While metal tape for $6 can be made to look ok, and even great in some cases, there is no comparison to actual plating. It will never get the same finish and surface As for a plane as big as a P-47 from CARF, or the F-86 pictures, it would take a lot more than $6 , and hundreds of hours in tape
ask anyone who has seen either side by side, or even just the plated process in person, and people are always surprised with how it looks. The biggest problem ends up being everyone trying to touch the darn planes to see if they are not really metal ..
the biggest problem with the tapes, no matter how well applies, or even sanded down, they will peel up, and dent very easily with as little as running a fingernail over it :\ .. with that said, i agree, its not for every model .. especially if the model costs less than the plating would! . But, yea, $4K IS pricey, and it depends on what something is worth it or not for someone. Some people think we are nuts to pay $5K for a toy jet engine, some people see them and want one right away no matter what. its the same with paint. Good painters will charge upwards of $2000 for a detailed quality paint job, ( the paint can run several hundred alone in materials) , others will use $25 of spray cans and make that look ok,... but its never the same .
Ultimately , its about what looks good to someone and what makes them happy with their project relative to the cost
Voy