Keen eyed readers may note the reference to the North American agent
in one of the reviews is none other than myself. It was a hard decision
to take when John asked if I wanted to sell his kits in NA. On the one
hand, I do like his kits, and helping out a friend when it doesn't cost
me anything is a nice thing to do. The other side is how does it effect
our objectivity in having a hand in some of the kits being reviewed.
Many people in the model community have been taking on multiple roles
as they find niche items that are lacking from the mainstream companies.
My partner, Chris Banyai-Riepl and myself have been doing box-tops, books
and/or decals for various companies for many years now. Many of these
products have been featured in the pages of IM - and other publications
both print and online. Some may take the view that since we were involved
in the item, we should not include it in the pages of IM. However, as
long as the actual review is out of my hand and influence, there shouldn't
be a problem. Rather, it can almost be seen as an extra endorsement in
that any of us are willing to include our name on a product.
My view of reviews is that they should mention any problems with a
kit. This serves two purposes, it helps form an opinion on how much work
will be required by a particular builder, but more importantly, a proper
review or build article should also say how to go about fixing that problem.
This allows the typical builder to decide if the kit is for him or not.
Taken to the extreme, my favourite part of a build article is when something
goes wrong, and the approach that is taken in solving it.
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