The Most Horrid Modeller Ever!

28-02-2006

Hi Guys,

Ive just had a really unplesant couple of hours! Worst still the cause of this pain was a fellow modeller!

As my website is now is almost ready we decided to list a large volume (100+) early, and really quite rare bagged FROG kits. These were purchased last year as part of a bigger deal. However on closer inspection they are all very clever copies!

This guy has bought the older cheapy novo kits and seperate real frog headers, hes then somehow found original transfers, instructions and bagged them all up. It was only after i got the first few out and thought to myself, gosh these dont look quite right, the plastic looks too new....and then it clicked. Some of them are also on sprues in bags which doesnt work either!

Ive now been through every other bagged kit ive got and checked, thankfully its only these and a few obvious airfix kits. Ive run the guy and he doesnt want to know, a very rude response.

Its not the money or business side of things that really DISHEARTENS ME!!! its the fact its a fellow modeller whos deliberatly gone out of his way to pull this little scam off? and for what ? a few extra pennies that wasnt that much anyway?

Up untill today i held modellers as one of the most friendly groups and, like my biking friends always willing to do their best to help a fellow from the same hobby. I realise that that theres going to be a bad egg in every group, but it doesnt stop it grating!

End of rant....sorry wanted to vent that..
Toby

**Bunkerbarge** · 28-02-2006

Squiffy,

We must always remember that in all walks of life there will be good and bad people. The most important thing though is that you must not let it colour your impressions of anybody else.

At the end of the day I suspect that you can keep that firmly in focus as the first thing you want to do is vent your feelings to your friends here on the forum. Feel free thats what we all need at some point or another.

You have some good friends here who all sympathise and offer our support for someone who is trying his best to get established in a business we all hold close to our hearts.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, don't get disheartened and get back on your horse!!

Nigel.D · 28-02-2006

Is that a Novo horse or a Frog Horse lmao seriously though Toby dont let it get to you too much most people are genuine and honest!!
As a fellow retailer you know you will always get the odd one who tries it on !!!!

**wonwinglo** · 28-02-2006

Toby,if is any consolation the same sort of thing has happened to me,I once purchased a mint and boxed James Bond car from a dealer at quite a lot of money involved,I then decided to sell this on E-bay,the outcome was that it was a re-boxed ( replica box ) and a separate car,I gave the guy his money back not wishing to tarnish my name,the thing to remember out of all these experiences is never to let it happen again,next time take the kit out of the box and scrutinise everything carefully before parting with any cash.
Richard is quite right when he says do not tarnish all modellers with the same brush,this certainly was a nasty thing to do and experience,all I can say is the lengths some people will go to make money from people.
Cut your losses,sell them off to get any money back,but next time do not be quite as trusting,let this be a very hard lesson learned.

28-02-2006

THANKS GUYS!

I quite agree, theres always going to be a bad apple, its just the nature of the event that upset me.!

Whats laughable is the people spending hours sorting these parts to make fakes when they can just as easily put the time into making something constructive! Silly really...

Like you say Barry, i cant really sell these now, i think i will make them a 99p box for the airshows, that way people dont mind about the box, its just the aircraft they are after!

Nigel.D · 28-02-2006

why not put them up on here mate im sure lots of us would snap em up

**wonwinglo** · 28-02-2006

Thats the spirit Squiffy,cut your losses and turn them into some valueable cash,but remember it must never happen again,an expensive mistake but thats life.

duncan · 28-02-2006

Do they not have any novelty value for what they are ..fakes ? I presume they were produced in small(ish) quantities therefore if sold as such could be worth more than 99p. as rareties/fakes. Public like something that others dont have, one upmanship and so on. Make a virtue out of it and let the s*** who gave you the bum deal know he lost out in the end. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

**Bunkerbarge** · 28-02-2006

Maybe we could use them for the group build!!!

OK I'm going now.

duncan · 01-03-2006

YES....success out of all proportion to what the twerp got , a few pennies versus Squifs finest moment. Lets make silk purses out of....oh no , not another cliche ! All to be proudly bearing the legend FAKE. Yep I`m all for it.