Classic Kit Period Cut Off Point

[JamesPerrin]

As the issue of the CBK cut off points has been raised several times over the last month I thought I would start a dedicate thread and put down my thoughts. Please add your own and lets see if we can reach a consensus. The statement of intent says:

"After some consideration, "The Classic British Kits SIG” will be initially concerned with all kits; injection, resin, vac form and multi-media, originally tooled before 1980, by British companies registered as such. This date will advance in years as we do and the point is taken that "classic" kits are re-issued time and time again".

It also says

"That said, our intent is not set in stone and I hope for input from an active membership to fine tune it. The definition of "Classic" is a subjective one and we intend to be as varied and as flexible as our great hobby allows. "

Personally I've always said mid 80's to allow some wiggle room. I hesitate to have a rolling date because I feel that Classic British Kits was meant to celebrate the halycon days of modelling, which lasted from it the inception of the hobby as we know it in the late 50's till the early 80's. Airfix going into receivership and being bought by General Mills (Palitoy) in 1981, and Matchbox being sold off at he same time basically signifies the end of the hobby as a predominant pastime for kids. Yes it carried on and there were some great kits released (by Airfix) but nothing like at the rate seen previously. It was the start of of modelling growing up whether that is for better or worse and becoming an adult pastime with the demands for accuracy and detail that comes with age. As there was only Airfix going forward apart from the cottage industry manufacturers, it becomes an even more Airfix biased selection of kits to build and I think they are pretty much covered already.

SIGs like Group Builds are far better with a tighter remit rather than chipping away at the concept because "Bob" only wants to build his Wingbats D-1.

[Gregers]

Hi James. Very well put and that sums up my thoughts on this exactly. The very latest dates I think we should be considering are indeed the mid to maybe late 80's at a push. Later than that we are entering the modern kit era.

All the best.

Greg

[fredk]

Agree with both above.
Mainly early to mid 1980s, flexible for late 1980s

[JohnRatzenberger]

Agree, a rolling date only gathers stuff, as you point out, there is more to the "Classic" than age.
As to which date in 1980, we might want to address that specifically.

OTOH, on a broader view, there is also the "classic" meaning important to the hobby, etc. We had that discussion early on that a kit might come out that is so good/advanced/important that is deserves "classic" status despite not having reached age - obviously that gets subjective.

I'm a bit concerned that some firms who contributed much -- i.e., Esoteric and AeroClub -- but are gone forever will not get that recognition and wish there was some way to broaden the scope while still keeping it narrow.

[mattbacon]

IMHO, there's really not much good, original stuff from Airfix beyond around 1983 (the then-new Lanc is probably the high-water mark of the early 80s) until you get to the new 1/48 Spitfires/Lightnings in the 90s. I think along with James that "mid-80s" should be the cut-off date, and if we really have to pick a single year, then let's say 1985. That doesn't mean that anything issued by Airfix prior to '85 is a "Classic British Kit", but nothing issued after then is...

I think James is also right when he says that the cut-off is also about a sea-change in the environment of modelling from a common pastime for kids to a specialist interest of some grown-ups...

best,
M.

[ShaunW]

I would also agree that if we are to have a cut off point then 1985 would seem to be a good year at which to draw the line in the sand. John raises an interesting point with the broader view but personally I tend to equate "classic" with "old" rightly or wrongly!

[fredk]

Now that Aeroclub are no longer trading perhaps their kits can be included, irrespective of their year of manufacture?

[JohnRatzenberger]

I would also agree that if we are to have a cut off point then 1985 would seem to be a good year at which to draw the line in the sand. John raises an interesting point with the broader view but personally I tend to equate "classic" with "old" rightly or wrongly!

Thank you, I am now "classic".

[ShaunW]

I would also agree that if we are to have a cut off point then 1985 would seem to be a good year at which to draw the line in the sand. John raises an interesting point with the broader view but personally I tend to equate "classic" with "old" rightly or wrongly!

Thank you, I am now "classic".

Think nothing of it, John, I'm always pleased to be of service

[SJPONeill]

Now that Aeroclub are no longer trading perhaps their kits can be included, irrespective of their year of manufacture?

I was comfortable with the early-mid 80s as a cut-off til I read this...and now I'm wondering if kits like Maintrack, Esoteric, Arba, etc might also be construed classic kits in some way...possibly because vacforms are also largely becoming history...?

[Ratch]

The British biggies were Airfix, Frog and Matchbox. Frog went in 1976 when the moulds went to Russia. Airfix went to General Mills in 1981. Most of what was issued after that were re-boxes of other manufacturer's kits. R&D was run down and there was very little original tooling. Matchbox soldiered on until Revell bought them in 1991. As far as injection moulding goes you could argue any of those dates or embrace them all.

[beany]

1980 with a little bit of wriggle rooms sounds good to me for all of the reasons the learned gentleman have advocated above.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Matchbox is the problem, at least 1981-84, which has classics like the Stranraer & Heyford, the Churchill Bridgelayer, and a number of 1/32 autos. This extends onward from 1985, but I am fuzzy on new Matchbox kits as being "originally tooled by British companies registered as such" without doing more research. I think I've always given a pass to new-tool Matchbox kits that weren't obvious repops of other manufacturers, regardless of date as I haven't understood all the ownership nuances.