The Little World

If you buy something you will never build and sell something you really need to keep.

There is no middle ground. You’ve been coveting one particular kit for decades and loathing another for even longer. The stash sale o’ doom is where these two emotions are both in play. You will pay an inordinate price for something that you do not need and let another gem go for a pittance.

The first mistake comes when you see a box after which you have lusted. It has been imprinted on your brain for years. Finally someone has one for sale and you find yourself willing to pay a ridiculous price for it. When – not if – you do, you lay yourself open to punishments form the Universe:

a. Dried dead decals.

b. Missing or broken parts,

c. Time-warped parts.

d. Just all-round old-kit deficiencies. Are the rivets raise to a scale 6 inches? Yes, they are. Are the positions for the decals cast into the plastic? Yes they are. Are the canopies a scale foot thick? Yes. Welcome to the 50’s and did you vote for Eisenhower or St Laurent?

And one new harpy to punish you: as soon as you buy the old junk a Czech firm will make it in new plastic with perfect decals for half the price you paid.

Now for the other pains – seller’s remorse. You will put out something that has been lurking on your stash shelf for decades at a throw-away price. Someone will give you a small coin for it and next day you’ll discover it could have been sold on the internet for $ 180. You hated it for decades and it has kicked you in the arse as it went away.