That build a dinosaur one that came out around the time of Jurassic Park was incredibly popular. But it was quite cheap and the magazine itself was good qualty. Anything with a dinosaur sold well then. I think the popularity of that one more or less kick started this all off. I wonder if many people still have their glow in the dark T-Rex!
Who's building the Millennium Falcon model currently being advertised a lot then?
3 of 5
I would have thought this time next year would have being better with the new Star Wars film getting released in December
I am tempted. Nice little hobby and the final model looks impressive.
Just not sure where I can keep it, during or after.
Hmmm.
Just not sure where I can keep it, during or after.
Hmmm.
Originally Posted by wicksta:
“Have you got a link to that? It seems unlikely a well known company like DeAgostini would do that without there being an uproar.
Having said that, these models are a rip off.”
“Have you got a link to that? It seems unlikely a well known company like DeAgostini would do that without there being an uproar.
Having said that, these models are a rip off.”
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ERHUGWQoF5I
There was a 2014 one that was suspended after a few issues. It was discussed at the time on some forums which can still be found doing a search on Google (no uproar though).
Originally Posted by CELT1987:
“http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ERHUGWQoF5I”
“http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ERHUGWQoF5I”
That's a trial run, which has now turned into a national release from what I can see?
Originally Posted by wicksta:
“That's a trial run, which has now turned into a national release from what I can see?”
“That's a trial run, which has now turned into a national release from what I can see?”
Trial run was 4 issues last year. It's now continuing properly. Will be interesting if if lasts 100 issues.
Someone I know bought the Robot Wars one til the end, he actually missed a copy and contemplated buy the whole set off ebay for something like £150 to get the last part.
Originally Posted by D_Mcd4:
“http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revell-EasyK.../dp/B000FCOK4A
No having to wait two years and you will be £850 better off.”
“http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revell-EasyK.../dp/B000FCOK4A
No having to wait two years and you will be £850 better off.”
That is actually a pretty decent kit for the price - it's snap-together and prepainted...very easy to put together and looks pretty good. Big too. Ok, it's hardly studio professional standard, but like I say for that price...
There is also a proper airfix kit that was made some years back, I did buy it and spent ages building and making it. Great kit, but you need a lot of patience to do it properly.
The great shame about the other model is that it actually does look very good. Excellent detail and with lights and moving parts etc.
But I cannot see enough people buying it for that money and waiting 2 years to complete it. I am sure if they just sold the full kit as an elite, one-off limited edition model for around 300 quid, there would be enough fans out there to buy it.
Originally Posted by CravenHaven:
“For £899 I want Princess Leia too. At least twice.”
“For £899 I want Princess Leia too. At least twice.”
Originally Posted by CELT1987:
“In her gold bikini as well please.”
“In her gold bikini as well please.”
Have you seen Carrie Fisher these days?
Originally Posted by Ted Cunterblast:
“That is actually a pretty decent kit for the price - it's snap-together and prepainted...very easy to put together and looks pretty good. Big too. Ok, it's hardly studio professional standard, but like I say for that price...
There is also a proper airfix kit that was made some years back, I did buy it and spent ages building and making it. Great kit, but you need a lot of patience to do it properly.
The great shame about the other model is that it actually does look very good. Excellent detail and with lights and moving parts etc.
But I cannot see enough people buying it for that money and waiting 2 years to complete it. I am sure if they just sold the full kit as an elite, one-off limited edition model for around 300 quid, there would be enough fans out there to buy it.”
“That is actually a pretty decent kit for the price - it's snap-together and prepainted...very easy to put together and looks pretty good. Big too. Ok, it's hardly studio professional standard, but like I say for that price...
There is also a proper airfix kit that was made some years back, I did buy it and spent ages building and making it. Great kit, but you need a lot of patience to do it properly.
The great shame about the other model is that it actually does look very good. Excellent detail and with lights and moving parts etc.
But I cannot see enough people buying it for that money and waiting 2 years to complete it. I am sure if they just sold the full kit as an elite, one-off limited edition model for around 300 quid, there would be enough fans out there to buy it.”
Funny how people cry rip off without looking at the details, the model is largely pre painted die-cast. I'm not into sci fi models, if I was I'd consider this.
I've collected 2 part works from this company before, you won't see the issues in the newsagents post issue 4 or 5 as you have to subscribe, you can pull out at any stage but obviously lose out on the full model.
The models I bought were 1:8 th scale die-cast costing about £795 each, which I rate as good value, there are vendors that produce 1:8th scale complete car models but they tend to start in the £1K to £5K range before custom prices kick in.
The people who scoff at these collections tend not compare scales and materials, if they'd be better informed as to value for money.
Originally Posted by degsyhufc:
“Have you seen Carrie Fisher these days?”
“Have you seen Carrie Fisher these days?”
By sheerest coincidence, this is a tab I already had open when reading this thread.
Originally Posted by degsyhufc:
“Have you seen Carrie Fisher these days?”
“Have you seen Carrie Fisher these days?”
To be fair, Carrie Fisher of the last 12 months has looked a damn site better than Carrier fisher from the previous 5 years!
Somebody gave me the 'Metal Earth' R2D2 for Christmas. It's not easy to construct but it' should look pretty good when it's finished.
