Why is populating a layout with scale vehicles so expensive?

[Productionmanager]

Dear Raillphotog:

Thanks for the Trainworld tip.

I bought four vehicles that worked out to about $8.00 per with shipping.

I'll still be on the lookout for even cheaper alternatives.

Thanks to all who responded to my initial post.

 

[mlehman]

Sir Madog

This may be slightly , but I have always asked myself why some folks go through a lot of pain, trouble and expense of building a highly detailed and realistic looking layout, only to skimp on the vehicles populating it and thus making all of the work look toylike, especially on close-up photos.

Sometimes it's budgetary limits, but let's leave those aside as already thoroughly beaten to a pulp...

I think the answer lies right above your post. You need some foreground models, to be sure. But you also need lots of background models, depending on your era and prototype. It's like anything else on the layout, the mix of these two is something we have to make a choice about for ourselves.

Then there's the stand-ins...background models you wish were foreground ones until you can afford to replace them.

It's all good.

[zstripe]

JimL

 

 

zstripe

Hi,

If You model the 30's era, to the 80's and You are into kit building/bashing there are all kinds of vehicles out there, trucks, .....

 

 

 

 

OK .... I'll buy two, or more, of those tandem axle trucks.

Great job!

 

If You are interested in building You're own ....here's a link where I got them. The one's I build though, the suspension's are modified to accept Brass tube axles housings, brass rod for axle's, different wheels and tires, from A-Line and brass tube exhaust. In some cases, suspension is lengthtened with Brass C-channel. All the one's I build roll....the kits are static models:

http://www.amerproto.com/sylvan.htm

The kit that the trucks started out as:

http://www.amerproto.com/images/sylvan/185.jpg

Take Care! 

Frank

Trailers are bashed Herpa models with lowered and modified suspensions. Tractor is a CMW, all on sale, more than half off. I guess no one wanted  what road name they were painted for....So I bought a whole bunch and stripped the paint and added details, the way I wanted them.

[BATMAN]

zstripe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frank, as alway's I am in awe of your vehicle modeling ability. However you may want take another crack at your truckers backdrop. It's just a little too flowery for a truck guy.

[zstripe]

BATMAN

Frank, as alway's I am in awe of your vehicle modeling ability. However you may want take another crack at your truckers backdrop. It's just a little too flowery for a truck guy.  

Brent,

Thanks for Your kinds words....LOL Yeah that was My old make-shift, paint drying and detail shelf. The newer one is larger, inside a kit bashed warehouse/garage that the roof and one side is removable, can be closed up to keep any dust/dirt out. I even hired some furry Mechanic's.....but I have yet to find out how to keep them from clowning around. I think they may have come from some North Dakota Abby.....Good worker's though. LOL.

Take Care! 

Frank

[Anonymous]

Frank - I see Brother Elias has been visiting you

[BRAKIE]

On my ISL I use Truck N stuff 18 wheelers that I buy at $9.99-17.99 but,I want the best trucks for eye candy and for the few cars I use I bought a 25 car lot off of e-bay for around $16.00.

These cars are less detailed but,I notice the majority of my few visitors never see these cars since the buildings,freight cars and the 18 wheelers is center stage while the "extra cast" sets in the background unnoticed..

Here's why..

That's a very nice looking Werner truck or that's a very nice looking Knight truck there. They can relate to those truck lines as easily as a NS or CSX boxcar because its what they see every day..

[Lone Wolf and Santa Fe]

Figures are expensive because of the level of detail on the painting. I have no problem paying big bucks for nicely painted figures. The most expensive ones I've bought where German WWII soldiers from Preiser with a really high level of detail for use with my Guns of Normandy Coastal Defense model.

Sir Madog

 

hornblower

So are plastic figures so expensive because the manufacturers have to pay licensing fees?  I don't think I've ever seen an HO scale figure that actually looked like anyone I'd recognize!

 

 

 

 

Well, how wrong you are!

You can buy HO scale figures of President Obama, the Pope, some other politicians, past and present.

I am sorry if my English is not good enough to have made my point clear. Car makers (especially the ones in your country) charge hefty license fees. There are no license fees on people, not even President Obama!

 

Actually if you have a talent agent there are licensing fees. All products which feature the band KISS are licensed by Gene Simons so he receives royalties for their likeness. Same with Britney Spears, the girls from Twilight and the Hunger Games, etc. Professional athletes also. If you want a John Elway figure you pay extra for his name. However nobody makes any of these people in HO scale. There are HO scale KISS Racing Rigs (slot car trucks) and I do have a Billy Ray Cyrus tour bus which I filled with self painted Preiser firgures to represent Miley Cyrus and her family and friend.

To me figures and vehicle are just as important to building a nice layout as weathered freight cars or super detailed locomotives. It's just part of the overall miniture world so why not have nice people, cars and trucks?

 

[Medina1128]

One of my future projects is to populate some vehicles with people. You see vehicles at RR X-ings with no people in them. I read a how-to once. It involved cutting off the legs below the knees. Then, figuring out how to disassemble and reassemble the vehicle.