Letter to Revell regarding missing model bases:

[ladyferry]

Here is a reply email from Revell regarding the missing bases for the 'Dawn Of Time' dinosaurs, and my email enquiry as to whether or not they are going to release the other un-produced Aurora 'Prehistoric Scenes' kits by Revell.

Reply from Revell:

Hi!

Thank you very much for your email regarding the Dawn Of Time Snap-Tite dinosaur models.

As you know, these models were originally produced by Aurora, nearly 50 years ago..

And you are correct. Through the years and several company moves, some parts of the kit tooling have been lost.

At this time I have no information regarding the replacement of those parts. As you know, the cost for re-creating that tooling, especially in today’s world would be prohibitively expensive.

We do know that some of the original Aurora tools were lost many years ago. Some rumors say on a ship that sank on its way to Europe, and others say in a train wreck.

Personally, I’d put my money on the ship as it’s pretty hard to destroy a 3000 lb mold sitting in a box car!

At this time I have no information on future dinosaur releases.

Your best bet is to keep an eye on our website for new announcements.

Thank you for your continued interest in Revell models.
Regards,
Ron Merkel
Technical Service Rep.
Consumer Services
Revell Inc.
1850 Howard Unit A
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

My original email to Revell:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a massive fan of your Dawn Of Time Snap-Tite dinosaur models and I have a few questions.

1. Why didn't the Allosaurus ('Fang') and the Mammoth ('Tusk') come with their bases? The original Allosaurus had two clip-together bases:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/allo.htm

The original Mammoth had three clip-together bases:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/mam.htm

As you can see from the photos on the links that they both clearly came with bases.

Another of your dinosaur models the Dimetrodon ('Sailback') has only one part of the base and in this link:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/sail.htm

It clearly has two clip-together bases with foliage.

The Ankylosaurus ('Tank') only came with one base when it clearly had two clip-together bases:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/arm.htm

Will you be issuing future dinosaur kits with the completed bases? or has the original molds been lost after all these years? and for those of us who already have the kits without bases, will we be able to order them if they become available in the future? The point of having the complete bases for all the dinosaur kits is that they are all molded to link together as in these maps:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/maps.html

2.Will you be doing the large Tyrannosaurus Rex model in the future? see this link:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/rex.htm (maybe with a re-tooled new base for it?).

3. And will you be re-issuing these kits:

The Cave:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/cave.htm

Cave Bear:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/bear.htm

Cro-Magnon Man:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/bear.htm

Cro-Magnon Woman:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/cwom.htm

Giant Bird:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/bird.htm

Jungle Swamp:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/swamp.htm

Neanderthal Man:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/neman.htm

Saber Tooth Tiger:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/tiger.htm

Tar Pit:

www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/kits/tar.htm

I do hope that you can answer these questions because I and many fans of your kits would really love to know?

Yours faithfully

LadyFerry.

[bizzarobrian]

Doesn`t sound to promising eh.

[TAY666]

Unfortunately with large companies like Revell (or actually the company that owns Revell)
One hand doesn't know what the other is doing.
They don't know what molds they have or don't have most of the time.
I think Revell-Germany has a better handle on things.
They are the ones that at least put the sailback parts in the Armored dnio kit. Until thier issue, no one even knew if that mold still existed.
In other words, if Revell wanted to, they could issue the sailback fully complete.

I also have no idea what they were trying to do, when they screwed up the nameplates on the 2007 release.

Regardless. I doubt anyone at the customer service level would have any kind of access to the info on this stuff. Or any power to try and change things.
What would be needed, would be to get the ear of someone at the management level. But that is easier said than done.

[partspitmike]

Sounds like a bit of the old run around to me. I would doubt for example that a boat sank that just happened to be carrying Mammoth base pieces, but not the Mammoth itself.