They do a Millenium Falcon as well.
They do a Millenium Falcon as well.
Never heard of the Millennium Falcon?
It's the ship that made the Cashall Run (out) in less than 100 partworks.
It's the ship that made the Cashall Run (out) in less than 100 partworks.
Originally Posted by boksbox:
“Funny how people cry rip off without looking at the details, the model is largely pre painted die-cast. I'm not into sci fi models, if I was I'd consider this.
I've collected 2 part works from this company before, you won't see the issues in the newsagents post issue 4 or 5 as you have to subscribe, you can pull out at any stage but obviously lose out on the full model.
The models I bought were 1:8 th scale die-cast costing about £795 each, which I rate as good value, there are vendors that produce 1:8th scale complete car models but they tend to start in the £1K to £5K range before custom prices kick in.
The people who scoff at these collections tend not compare scales and materials, if they'd be better informed as to value for money.”
“Funny how people cry rip off without looking at the details, the model is largely pre painted die-cast. I'm not into sci fi models, if I was I'd consider this.
I've collected 2 part works from this company before, you won't see the issues in the newsagents post issue 4 or 5 as you have to subscribe, you can pull out at any stage but obviously lose out on the full model.
The models I bought were 1:8 th scale die-cast costing about £795 each, which I rate as good value, there are vendors that produce 1:8th scale complete car models but they tend to start in the £1K to £5K range before custom prices kick in.
The people who scoff at these collections tend not compare scales and materials, if they'd be better informed as to value for money.”
Nice to see the re sale value of these so called kits..link
a couple of years ago they did a batmobile magazine which came with a model of a different batmobile and always meant to buy the batman forever one as I loved that film and batmobile but it slipped my mind
a few years ago they did a new line cinema horror magazine I bought the first one it came with a horror figure each issue the first one was freddy krueger and subsequent ones were jason and leatherface as they were both owned by new line cinema at the time
it only lasted a few issues apparently due to licencing issues
a few years ago they did a new line cinema horror magazine I bought the first one it came with a horror figure each issue the first one was freddy krueger and subsequent ones were jason and leatherface as they were both owned by new line cinema at the time
it only lasted a few issues apparently due to licencing issues
Whenever one of these things come out I always buy the first issue from the newsagents,just for the magazine really,because it's usually dirt cheap. They've done the Flying Scotsman,HMS Victory,and so on. The Victory one you got a wee cannon as the first bit. The magazine telling you how to build it is usually quite an interesting read.
But that's all I ever buy,the first issue. I'm not going to commit two years and hundreds of pounds to building these things. I have read on a model railway forum that the Flying Scotsman one was a good bit more difficult to build than they made out at the start,these are not Airfix kits that you can knock together in a few hours.
It would be interesting to know how many people actually see these things through all the way to the end and end up with a nice shiny model thing,rather than give up part of the way through.
As a poster said above,these kits are not a rip off,when compared to what you would pay for the equivalent thing assembled and painted by a professional model maker. That can cost thousands.
But you are making a serious commitment in time and money if you start buying it. They are not really toys. If you want a good quality toy model,buy the Revell one mentioned above.
But that's all I ever buy,the first issue. I'm not going to commit two years and hundreds of pounds to building these things. I have read on a model railway forum that the Flying Scotsman one was a good bit more difficult to build than they made out at the start,these are not Airfix kits that you can knock together in a few hours.
It would be interesting to know how many people actually see these things through all the way to the end and end up with a nice shiny model thing,rather than give up part of the way through.
As a poster said above,these kits are not a rip off,when compared to what you would pay for the equivalent thing assembled and painted by a professional model maker. That can cost thousands.
But you are making a serious commitment in time and money if you start buying it. They are not really toys. If you want a good quality toy model,buy the Revell one mentioned above.
I'm sorry... sitting here reading this and all of you talking about this without actually knowing anything about it... scoffing at the price thinking it is way too much. Lemme give you all a bit of actual knowledge here and maybe you'll begin to see why this is actually such a big deal.
Back in the 70's when they filmed Star Wars there was no such thing as CGI or computer animation. Everything was done "in camera" which meant that every single ship you saw in the movie actually exists in one form or another. Most were models that were hand crafted from scratch. Many were of various sizes and scales. The Millenium Falcon of course being the most popular.
When filming first started they built a 5' foot Falcon model... this was the first one. It weighed in at about 250 lbs and was quite cumbersome. In making the model they used various bits and pieces of other model parts glued to the surface to give it a more "unique and familiar" look. When they were filming the 5' footer, they realized they needed something a bit smaller, so they created the 32" inch version. The biggest problem when rescaling or resizing a "kit-bashed" model like this is that some of the original kits they used couldn't be found in a smaller scale size so bits and pieces were either left off or substituted for, so every size was a bit different then it's predecessor. They also made 3 other versions, but not until ESB. They made a smaller 23" Inch version that was only seen attached to the back of the Star Destroyer and a small 2" inch version that was only seen escaping the mouth of the space slug on the asteroid. Then of course was the full size that was used by the actors, however it wasn't actually full size either... its was more close to 2/3rds the size of the actual Falcon, but no one really cared or noticed when it was as big as life up on the screen and the full size was actually just partically built side that could be seen by the camera for ANH and they did make a complete version for ESB that floated on a cushion of air for ease of moving around the set if needed.
