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Saw one, didn't buy it and regret it to this day!

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Saw one, didn't buy it and regret it to this day!
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 6:06 PM
We've all done it!

At a model competition, at a swap meet, even at the local school fete!

You saw 'the one kit you've always wanted', but for some dumb reason which seems completely inexplicable now, didn't buy it on the spot, and you haven't seen one since - except the one on e-bay, for which some "Insert appropriate expetive here" outbid you, with only 3 seconds to go in the auction!

So, what was it? What is 'the one'?

For me it was the 1/72 Hasegawa F-4G. If anyone out there has one lining their loft and they'd like to get rid of it, I'm your man! (Remember I do live in the UK!)

Who knows, maybe we could make a few peoples day!

Cheers,

Rob M.
  • Member since
    January 2003
Posted by shermanfreak on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 6:38 PM
DML's M4A1 Sherman. I actually did buy one, but should have bought another 3 or 4. Now I sits and waits for re-release.
Happy Modelling and God Bless Robert
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 9:14 PM
Believe it or not, my lament was an old construction excavator from Monogram, I think. I was very young, and all that I remeber was that it was huge! Multiple track system, full railing, just a big, beautiful, but at the same time incredibly ugly monstrosity. I never saw one again.

The only others that I really regret not picking up were the old "Go-Bot" large scale models of Leader 1 and Cy-Kill, just because they were model kits of old Battletech vehicles (Veritech and Cyclone, respectively.)

demono69
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Tochigi, Japan
Posted by J-Hulk on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 9:51 PM
That's exactly why if I have the funds, I always get something I want when I see it! You wait, and invariably it'll be gone, only to reappear years later at twice the price! Sometimes cheaper, though...which can be frustrating!

I went through that years ago with Monogram's 1/48 scale series of big bombers (B-17G, B-24D and J, B-29). Thankfully, they were all re-released, reasonably priced.
But more often than not we're not that lucky!

~Brian
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 5:25 AM
I'm with J-Hulk... If the cash is on hand (and it usually is for models) I snap it up. The problem with this philosophy is now I have over 2,000 kits rat-holed away.
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Canada / Czech Republic
Posted by upnorth on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 10:50 AM
I have a few that I wish I'd snapped up but never did.

Saw Fujimi's 1/72 E-2C Hawkeye on consignment a few years ago, what was I thinking to let that one slip by? Hopefully Heller's Hawkeye kit is on the market or shortly will be.

Let Esci's 1/48 SAAB Viggen slip too. Now I'd like to get a good look at Airfix's recently released 1/48 Viggen.

Esci's 1/48 Sepecat Jaguar also got missed by me and I couldn't afford the later Airfix ones.

My biggest regret though was a 1/72 737-200 that I saw at an antique and collectibles show a few years back. I don't remember the manufacturer, but for some reason, Nichimo comes to mind. How did I ever let that one go?!

Kicking myself hard now.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 3:48 PM
Hi Upnorth,

Hellers' E2C is not too dissimilar to the Fujimi E2A kit, with just a few updates.

It's widely available in Europe now, Try www.hannants.co.uk.

Only problem is the Heller version only comes with French Navy decal options!

I've only found one aftermarket set, for a not very colourful example from VAW-122 on USS Forrestal, 1989-90.

Cheers,

Rob M.
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Canada / Czech Republic
Posted by upnorth on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 3:59 PM
Thanks, I'll watch for that Heller kit.

I probably wouldn't use the kit decals though, nothing against the French navy here, but I've never gotten along well with Heller decals.

