Mike999

Thanks from here too, Wayne. Always interesting to hear the background on kit design etc. I was pretty impressed by the interior parts in the Hispano-Suiza K4 (limousine) kit. All the rear interior side panels are molded in clear plastic, as usual. One had a small box molded into it. At first I thought it was a glove or storage box. But looking closer with a magnifier, it was a clock. Complete with visible hands and numbers!

"Based in China, fnyb25434_6 has been an eBay member since Jul 01, 2017." Zero transactions. And more red flags than a Chinese May Day parade. I did a quick search to see if I could find his posted photo anywhere else on the internet. I didn't. But a little more digging might find it, probably on somebody else's old eBay listing. ON EDIT: I have an eBay sale ending today. Two bidders so far have zero feedback. One is high bidder on a 1/18 diecast car with 12 bids on it and a pretty high price. He just joined eBay on June 11, 2017. I know we all have to start somewhere and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. But I'm sure hoping this isn't a case of "borrowed Mom's credit card." Or worse, a scammer.

Sure they do. Just do a search on "ebay final value fee on shipping." The link below is to a recent article about it. eBay and Etsy both take a cut of any shipping used at their own sites. Which is sort of fair, I guess, since they buy shipping at discounted rates, then take a cut when you use that service. But AFAIK, eBay takes a Final Value Fee cut on EVERY shipping transaction, whether you use their shipping or not. One reason for that was to stop inflated "shipping and handling" charges. But eBay's official reason was to encourage sellers to offer free shipping. http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blog/blog.pl?/comments/2017/2/1487475008.html

I was doing some parts comparing one day, and it looks like the Revell '55 chassis will drop right under the AMT '55 Chevy 2-door sedan. IIRC, the AMT chassis came from their '55 Nomad so is not quite right. The grille also fit perfectly, which I liked because the Revell grille is easily sanded down so it's open. That looks much better than flowing black paint into the recesses. I have 10 thumbs and no talent. But with only a few minutes of sanding from behind, I had a perfect open grille from the Revell kit. One of the neatest accessories in the Revell '55 hardtop kit is that drive-in tray. Complete with food, clear soda glass and milk-shake glass.

Thanks for the heads-up! I'm an old eBay hand. But I try to remember that the best way for me to get scammed is to start thinking I'm too smart to get scammed. A few days ago I was surfing eBay late at night, watching "Ending Soonest" in Models & Kits. Saw an airplane kit I'd wanted for a long time, standard auction with a fairly low opening bid. The seller only had about 15 feedbacks, mostly as a buyer, and no recent sales. That worried me. But I went ahead and submitted the lowest bid possible, won the auction. Got the kit in the mail 2 days later. So the guy wasn't a crook, just an eBayer who doesn't sell very much.

Exactly right, a running change later on. I had 2 early kits like yours, with the "red car" box art. Both had the wrong front bumper. During a big Ollie's sale, I picked up 2 of the later kits shown in the OP, with the blue/white car on the box art. Those kits have the correct front bumper.

The local Wednesday Flea Market is feast or famine when it comes to model kits. Today was a feast! The Boyd paints and tube of glue were stuffed into some of the kit boxes. All the kits are complete and sealed inside. Never bought the Revell '48 Ford chopped coupe, but both of these together cost less than 1 new kit and it looks like a great parts trove. I'm trying not to buy any more die-cast, but that Red Byron '49 Olds was just too cool.

Heller kits are famous for weird engineering. The car kits often have whole interior door panels molded in clear plastic (since those panels also have the side windows molded into them). Heller never seemed to use just one part when they could use 5. That results in some complicated and frustrating assemblies that don't really add more detail, just complexity and aggravation. (That applies to their 1/35 military kits as well as their cars.) Having said that, they do some unusual car kits not available anywhere else in 1/24. Especially if you like vintage Citroens, Renaults and other Euro-cars.