Now... With all that knowledge in mind, a little company started up called Master Replicas. Co-Founded by a man named Steve Dymszo, he and his team were granted access to the actual filmed 32" incher Falcon model that was used in all the movies, and had been stored in the Lucas Archives, the same model that saw the most screen time of any other ship used in the movies. What they were able to do is scan this model using unprecidented levels of detail so fine that it actually picked up dust off the surface of the model. With these scans with over 2.5 million points of reference their company produced the most accurate model of the Falcon ever produced. It was called the Master Replica's Millenium Falcon and it was glorious. Now this was only produced in a very limited run and was sold out rather quickly at around $5000 a piece. This was a Holy Grail for many collector's. Not only was it accurate to the original, but it had the providence from the original.
Years go by, and now you cannot find that model anywhere except occassionally on eBay and they end up selling for anywhere from $10,000-15,000 dollars U.S.! All of us who missed out on that beauty have had to either try and build our own, or do without.
Now however and just recently, a little UK company that has been producing high quality model kits for years contacted Steve and asked if he would be willing to help them produce a Falcon kit. But not just any kit... this would be a DeAgostini kit of the highest order. Steve has terrible OCD (like most of us model building sci-fi geeks and while going over the scans that they original had done of the Falcon, discovered that many of the little parts had broken off and were missing over the years of handling. He fixed that. He scoured the archive footages and original photos of the model and when he couldn't find a part, he scratch built it to make sure that this kit would be perfect! So here's what we know about this kit:
1) This part-kit is based directly on the original scans that were done of the 32" filming miniature that appeared in the ESB and ROTJ so you actually have providence there.
2) The MR Falcon was also produced from those exact same scans, however, it was discovered that many pieces had fallen off the original filming miniature over the years and were never repaired. The MR Falcon was reproduced without any of those missing peices and is basically an exact dupicate of the Original miniature as it is today. This DeAgostini kit fixes and replaces all the missing pieces that had fallen off over the years (pipes, parts, plates, etc).
3) This version contains a complete interior. The MR Falcon does not.
4) The MR Falcon sold for anywhere between $4000-$6000 dollars when it was released... when the DeAgostini model is finished including shipping, you're looking at anywhere between $1500-$1800 complete.
5) This is not just a snap-together model, it is a complete building kit which means you will have to glue, paint, and assemble it yourself. Its also multi-media. It's not just plastic, it's also metal parts, wires, screws, and various other mediums. Just like the original model was. If you have no modelling experience what-so-ever, you still end up with a better than decent model because all the parts are pre-painted, but with some practical assemblage and common sense, you could end up with a masterpiece. And if you're any good at model building what-so-ever (and maybe with a little OCD), you could end up with something better, a TRUE Replica Masterpiece!
6) This kit is completely lit and comes with all the wiring and lights you will need, but also has a special surprise as well. From what I've heard in the rumor mill, it's also going to be remote controlled including the boarding ramp!
7) You can display this in both flight or landed mode. It will come with landing gear (the 5 gear version, gotta remember this is the ESB verion, not the ANH version with only 3 gear).
8) The chances that this will be a short run and it will end before its done is pretty slim. DeAgostini has been in business for years and their kits are top of the line not only in accuracy, but in size and material as well. They've been doing this for a long time!
9) This is a 1:1 scale model of the 32" filming model. Not a 1:1 of the full size model. They actually made 4 different sizes for filming... the first was a 5' foot model. They used that for making the 2/3 size full size set version (which wasn't actually complete but only a set with the back half of the ship not even made). When they discovered that the 5' footer was too big for moving around and getting alot of the ction shots that were needed, a smaller 32" inch model was created and this is the one you see zooming thru the high speed scenes. The third model that was made was a smaller 2' foot model that was made and only seen once on the back of the Star Destroyer, and finally an even smaller 2" inch model that was only used in the space slug scene on the asteroid. Each version is a bit different because of the simple fact that the original 5' footer was a kit-bash... meaning they used 1000's of little parts and pieces from various other model kits and glued them to the surface of the original. When the 32" was made, alot of the original kits couldn't be found in the smaller scale, so the compromised and used different parts and pieces. You never really noticed because it was zooming around the screen but those with a trained eye and massive OCD can tell the difference. In any event, the 32" model saw the most screen time of any of the other versions because it was easy to move around and get all those cool shots, which is why this DeAgostini kit is so saught after and wanted.
10) This isn't going to be around forever. Just like with any model kit, I'm sure that this run will come to an end at some point, and if you wait around, you may just miss out on something that is truly ground breaking and the start of a whole new era of sci-fi modeling. I kicked myself for never getting the Fine Molds Falcon when it came out 10-15 years ago. Now its gone and the prices for them are thru the roof on ebay. When it came out, it was $250. Now you're lucky to find a complete MIB untouched kit for under $500... I've seen some selling for $800-$1000 on eBay. I'm not gonna let that happen again. I've got my subscription and can't wait to get started on this one when it arrives. I suggest if you have any interest in this what-so-ever to not hesitate, because you'll end up kicking yourself if you don't.
