Collector Model

Phew… one more Wonderfest model kits preview to go… after this… So come back tomorrow for one more… I’m getting slap happy…

1/1000 scale Enterprise Refit- We’ll have a package mockup. Sorry to be so anti-climactic. If you can imagine our big 1/350 Enterprise A kit but a lot smaller like our 1/1000 TOS Enterprise and with a few little corrections here or there… well, you get it.

I’m sure we’ll get lots of interest in this kit. We’ll be happy to discuss it with you. We definitely won’t have a test shot or even a mockup but just knowing its on the way is exciting.

Wonderfest ’09… model kits in hand. See you there.

Vulcan Shuttle- This is another great collaboration piece with lot’s of spiffy goodness by Jim Small and JT Graphics. Jim has created two great buildups and done all of the groundwork of creating the decals of the Motion Picture version of the ship. JT did a great job turning out the prototype decals for us. In addition to the TMP version, we’ll be showing a preliminary concept of a Federation version. The Motion Picture version will show a few of the details we will be adjusting to make the ship more accurate to the filming model. Come to the show to find out a few more cool tidbits about the kit.

In addition to the Vulcan Shuttles, we’ll have our buildup of the classic AMT Spock vs the three-headed snake kit. It’s a great little kit that builds well and has the perfect amount of detail and retro kooky-ness. With this kit, Spock will live long and prosper… not so sure about the snakes though.

Continuing with the model kits… well, if you’ve been following along thus far, you get the idea.

1/32 scale ’66 TV Show Batmobile – We’re thrilled to bring this classic kit back. The ’66 Batmobile is my favorite vehicle of all time. I can’t wait to build one of my own. With this release, everyone that wants this classic kit should be able to afford it.

We’ll have a buildup on hand and a preview look at the packaging. The build will be a vintage kit but the mockup I’ve seen looks like it will be a perfect match to the rare Aurora kit.

Here’s more of my Wonderfest model kits preview…

UFO Mystery ship – We’ll have a great buildup done by our pro-builder Jim Small. It’s got tons of great weathering and decals by JT Graphics. This a cool ship design. As I assembled my test shot of it, I fell in love with each additional part.

The look of the build will relate to the new story that will come on the instruction sheet like the classic Leif Ericson, did. We’ll have a mockup of the package as well. Sorry, you’ll have to make up your own sounds of space for this release though.

Again, returning to a preview of our display for Wonderfest ’09 model kits.

1/350 Enterprise 1701A- We’ll have our iHobby buildup with prototype decals on it. Hopefully, we will also have at least a section of the ship built up using the production decals. We’ll also have a sample copy of the kit open so everyone can get a good look at the changes to the kit, the new decals and the accompanying instruction sheets.

Everyone that’s been curious to see the decals and revised base, this is your chance to check it out. The kit will be available very soon. I think the first shipment will arrive in our warehouse this week!

Starting in earnest, a preview of the cool sci-fi model kits we’ll be showing at our Wonderfest booth.

Robby the Robot- He’s a cool classic of sci-fi. With this release, we have included a new base that better reflects the distinctive detail of Altair 4. Come take a look and see the cool build Jim Small did for us. You can see first hand how he used magnets to make the figure poseable and easy to plug in alternate parts.

The Witch- Man, isn’t she a BEAUTY!?! Well, at least the buildup is. Be sure to take a look and see all of the detailed parts included in the kit. Also, make sure to check out our open box of the kit and check out the optional glow in the dark parts including glow in the dark CLEAR parts.

Enterprise 1701E – If you haven’t landed one of these kits yet, come see what you are missing. We’ll have a buildup featuring the new base. We’ll also have a sample of the new decal sheet to show the additions we’ve made.

Another preview of our upcoming appearance at Wonderfest.

Cars- While the primary focus of the show is sci-fi and fantasy, there are some attendees that have some interest in other subject matter. Whether they want to build up cars with as much attention as their Enterprise or just want the parts to kit bash like some of the old filming models were, we’ll have a few buildups to show off to them.

There are cars I like (My favorite “real” car is a ’69 Chevelle), but I wouldn’t call myself a “car guy”. I don’t know the ins and outs of them. I don’t know what transmission was used for whatever model but we’ve got guys on staff here that do and they also have a great appreciation for cool car model kits. The emphasis seems to be on the classic/retro, cool/crazy or just the detailed but kind of mundane semi tractor. (mundane to me maybe, gold to you folks who know who you are)

We’ll be showing off builds of…

• Rupp SnoSport
• Lil’ Stogie
• Chevy Titan Cabover
• And maybe a few more.

