Check this out - when it rains it pours

Man this guy has got huge stones to do this. WOW!


http://www.network54.com/Forum/47211/message/1257241948/Open+letter-++I+have+left+Mig+productions

Phil

Mig just up and left his company? He didn't sell it? He left all his models and tools behind and moved to a different city? I wonder what the REAL story is there. Regardless, sounds like he might actually get back to building models. Hope to see some 1/48 stuff from him here.

Dave

Ya know I just feel a bit compelled to chime in here and ad my .02 cents worth......not sure how many Yen or Euro that equates to now but anyway.....Many, many , many moons ago I kind of veered off in the "hey I can make a little money at this hobby" trail. Back then I was into the 1/48 aircraft. I had started to work on a F-82 Twin Mustang, a friend told a friend who told a friend and the next thing ya know I have a few guys writing me with requests to make some molds and cast this thing up for them. So I think what the heck lets do it. Next comes a MiG-19, then a Cougar conversion, etc, etc and things are going great until I find myself trapped in a "hey my hobby turned into a business".....and that SUCKED. But now having moved on to 1/48 armor, with a bit smaller demand all things are pretty good. And I learned that all things in moderation is fine. Maybe the deal with Mig caught up with him the same way........"My hobby became a business, and the fun was gone." I can not say for sure but something to think about.

with more than a modicum of interest..... Here I am about to consider stepping onto the lion's den when one of tne most successful modelers-turned-model entrepeneurs ups and quits the whole business thing. You can understand why I won't even consider Phoenix48 unless I can find a reasonable and good caster to make the production kits and parts. I have the equipment to make parts for me, and given my choice of 1/48 armor, with its vast sales potential (sarcasm alert), I may end up doing the Faxon thing. I am going to be using 3-D prototyping for some things, and a few may require that for production as well, unless I have so far undiscovered talents in model mold design .

I have been warned about this development in trying to make a hobby into a business, and it is the one thing I fear the most: losing a very enjoyable hobby to the attempt at making a paying business of it. Told you before, that won't happen. I'd shut it down in a heartbeat if I even thought that was happening. Of course, one has to start something before he can shut it down..... As Steve said, the much lower demand for parts in 1/48 armor would probably mean the business end would be manageable. That's the plan anyway.

Wow! Didn't see that one coming. Even though a lot of modelers complained about his products and prices, I thought he had a great thing going there in bringing uniformity in our model materials (& the language of techniques). Looking back at my older models, I know his book, videos, and products helped me to get my models to the next level of realism. Thanks Mig and happy retirement! Maybe you'll end up back here in 1/48 land. Salute'