If someone comes out with an aftermarket sheet featuring markings for a current Singapore air force variant, that'd be different enough to keep me happy. Even a Japanese variant would be good. Saw a picture of a Japanese E-2 once, the Hinomarus look good on it.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 4:06 PM
I had two, one of which has thankfully been recitified: The Monogram "Battlestar Galactica" kit. I saw it at Montgomery Wards one day when I about ten, didn't have the money and my mom wouldn't get it for me. I looked and looked all the years following and never found one--that is until Monogram re-released the kits a few years. I got 'em all now! ;-) The other one that got away, via the same eBay horror story mentioned above, was the Wave MASER Tank kit from the Godzilla movies. They had one on eBay for a reasonable price, I was the high bidder until the last three seconds. I was so steamin' mad!
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Racing capital of the world- Indy
Posted by kaleu on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 6:27 PM
I passed up the DML M4A1 and their Super Sherman kits. I don't remember what I bought instead of these kits. In addition to this brain fart, I passed up buying a couple of complete Gunze Sangyo kits for a very good price from a friend. I'm still banging my head on the wall over not getting those kits.
Erik "Don't fruit the beer." Newest model buys: More than I care to think about. It's time for a support group.
  • Member since
    January 2003
Posted by shermanfreak on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 9:01 PM
kaleu - weren't some of those Gunze Sangyo kits re-released under the DML banner?
Happy Modelling and God Bless Robert
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Racing capital of the world- Indy
Posted by kaleu on Thursday, May 15, 2003 12:31 PM
Some of them were released under the "Imperial Series", but without all the extra p/e goodies that were in the original GS kits. I wish I had bought them because of the low selling price and their potential value. In addition to their value, I wanted to build them because of their reputation as very good and accurate hi-tech kits.
Erik "Don't fruit the beer." Newest model buys: More than I care to think about. It's time for a support group.
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by fussionboy on Thursday, May 15, 2003 10:03 PM
Like martin93 i wanted all the galactica kits ,but lacked cash for the galactica & cylon base ship, a couple of years ago I found the cylon base ship on a clearence shelf in Ohio, I live in MN. carried that big old box through 3 airports and countless security points but now it's mine and it was only $10.00.
Also liked the midnight cowboy tow truck as a kid and was happy for the special release of them, waited to long and got the last one the store had. wish i had bought a dozen.
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: NE Georgia
Posted by Keyworth on Thursday, May 15, 2003 11:08 PM
I missed out on any number of 1/72 scale a/c and 1/48 a/c. My excuse was always..."it'll be there next time"........................WRONG!!!!!!!!!! Now, If I see it, i buy it and squirrel it away for that time in the future when I'll have all the time in the world to build 'em. :) Still living in that dream world, but the kits are now in the closet and not on the dealer shelves
"There's no problem that can't be solved with a suitable application of high explosives"
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 16, 2003 7:34 AM
Heh, I've seen plenty of kits I've wanted, but, when you're broke, you learn to live with lost loves! Fortuneatly, most of my "really wants" are still on the local model shops, waiting for me to snatch 'em up!
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: United Kingdom
Posted by cmtaylor on Friday, May 16, 2003 2:54 PM
For me, it's the Airfix 1/72 SR53,m the SAM2 Guideline Missile and the 1/48 Hawker Fury
Gentlemen! You can't fight in here; this is the WAR ROOM!
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: UK
Posted by gregers on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 6:55 PM
Hi Rob What i did was dummer than not buying it!!! I got myself a heller EC121 Warning Star. Had it half built, then i let a mate of mine nag me into swapping it. What for i can't even remember. AM I DUMB??? OH YES!. Never seen one since and won't look on ebay cos i don't want to spend silly money on one....Gregers
Why torture yourself when life will do it for you?
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Poland
Posted by Aleksander on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 4:59 PM
Hmmm - when I was in Australia in 1997, I was living in Townsville, Q. for two weeks, and of course, visited every model shop in the neighbourhood (as well as war museums). In one of these shops (perhaps on Turingawa Street) I've found 1/48 model of CA Boomerang (I don't even remember the producer) -and I remember my mind in that moment - "to buy or not to buy". In the end I placed it back on the shelf - although my wife tried to let me buy it. And I can't forgive myself for it - to be honest - I do missed this model !
Other situation was taking place when during my student's life (in early '80) I was spending my holidays in Holland (mostly doing black work in green houses or so). Every year I was promising to myself, that after earning some money I will spend them on models in one model shop in The Hague. But everytime the story was the same - when I came to that shop, and found plenty of models I was "feeded up" with looking only, and I had trouble to choose one or two models from such a great number of them - in the end - I should confess - I've never bought even a one model in this shop, though, later, I was so sorry ! Aleksander

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 22, 2003 12:16 PM
The DML M16 set. I saw one in a hobby shop and knew that somwhere down the road i would need it. Left it right on the shelf, and it only cost about 10 bucks! So here i am, about 3 months later, and a need arises to kitbash 30 C7A1 assault rifles. I've asked this elsewhere, but anybody who could point me in the right direction towards this kit would be greatly appreciated. I will pay handsomely (twenty bucks canadian, who wants it?)
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