It helps to define kit as: parts, but not necessarily all of them. It took me a long time to get my Merlin FJ to some roughly acceptable form and then I needed parts from other kits.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
Ditto. I've noticed that since Big Lots changed ownership several years ago, there are no models to be found. It seems like AMT/ERTL was a big "dumper" of discontinued model kits in the late '80s & through the '90s. I picked up the 1/72 YB-49, 1/48 P-40N, 1/48 F7F Tigercat, Star Wars kits, Star Trek kits, and CART cars there in the past for virtually nothing. I haven't seen a model kit at Big Lots for at least three years now and I hardly go in there anymore because of that.
Anyone know what happened to models at Big Lots?
Martin
I'd do a merlin...chrissakes I've done several starfix "kits"...
they had 3 in 1 car kits here cheap 6 mos ago.
I'd LOVE to get my hands on a couple Merlin TSR.2s. For a reasonable price, of course. Kim M
They call them Merlin kits because you have to be a magician to build one!!
Bill Shuey
Hey, isn't that the one where they had a six-piece (or so) fuselage in order to cram all the bits into their standard small box?
The only Merlin 'kit' I've kept is the Westland Wapiti, since one can substitute many parts from the Frog Wallace (it's really not a Wallace anyway, but rather a private venture precursor for overflying Everest) in order to actually get something that looks like a Wapiti.
Mark Schynert
Did the Merlin Breguet Br.14 once.
Not exactly Hasegawa, but it wasn't too difficult and the results were quite nice.
Worst was probably the Kaman HOK-1. Nothing fit, horrible thick clear plastic fuselage, even the box art had the national arking on upside down.
The guy threatened to sue me for reviewing one of his kits back when they were called Veeday. I made a point of doing just that afterwards.
As to the TSR-2, how about searching out the Arba, Resi-Tech or Toad Resins kits? All are better than the Merlin kit, even if they are just as hard to find.
Tom
Who, Vagn?
The Keeper (of too much crap!)
Yep.
Tom
I think the Toad Resins kit is now produced by Heritage, certainly Heritage are *the* resin TSR-2 kits to get. Some of us are trying to persuade Airfix to do an injection version but the beancounters are being difficult.
Nick
When AMT/Ertl got out of the sci-fi and plane kit business, every Big Lots store seemed to have cases of kits, but each store around here had a different selection.
I think it depends on what they get from their various sources.
Although, I've noticed over the last year or so that Big Lots has started to carry more merchandise that they've bought new for the stores, as opposed to the leftovers from other stores.
Back 10-15 years ago, it wasn't uncommon to go to Big Lots and find one or two cases of an item, that would be in stock only for a week or so 'till it sold, to be replaced by another random case or two.
Ken
I know a guy who went to a recent convention. Everybody oohed and ahhed the Revell 1/96 Cutty Sark, but nobody wanted to buy it. He slapped a $10 tag on it. Nothing. Finally he gave it away to the next admirer rather than pack it up.
For many of the bigger AMT/Ertl models (Flying Wings, B-70, B-52s, 707 Variants, etc.) all going for about 25% retail or less, they didn't last too long after discovery. It turned out that there were even a few hobby shop owners that bought up many of these kits and put them out on their "half price" tables, or dumped them at the various 'Cons for 50% MSRP, and thus enjoyed a tidy profit.
Big Lots (and most all the other "Dollar" stores) was pretty much "chatch-as-can" in that respect. One that wasn't too near where I live (visitation factor = way down) used to carry caffinated bottled water. You could drink it and have the same effect as a very strong cup of coffee. I used to use these to get me through a bad day at work (without Coffee's obvious flying through my kidneys) and at 3 liters for a buck, they were easier on my wallet than coffee as well. Needless to say, they haven't been around for quite a while.
-- John The history of things that didn't happen has never been written. . - - - Henry Kissinger
i heard it was invented by a broker because you can only take water on the floor of the ny stock exchange.
They FLY off of Ebay. This is a kit that appeals to builders more than it does to collectors, and in my experience you get more collectors than builders at shows. And people that think it's all some sort of hands-on museum. Then they drop something and you look up to see someone quickly trying to stuff all the pieces back into the box.............. (I feel better now. Thank you).
-John
Yeah, a buddy of mine that exhibits at gun shows call them finger f**kers. Mom & Dad didn't teach them to keep their hands off of other people's property unless they have legitimate intent to purchase. Hey, I feel better too!
The Keeper (of too much crap!)
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