So before you go bashing something thinking it's stupid and a complete waste of money, do a little research and know your facts. Who knows... maybe now you might understand just why this is such a big deal and why the internet has been buzzing about this. Personally, I can't wait for mine to arrive. I know I could never afford $5000 up front for a model, but with this coming in at $1500-1800 in payments over 2 years, I can swing $60 a month. Hell I was paying more for layaways at Target and Walmart for a longer period when I was getting Christmas gifts! So... just ask yourself... is it worth it now?
Back in the 70's when they filmed Star Wars there was no such thing as CGI or computer animation. Everything was done "in camera" which meant that every single ship you saw in the movie actually exists in one form or another. Most were models that were hand crafted from scratch. Many were of various sizes and scales. The Millenium Falcon of course being the most popular.
When filming first started they built a 5' foot Falcon model... this was the first one. It weighed in at about 250 lbs and was quite cumbersome. In making the model they used various bits and pieces of other model parts glued to the surface to give it a more "unique and familiar" look. When they were filming the 5' footer, they realized they needed something a bit smaller, so they created the 32" inch version. The biggest problem when rescaling or resizing a "kit-bashed" model like this is that some of the original kits they used couldn't be found in a smaller scale size so bits and pieces were either left off or substituted for, so every size was a bit different then it's predecessor. They also made 3 other versions, but not until ESB. They made a smaller 23" Inch version that was only seen attached to the back of the Star Destroyer and a small 2" inch version that was only seen escaping the mouth of the space slug on the asteroid. Then of course was the full size that was used by the actors, however it wasn't actually full size either... its was more close to 2/3rds the size of the actual Falcon, but no one really cared or noticed when it was as big as life up on the screen and the full size was actually just partically built side that could be seen by the camera for ANH and they did make a complete version for ESB that floated on a cushion of air for ease of moving around the set if needed.
Now... With all that knowledge in mind, a little company started up called Master Replicas. Co-Founded by a man named Steve Dymszo, he and his team were granted access to the actual filmed 32" incher Falcon model that was used in all the movies, and had been stored in the Lucas Archives, the same model that saw the most screen time of any other ship used in the movies. What they were able to do is scan this model using unprecidented levels of detail so fine that it actually picked up dust off the surface of the model. With these scans with over 2.5 million points of reference their company produced the most accurate model of the Falcon ever produced. It was called the Master Replica's Millenium Falcon and it was glorious. Now this was only produced in a very limited run and was sold out rather quickly at around $5000 a piece. This was a Holy Grail for many collector's. Not only was it accurate to the original, but it had the providence from the original.
Years go by, and now you cannot find that model anywhere except occassionally on eBay and they end up selling for anywhere from $10,000-15,000 dollars U.S.! All of us who missed out on that beauty have had to either try and build our own, or do without.
Now however and just recently, a little UK company that has been producing high quality model kits for years contacted Steve and asked if he would be willing to help them produce a Falcon kit. But not just any kit... this would be a DeAgostini kit of the highest order. Steve has terrible OCD (like most of us model building sci-fi geeks and while going over the scans that they original had done of the Falcon, discovered that many of the little parts had broken off and were missing over the years of handling. He fixed that. He scoured the archive footages and original photos of the model and when he couldn't find a part, he scratch built it to make sure that this kit would be perfect! So here's what we know about this kit:
1) This part-kit is based directly on the original scans that were done of the 32" filming miniature that appeared in the ESB and ROTJ so you actually have providence there.
2) The MR Falcon was also produced from those exact same scans, however, it was discovered that many pieces had fallen off the original filming miniature over the years and were never repaired. The MR Falcon was reproduced without any of those missing peices and is basically an exact dupicate of the Original miniature as it is today. This DeAgostini kit fixes and replaces all the missing pieces that had fallen off over the years (pipes, parts, plates, etc).
3) This version contains a complete interior. The MR Falcon does not.
4) The MR Falcon sold for anywhere between $4000-$6000 dollars when it was released... when the DeAgostini model is finished including shipping, you're looking at anywhere between $1500-$1800 complete.
5) This is not just a snap-together model, it is a complete building kit which means you will have to glue, paint, and assemble it yourself. Its also multi-media. It's not just plastic, it's also metal parts, wires, screws, and various other mediums. Just like the original model was. If you have no modelling experience what-so-ever, you still end up with a better than decent model because all the parts are pre-painted, but with some practical assemblage and common sense, you could end up with a masterpiece. And if you're any good at model building what-so-ever (and maybe with a little OCD), you could end up with something better, a TRUE Replica Masterpiece!
6) This kit is completely lit and comes with all the wiring and lights you will need, but also has a special surprise as well. From what I've heard in the rumor mill, it's also going to be remote controlled including the boarding ramp!
7) You can display this in both flight or landed mode. It will come with landing gear (the 5 gear version, gotta remember this is the ESB verion, not the ANH version with only 3 gear).
8) The chances that this will be a short run and it will end before its done is pretty slim. DeAgostini has been in business for years and their kits are top of the line not only in accuracy, but in size and material as well. They've been doing this for a long time!
