to buy frequently from Hobbylink Japan.

Search | HLJ.com

HLJ.com was started over 20 years ago to help hobbyists like you buy the best quality Figures, Models and Gundam at good prices. Buy Bandai, Takara Tomy, Tamiya and lots of other brands from Japan.
www.hlj.com www.hlj.com
Pros: Cutting edge of Japanese made ship model kits. Prices are fair, depending USD/Yen exchange rates. Selection and quality are superb.
Skywave/Pitroad has recently teamed with Trumpeter in a joint venture (mostly to keep the Chi-Coms from copying/stealing their models I believe) to release existing kits and some new toolings. I am vary of Trumpeter's quality & fit.
Cons: Shipping costs from Japan have SKYROCKETED since 2020. I used to pay $7.80 to get a medium sized package 18,000 miles in about 3 weeks. That same package costs $40.00 but arrives in a week. YIKE! The frequency of my HLJ purchases is curtailed for that reason.

I have done some business with the Plastic Model store in Kyiv, Ukraine. Their attitude is outstanding!

Fleet Scale Model Kits Shop | plastic-models-store.com

Shop a large inventory of model Fleet kits in all scales from Ukraine with free Worldwide shipping over $150 ⭐️ $10 welcome voucher ✔️ In Stock ✔️ Tracking Number
plastic-models-store.com
Pros: Prices are very good. The quality of Eastern European models has come a long way in the last 10 years. Shipping is reasonable.
Cons: The PM store and their employees are in a WAR ZONE. Shipping times with tracking vary from 3 to 4 weeks because Ukraine's Post is in a WAR ZONE.

Squadron/ Freetime Hobbies is owned by a guy I know. Brandon Lowe is a really good guy and knows the model business.
Douglas Model Distributors is the wholesale side of Sprue Brothers in Liberty Missouri. Sprue Brothers reputation speaks for itself.

These tips in mind, I haven't any idea how these sellers treat wholesale customers.
I would hope to find a Revell 1/720 USS Enterprise CVN-65 and a 1/426 USS Arizona in your place. A vintage Monogram 1/310 USS Ramsey/Brooke missile frigate would be a find indeed!
I enjoy the dickens out of Fujimi's Chibi-Maru (Egg-ship) series. The IJN Egg-kagi in the samurai bathtub still gets laughs and appreciation wherever She goes.

My 2 (well, 85) bits.
 
I’ve built one ship model, academy’s 1:350 boxing of Tamiya‘s Bismarck released as Tirpitz. That project took me 7 years to finish. Actually no, that’s wrong. I built the model in about 4 months, the other 6 2/3 years was masking the splinter scheme and painting it. a buddy cranks out nothing but ship models, battleship, cruisers, carriers, subs, and wood sailboat models. His work is so intimidating perfect to me I won’t let him see my builds!
 
chrispisme said:
I’ve built one ship model, academy’s 1:350 boxing of Tamiya‘s Bismarck released as Tirpitz. That project took me 7 years to finish. Actually no, that’s wrong. I built the model in about 4 months, the other 6 2/3 years was masking the splinter scheme and painting it. a buddy cranks out nothing but ship models, battleship, cruisers, carriers, subs, and wood sailboat models. His work is so intimidating perfect to me I won’t let him see my builds!
Click to expand...
I feel your pain. I am intimidated just showing my work to the master builders on this site!
 
Greg Kimsey said:
I feel your pain. I am intimidated just showing my work to the master builders on this site!
Click to expand...
I am pleased to cause you no intimidation, as I am NO Master Builder. There are quite a few experts that post here. At the end of the day, we all started somewhere and we all have our favorite subjects. I hope the "Masters" help the "Padawan Learners" by sharing tips and techniques for the betterment of our very diverse hobby.

My little 1/700 USS Intensity may be the best model I've made in a long time.
You never know what may spark a Man's Model Mojo.
Since M/A isn't a model contest, there are no winners or losers.
 
chrispisme said:
I’ve built one ship model, academy’s 1:350 boxing of Tamiya‘s Bismarck released as Tirpitz. That project took me 7 years to finish. Actually no, that’s wrong. I built the model in about 4 months, the other 6 2/3 years was masking the splinter scheme and painting it. a buddy cranks out nothing but ship models, battleship, cruisers, carriers, subs, and wood sailboat models. His work is so intimidating perfect to me I won’t let him see my builds!
Click to expand...
My friend, Mark Karolus cranks out model ships in Wisconasin with a deadline to meet. He builds what comes in the box, but his process and results are beyond dispute. A good friend and a cunning warrior.

Product Info | Finescale Modeler Magazine

FineScale Modeler magazine - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products.
finescale.com
 
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