There is no real equivalent of Hornby/Bachmann, where you buy stuff ready finished, although there are ranges like Forces of Valour. The focus of the 'average modeller' is buying and assembling a kit of a Challenger tank rather than buying a Bachmann 66, slopping a bit of muck on and running it. At the 'serious' end there is much less difference, where you are talking about kit/scratchbuilding, indeed it could be argued that there is more skill involved in assembling an etched kit than a Tamiya kit. When I have shown some AFV modellers an MMP GUV their jaw dropped at the detail and work involved, not to mention soldering
Indeed! - but we have gotten a few of the military & ship guys soldering now!