9) This is a 1:1 scale model of the 32" filming model. Not a 1:1 of the full size model. They actually made 4 different sizes for filming... the first was a 5' foot model. They used that for making the 2/3 size full size set version (which wasn't actually complete but only a set with the back half of the ship not even made). When they discovered that the 5' footer was too big for moving around and getting alot of the ction shots that were needed, a smaller 32" inch model was created and this is the one you see zooming thru the high speed scenes. The third model that was made was a smaller 2' foot model that was made and only seen once on the back of the Star Destroyer, and finally an even smaller 2" inch model that was only used in the space slug scene on the asteroid. Each version is a bit different because of the simple fact that the original 5' footer was a kit-bash... meaning they used 1000's of little parts and pieces from various other model kits and glued them to the surface of the original. When the 32" was made, alot of the original kits couldn't be found in the smaller scale, so the compromised and used different parts and pieces. You never really noticed because it was zooming around the screen but those with a trained eye and massive OCD can tell the difference. In any event, the 32" model saw the most screen time of any of the other versions because it was easy to move around and get all those cool shots, which is why this DeAgostini kit is so saught after and wanted.
10) This isn't going to be around forever. Just like with any model kit, I'm sure that this run will come to an end at some point, and if you wait around, you may just miss out on something that is truly ground breaking and the start of a whole new era of sci-fi modeling. I kicked myself for never getting the Fine Molds Falcon when it came out 10-15 years ago. Now its gone and the prices for them are thru the roof on ebay. When it came out, it was $250. Now you're lucky to find a complete MIB untouched kit for under $500... I've seen some selling for $800-$1000 on eBay. I'm not gonna let that happen again. I've got my subscription and can't wait to get started on this one when it arrives. I suggest if you have any interest in this what-so-ever to not hesitate, because you'll end up kicking yourself if you don't.
So before you go bashing something thinking it's stupid and a complete waste of money, do a little research and know your facts. Who knows... maybe now you might understand just why this is such a big deal and why the internet has been buzzing about this. Personally, I can't wait for mine to arrive. I know I could never afford $5000 up front for a model, but with this coming in at $1500-1800 in payments over 2 years, I can swing $60 a month. Hell I was paying more for layaways at Target and Walmart for a longer period when I was getting Christmas gifts! So... just ask yourself... is it worth it now?
Originally Posted by James_Davis2:
“I'm sorry... sitting here reading this and all of you talking about this without actually knowing anything about it... scoffing at the price thinking it is way too much. Lemme give you all a bit of actual knowledge here and maybe you'll begin to see why this is actually such a big deal.
Back in the 70's when they filmed Star Wars there was no such thing as CGI or computer animation. Everything was done "in camera" which meant that every single ship you saw in the movie actually exists in one form or another. Most were models that were hand crafted from scratch. Many were of various sizes and scales. The Millenium Falcon of course being the most popular.
When filming first started they built a 5' foot Falcon model... this was the first one. It weighed in at about 250 lbs and was quite cumbersome. In making the model they used various bits and pieces of other model parts glued to the surface to give it a more "unique and familiar" look. When they were filming the 5' footer, they realized they needed something a bit smaller, so they created the 32" inch version. The biggest problem when rescaling or resizing a "kit-bashed" model like this is that some of the original kits they used couldn't be found in a smaller scale size so bits and pieces were either left off or substituted for, so every size was a bit different then it's predecessor. They also made 3 other versions, but not until ESB. They made a smaller 23" Inch version that was only seen attached to the back of the Star Destroyer and a small 2" inch version that was only seen escaping the mouth of the space slug on the asteroid. Then of course was the full size that was used by the actors, however it wasn't actually full size either... its was more close to 2/3rds the size of the actual Falcon, but no one really cared or noticed when it was as big as life up on the screen and the full size was actually just partically built side that could be seen by the camera for ANH and they did make a complete version for ESB that floated on a cushion of air for ease of moving around the set if needed.
Now... With all that knowledge in mind, a little company started up called Master Replicas. Co-Founded by a man named Steve Dymszo, he and his team were granted access to the actual filmed 32" incher Falcon model that was used in all the movies, and had been stored in the Lucas Archives, the same model that saw the most screen time of any other ship used in the movies. What they were able to do is scan this model using unprecidented levels of detail so fine that it actually picked up dust off the surface of the model. With these scans with over 2.5 million points of reference their company produced the most accurate model of the Falcon ever produced. It was called the Master Replica's Millenium Falcon and it was glorious. Now this was only produced in a very limited run and was sold out rather quickly at around $5000 a piece. This was a Holy Grail for many collector's. Not only was it accurate to the original, but it had the providence from the original.
Years go by, and now you cannot find that model anywhere except occassionally on eBay and they end up selling for anywhere from $10,000-15,000 dollars U.S.! All of us who missed out on that beauty have had to either try and build our own, or do without.
Now however and just recently, a little UK company that has been producing high quality model kits for years contacted Steve and asked if he would be willing to help them produce a Falcon kit. But not just any kit... this would be a DeAgostini kit of the highest order. Steve has terrible OCD (like most of us model building sci-fi geeks and while going over the scans that they original had done of the Falcon, discovered that many of the little parts had broken off and were missing over the years of handling. He fixed that. He scoured the archive footages and original photos of the model and when he couldn't find a part, he scratch built it to make sure that this kit would be perfect! So here's what we know about this kit:
1) This part-kit is based directly on the original scans that were done of the 32" filming miniature that appeared in the ESB and ROTJ so you actually have providence there.
