# The Sealab.... RERELEASED?



## John May (Nov 16, 2004)

We need to start the emails to round 2 to make it happen.

http://www.therpf.com/f10/sealab-rereleased-185591/


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I always thought this would be a shoe-in for Atlantis


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Depends on who has the original molds and their condition.
I hope it is repopped- I can just imagine who it would look with photoetch and the lighting techniques of today.


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## swhite228 (Dec 31, 2003)

Richard Baker said:


> Depends on who has the original molds and their condition.
> I hope it is repopped- I can just imagine who it would look with photoetch and the lighting techniques of today.


I think the original molds were rendered unusable by the train wreck.
http://culttvman.com/main/?p=6365


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## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

The molds (4) were destroyed for this kit. It was a *very poor seller* when it origanlly came never a good sign when comes to investing money in new tooling for a old kit. I would not do it unless we did a kickstarter to see how many people in the entire world would actually comitt to buying it. I would have to get an original, send it to the factory get the qoute for tooling and production and packaging, establish a price and see what happens.

I am open to that. 

I would think the retail would be between $59.99 and $79.99 respectfully it could be a bit more.


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

I'd buy it.

But, knowing the effort required to make it happen, and given its low sales on the initial run, I'd understand if it never came to pass.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

It's really hard to say how a particular kit would sell today compared to 1970. Modeling trends, demographics, interests etc are 100% different. Lots of old kits were poor sellers or limited sellers "back in the day" yet have a strong market as a reissue or remake. Look at Rommels Rod, and the Monster Scenes kits. I still find it odd too what kits companies do chose to make. Like Tracy the Gorilla. Who'd have ever guessed that one? It seems like today that companies can reach target audiences much easier than in the past... like online forums that were not around 40 years ago.


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## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

I have done my research on kits to reissue, new tooling or cleaning up old molds, I get alot of requests for the Aurora great moments in sports kits, really nice kits, tools are gone for those, aurora spent big money on those kits back then and they sold terrible, as it turn out sports fans were not model builders. We have a cool reissue coming out that has not seen the light of day for quite a long time and has never been reissued ever! I am hoping it will sell. I am not to worried as I did not have to invest any dollars in tooling costs. This helps keep the price down as well for the consumer.


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## Cajjunwolfman (Nov 15, 2004)

Mr Mega:

First off thanks to you and your company. You have done a lot for the hobby, figure kits especially, and I enjoy this forum you sponsor.

First point. If this kit is so desirable do crowd funding (Kickstarter). Let the people who want the kit fund the production. The initial group of people funding get an incentive to put up the money. IE, they get to purchase so many kits at a discounted rate or get a few kits for free. If you don't get sufficient funds for the production run the Kickstarter ends. All money is refunded, no one loses. If funding is sufficient then the project moves forward. There is some risk involved but I believe it would be minimal with someone such as yourself managing the project.

My question, comment on the subject of marketing:

The times today seem like the Golden age of marketing. Everywhere I look I am surrounded by clever advertising, products, information, surveys. Buy this car, eat this food, sleep in this bed. All designed to get me to purchase or find out what I will purchase. 
Yet....it seems that little or no effort is put into marketing the plastic scale models for our hobby. Occasionally a popular magazine asks a list of what people want. There is never a focus group on test building a kit, for instance. When I'm spending money ordering online why don't you have a simple popup survey as I check out? Direct pipeline to your consumer. I can't stay in a hotel overnight without completing at least one survey!
Marketing in the plastic scale model industry is virtually non-existant. Why don't you guys leverage these low cost ideas to understand your customer base better?


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## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

Hello, Kickstarter is an all or nothing project. You get funded or you dont. Nobody gets charged unless it gets funded, so you avoid doing refunds. That is what I like about it. Kickstarter takes 5% and Amazon gets 3% as they are processing the payments, so that is 8% right off the top. We will be launching a kickstarter soon.

You make some valid points about a getting some feedback on what the buying public wants. We are mostly selling our kits wholesale to distributors, so if they don't get excited about the project chances are we will not make it. Wholesalers check the temperature of the stores, if there is a good buzz about it, that is good. Wholesalers and distributors get tons of kits on there desks everyday. Our little niche of figures and other kits dont really get the respect they deserve. I feel the entire industry is really changing along with the demographic of this country. We will keep pressing on because this is all I know and Love. We have some really good marketing and kit ideas on the board right now.

Pete


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## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

Not sure what the price might be, but I'd love to see this kit repopped!


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## Cajjunwolfman (Nov 15, 2004)

Mr Mega:

The demographic is getting older. That seems for now to have Blossomed into more kits, details, and Technology than I ever thought possible. Likely to end when our group puts down their kits.