We should have package mockups of  the Royal Rail and a few others.

Continuing a preview of what you can expect to see at our booth at Wonderfest.

Dinosaur kits- We’ll be showcasing our buildups of these cool snap model kits. We had them built up with nicely detailed paint including some fluorescents. How else would we make the lava glow?

Our Tyrannosaurus Rex kit is already out. Pterranodon should be out by the end of summer. Both kits have great detail and are a ton of fun to put together.

So, we are gearing up for our second trip to Wonderfest May 16-17. This will be our first time to set up at the usual digs of the newly renovated Crown Plaza hotel. We’re excited to see everyone again and show of our current and upcoming releases. I’ll be making daily blog posts to give a  little peek at what we’ll have on display at the show.

First, we’ll have a cool little premium for everyone that stops by and fills out our questionnaire. It will let you give us a little feedback to help in our planning for upcoming releases. It’ll be a simplified form compared to last year and will be well worth your time to both us and yourself. In addition to the premium, by filling out the questionnaire, you’ll be entered into a drawing for some cool model kits.

We’ll be promoting our website by having a computer right there at the show to let everyone take a look around and see everything we have to offer there from release dates to modeling tips.

In addition to that, we’ll have open boxes of all of our kits so you can take a look around and see what changes have been made.

Well, maybe more like 9 months but who’s counting. Like I said earlier, I’ve been poking around the popular sci-fi modeling message boards, taking it all in. Reading what folks have to say about our Star Trek model kits and all of our other offerings (and everyone else’s for that matter) and trying to get a feel for our fans and consumers.

I’ve found that there are lots of talented modelers out there and they all strive for perfection. (okay, maybe occasionally just yearn for a level of fun once in a while) Not everybody is an expert but there are plenty out there with great source material and huge amounts of time invested in determining ship scales by closely comparing one onscreen ship to another. All of this is in an effort to painstakingly build their models with the utmost care towards craftsmanship and accuracy to the original source material. Many take it to the next level by creating their own visions of new or off camera ships. They’ve got it all figured out and they love the hobby.

But there is a flipside to the coin. In this Internet age, many hunger for news of the next big thing. Many offer their opinion of what their next dream kit would be while others join the chorus or scream foul. Emotions range from overwhelming joy to disparaging rage, with attitudes of sincere curiosity to “tell me now or I’m taking my ball and going home” dastardly-ness.

Hmmm… Is this a pool I want to jump into? If I do, what can I say? If someone asks about a potential project, I can’t really comment on stuff that’s further down the pipeline. If whatever it may be doesn’t happen, my (and the company’s) name is Mud with a capital M. If someone asks a question and I can give an honest answer that starts a conversation. With all that we have going on here with limited staff, I can’t be expected to come back and track a conversation to give replies, retorts or excuses even when I want to.

Here’s what I can say. We hear you. We see what you want and everything else needs to be addressed. We want to give you everything on your list but we can’t do it all right now. Patience, grasshoppers. Tooling and new licenses are heavy investments. We have to roll out slowly.

In the meantime, whenever you have a question, feel free to ask me on this blog via the comment area. I won’t guaranty answers to every one but I’ll answer what I think is appropriate. My answer may even take up an entire blog post.

So, without searching for all of the common questions, here are some select answers…

1. The neck was corrected before our re-release. Any kit with a Round 2 logo on it should be straight.
2. Yes, we are planning a 1/350 TOS Enterprise.
3. I agree, that would be a good follow up but tooling on larger kits is expensive so don’t expect new large kits every year.
4. We do not plan on selling refit Aztec decal sets at this time.
5. Yes, we plan on re-releasing all of the AMT vintage kits eventually.
6. I agree, a 1/1000 scale Reliant, K’tinga, New Movie Enterprise, Romulan Bird of Prey (anyone got a definitive measurement on that one, its gonna be tiny) and Enterprise D (qualifies as another large kit. See above.) among many others could all make great kits some day. (Keep discussing, btw. It may or may not influence what comes first.)
7. We don’t have the license for that because a) someone else already does and that means that even though we may have a tool for it, we don’t have permission to make it or b) many other reasons I’ll get into in another entry.
8. I don’t mind the design. Sure there are things I would change (like the skinny rear end of the 2^nd hull and maybe redistribute the mass of the nacelles a bit) but for the most part the distinctive elements are there and it is definitely more recognizable as the Enterprise than the NX-01.
9. No comment…

Be sure to come see us at Wonderfest.