2) The MR Falcon was also produced from those exact same scans, however, it was discovered that many pieces had fallen off the original filming miniature over the years and were never repaired. The MR Falcon was reproduced without any of those missing peices and is basically an exact dupicate of the Original miniature as it is today. This DeAgostini kit fixes and replaces all the missing pieces that had fallen off over the years (pipes, parts, plates, etc).
3) This version contains a complete interior. The MR Falcon does not.
4) The MR Falcon sold for anywhere between $4000-$6000 dollars when it was released... when the DeAgostini model is finished including shipping, you're looking at anywhere between $1500-$1800 complete.
5) This is not just a snap-together model, it is a complete building kit which means you will have to glue, paint, and assemble it yourself. Its also multi-media. It's not just plastic, it's also metal parts, wires, screws, and various other mediums. Just like the original model was. If you have no modelling experience what-so-ever, you still end up with a better than decent model because all the parts are pre-painted, but with some practical assemblage and common sense, you could end up with a masterpiece. And if you're any good at model building what-so-ever (and maybe with a little OCD), you could end up with something better, a TRUE Replica Masterpiece!
6) This kit is completely lit and comes with all the wiring and lights you will need, but also has a special surprise as well. From what I've heard in the rumor mill, it's also going to be remote controlled including the boarding ramp!
7) You can display this in both flight or landed mode. It will come with landing gear (the 5 gear version, gotta remember this is the ESB verion, not the ANH version with only 3 gear).
8) The chances that this will be a short run and it will end before its done is pretty slim. DeAgostini has been in business for years and their kits are top of the line not only in accuracy, but in size and material as well. They've been doing this for a long time!
9) This is a 1:1 scale model of the 32" filming model. Not a 1:1 of the full size model. They actually made 4 different sizes for filming... the first was a 5' foot model. They used that for making the 2/3 size full size set version (which wasn't actually complete but only a set with the back half of the ship not even made). When they discovered that the 5' footer was too big for moving around and getting alot of the ction shots that were needed, a smaller 32" inch model was created and this is the one you see zooming thru the high speed scenes. The third model that was made was a smaller 2' foot model that was made and only seen once on the back of the Star Destroyer, and finally an even smaller 2" inch model that was only used in the space slug scene on the asteroid. Each version is a bit different because of the simple fact that the original 5' footer was a kit-bash... meaning they used 1000's of little parts and pieces from various other model kits and glued them to the surface of the original. When the 32" was made, alot of the original kits couldn't be found in the smaller scale, so the compromised and used different parts and pieces. You never really noticed because it was zooming around the screen but those with a trained eye and massive OCD can tell the difference. In any event, the 32" model saw the most screen time of any of the other versions because it was easy to move around and get all those cool shots, which is why this DeAgostini kit is so saught after and wanted.
10) This isn't going to be around forever. Just like with any model kit, I'm sure that this run will come to an end at some point, and if you wait around, you may just miss out on something that is truly ground breaking and the start of a whole new era of sci-fi modeling. I kicked myself for never getting the Fine Molds Falcon when it came out 10-15 years ago. Now its gone and the prices for them are thru the roof on ebay. When it came out, it was $250. Now you're lucky to find a complete MIB untouched kit for under $500... I've seen some selling for $800-$1000 on eBay. I'm not gonna let that happen again. I've got my subscription and can't wait to get started on this one when it arrives. I suggest if you have any interest in this what-so-ever to not hesitate, because you'll end up kicking yourself if you don't.
So before you go bashing something thinking it's stupid and a complete waste of money, do a little research and know your facts. Who knows... maybe now you might understand just why this is such a big deal and why the internet has been buzzing about this. Personally, I can't wait for mine to arrive. I know I could never afford $5000 up front for a model, but with this coming in at $1500-1800 in payments over 2 years, I can swing $60 a month. Hell I was paying more for layaways at Target and Walmart for a longer period when I was getting Christmas gifts! So... just ask yourself... is it worth it now?”
“I'm sorry... sitting here reading this and all of you talking about this without actually knowing anything about it... scoffing at the price thinking it is way too much. Lemme give you all a bit of actual knowledge here and maybe you'll begin to see why this is actually such a big deal.
Back in the 70's when they filmed Star Wars there was no such thing as CGI or computer animation. Everything was done "in camera" which meant that every single ship you saw in the movie actually exists in one form or another. Most were models that were hand crafted from scratch. Many were of various sizes and scales. The Millenium Falcon of course being the most popular.
When filming first started they built a 5' foot Falcon model... this was the first one. It weighed in at about 250 lbs and was quite cumbersome. In making the model they used various bits and pieces of other model parts glued to the surface to give it a more "unique and familiar" look. When they were filming the 5' footer, they realized they needed something a bit smaller, so they created the 32" inch version. The biggest problem when rescaling or resizing a "kit-bashed" model like this is that some of the original kits they used couldn't be found in a smaller scale size so bits and pieces were either left off or substituted for, so every size was a bit different then it's predecessor. They also made 3 other versions, but not until ESB. They made a smaller 23" Inch version that was only seen attached to the back of the Star Destroyer and a small 2" inch version that was only seen escaping the mouth of the space slug on the asteroid. Then of course was the full size that was used by the actors, however it wasn't actually full size either... its was more close to 2/3rds the size of the actual Falcon, but no one really cared or noticed when it was as big as life up on the screen and the full size was actually just partically built side that could be seen by the camera for ANH and they did make a complete version for ESB that floated on a cushion of air for ease of moving around the set if needed.