Thanks for your input. Really appreciated to hear from you as you really know the business side of the hobby. 
Look forward to seeing details of your Kickstarter.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

The LHS that I go to had a model of the Sealab earlier this year. Not sure if they have it on the shelf.


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## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

What is it a boxed kit or Built up?


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

It was a unbuilt boxed kit.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Those go for some $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

MEGA1 said:


> We will be launching a kickstarter soon.


No kickstarter yet? Or did I miss it?


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## Cajjunwolfman (Nov 15, 2004)

The Kickstarter was I. Sept or Oct 2013. The Kickstarter was actually for an Upgraded version of the Aurora Gladiator kit. 

Atlantis did a wonderful job but the Kickstarter failed miserably.


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

LOST or destroyed MOLD STORY, pure propaganda........Its nothing that money cant fix !


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

RMC said:


> LOST or destroyed MOLD STORY, pure propaganda........Its nothing that money cant fix !


Moebius recreated the classic Aurora 2001 Moonbus by reverse engineering the master from an unbuilt sample kit. It can be done if you spend time and treasure, question is whether you can sell enough kits to cover the cost and make a profit...


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## Cajjunwolfman (Nov 15, 2004)

Having the mold makes production far less expensive. Kits can be reverse engineered. Polar Lights did a lot of this. Seems doubtfully Sea Lab is cost effective to re-do.


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

well I am sure the Spindrift or sealab is more popular than a semi truck !


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

RMC said:


> well I am sure the Spindrift or sealab is more popular than a semi truck !


Hardly. How many people even know what the Sea Lab was today? Even the Spindrift. The Sea Lab would sell mostly to Aurora collectors and the Spindrift to a smaller audience than even Lost in Space. I love LotG and didn't buy the dinky Moebius small Spindrift. Actually I love VtbS and passed on their oversize Flying Sub too.

Semi trucks are always good sellers, especially in Europe. Why do you think Revell is handling the Moebius semi in Europe now? Stuff like the Spindrift would have a small dedicated audience in the US and probably no audience in Europe. Much the way the nice (but stupid) Revell Perry Rhodan kits bombed out in the US. Perry who???


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> Hardly. How many people even know what the Sea Lab was today? Even the Spindrift. The Sea Lab would sell mostly to Aurora collectors and the Spindrift to a smaller audience than even Lost in Space. I love LotG and didn't buy the dinky Moebius small Spindrift. Actually I love VtbS and passed on their oversize Flying Sub too.
> 
> Semi trucks are always good sellers, especially in Europe. Why do you think Revell is handling the Moebius semi in Europe now? Stuff like the Spindrift would have a small dedicated audience in the US and probably no audience in Europe. Much the way the nice (but stupid) Revell Perry Rhodan kits bombed out in the US. Perry who???


so if semi trucks are so popular,.....then why did moebius do a small scale spindrift ???????????


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

If the Spindrift is so popular, why did Moebius make on the size of an Xmas tree ornament and not a 3' long one?

I am sure the cost of the 3" Spindrift was negligible.


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## Aurora-brat (Oct 23, 2002)

djnick66 is absolutely correct, it was fairly cheap to produce for Moebius so they went for it. To tool one up the size of the Flying sub would have cost so much Frank wouldn't have been able to sell enough to cover his tooling costs let alone make any money on it.

After all, it's still a business.


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

I think the only people who would buy a Sealab would be those of us who bought one back in the day, or those of us who need greeblies for kitbashing. As much as I'd love a Sealab (being in the former group), I just can't see it selling to anyone other than the groups I mentioned. Among the general public, it's not well-known, and undersea exploration just isn't as hot as, say, space.


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

its all about money !....if frank had the money I bet he would have produced a larger version of the spindrift

as far as advertising to boost sales on the sealab, I am very sure the marketing gurus could have enticed a younger audience.....remember its what is economical at the time


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

RMC said:


> its all about money !....if frank had the money I bet he would have produced a larger version of the spindrift
> 
> as far as advertising to boost sales on the sealab, I am very sure the marketing gurus could have enticed a younger audience.....remember its what is economical at the time


Frank already said the big Jupiter 2 wasnt a good idea in hind sight. I doub't a big Spindrift would do better and he knows it too and has said as much. Its not just having the money to make the kit... its a matter of the kit being able to make money back.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

I would still love to see a detailed 3inch Jupiter 2 along the lines of the little Spindrift and Flying Sub.

Oh, and a Sealab!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I'd go for a Jupiter 2 in 1/72 scale. It wouldn't be very big but you could do a lot with it. And, being in a standard scale, you could get more accessories or things to use with it. When they do a kit in 1/247 scale you are sort of screwed.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

RMC said:


> so if semi trucks are so popular,.....then why did moebius do a small scale spindrift ???????????


Huh?

What has one got to do with the other? :freak:


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

read previous posts


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