93Z34

I have uploaded the pics I got at the New York State Chief's Show in Lake George from this week's show. To be honest, there really wasn't anything that new or innovative on display there. ??? I took 56 pics of all types of apparatus and ambulances. Hopefully someone can find a project or two in these pics they'd like to tackle in scale. Anyways, here's the link... http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a357/AMM...re%20Apparatus/

The New York State Fire Chief Association Conference begins today in Lake George, NY. All manufacturers will be onhand to showcase their new apparatus including Pierce, LaFrance, Hendrickson, E-One, Seagrave and dozens of others. Ambulance manufacturers will also be there showing their new wares as well. I will be taking literally hundreds of photos as I sell ambulances and will be at the conference all 4 days. When I get them posted, I will post links for everyone. If anyone is looking for anything in particular, please let me know and I will do my best. I will also have access to dealer brochures, blueprints, etc. as well.

Anthony, I'm not ging to nit picks with you over what AMT has re-released and what they haven't. The bottom line is, the MAJORITY of the numerous big rig kits have NOT been re-released as of yet. Are they making progress? Yes. BUT, if you look at what is bringing the BIG dollars on E-Bay and in collector's collections that are being liquidated, you'll see the Freightliner DD tractor, International Transtar II, Autocar Dump Truck, and other hard to find kits are bringing in the big dollars. $127.00 for a Freightliner DD Tractor on E-bay? C'mon...give me a break. And yes, something is only worth what someone is willing to pay, but those prices are ridiculous to put it mildly. Unfortunately there are those who have unlimited funds to buy these old trucks. Unfortunately, not all of us do. I also have a very hard time paying that much for a kit that is going to get built. I don't begrudge anyone for getting that kind of money either. After all, it's a seller's market for these truck kits. But that doesn't mean I like it and I really do think AMT could put a bit more effort into releasing some of the kits that are in higher demand. Obviously I'm not the only big rig modeler looking for kits like the ones I mentioned either. By the number of bids and the outrageous prices these kits are bringing, there are alot of hobbyists that are wanting these kits re-issued. Maybe AMT would benefit from doing a search on E-bay and seeing what these kits are bringing and that may persuade them to go ahead and re-release them sooner rather than later. :? :roll:

Thanks Mike. I must say, I do like the format and atmosphere here very much! This should be a good time!! :wink:

As the title says, I've been a member here for a few weeks now, I guess it is...but forgot to introduce myself. I've been building over 30 years now and build mainly Nascar but I also enjoy building big rigs, street machines, street rods and the occasional exotic sports car. The new forums look great and the atmosphere is very relaxed and pleasant as well. I look forward to meeting new friends and hooking up with old ones here as time goes on. :wink:

Here's some pics of our hobby room. We're fortunate enough to have a room big enough for a desk and for the growing collection of kits that are piling up. Unfortunately we are running out of room and I will probably be selling quite a few of the projects I won't be building. Anyways...on with the pics...

With all the licensing headaches and so forth now that are involved with producing new models, we'll be lucky if we see anything new in the foreseeable future. Look at the new Volvo kit. No engine, just a curbside kit. Yes, it's a nice kit, but half the fun of building the big rigs is assembling the powerplants. I can see any new toolings resembling the Volvo kit, simply a curbside model with no engine or drivetrain subassemblies. I also think Trumpeter will gauge any further new truck kits off the success of their American LaFrance kit. If early indications hold true, the new ALF kit will be one of the best selling kits of recent years, hands down. For us big rig builders, we're in a no-win situation. We're relegated to E-Bay to get any of the older castings and then you pay with your first-born most of the time to get what you're looking for. There's an AMT orginal issue Ford LN8000 Tractor kit that is already over $120 and there are still 4 days left in the bidding. This is ridiculous. What kills me is the fact that AMT doesn't see a huge demand for releasing the old big rigs again, yet we have to pay incredible amounts of money to get a kit we want to build. I love building big trucks, but I simply can't afford the astronomical prices they bring on E-bay. If I do end up paying a ton of money for a kit, then I'm hesitant about building it simply because of what I paid for the stupid thing. It must be nice to have an unlimited amount of money to spend on these old truck kits. Sorry for getting off track here, but it gets very frustrating for those of us on limited budgets who enjoy building trucks when we see how much these older kits and even the new releases go for in the stores and on E-Bay. :x