# When did models get so expensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636 "2020-04-12T17:00:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/21 "2020-04-13T15:22:48Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I had no luck with those little engines… The Cox… Cox engines went out of production in 2009. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/22 "2020-04-13T15:23:34Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > Back when I was in grade school, a 24" wingspan balsa/tissue model was $0.25, and a 15" wingspan one was $0.15. That was some time ago. If memory serves, these were made by Comet, but I could be wrong there. > > Hint - this was a year or so before WWII started. Of course, keep in mind per capita income was much much lower back then (only $693 in 1941 according to my old Britannica yearbook). ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/23 "2020-04-13T20:19:24Z")
I worked in a neighborhood convenience store in 1974 and there was outrage when a pack of cigarettes went up to $0.20. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/24 "2020-04-13T21:34:00Z")
Are there still places people go to race bigger slot cars? (about 6 inches) I did that some in the 60s but then everyone got the smaller tracks and cars at home so we did not need to pay to race the bigger cars. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/25 "2020-04-14T00:27:55Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The thing is, these aren’t detailed recreations. The WWII ones may not be, but the WWI kits are sticks and paper, much like their full scale counterparts. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/26 "2020-04-14T03:27:22Z")
Again, harking back to the days just before WWII, the best kits were made by Cleveland. These were really beautifully done, and could be used to make a museum quality model (still of balsa stick and tissue paper). Their plans were real works of art. I don’t remember for sure, but I think at that time they retailed for around $2.50. Somewhere around here I’ve got one of these kits for a Messerschmidt ME109, but I’m damned if I can find where I stored it. Probably would be worth hundreds of dollars now. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/27 "2020-04-14T03:38:33Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > The WWII ones may not be, but the WWI kits are sticks and paper, much like their full scale counterparts. Guillow’s WWI kits have the basic shape, but the construction is nowhere close to realistic. The vacuum-formed plastic lacks most detail. No provision is made for control surfaces. Yeah, they look like what they’re supposed to represent, but the detail is minimal and nowhere near what you get on even a cheap Bachmann train set. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/28 "2020-04-14T04:06:42Z")
Model race cars are pretty insane, with limited editions, signed editions, and more. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636/29 "2020-04-14T16:15:01Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Guillow’s WWI kits have the basic shape, but the construction is nowhere close to realistic. The vacuum-formed plastic lacks most detail. No provision is made for control surfaces. Yeah, they look like what they’re supposed to represent, but the detail is minimal and nowhere near what you get on even a cheap Bachmann train set. The sucker still needs to fly with zero rubber band horsepower and suboptimal (read: heavy) balsa. I have a Guillow Halberstadt unbuilt because the lozenge camo in a lightweight format kinda frightens me. I should put in an electric motor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-models-get-so-expensive/851636.md?page=1)