Now... With all that knowledge in mind, a little company started up called Master Replicas. Co-Founded by a man named Steve Dymszo, he and his team were granted access to the actual filmed 32" incher Falcon model that was used in all the movies, and had been stored in the Lucas Archives, the same model that saw the most screen time of any other ship used in the movies. What they were able to do is scan this model using unprecidented levels of detail so fine that it actually picked up dust off the surface of the model. With these scans with over 2.5 million points of reference their company produced the most accurate model of the Falcon ever produced. It was called the Master Replica's Millenium Falcon and it was glorious. Now this was only produced in a very limited run and was sold out rather quickly at around $5000 a piece. This was a Holy Grail for many collector's. Not only was it accurate to the original, but it had the providence from the original.
Years go by, and now you cannot find that model anywhere except occassionally on eBay and they end up selling for anywhere from $10,000-15,000 dollars U.S.! All of us who missed out on that beauty have had to either try and build our own, or do without.
Now however and just recently, a little UK company that has been producing high quality model kits for years contacted Steve and asked if he would be willing to help them produce a Falcon kit. But not just any kit... this would be a DeAgostini kit of the highest order. Steve has terrible OCD (like most of us model building sci-fi geeks and while going over the scans that they original had done of the Falcon, discovered that many of the little parts had broken off and were missing over the years of handling. He fixed that. He scoured the archive footages and original photos of the model and when he couldn't find a part, he scratch built it to make sure that this kit would be perfect! So here's what we know about this kit:
1) This part-kit is based directly on the original scans that were done of the 32" filming miniature that appeared in the ESB and ROTJ so you actually have providence there.
2) The MR Falcon was also produced from those exact same scans, however, it was discovered that many pieces had fallen off the original filming miniature over the years and were never repaired. The MR Falcon was reproduced without any of those missing peices and is basically an exact dupicate of the Original miniature as it is today. This DeAgostini kit fixes and replaces all the missing pieces that had fallen off over the years (pipes, parts, plates, etc).
3) This version contains a complete interior. The MR Falcon does not.
4) The MR Falcon sold for anywhere between $4000-$6000 dollars when it was released... when the DeAgostini model is finished including shipping, you're looking at anywhere between $1500-$1800 complete.
5) This is not just a snap-together model, it is a complete building kit which means you will have to glue, paint, and assemble it yourself. Its also multi-media. It's not just plastic, it's also metal parts, wires, screws, and various other mediums. Just like the original model was. If you have no modelling experience what-so-ever, you still end up with a better than decent model because all the parts are pre-painted, but with some practical assemblage and common sense, you could end up with a masterpiece. And if you're any good at model building what-so-ever (and maybe with a little OCD), you could end up with something better, a TRUE Replica Masterpiece!
6) This kit is completely lit and comes with all the wiring and lights you will need, but also has a special surprise as well. From what I've heard in the rumor mill, it's also going to be remote controlled including the boarding ramp!
7) You can display this in both flight or landed mode. It will come with landing gear (the 5 gear version, gotta remember this is the ESB verion, not the ANH version with only 3 gear).
8) The chances that this will be a short run and it will end before its done is pretty slim. DeAgostini has been in business for years and their kits are top of the line not only in accuracy, but in size and material as well. They've been doing this for a long time!
9) This is a 1:1 scale model of the 32" filming model. Not a 1:1 of the full size model. They actually made 4 different sizes for filming... the first was a 5' foot model. They used that for making the 2/3 size full size set version (which wasn't actually complete but only a set with the back half of the ship not even made). When they discovered that the 5' footer was too big for moving around and getting alot of the ction shots that were needed, a smaller 32" inch model was created and this is the one you see zooming thru the high speed scenes. The third model that was made was a smaller 2' foot model that was made and only seen once on the back of the Star Destroyer, and finally an even smaller 2" inch model that was only used in the space slug scene on the asteroid. Each version is a bit different because of the simple fact that the original 5' footer was a kit-bash... meaning they used 1000's of little parts and pieces from various other model kits and glued them to the surface of the original. When the 32" was made, alot of the original kits couldn't be found in the smaller scale, so the compromised and used different parts and pieces. You never really noticed because it was zooming around the screen but those with a trained eye and massive OCD can tell the difference. In any event, the 32" model saw the most screen time of any of the other versions because it was easy to move around and get all those cool shots, which is why this DeAgostini kit is so saught after and wanted.
10) This isn't going to be around forever. Just like with any model kit, I'm sure that this run will come to an end at some point, and if you wait around, you may just miss out on something that is truly ground breaking and the start of a whole new era of sci-fi modeling. I kicked myself for never getting the Fine Molds Falcon when it came out 10-15 years ago. Now its gone and the prices for them are thru the roof on ebay. When it came out, it was $250. Now you're lucky to find a complete MIB untouched kit for under $500... I've seen some selling for $800-$1000 on eBay. I'm not gonna let that happen again. I've got my subscription and can't wait to get started on this one when it arrives. I suggest if you have any interest in this what-so-ever to not hesitate, because you'll end up kicking yourself if you don't.
