Harry P.

Darin's "Where do you prefer a hobby shop to be" poll got me thinking. I know there are people out there who still don't "trust" shopping online. So I'm curious to see how it breaks down among the members here.

I don't think that Darin was including online hobby shops. Not as far as this poll, at least.

What kind of car is that?

The Volo Auto Museum here in northern Illinois used to have a huge hobby shop. Sales sucked. It closed. (the hobby shop, not the auto museum). BTW, several years ago, I saw Model Cars Magazine in that hobby shop for the first time! That was maybe 10 years ago.

But remember... you're looking at "value" from a builder's standpoint. not a collector's standpoint. A person who wants a JoHan kit to build it (like you) probably doesn't see why some of those kits are so high-priced given their simplicity and "inaccuracy," but a collector, on the other hand, looks at rarity and probably can justify the high prices being asked for some of those kits. To a builder (like you and me) an old kit's "value" is harder to justify than it is to a collector, because builders and collectors define "value" differently.

Sure it is. Or whatever room your computer is in.

After you try it out, let us know what you think. A short review here would be great.

Same as the collector value of anything. Limited availability (they'll never be reissued!) plus demand equals "collector value." Demand may fluctuate, but rarity is a given. JoHan kits are pretty much guaranteed to never be reissued, as the tooling is gone.

None of the above. Online...

That's easy to explain. Those of us who remember JoHan remember them from our childhood, when accuracy wasn't so much a priority. Like you said, JoHan produced kits that the others didn't, so most adult modelers have fond memories of their kits.

BTW... very clever with the embossed look on the plate. That wouldn't be a bad "Scratchbuilding School" feature...

I know. I was kidding. Hence the "I was kidding/just joking/sticking my tongue out and smiling" emoticon...

Apart from the fact that you spelled "Stealth" wrong... How did you create the "embossed" lettering on the license plate?

The Pace 24" Super Mini (the one you said you ordered) comes with lighting (two 75 watt bulbs).

On an airbrush forum I read that paint booths with brushless motors (the kind that are safe to use with flammable or explosive fumes) are pretty expensive, and that many hobbyists would not buy an expensive paint booth, so some manufacturers began to offer cheaper booths with regular motors. But since these booths were not safe to use with flammable paints they included the warning that I posted. So the phrase is buyer beware. If the booth you want to buy includes a warning that it's not safe for use with flammable paints, think about it. There's a reason that warning is there.

From Paasche's own web site: This product is intended for use with water based or non flammable paint. From all other vendor's web pages: Not intented for use with hazardous materials, flammable or explosive paints or materials.

Don't know for sure but it does look like it...

Hey, that's a great idea! Email to Gregg on the way...

Well, yeah, that's what I think. But a spray booth that carries a specific warning that it is NOT safe to use with flammable paints is NOT a good choice for any car modeler, because we use flammable paints (enamels and lacquers) all the time! Any model car builder who thinks this paint booth is a good one to buy better think twice.

Warning on a pack of cigarettes that they cause cancer: true. Warning on a McDonald's coffee cup that the coffee is hot: goofy, but again, true. Seems to me that a paint booth that was safe to use with hobby paints would NOT have a warning that it's unsafe to use with hobby paints.

Plastruct or Evergeen or solder.

Um, actually we have that one...

Emoticon here saying well, duh! The price of everything will continue to escalate! Well, maybe not used washing machines...

ok, at the risk of starting a huge flame war here... Keep in mind that I'm only asking, not casting aspersions on anyone. I'm just asking. I did a google search and found photos of this car, and in most of the photos I found, the chrome side spear that is very obviously "there" on the model is not there on the real car. Ditto the chrome trim along the rockers. Sooo... again, not to slam the model or the people responsible for it, but for an accurate replica of the real deal, is it correct for the chrome jewelry to be in place? Again... just asking, not slamming.

Do you sometimes get the feeling we need a much wider range of emoticons? (Emoticon here indicating a clever and witty bon mot...)