A friend of mine in Los Angeles lost his store in 2012, after about 30 years. Anyone who ever did military models or figures probably knew that store - The Black Watch in Reseda, CA. Owner was Joe Janssen. Back in the early-mid 2000s I hit his store every Friday after work (and Smith Bros. Hobby Shop, less than a block away). Back then Joe was doing great. He sold those 1/6 scale Dragon "Battle Barbie" figures along with their uniforms and accessories. The store was full every Friday, with some people buying several Dragon 1/6 figures, and they were not cheap. He also sold a lot of military kits, Humbrol and other paints, and high-quality miniatures in all scales. He sold some stuff on eBay, so he wasn't Internet-phobic. But most of his income came from the store. I was mostly working in Egypt from 2005-09. When I came back in 2009, after the big economic crash, I couldn't believe the difference. Maybe one or two customers on a Friday afternoon. Some Fridays when I walked in, Joe said I was the only customer who came in all day. He stocked less and less as time went on and business got worse. The last straw was a new landlord who bought his building and nearly doubled the rent. Which is omething else that seems to happen to hobby shops everywhere.

Good advice, and I'd second it. Renting a table will probably cost you somewhere between $20-$40, so you have to deduct that expense from any profit right off the top. There's a guy on the regional Craigslist buying old models. I think he's in NC, so I wondered if he's your local contact. His ad has a photo of rare AMT/Jo-Han kits and the warning: "NO NASCAR!" repeated 3 times. That made me LOL. I went to a flea market yesterday. The only kits I saw were a table full of NASCAR kits, AMT, Revell, Monogram etc., some pretty old. They were $5 each, $10 for double kits like the Earnhardt Wrangler Combo. I walked by his table when I first got to the flea market, and again as I left. Looked like he hadn't sold a single one.

Sorry to hear about the job loss. That happened to me a few years ago with no warning, so I sympathize. I don't have any experience selling to old-kit dealers. But I've sold at kit shows many times, when I lived in Southern Calif. (I'm next door to you now, in SC.) I also sell on eBay, though not for a while since I was busy moving, getting settled, etc. Selling at shows was sometimes hectic but a lot of fun. In SoCal there were always kit dealers or wanna-be dealers making the rounds of the tables before the show opened. So you might be able to unload a bunch of kits before the show even starts. Or not, since they will offer bottom dollar. And SOME of those guys can be pretty pushy and annoying while they try to grind you down. Ignore them, maybe start your prices a little on the high side. Everybody expects to negotiate anyway. You can always deal with the dealers at the end of the show. Usually by then, every seller is dropping prices. And saying: "I'd rather sell it than take it back home with me." Good luck!

Great start! One possible suggestion if you have some 1/24 figures: dip a figure's feet in mud-colored paint and press them onto the roof, fenders, trunk etc. Leaving "footprints" where the gang stood as they trashed Christine. Many military modelers do that on 1/35 scale tanks and other vehicles. It can be tricky because styrene feet are stiff and don't want to flex like a real shoe, but can be done. A few years ago, one company even made 1/35 scale boots in a flexible material, just for leaving footprints.

All the original "Gangbuster" MPC kits were great- the Chryslers, Lincolns, '32 Chevy sedan delivery, etc. The "Gangbusters" '27 Lincoln roadster has a working golf-bag door, and a golf bag and golf clubs to put inside it. That kit also has a female "gun moll" figure. The second release of the '32 Chrysler roadster included a vintage motorcycle with a 4-cylinder engine. Here's an old thread about the Gangbuster kits: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/118444-mpc-original-gangbusters-kit-figures-and-accessories/

Won this on eBay for $5.99. I was the only bidder. Thought for sure somebody would snipe me at the last second. Some sellers are asking insane prices for this kit, despite the recent re-issue. From the same vendor, also won a stock Revell '97 Ford Expedition for $4.99; wanted the wheels and grille to swap on the police version.

I'll try to keep an eye out for those at local flea markets. Recently at a flea market, I found a complete, unbuilt original AMT 40 Ford coupe. But it was molded in grey plastic. Here's a weird thing about that kit that tickled me. The one I found had the decal sheet from the AMT '32 Ford coupe in it (red and white scallops). Not the flame decals shown on the box art and usually found in the '40 coupe. At first I suspected the original owner had just swapped decal sheets around. But I've seen one other original '40 on eBay with the same '32 coupe decal sheet. AMT was pumping out a lot of kits back in the early Sixties. So I guess if they temporarily ran short of decal sheets, they just threw in whatever they had on hand.

