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Forums - Modelling / Figures |
The figures forum is for the discussion of construction and painting of figures and the tools and materials used. |
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| Subject: | Many Options |  |
| Date: | Aug 27, 2003 |
| From: | Peter Ong | |
The trick to finding rare OOP figures is to always email around and ask. For the Kirin Super Jeep, I spent three months emailing shops and finally a small one on the Scale Model Index had five sets (in 1998, which even in '98, that kit was RARE. They're all sold out now).
Try the modeling DG Fleamarkets first: Hyperscale, Missing-Links, Track-Link, and Armorama. State what you're looking for and then you'd be AMAZED at the number of modelers who have and are willing to sell opened, but mint-in-box OOP kits. Don't forget to leave your email address. This is how I found many of my Kirin figures. If you wish, you could run a SEARCH on the Fleamarket or DGs to see if the seller sold before. Chances are, he did and there's feedback on that seller.
The second option is to try eBay although I find I have a lot better luck with the modeling DGs first and foremost.
The third option is to use Scale Model Index and depending on what country you live in, try the SMALL hobby shops that sell figures. By doing this, you hope to avoid the large crowds of online consumers at the large online stores. Who knows, perhaps some small hobby shops have rare kits stashed away in a corner that no one asks about. As for shop service, honesty, and trust, I get a sense of the hobby shop's online business just by reading the reply and shop's response time for my emails. I know San Antonio Hobby Shop in Mountain View, California, has a few 120mm and 1/35 Kirin figures...SA Hobby's on the web. They mainly have WWII Kirin figures.
The fourth option (and this works depending on who the person is) calls for finding a trusted modeler overseas, usually one who has a respectable private online business. STORM Domain's great for buying some OOP Korean figure kits and so forth. Such a modeler can hunt in overseas hobby shops for you.
The last option (one I don't really recommend) is to try online auctions and small model shops overseas. The problem with this comes from the fact that some overseas online auctions require an entrance fee whereas some small model shops don't have online ordering, secure ordering, outdated inventory lists, and/ or don't talk English that well. Often times, there's no photo either so there's the risky chance of you buying a Kirin figure when in fact it's a DML plastic figure. You can post or search the DGs and ask if anyone bought from said shop before. Some Canadian model shops are good since Canada doesn't have a lot of buyers.
I find that "Money Talks" when hunting for rare OOP figures. HOWEVER, the seller needs to establish trust and rapport before you should send anyone your money. And you should always do your homework too and do a search on the DGs to see if anyone has anything negative to say about the seller, or if the seller's a Con-Man.
Hope this helps and good luck,
Peter |
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