The Little World

If you are observant at stash sales you can tell which models will be coming onto the table at a good price.

Not initially, perhaps – we have all seen the ambitious price tag on a scale box. Sometimes it is high enough to over-run new kits currently available in the shops. This can be the result of the modeller buying high in the first place…only to be sabotaged when the model doesn’t move in the trade and has to be remaindered by the retailers.

This means the buyer who wants his money back won’t get it. He would be far better off to build the thing and pretend that was what he was going to do anyway.

Some kits are out at suspiciously low prices. If the sprue trees are not in factory-sealed bags they may be missing parts. If a seller won’t let you inspect the kit inside the box, use your shoe leather.

But some – and these are the ones you should learn to recognise – are going to eventually part from the seller at a comfortable low price because the original buyer has genuinely become discouraged.

They’ve opened the box, looked at the sprue trees, PE frets, resin blocks, and Czech instructions…and closed the box again. They have done this a dozen times and eventually brought the kit to the swap meet. They will sell it very low just to be rid of the worry and shame that they contemplate.

The worry and shame becomes yours. Buy with care.