Purple Power is a cleaner/degreaser available at Wal-Mart and other stores. I've always had very good luck with Easy-Off oven cleaner. The only paint it won't easily remove is old flat-black enamel. Which seems impervious to everything, short of maybe napalm or a nuclear weapon. Here's how I use Easy-Off. WARNING: even from a few feet away, Easy-Off fumes WILL attack your lungs and eyes, and you do not want it on your skin. So wear at least a paper safety mask over your mouth/nose, eye protection, and gloves. I'm not being over-cautious. I use Easy-Off frequently and it is not stuff to fool around with. 1. Get a gallon-size Ziploc bag. 2. Spray Easy-Off all over the body. If you don't have a place to safely spray, like a deep laundry sink, do this outside. The fumes will be harsh and dangerous. Or you can just put the body into the bag and spray it, but you might miss some spots. 3. Seal the Zip-Loc bag and let it sit for about 24 hours. Make sure the bag is well-sealed. That lets the fumes really eat into the paint. 4. After 24 hours, and WEARING YOUR SAFETY GEAR, remove the body and scrub it with a stiff brush, under warm running water. That red enamel paint on your Dodge should peel right off. Any remaining paint can usually be removed with sandpaper or sanding sticks, etc. Good luck!

Flea Market Day! Found this pair of oldies. Been looking for that Triumph Tiger for a while, at less-than-eBay prices. The engine is neatly built but it's otherwise untouched and complete. The MPC Ford Van has the engine built/painted and minor chassis assembly. Again neatly done. I probably won't build the "Sorcerer" version, but I can use the parts on some glue-bomb MPC Ford vans.

Just delivered via eBay - the weirdest set of twins since "The Shining..."

At a big flea market, 2 Revell Chevy Caprices: 1 original police-only, with the goofy oversized optional light bar. And the other in the Fire Chief/Taxi box. Both partly assembled, no big deal since these are Snap-Kits and come apart easily. They were cheap enough that I wanted them for parts if nothing else. Ollie's, Anderson SC: found one lonely Revell Slingster Dragster left and grabbed it. Also the Lindberg Dodge L-700 car-hauler truck with Little Red Wagon, and another L-700 with the box trailer. Still no Ivo Showboats. Drat!

That's a pretty good price. My closest Hobby Lobby sells the 1mm and 2mm Molotows for $11.99 each. The 4mm is $12.99.

I used a Molotow pen for the first time yesterday. Did the headlight "buckets" on a 1/35 scale armored car, which are probably as big as some 1/25 car headlights. First I painted the inside of the headlights with Tamiya X-1 Gloss Black acrylic and let it set up rock-hard. Then used the 2mm pen and it worked great, giving a mirror-like shine in just a couple of minutes. I hit one spot a little too hard and got a small drip, but it leveled itself out as I watched. Looks like good stuff!

Looks like a slow seller here on the Other Coast too. I don't remember seeing Speedwagons on clearance at Hobby Lobby (yet). But the nearest Ollie's still has stacks of them for $7.99.

One note about Ad Block Plus - sometimes sites that depend on advertising will check if you're using it, and ask you to turn it off temporarily. That's happened to me at a couple of scale-modeling sites. Not a big deal, since ABP includes a "For This Site" turn-off function. As for the gold-diggers...I worked in Saudi Arabia pre-internet and got unsolicited magazines/advertising from those places all the time. Guess they targeted expats. Fortunately I had a bad example close at hand. An older co-worker married a young Filipino woman and ended up supporting her entire family. He even built a big new house for them all outside Manila. But one day his wife disappeared from our compound. According to local gossip, he sent her home after she got caught with a (male) Filipino worker in the rec room. In a very compromising position. On the pool table...

Scale Motorsport makes a photo-etched set of 1:24/1:20 Nuts, Bolts, Washers, and Fasteners. The HiroBoy website has them for sale. You may have better luck with the many nuts and bolt sets available for 1/35 scale armor. Aber and Plus Models make them in photo-etched brass. MENG makes several different sets on resin sheets, in some ways easier to use (and harder to lose) than photo-etched metal. I've seen them for sale at several online hobby vendors. Here's a review of the MENG nut and bolt sets from the armor site Missing-Lynx: http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/modern/mengsps008reviewcs_1.html

Here's a fun article about the cars in Fargo, Season 2. It was set in 1979, so featured many "malaise-mobiles." But it was filmed in Canada, so some cars from the era were hard to find up there, like the '69 Corvair. I noticed that the Minnesota Highway Patrol Gran Fury had the name-letters removed from its hood (leaving visible holes). I guessed that was because they used a Caravelle or some other Canada-only version and wanted to disguise it. http://driving.ca/chevrolet/auto-news/entertainment/behind-the-scenes-fargo-series-stars-vintage-70s-classic-cars