by Staff

This article appeared in the November 1995 issue of Boresight

Welcome to the world of "virtual modeling." Over the last two months I have spent a considerable amount of time (and to my wife's concern, a considerable amount of time which has to be paid for) up on America On Line accessing the USENET function to read the news group on scale modeling. (If you have AOL access, the group is rec.models.scale) There are about 100 new messages a day posted to the group - some from aircraft modelers and the like - but a goodly number of ones related to armor and military miniatures which make it worthwhile.

Subjects which come up for debate include kit prices, values, kit accuracy, and future releases. Some retailers also use this as a handy (read cheap!) method of advertising, and it is really a nice interactive way to get your questions answered. Some of the people there are not particularly couth, but the concept of "flaming" (e.g. the Internet method for telling an idiot to get stuffed) tend to keep that down to a minimum. If you would like interactive feedback, this a good place to go for answers.

Also, there is the first virtual hobby shop now being offered. A gentleman named Scott Hards is a American working in Tokyo, and is now offering via the Internet a chance to get some of the Japanese kits not offered in the US and at Japanese prices (plus shipping and handling). He will be using an intermediary to handle US funds transactions, and will charge a nominal fee for his efforts. For example, the forecast Tamiya StuG III (early) is going to retail at 2600 Yen (about $26.50 US) and he is going to offer it for $30 plus about $9 shipping. This is a relatively reasonable price, and it may herald a way around the lockstep prices paid today. (It would be simpler to simply make the kits elsewhere, like the Philippines or the US, and just sell them at lower rates, but hey, when have manufacturers listened to us?) Scott's E-Mail address is:

On a recent business trip I also had a nice time visiting with Jim Forbus, our "left coast" second vice president (Steve Andreano being on the "right coast" and Ralph Martin in the Heartland) and had a good time catching up on AMPS doings in the West. One thing which seems to remain constant is that many aircraft modelers are ignorant of anything without wings and tend to abuse other modeling disciplines. That is unfortunate, but then again, if they were as egalitarian as they claim there would probably not be an AMPS organization.

Jim did pass on one great story which ought to be easily enjoyed by all. At a recent meeting one member of IPMS boasted that he took a full year to build each of his ship models, and only for the IPMS Nationals. David Fisher, the man who spent twelve years working on his magnificent 1/9 scale StuG III, pondered that for a while and then told him, "Hmm - guess you need to learn some patience."