Let us know when you put "Spooked" on the market.  

I think that a good deal of the models labelled as "pro built" are actually pretty nice models---but not worth $100. I think that some of these guys are kidding themselves.

Then again, think if it this way--if you're a prodigious builder and build a kit every month, when you run out of room, whatcha gonna do with them? Might as well list 'em, call them "Pro built", stick a sky-high number on 'em and let em' sit. If even one or two sell, you're in the money! Not a bad proposition?!

I just listed one of mine--the first time I ever tried to sell a model on ebay. I'm curious to see if I even get a bid on it. I DO need to thin mu collection out; hey, maybe I can get rid of some older builds for some money?

Before he died, a friend of mine was a master modeler. He was never satisfied with the kit interior and would build his own. I saw what he did with a 1/32  P-51 and when finished, It was hard to tell from photos which a model and which the real cockpit. Now if he had placed a model on Ebay as a pro-built kit, I would have agreed. Those people are few and far between.

I guess they fill a need,some people don't build,but they may want a model for display.Any of us here on the forums wouldn't be interested,we all build our own.

And yes some are a joke,I always find myself saying I could do better then that

A LCVP sold on a well-known auction site recently. I remarked on it here 

Nicely built, well weathered, & heavily RUSTED.... pity it was made of plywood!  

Still sold for UKP£48.00 USD$75.00!  Go figure?

I guess my stance is that we need to let others label us.  I can't really justify self proclaiming I'm a pro or museum quality builder.  If you guys aren't saying that I am then I'm probably not.  I think this should apply to Ebay, as well.

Lol, I've had some of my stuff displayed in the local museum- so does that make me a 'museum quality modeler'??"

I've always thought Model Maniac's builders were pretty good is not perfect. I too have seen waaaay worse stuff listed as pro-built. Heck, the Academy AH-64 I'm building for our local transportation museum the kit shown on the sides of the box has some horrific decal silvering!!!

I've seen some of those "pro-built" models on Ebay and useind the close up feature, so many of them appeared to be no better than any of ours, so I can only surmise that the builder has an over inflated ego. And there is no way in H*#l that I would pay those prices. For what they ask, the stinking thing better cook, clean, and fly by itself.

Thanks!  I didn't know that.  Unfortunately their web site seems to be dead in the water at present.  I'd like to find out if they're anything like the old ones.  They were prohibitively expensive, sold in the $200-$350 range back in the 60's.  I'll keep checking their site until they get their act together.

In MM's favor, if he didn't commission the models, they would not exist.

They are truly pretty good, and some of them could be called works of art.

The Pocher brand was bought by Hornby and is still producing models.

http://www.pocher.com/index_en.php#home

Cadet Chuck

Not braggin', just feeling good about it!

I guess I built a "Museum Quality" model and didn't even know it.  

About 40-50 years ago, an Italian company called Pocher released a few 1/8 scale models of Alpha Romeos, Fiats, and Rolls Royces.  They were incredibly complex and contained more metal than plastic. Most of the plastic parts were the body sections and seats.  Lots of special brass machined parts, etc. and everything went together with tiny nuts, bolts, screws, etc.  No glue was used for anything, and linkages even moved like a real car.  They were BIG and heavy from all that metal.

Anyhow, I built two different models over the years.  I have seen one of them (The Alpha 2-seat roadster) in display cases in two auto museums- one in Pennsylvania and another in Colorado.)  And they were dirty and sloppy compared to mine, which have been kept in dust tight display cases and look like mint today!  Not braggin', just feeling good about it!

I wish!!! If I had half the talent of some of the better dudes in here, I would consider trying to make money with this. God, could there be a better job? But, I'm building nowhere near the talent level of museum quaility. I've never even placed in a category at a scale model show but, my neighbor likes my building style and I've been compensated with the gift of old model kits for building models for him, but no money is changing hands.

But yeah, the majority of what I've seen advertised as pro built or museum quality, ummm, aren't.

You mean I could make money on this?

Eagle90

But, in their "defense" there are non-modelers (yes there are people like that in the world ) that see them and like them and want them.  Or they buy as a gift for someone.

But just within the modeling community I would say that calling some of these builds as Pro, Award Winning, or Museum Quality is quite a stretch.  If they posted these builds here in the FSM forums and labeled them as such I can only imagine what people would be saying.  Although the FSM community seems like it would be more nice about it than mean.

On a separate note I've also noticed that the quality of the builds on the side of or in the packaging is less than stellar sometimes.  For example, the "demo" build in the 1/48 Hasegawa F/A-18C with the USS Independence paint job is terrible.  Some of the colors are incorrect and the decals are placed in the wrong places and totally silvered!  Seriously?

Wirraway

I must admit, I've looked at some of the pr-built models on e-bay, and asked myself "Would I ever part with $300 for, say a pro-built 1/48 jet ?  The answer is a resounding NO.  I've never understood the mentality of it.  Model Maniac likes to show us builds that his group of modellers build, and I dont understand that either.  Why not just buy a diecast and stick that on your shelf.  The professional builds that I see for sale on the internet are no better than what modellers from this Forum are capable of.  Its the satisfaction of saying "I built that" compared to the apparent satisfaction of saying "look what I have"

I am with you there. I know a few people here do commissions, and if they can make some money out of it, that's great. But I simply don't get the point of buying built models. It defeats the whole point of the hobby. I know every model on my shelves has a bit of me in it. Sweat, time, imagination and occasionally some blood.

I have to agree with both you guys.  I myself have to chuckle at some of the prices and "quality" that they are selling as "Pro-Built".  But, in their "defense" there are non-modelers (yes there are people like that in the world ) that see them and like them and want them.  Or they buy as a gift for someone.  I remember during my 21 year Air Force career, that during Christmas, EVERY BX would have that vendor in the mall selling the mahogany desk models.  As a modeler, I thought that was funny, but they sold like hotcakes!  When I was stationed at Eglin AFB, Fl, I had a very good friend, and fellow modeler, that would be "commissioned" to build F-15's for people who were retiring or PSCing.  I say commission, but he never would allow them to pay him.  They gave him the funds to buy what he needed to build the kit, and the shop super usually took him out to lunch!  He didn't want to be paid for doing something he loved doing and he would not consider himself a "pro builder".  He was darn good (a lot better than I am), but he did it for the fun of it.  I'm rambling now.  All that to say,  personally I would not buy a "pro-built" model, but there are some, who do not build, that might want to (and don't realize they are not getting "pro" quality).  

Eagle90

I must admit, I've looked at some of the pr-built models on e-bay, and asked myself "Would I ever part with $300 for, say a pro-built 1/48 jet ?  The answer is a resounding NO.  I've never understood the mentality of it.  Model Maniac likes to show us builds that his group of modellers build, and I dont understand that either.  Why not just buy a diecast and stick that on your shelf.  The professional builds that I see for sale on the internet are no better than what modellers from this Forum are capable of.  Its the satisfaction of saying "I built that" compared to the apparent satisfaction of saying "look what I have"