Revell P-51B Mustang

Robert W Martel
Well, I was at Hobby Lobby to see if they have the new Revell Ford Bronco kit in yet. Not Yet!
But they did have a couple of these on the shelf, and for the price ($19.56 OTD) I couldn't resist.
I've been seeing them less & less so I figured I better grab one while they are still around.
It's an OLD mold kit and it shows its age. There is flash, but the detail is pretty good for an old kit.
I bet it looked pretty crisp back in 1969.
At the price even if I save it for my grandson, at least he'll get to see something w/rivets on it!
I like to buy these kits at HL, for < $20 it's a good one to practice on.
And every once in a while they have a nice NEW kit too!

wilky
I received this kit years ago. The '69 Shangri-La boxing and was able to complete it. The fuselage halves were that warped they wouldn't go together and the whole lot ended up in the bin. The only kit I wasn't able to complete

wilky
I scored a couple of discount kits from a shop in ballarat but I'm concerned about how long this place will be open because they haven't received any new kits in a while and past experience has shown me that that is the beginning of the end

Robert W Martel
It's always exciting when you "score" a good deal !! I do get pretty excited every now & then too !!
The 69 boxing was probably way crisper than this one, too bad it was warped. This one looks to be OK, but the there is lots of flash. And to think in 69 it was <$2 !!
Yup, that's not a good sign about the hobby shop. The true "Hobby" stores have been long gone in this town. A town of around 250-300,000.
We had a couple good ones back in the 80s. Pardini's Toy Store & Standard Hobbies. Pardini's was pretty big and carried just about everything, R/C, Models, Trains, Doll Houses, Toys, you name it. Standard was a little hole in the wall store pretty much dedicated to Modeling, Trains, & R/C. Between the 2 of them there was always something good around. Then along came Toys R Us and put all the little guys out of business. Trouble is they are a TOY store and don't cater much to modelers or trains, though they do sell some models & train sets of course, but they are a big franchise store, so no personal touch, you buy what they have, that's it. I don't believe I ever bought any models there.
There was a chain store called Long's Drugs that had a real nice model section, and during the 90' & early 2000s I bought a lot of models there. I still have some of them. I wish I had kept all the models I sold over the years thinking I was going to be into building wood ships & airplanes. Well, Long's went under a good 10 years ago and there was nothing for a long time.
Then a few years ago along came Hobby Lobby. Its more of a craft & décor store really, but they do have a bit of everything, and by chance do have quite a large "Model" section w/relatively good variety of supplies. I am thankful for that, I have bought o LOT of models there in the past 3 years. But, they are also a "chain" store, so you have limited choices, no personal service. They carry what's "popular" and that's it, but at least I have that.
There are good "Hobby" stores In Sacramento or Modesto, both within an hours drive. But, you're gonna pay retail prices there, so I can get better deals on ebay or different places on the internet.
The other thing we are lacking locally is a modeling club. I've thought about joining the one in Modesto, but they only meet once a month on a Fri night and I just don't want to drive all that way alone.
Oh Well, Such is Life !! Gotta deal with what we can get I guess. LOL Cheers Wilky

wilky
There are only 900 people in my town. I can go to Toyworld in Hamilton and because the owner knows me I can order kits but they can be found cheaper on eBay.

Robert W Martel
That is a small town Wilky. Trust me I'd rather be there than here. I hate livin' in this stinkin' town !!
I have a love/hate relationship w/ebay.
On the one side I love it because I can find just about anything, and for the most part the prices can't be beat,,,, except for the ones I can get at Hobby Lobby.
On the other side I hate it because they have driven the prices of some kits through the roof. The old ones you use to pick up occasionally at a garage sale for 5-10 $, sells for $100s because you have the whole world bidding on it. I'm totally amazed at what I see some sell for. Some people think these things are made of gold!!
But I guess it's the world we live in today.

wilky
If one has an emotional attachment to something they will pay a lot.
Just like the the Hasegawa Sabre I just bought I had to drive 268k (167.5m) to pick that up. At least it only cost $35AU

Robert W Martel
That's right.
If you also count the cost of gas, it cost you quite a bit!
I've paid more for kits of some of the old cars I've had than I paid for the car back then! But I just had to have them!! lol
People are paying outrageous prices for the hard to find kits, me included. So I guess I am contributing to the madness too! But some sellers are just getting carried away!

wilky
I tend to hang out as much as I can before splashing the cash because in the past I've discovered that as soon as I buy one of something I see it cheaper, unless of course it's something that's hard to find. Then it's bid as much as I can.
That's why they call it a "rat race ".
I tell you what I'm splashing a lot of cash on at the moment and that is fuel to cut my grass. Every other year I've lived here November is the last month I usually cut my grass. Last year and this summer has been so wet it hasn't stopped growing. Cutting an acre of grass with a regular lawn mower and doing the edges is a pretty big job

Robert W Martel
I getcha !
Yup, I remember growing up we had 6 acres, well probably 2 acres of grass, but we usually had a cow or two, so just the "lawn" to cut. lol

Bart Goesaert
a lot of flash, but is seems a nice kit. Love the story behind the boxart: warbirdsnews.com/war..-berlin-express.html

Robert W Martel
I'll have to check that out Bart

Robert W Martel
WOW, Quite a colorful career !!