Mostly cost cutting in reduction of multimedia parts. Recycling prior kits with minor changes without attention to the details to ensure quality product. That plus a higher price product than competitors for an equal or inferior Dragon product.
To Dragon’s credit they do go back and fix or redo some of their travesty kits like the Nashorn etc.
I’ve NEVER viewed Dragon as a top quality manufacturer due to the long standing systematic faults in instructions & poor engineering design so often found in their kits. Most people don’t seem to mind the nasty time intensive parts clean up and forgive due to excellent subject matter etc.
The only two Dragon kits I’ve enjoyed building ever was a 1/350 Type XXI U-boat. Instructions were good, mold quality great and fit perfect. Definitely a joy to build and even more fun to paint.
Well, I’ve enjoyed my Dragon’s over the years and for some reason they really took a quality drop over a cliff a few years ago.
What happened to them I don’t know.
Ironically, part of the reason why I am interested in this thread is because I am working on the Dragon PzIIIM (kit 6604). We are in the “paint the wheels stage” (which I do by hand with acrylic paint). I think the Dragon kits are complete & well detailed, especially their PzIII series. But quite complicated. I actually like Takom a lot, for a balance of detail vs build-ability. So I was a little disappointed to read the comments above.
IMHO the issue with Dragon is that they were top-dog for years, & are now running on their laurels. I can’t recall the last new kit that Dragon has done, that hasn’t been a re-pop. More often than not, I look at other manufacturers these days, for a subject. That’s why I was so excited to see what Academy has in the box for their PzIII. I hope they go backwards & release some E-F-Gs at some point.
According to Scalemates Dragon hasn’t released any new tool 1/35 kits since 2018, and that was an IDF version of the M113 which seems more like new parts than new tool.
Definitely resting on their laurels, but also a few years back they purged a lot of kits from their catalog. Some came back as 2in1s and 3in1s but they did cut a few kits no one else has released yet.
Anyone know how the other parts of the Dragon operation are doing with new releases? A one point the 1/6 or whatever Marvel movie stuff like Rocket Racoon really appeared to take of sales wise. That or other area of the became more profitable they probably shifted focus to that area instead of model AFV kits.
BTW When did the Dragon USA Online webstore close up?
The web site seemed to start crumbling away early last year. A lot of links stopped working and the search stopped working correctly. Then they apparently came back as Cyberhobby.com.
They have a sale section listing a bunch of kits at the $30-$40 mark but they are all kits you likely would have bought years ago if you wanted them.
I’ve been watching this thread with interest as I really want to add a relatively easy-to-build OOB late Panzer iii to my collection. I had been tempted by the Takom Blitz kit but it’s looking as though an Academy Panzer iii may be the way to go to suit my skills/requirements.
Thank you for the time you are taking to do this genuinely helpful build review of the different kits.
Its not her fault as she is not well trained. Tile should be under his desk and it should be carefully SWEPT and the sweepings carefully looked at using a flashlight.
Poor girl.
On a more AMS note, there are a few “potential detonators” to trigger the OCD modeler present. Most of it I notice is wing nut & tool handles level stuff. The two little c hook that goes between the rear of the turret and stowage box are missing. The two on the left and right sides of the turret are solid instead of c shaped. That’s probably fixable with a little trim & file. The kit tracks with lots of punch marks being link & length are File 13 material in Wade’s World straight to the bin.
From memory, I think solid 40cm tracks showed up middle/late 1942 so the long gun 50mm version might be OK with the kit tracks from an accuracy aspect. Long gun is 1 of the 5 versions with decals in the box. One should decide before starting which version of 5 to build. I’m going for #5 long gun 50mm.
One would want to confirm with war time picture if that’s a concern. Again, from memory, I think the shorter gun 50mm version of Pz III would have hollow guide tooth tracks in most cases, war time picture being the decider.
Got to stop talking about Panzer Police , stuff getting the “feels” to start splitting hairs over infinitesimally insignificant details on a non Pz IV/Tiger/Panther subject…can hear the library of reference books calling my name…j/k
straight to the bin.
, stuff getting the “feels” to start splitting hairs over infinitesimally insignificant details on a non Pz IV/Tiger/Panther subject…can hear the library of reference books calling my name…j/k