ORIGINAL: Stickbuilder
ORIGINAL: combatpigg
Stick, why should the AMA charge you $50 for a set of drawings that cost them [at the most, man power included] $30 to print out and ship in what amounts to a 15 minute operation?
If nothing changes with the pricing, nothing will ever change with the amount of scratch building that you see. Out of 150,000 members, I seriously doubt that more than 500 of us are true scratch builders any more.
There's already a brotherhood of modelers who will give each other the shirts off their backs, including plans for just the shipping cost....so for me, this discussion is moot. [8D]
Because that's the market price for a full set of plans and templates for most any decent model (not counting profiles and foamies). (oh I did say decent models did I not?) Why should the AMA go into the bargain basement mode when selling any items? If you order a set of Ziroli, Hostetler, Watz, or other plans, you don't get them at a price reduction. The AMA has some very desirable plan sets, that are difficult to come by from any other source. They are worth the asking price, plus it keeps the riff raff from plan building.
Bill, AMA 4720
CP and Stick, I'm lazy. I could call a friend and ask him why his plans listed on AMA are the most expensive I saw when I went and looked a minute after seeing the original post of this thread days ago. Could it be my friend asked for a bigger cut from AMA? Could it be the plans are worth it? Actually, they are worth the AMA asking price, I have a set he gave me no charge. CP you are correct, friends take care of each other.
But I'm not calling my friend to ask him if there was an arbitrary dollar amount he requested from the AMA for his cut that may add to the price. And I'm not calling the AMA and ask about the plan price structure. I'm lazy and evidently everyone else is too, because this group could have learned the elementary AMA plan pricing structure days ago.
So with no factual evidence here's my opinion. I think the plan prices are fair. I don't think the AMA should undercut private business. Subsidizing or not subsidizing doesn't anything to do with it IMO as long as: 1. Plans are priced at fair market value. 2. Plans are not losing money for the AMA.
The AMA is a non-profit entity, but has a fiscal responsibility to not offer incentives (low cost plans) to attract what could essentially be new customers (new members) looking for low cost plans as an effort for the AMA to gain membership.