Erik Smith

With the passing of Brock, a memorial "themed" run would be appropriate. In fact, I will commit to starting and finishing a car this year in honor of Mr Yates.

Ahhh...pre-interweb world. I remember looking and drooling over the Hobby Heaven mailings. Shipping rates seem pretty reasonable back then.

Beautiful group.

It's a fantastic looking little car.

Good luck with the travels and job search Rob. I work about 6.5 hours north of Boise, but really, worlds away! St Maries, ID this morning - about 12 degrees

Fantastic model. I'm actually building the same thing inspired by the same box art. I used the engine and frame from the Revell 29 Woody - it has a really nice Riley head. Your wheels are really awesome. I used the kit wheels and they, well, kind of suck - even after hours of sanding and thinning the spokes.

A perfect world would be devoid of desires, so listing what I would "want" in a perfect world would mean it isn't. But I assume this is more of a "in a really fun, extravagant, model themed world where our desires are more easliy filled" type of thread It would be cool, in that world, to have a choice of all the engines ever produced. Kits, detailed versions, of all of them including speed parts, etc...

Yeah, they figured that out like, oh, 40 years ago...

AMT 1997 Mustang Cobra. Missing block/transmission, belt assembly, starter...?. INSTRUCTIONS

Same as these?

Previously marketed as a snap kit, I believe. Really, with the Google machine and Interweb world, very few kit contents should be a surprise.

The new way they make wheels - with the ridge or bumps to hold the tire on. Why? It forces you to contort the kit tires damaging any detailing/decals you have on the tire. The old style that just slides in on each side is a lot easier and allows for exchanging.

You've definitely got black paint down, Tulio. Fantastic work on all the models.

Fantastic collection. Awesome work.

Beautiful, but what really impresses me is the craftsmanship and subtle details. Small, maybe "delicate" touches to body panels and trim that aren't readily noticeable but make grand changes to the overall look and feel of the car. Some really cool not-so-subtle changes too. I love the engine and how the mechanicals seem like intricate "innards" hidden by the graceful shell.

Very cool. Great work. Unusual model for an extremely common (at one time - where are they all now?) car. Only thing I would change is the ride height - I think the Taurus was one of those models that even had the box art model sitting real high in the front. Both ends needs a slight nudge down.

Awesome work. Great looking model.

Add a Toyota badge - side profile is very similar to Corolla... I have a whole sheet of Honda chrome decals, though, if interested in one or two.

Add a Toyota badge - side profile is very similar to Corolla... I have a whole sheet of Honda chrome decals, though, if interested in one or two.

I agree with you Charlie - I was trying to get at a kit that ACTUALLY sells for $30. The Hobby Lobby/Michaels business model of selling items at or near MSRP then relying on people to use a coupon to pay close to what they should be paying is giving the perception that current release model kits from Revell and AMT cost $30 - in my experience, they don't. They are $16-20 models. So, for a kit to actually, in my world, cost me $30, the MSRP would be about 40% higher - the usual big box discount coupon. So an MSRP of around $45-47 would give me a $30 model with a coupon. The only places I see the MSRP as the asking price are Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Hobby Town USA, etc. As I mentioned before, there is a store in my town that sells new Revell kits for $12.95-15.95, no coupon needed. AMT kits are a little more - something to do with volume discounts, etc... I do appreciate the insight into your shop's costs and process. I know there is a lot going into the pricing and I know I don't know a lot about it!

Gas average .31 gallon in 1965. Gas in 2014 3.34, 2015 2.40 - so a 1.50 model should cost $16 and $11.60. Gas is not a real good indicator though. If we look at houses - 1965 median $19,800, 2016 $304,500 means a 1.50 kit from 1965 should cost $23.06. We could look at a lot of comparisons I guess. I don't know where (or why) people are buying current Revell or AMT kits for $30. About the only place I see kits listed for MSRP are at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Hobbytown USA, etc. many online sellers already have a discounted price and don't limit you to one coupon a day. I have a toy store in Spokane that sells new Revell kits for $12.95-$14.95 (The White Elephant)!! I can get brand new Aoshima kits for $30 shipped from Japan! If quality and parts count went up, I would have no problem spending $30 or more - I already do.

Let's not miss the point. If a kit sells for $30, the MSRP will probably be $45, so Hobby Lobby discount will bring it back down to reality, but still $30. We all, obviously, shop around for the best deal, but what if the best deals become $30 $40 or more? I decided to buy and build. Holding a big stash is, for me, a waste. So paying $30 or $40 for one kit is fine - where it will hurt is the people who buy 30+ kits a year and only build 3. I DO appreciate Revell and AMT adding additional parts!

That actually looks really cool - well, let's leave it at cool. Great job Chuck.

http://www.showrods.com/gallery_pages/vending_machine1.htmlhttp://www.showrods.com/gallery_pages/vending_machine1.html