Age
The minimum user age for which the model is designed.
This parameter is specified taking into account the complexity of the model and the skills required to assemble it. Note that in this case, the age category is a very conditional indicator: if the child shows a talent for design and you are confident in his skills, you can give the young modeler a set of the age category “a year older” without waiting for the calendar birthday. However, if there is no such confidence, deviating from age recommendations is highly discouraged. Too "adult" and complex set can not only discourage a child from any desire for modeling, but also be dangerous to health: the glue and paints included in the set require strict adherence to safety rules, with which young children often have problems.
Models with the following minimum age recommendations are now on the market:
6+,
7+,
8+,
10+,
11+,
12+,
13+,
14+,
15+.
Difficulty level
This setting determines how time-consuming and demanding the model assembly process is. Gradation by levels of complexity helps to select those models that correspond to the experience and skills of the user.
-
Easy. Easy assembly level suitable for beginners and children. As a rule, these are the simplest models with a minimum number of moving parts. With a gradation of difficulty of 5 steps, the easy level is usually designated by the numbers “1” or “2,” but if there are 7 or 8 steps, by numbers from “1” to “3.”
-
Average. The target audience of such models are users with some experience. This could include detailed cars, buildings with interior detailing, etc. For manufacturers with gradation of models into 5 levels of complexity, the average rank is indicated by the numbers “3” or “4”, for 7 levels - “4” or “5”, for 8 levels - from “4” to “6”.
—
Advanced. Models of an advanced level of assembly are addressed to experienced modelers. They often contain a large number of small and detailed elements, complex and point connections, moving parts, and assembly may require the use of various auxiliary tools and materials. The advanced level is ranked as follows: for manufacturers with a 5-step difficulty scale it is designated by the number “5”, with a 7-step difficulty scale - by the numbers “6” and “7”, with an 8-step difficulty scale – by “7” and “8”.
Number of details
The total number of parts provided in the kit.
The larger this number, with the same scale and type of model, the more qualitative and detailed, usually, the model is. On the other hand, with an increase in the number of parts, the complexity of assembly also increases, especially with a small scale and, accordingly, a miniature size of individual elements. Accordingly, for beginner modellers it is desirable to choose kits with a small number of parts, and as skills improve, you can pay attention to more advanced kits.
Nowadays, kits with
less than 100 parts are considered relatively simple,
from 100 to 250 parts are considered intermediate,
250-500 parts correspond to the advanced level, and the most extensive sets include
more than 500 elements.
