OK guys… Whats the best scale for small stuff?

[ww2collecter]

1st time I posted here, Im mainly in the 1:18 section.

Anyway, with the bigger scale not being around much, I want to switch over to something different. I see a lot of 72nd scale at the hobby store, but overall all , whats the best scale?…. 72nd, 48, 32?

I would like to start collecting a scale that will be around, has a lot of different A/C and accessories even.

Whats the recommendation??

[gouchy]

Hi read your thread on the 1/18 too, nice to see your unique display collection again!

Hope you're not giving up on 1/18 but just expanding your scale portfolio just for the chance of having new things to buy

For myself, my main collection are in 1/18 and 1/72 with a smattering of 1/48 and 1/144 and a pinch of various miscellaneous

I was in the same boat as you with nothin new to look forward to in 1/18 but 1/72 alone has kept me very busy and broke in 2010. With so many releases and great quality diecasts from HM, CW, Corgi, Skymax, IXO/Altaya, Gemini Aces, Witty, Dragon and Gaincorp, you're really spoilt for choice, will keep you reaching for your cc for a long while.

Be warned though, 1/72 is highly addictive but by all means go for it!

[AMERICAN_GRENADIER]

1/72!
they keep making them even in bad times and the line keeps expanding.
more and more subjects and the quality keeps getting better.

[Ruger]

As much as it pains me to say it, being a diehard scale purist of the 1:32 sort, 1:32 seems to be just about as dead as 1:18 these days. Releases are few and far between, and what does get released just keeps getting pricier. 1:48 never really seemed to take of the way I think it could have. 1:24 has but a few interesting things going on, mainly related to R/C products.

1:72... Although I don't collect it myself, has been where it's at for the last couple of years, and it wasn't as if it was unheard of before then. The variety of models is amazing, covering just about all eras (can't say I've seen a lot of WWI, but then, I haven't been looking). The space issue for display is cetainly a big plus. With my 1:32 I can lay out a diorama depicting a decent street scene, a snapshot type image if you will, and with 1:18, unless you are truly lucky with the amount of space you have, about all you can do is focus on one piece at a time. With 1:72 you can actually cover enough terrain to show actual tactical scenarios. Of course, this is all a moot point if all you'll be doing is displaying on a shelf. Another plus to 1:72 is that it is a popular scale for a variety of subjects, both aircraft and ground vehicles, and even some marine. Where 1:32 is popular for ground vehicles, tanks and trucks, 1:48 is popular for aircraft, planes and helicopters. Now that the "boom" is over, it's hard to find 1:32 aircraft, especially anything modern or multiengined. Did anyone ever do any helicopters? 1:72 seems to have nice collections of everything.

And then of course, there's the cost. For what one Abrams tank will cost me these days at regular retail prices, I could buy a platoon of them in 1:72! 1:72 makes depicting an actual army possible, fleets of trucks, realistic convoys... The price also allows for a little more freedom to customize. I'm still fairly hesitant to do much to a $70 tank, but I might be willing to risk a $15-$20 tank in my unskilled hands.

All that having been said, though I may stop to think about what I'd do if I was starting over from scratch, for me, it's 1:32 or nothing. And for the last couple of years... that means quite a bit of nothing...

MV

[Tshintl]

1/72 scale for all the reasons above. Really, there isn't even a close second place for any other scale when it comes to what you can find in 1/72 scale. Lots of information on all things 1/72 die cast at the link below...

http://www.diecast72.com

[hworth18]

I started out collecting mostly 1/72 and then realised that 1/72 is really too small for single engined fighters and there is a ton more detail in 1/48 and 1/32. I have since changed my collecting habits and although I still collect 1/72 fighters, I prefer them in the larger scales but I still keep my heavies (twin engined and bigger bombers) in 1/72 which seems to be the perfect size for those planes.

[snake]

See my reply in the 1/18 section.

But agree with Harry 100%.

[Dauntless]

I second that.

I used to buy a lot of 1:72 fighters. Too small for me too. I still have them but they don't thrill me as much as the bigger scales ( I got spoiled) There's an endless supply though.

I don't have any of the bombers.

You could go 1:32, but what used to be very inexpensive has recently gotten pricier.

A few of 21st's 1:32 molds never got repeated in 1:18 like the P-51B/C, and vise versa.

There's a whole bunch of them to track down, which is half the fun, if you don't mind a little pain (for a few of them) in your wallet. BBI make's a few of them too, which are outstanding.

[Heer]

I started out with 1/32 scale, but then switched to 1/72 shortly after. 1/72 is in its prime time right now, in both ground and air models.

[fsrpcunha]

1/72. There is a lot of models around (both diecast and kit) they are big enough to see almost all details but small enough to have a "compact" size collection. Besides if you want to do dioramas there is also a lot of stuff and it is compatible with the train H0/00 scale.