A Few Questions About Choosing a Display-Quality Model Ship

[handcraftedmodelships]

Hello everyone,
I’m interested in learning more about what experienced model ship collectors and builders look for when choosing a high-quality ship model for display.

There are so many different types of models available today, including tall ships, sailing ships, pirate ships, military vessels, and ships in bottles. For someone who appreciates maritime history and craftsmanship but may not have the time to build a model from a kit, a fully assembled model can be an interesting option.
I’d love to hear from the members here:

• What details do you consider most important when judging the quality of a model ship
• How important is historical accuracy when choosing a display model?
• Do you prefer hand-built wooden models or model kits that you can build yourself?
• Which types of ships do you think make the most impressive display pieces?
  
  I’d appreciate any thoughts or recommendations from experienced model ship enthusiasts.
  
  For anyone interested in exploring different types of handcrafted wooden ship models, you can also visit:
  
  

  from Handcrafted Model Ships

  Discover high-quality ship models at Handcrafted Model Ships. Explore our collection of wooden ship models, including sailboats, pirate ships, and more.

  www.handcraftedmodelships.com
  
  Thanks, and I look forward to learning from the community!

 

[Roger Pellett]

There are several kinds of customers for ship models; especially those who want them for decorations; and serious collectors.

Those buying them for decorations usually know very little about ships, or naval architecture and want them because they look “cool” or are part of a nautical theme. There is a mass market ship model industry that produces models crude to the knowledgeable customer but seems to satisfy this demand.

There are a handful world class model builders who are well known and build unique models from scratch. Their models command high prices from serious collectors and as with any work of art, name recognition is important.

A third group are boat owners, who want a model of their own vessel. There are companies that specialize in building models of well known present day and vintage era yachts. They advertise that they are able to customize these with the customer’s color scheme. A sub category would those building models for commercial customers. Again they want a model of their specific ship.

I do not build models from kits nor have ever tried to sell one of my scratch built models. From reading this and other forums it is my impression that it would be difficult for an unknown builder Iike me to sell one of my unique models and that models built from kits, if they sell at all, command only a fraction of the (unbuilt) kit price.

Roger

 

[AllanKP69]

Thanks, and I look forward to learning from the community!

As Roger explained, it depends on the many aspects he listed. Those models on the site you posted are likely mass produced for simple deco in the home or office. For high quality accurate models the price moves into the thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars. A limited market to be sure, but it is there.

• What details do you consider most important when judging the quality of a model ship Quality....... materials, construction, accuracy, all of equal importance.
• How important is historical accuracy when choosing a display model? Your call. Most viewers won't know the difference between a wale and a deck plank. Others will notice the fine points. What do YOU want?
• Do you prefer hand-built wooden models or model kits that you can build yourself? Not sure what you mean. I never heard of a machine built model and any model built by oneself is hand built whether scratch built or hand assembled if a kit. One big difference is that there are thousands of the same ship from kits, but a scratch built can be a one of a kind including built to order.
• Which types of ships do you think make the most impressive display pieces? This is very personal. A model of a modern cruise ship may be the choice for one person and an 18th century frigate may be the choice of another. I have a number of folks that love small scratch built ships' boats like pinnaces and longboats as they tend to be small but can still be highly detailed and are only several hundred dollars in most cases. Others have no budget and do not care about $15,000 or $20,000 if the model is more complex, and highly accurate.

Allan