The Little World

The very word ” profiteer ” is a red rag for certain political minds, and has been used to justify no end of malice in the past. It has been heard to crop up in the scale model world, as well.

Yet, every one who buys and builds kits has to recognise that there is a price to pay for the things. It was 50 cents for an Airfix baggie in the late 50’s and is now up to $ 25 for that same kit as a Vintage Classics boxie. We cannot ask Airfix to make them for free, so we must pay for our fun.

But by the same token, we recoil from the person who offers that original baggie at a show for $ 25 – rightly characterising them as scalpers.

How ironic that Revell Germany can re-box late 50’s kits in exactly this fashion and foist them onto us in the regular hobby shops. They regularly cop a bagging for it from reviewers, and rightly so.

The best reaction to a blatant stash ramp is to pass silently by and let the goods languish. No-one needs old plastic kits to survive when there are literally thousands of new ones on the shelves. The dear old classic or missing link in your collection is all very well, but you need not jump like a pup when it is offered.