So before you go bashing something thinking it's stupid and a complete waste of money, do a little research and know your facts. Who knows... maybe now you might understand just why this is such a big deal and why the internet has been buzzing about this. Personally, I can't wait for mine to arrive. I know I could never afford $5000 up front for a model, but with this coming in at $1500-1800 in payments over 2 years, I can swing $60 a month. Hell I was paying more for layaways at Target and Walmart for a longer period when I was getting Christmas gifts! So... just ask yourself... is it worth it now?”
Great post.
I know sweet FA about model building but am aware enough to appreciate how dedicated model builders are having come across the odd exhibition over the years. How much effort they put in, how much they enjoy themselves. But most of all, how nice they are about explaining this, that and the other to small children.
So good luck with your kit and I hope it's everything you expect.
Originally Posted by Speak-Softly:
“Great post.
I know sweet FA about model building but am aware enough to appreciate how dedicated model builders are having come across the odd exhibition over the years. How much effort they put in, how much they enjoy themselves. But most of all, how nice they are about explaining this, that and the other to small children.
So good luck with your kit and I hope it's everything you expect.”
“Great post.
I know sweet FA about model building but am aware enough to appreciate how dedicated model builders are having come across the odd exhibition over the years. How much effort they put in, how much they enjoy themselves. But most of all, how nice they are about explaining this, that and the other to small children.
So good luck with your kit and I hope it's everything you expect.”
Kinda misses the entire point though; that these things are usually valuable because they're rare, low-volume, things.
Assuming that a mass-produced knock-off of such a thing is going to be valuable is a bit like thinking that your paint-by-numbers print of the Mona Lisa is going to be valuable too.
Originally Posted by Si_Crewe:
“Kinda misses the entire point though; that these things are usually valuable because they're rare, low-volume, things.
Assuming that a mass-produced knock-off of such a thing is going to be valuable is a bit like thinking that your paint-by-numbers print of the Mona Lisa is going to be valuable too.”
“Kinda misses the entire point though; that these things are usually valuable because they're rare, low-volume, things.
Assuming that a mass-produced knock-off of such a thing is going to be valuable is a bit like thinking that your paint-by-numbers print of the Mona Lisa is going to be valuable too.”
If that paint-by-numbers print was done by Leonardo, I think it would fetch a pretty penny. When dealing with Star Wars collectibles and models all my life, I think I know a thing or two about this. Every Falcon kit that has come out has been sub par, until recently. It started in the 70's when MPC (which was bought by AMT/ERTL a few years later) produced the falcon and it was very poorly detailed. It took a massive amount of effort to produce a semi-good looking model. When they first came out they came with a bun of light bulbs that would light the entire thing. For an 8 year old that was a pretty big deal. Then they re-released it for Empire and Jedi without the lights (hell they even produced a chromed version at one time) but shortly after Ep1, the company was bought out and they lost the Lucasfilm license. So for a long time there were no Star Wars kits available at all. Then a little company in Japan obtained a license and instead of using the AMT molds, they produced the Fine Molds falcon which was the most accurate, having some 5000 parts and selling for $250 (not including shipping fees from Japan because they weren't available in the USA). It was for the longest time the crème 'de la cream of the crop in accuracy, but it was only 1/76 scale. king it actually smaller then the first AMT that came out. However, those Japanese were smart in producing many more vehicles in the same 1/76 scale. The AMT kits were all over the place in scale. Its taken years to figure out just how big the falcon really is because all the mismatched scales used in the movie. Since the full size version wasn't actually the full scale size but maybe 2/3rds the actual size and all the sets were built in separate locations, they have finally discovered that the dimensions of the ship in order to fit with all the sets that were made would be 114 feet long, by 101 feet wide by 32 feet tall. So now Fine Molds created all these kits at the same scale we were finally able to see exactly how all the ship relate to each other in size. The Japanese had access to the 5' footer and used rulers and tape measures to make accurate measurements then scaled it all down. However, when Master Replicas came along, they were able to do a complete 3D scan of the actual 32" inch ship down to .0001mm in accuracy instead of relying on measurements that if one was off by a micrometer, would throw the rest of the measurements off too. It wasn't until the scan was done that they discovered the round pits on the mandibles weren't actually symmetrically placed but the right ones were actually closer to the main disk section. Quite a discovery. So... when they released the MR Falcon, its price was a bit high and out of the price range of the hard core geek model builders out there. But now, with this version, its perfectly within range of the typical consumer and the fact that it will be even more detailed and accurate then the MR Falcon is a bonus at less then half the price. So no matter what you think, this is by far the best deal around and I truly don't care how long it will take to get the entire kit, I'm positive that it'll be quite sought after for many years to come.
Originally Posted by James_Davis2:
“If that paint-by-numbers print was done by Leonardo, I think it would fetch a pretty penny.”
“If that paint-by-numbers print was done by Leonardo, I think it would fetch a pretty penny.”
That's a pretty arrogant comparison to try and make.
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