I work the web every day to find new avenues of promotion and to see what our competition is up to.
I'm a bit concerned. I expect competition and welcome any one working in paper but the general poor quality I'm seeing is worysome. I work hard to give card modeling model RR structures a great reputation, Then i see new companies spring up that are not making a quality product. I found two new companies today. One did British line models that looked OK but were outrageously expensive.(Metcalf already makes nice brit models. We like Metcalf) Like 20 0r 30 pounds for a pre-printed kit. Another new company right next door was offering kits that are just uninteresting and badly engineered. In the last 6 years we went from 2 good quality competitors to at least 7, only one of which we respect as a fine model designer. I understand that our software based counterpart (ED) is notorious for crashing computers.
I'd like to hear what other experiences you dedicated card modelers have had. We'll keep making great kits.
Thom

Thom,

As you know I am a dedicated modeler in all media and I must admit to becoming a Clever Models purist when it comes to cardstock models. I have experience with Metcalfe from my days living in South Africa and Australia where they are quite common. I have built many of their structures and found them acceptable but the "weathering" that is applied to your models is what makes them stand apart and competitive with other wood and resin structures, in my experience. I can say I have fooled quite a few people.

The only other company whose product I enjoy is Paper Creek. In O scale their structure selection is limited but I must admit to teething on those kits before jumping into Clever Models. The only product they have that I purchase is their tarpaper roofing because it looks so familiar on the buildings that I grew up with in the Southwest. I have replaced all of their structures on my layout (all three of them) with scratchbuilt or Clever models. As for ED, I find their structures to be very 2-dimensional (they did crash my computer when I attempted the lone download) and unsatisfying. The thing that makes Clever Models and the other quality cardstock kits is the wealth if detail (even in the layering) and the realistically weathered textures. Keep up the good work, guys!


Jim

Thom,

Take a look a www.scalesceans.com. Another British web site but with some quality products for download. Most are 00 sclae but they do provide instructions to convert to HO.

Needless to say, your product is better.

John

I tried the scale scenes product and found it difficult to build relative to Clever Models. I like how they have you wrap the edges with printed paper, but it is tricky and time consuming. They also only model British structures. They look real nice when assembled properly (and carefully) but I think too much work. I have not found any other real competition to Clever Models.

Please keep up the great work guys! I am hooked.

Thanks Ben, i really like what Scale scenic is doing. they make a good kit that looks great done. A competitor like that I welcome. I don't have an issues with Paper creek. He only makes a couple of kits but they represent paper modeling very well. Others however, are little more than cardboard and paper box's with bad images wrapped on them. We put so much engineering into each kit. I sometimes revise a kit over a year and several builds just to make sure that it's straight forward for folks to build and have a good, successful time. One company in particular I think hurts the method with glitchy software and inferior art / images. But I don't want to name call.
We just have to stay our path and let the product evolve as it will.
T

I have been building card models for several years and I am very impressed by your models. Stay the course, let others do what they will. I really enjoy the detail that is found in your kits.

I have built several of the Scale Scenes models for my British Layout and I have been very impressed with the results. I am excited that you are offering instant download models now. I plan on downloading the O Scale Mercantile for my On30 layout. Keep up the good work.