Erik Smith

Dean’s Hobby Stop.

Looks great so far Darren. Your models always crack me up - love the no-holds-barred approach to doing whatever you want. Sad about the other projects being lost - I can remember following along and enjoying each change and addition.

Yeah, that’s some superior work Paul. Those wheels are really impressive - even zooming in they look real. Excellent work.

Resolution: Plaza Japan emailed me (must be first thing Monday morning!). I sent photos of package and they refunded purchase. That is customer service.

As far as just the long block portion of a big block, I think the Revell COPO Nova has a pretty decent big block - no blower set up though, you’d have to source that from another kit...I have three of those kits and you would be welcome to one of the engines if needed. I also have a bunch of the big blocks from the MPC Open Roadster Corvette - which is softer on details but has those drop tube style dragster headers (I don’t know what they’re actually called - Zoomies?). It also has a Hilborn style intake and metal stacks. I don’t have the metal stacks available, but the rest of the engine would be.

That must be the same guy that drove over mine...it would be more disappointing to lose a kit like the DeSoto that isn’t as replaceable.

Thanks! Yes, I did that right after receipt of the package.

I read that too. I have always had exceptional service from them. Really, I guess I didn’t realize the seller would be responsible for the items damaged in shipping. I always thought it was the person who bought the item and insurance was for the buyer.

Yeah, I have received damaged boxes before but the contents were undamaged (at least still usable). The bodies on all the kits are crushed from this one though. Oh, and it was air mail (ordered January 5 and received 18). I looked up the policies from Plaza Japan and fortunately they say they insure all packages. I have been selling and buying on eBay since 2006 and buying from overseas companies for years and I have been lucky enough never to have a package like this, so I didn’t even think who the insurance is for - buyer or seller? There are worse things in the world, but I hate to see all this damage and waste. Heck, I even get sentimental when I see a Chevy Metro at the wrecking yard...

Does anybody here have any experience or knowledge of filing a claim for a package that is completely destroyed during shipping? My wife was home when the USPS delivered this mess. Box was busted open and re-taped closed. All three models are broken - even the decals are damaged by how hard/heavy the impact was. I contacted seller for insurance inquiry but had it shipped the cheap way from Japan, so I have no idea if there is insurance - I’ve never had an issue on any previous boxes. USPS online claim requires USPS tracking? I will take it to the Post Office Tuesday when they’re open, but for now...

Buzz watching the progress...

Yes. For rare kits, people will find them. Buyers save searches, so every time a kit they are looking for or collect comes up, they get an email. Rare kits sell for hundreds of dollars all day long on eBay. I can’t think of any other market that compares to eBay’s in terms of exposure and buyers. Make sure you have lots of clear, uncluttered photos. Show all the parts on opened kits. Include a good description. Don’t start them priced too high for auctions. I start all my auctions at the old school .99 - it gets buyers involved and gives them a sense of “mine”. Time your listings as well - don’t list them to end at 1:30 on a Monday - most people with money are working. I found it best to end on Saturday afternoon or evenings. There is more traffic. Also it gives you Sunday to pack and get them to the post on Monday. Don’t list run of the mill or easy to find kits for .99, you will end up selling them for .99 plus shipping... For Run of the mill and common kits, sell them in groups. You will not make any money on run of the mill kits and selling more than one at a time reduces your time in listing, packing, and shipping. Just make sure your kits will fit in a box that will ship priority at the lower rate - last time I sold off some kits I was unaware of the new volume restrictions (not just weight) - I cant remember the dimensions, but shipping went from something like $15 (based on weight) up to $50 because my box was a couple inches too big. You can sell run of the mill Kits singly for a buy it now, but you will be sitting on them for long periods of time. if you want to get rid of a large portion easy, look for craigslist ads for people buying collections.

The cool thing is, you could put any emblem on it - Kia, Toyota, Subaru, Honda, etc- and nobody would know the difference. It actually looks Like a very good model in the photo above.

Great looking model. Excellent work and cool choice on the color.

It’s also very acceptable for millions of adults to sit for hours and stare and yell and cheer at other adults playing games on fields dressed in matching uniforms, or to sit for hours and listen to other adults talk for hours about those other adults playing games. Additionally, it’s imperative that those same adults spend millions of dollars on paraphernalia to indicate to others the uniforms of the adults they think are somehow superior to all others. But we’re weird for gluing plastic together... A lot of the time people are confused about exactly what model cars are - they think I have a collection of die casts or something - even after I tell them I made them. They also ask “can they drive or anything?”. I say yes, but I’m too big to get in the doors. In other news, this short article on NPR about how important an “art habit” can be - building model cars is an art: https://www.npr.org/2019/12/30/792439555/making-art-is-good-for-your-health-heres-how-to-start-a-habit