WYOMING 1927 SS Models
In the early 1950s, the model making hobby began a transformation with the introduction of injection moulded plastic kits. Prior to that modelers worked with wood kits, which usually required substantial cutting, sanding and shaping. But plastic made modeling simpler, easier and very affordable. Within ten years it had transformed the modeling community. And while wood kits didn't disappear, they receded into the background forever.
For more than six decades, the 1250 scale hobby has been dominated by fully finished cast metal models, appealing primarily to collectors, not builders. As the decades passed the quality of castings reached a level of quality that could not have been imagined in the early 1960s. But for at least the past fifteen years within the community, predictions have been that the future will lie with 3D printing. However, it has seemed that these predictions might not bring the future hoped for. While new metal production has seen a steep decline, with ever fewer producers and products, 3D did not seem to live up to our hopes. Few high quality products were forthcoming. Where wood to plastic was a revolution, 3D has been an evolution.
While 3D printing has been used for at least a decade to produce masters for Neptun and Spider Navy, it's only been used sparingly by small producers to produce equal quality models in plastic. Many 3D models have been available from sources like Shapeways, but the quality has generally been a step or two down from the best quality metal models. But now I believe we have reached the tipping point. Paper Lab, Nanomaquette, and now SS Models have demonstrated that high quality affordable plastic models and kits can be produced. And they are not alone. There are others starting as well. And while finished cast metal models will continue to be produced for the foreseeable future, it's clear now that the future of the hobby lies with 3D plastic models.
For collectors who have long relied on finished models, kits like those from SS pose a potentially insurmountable challenge. The hobby is and has long been filled with older collectors, unused to building models, and who, in many cases lack the necessary skills to build these kits. But for those who are able to build, they are a gold mine, because they are very inexpensive. Will these kits attract new and younger collectors? Only time will tell. Hopefully time, and market experience will teach producers like SS to make their kits more user friendly. And perhaps we can expect more high quality finished models too. The future has indeed arrived.
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