03-21-2009, 11:09 AM
Personally, I wouldn't buy a built-up structure unless it was dirt cheap and one that I really wanted. Paying someone else to have the enjoyment of assembly just doesn't seem right, so it should be cheaper than the kit form of the same structure. 
Also, I seldom build a structure as the manufacturer intended, unless it suits my purposes to do so - I look at most kits as boxes of useful parts.
In the photo below, the green structure at right was acquired as a built-up model - free at a nearby hobby shop 'cause no one else seemed to see any potential in it.
To the left of that is a storage shed from the Walthers grain elevator, one of a handful of kits built as Walthers intended.
[album]746[/album]
Another thing to keep in mind is shipping: while your finished model may weigh the same as the kit shipped to you, it will cost considerably more to ship to your customer because the package will be, in most cases, much larger. It will also be much more difficult to pack in a manner that will ensure its arrival in good condition.
Wayne
Also, I seldom build a structure as the manufacturer intended, unless it suits my purposes to do so - I look at most kits as boxes of useful parts.In the photo below, the green structure at right was acquired as a built-up model - free at a nearby hobby shop 'cause no one else seemed to see any potential in it.
To the left of that is a storage shed from the Walthers grain elevator, one of a handful of kits built as Walthers intended.[album]746[/album]
Another thing to keep in mind is shipping: while your finished model may weigh the same as the kit shipped to you, it will cost considerably more to ship to your customer because the package will be, in most cases, much larger. It will also be much more difficult to pack in a manner that will ensure its arrival in good condition.
Wayne