Small Scale Military Headquarters

Badcat has announced that they have been notified by 21st that the F-104 was "on the water" with an expected delivery date of 07/26 Preorders are being taken now. Get them while they last! Just ordered mine.

Great news!

Just received my Historic Aviation Catalog in the mail and the F-104 is shown as preorderable for ---$69.95

BCs Starfighter is showing ---$46.95

Hmm, that's quite a difference of opinion.

With the prices shown there, I wonder if it will still sell for $40.00 at Wal-Mart?

Quite possibly, but I'm still going to order a couple from BCA, just to save me the hassle of running around looking for them...

I figure that my time is worth more than the cost difference will be.

Placed my preorder! I'm with you, gunner!

I'm gonna stick with WM on this one. Searching is half the fun!

-Ski

Searching is half the fun!

Not with the traffic I have to deal with in DC...

The "close" Wal-Mart is only about 6-7 miles away, but it takes at least 30 minutes to get there, and can take as much as 90 - ONE WAY.

The "far" Wal-Mart is about 20 miles away and takes AT LEAST an hour to get to, and can take as much as 2 hours - ONE WAY.

Last night, when I told my wife about the upcoming release, for the first time, she questioned the appropriateness of adding something to my collection. Admittedly, I have something like 50 boxes of 1/6 and 1/18 stuff packed (and that doesn't count some of the aircraft), but she's always been supportive, or at least tolerant, of my collection. I guess I'm going to have to "thin the herd" down some once we move and start unpacking, and I guess I'm going to have to wait on my F-104...

Birddog wrote:With the prices shown there, I wonder if it will still sell for $40.00 at Wal-Mart?

I was told at TF that it would be $40 at WM. But with BCA only asking 7 bucks more I can completely understand saving time, hassle, gas, hope and whatever else it takes to find XD at Wallyworld.

Teamski wrote:I'm gonna stick with WM on this one. Searching is half the fun!

-Ski

QFT

not to mention possibly getting it at a mismarked or clearance price, as had been the case when a local WM received a shipment (2 cases) of 1:18 AC prior to Xmas, and immediately put them on the floor at clearance prices. If failing memory serves me correct, they did the same when they started stocking the 1/6 Jeep and Kublewagens.

HI
I ORDERED ONE FROM BADCAT LAST NITE
BUT WILL SEE IF WALLY GETS THEM FOR 2ND AND 3RD I
WANT TO TAKE ONE AND REDO IT AS A STARFIGHTER AIR SHOW TEAM JET

I'm planning to do one in NASA colors, which is, admittedly, an easy paint job, but cool nonetheless...

I HAVE BEEN TO TWO AIRSHOWS TO SEE "STARFIGHERS
HAVE 7 ROLLS OF FILM & 1 8MM TAPE,PLUS A MEMBER OF YAHOO F-104 CLUB SO HAVE LOTS OF PIX

I agree with the time and gas saving for the difference in price. I just hope that Bad Cat will offer the camo version at that same price when it is available for purchase.

digger wrote:

Birddog wrote:With the prices shown there, I wonder if it will still sell for $40.00 at Wal-Mart?

I was told at TF that it would be $40 at WM. But with BCA only asking 7 bucks more I can completely understand saving time, hassle, gas, hope and whatever else it takes to find XD at Wallyworld.

Don't forget about shipping. I know the 2 Corsairs I preordered will cost $20 just for shipping, so I'll wait on the 104s.... I know that I probably won't find the Corsairs locally at TRU, so I have no choice there.....

Oh, and a very big welcome to the board Kagnew!!! Happy to have you here......

-Ski

THANX
i was a member of old 21st club & groundpounders yahoo club but got lost in the shuffle somehow. i build large scale models 1/32 & 1/24
when they started these 1/18 models i was in heaven. i take them apart and redo them with extra detail.looking at 75th Rangers pix last nite the 104 is just sceaming for a 1/18 cast resin J79 engine sticking out of tail.

Ski....not everyone is as crazy as we are.....buying 2 is one thing but pre-ordering two is not nec. the norm...or is it

I preordered my F-104 from Badcat because I don't want to wait until Christmas for them to show up at my local Wal-Marts. I might buy the repaints if I see them at WM or if they have some on clearance.

This is a little sooner than expected and is great news! In a certain way, I am very tempted to order one from BCA, but as my local Hobbytown store always gets these planes at the same time as BCA, I think I'll wait until they show there and save on shipping. Given what has happened with a couple of other recent 21c releases, the F-104 could very well show up a week early!

Besides, I'm still undecided on this plane - I am really running out of display space

...but then I said that about the ME-109G, Panzer IV, and WC-63!

Aside from the first three repaints (the silver, Vietnam, and the Kreigsmarine), have we heard of definite future variants?

Nope, 21st is keeping that kind of info close to the vest. I think it might be wise for them to do these 3, wait a little then do a couple more down the road. I think things sell a little better when there aren't 5 different ones to choose from all at once? my 2 cents...

its certainly easy to give BCA a credit card # and the price is fair, but some of us have turned the recon act at the wm's into an art. Every once in a GREAT while, you notice the new box ends, usually on the top shelfs, and advance quickly with tunnel vision toward the objective-- A new batch of 104's or a forgotten box of black 109's; o well, you never know.. And yes I have ordered from BCA and SBP, only to find some items cheaper at WM at a later date. BUT THERES NOTHING WORSE THAN MISSING OUT-Whats the secret to knowing when to pick up the phone with cc# and when just to endure the daily stops at the local WM's.

Let's look at the "waiting for WM" scenario:

BEST POSSIBLE RESULT:

Wal Mart gets the 104 before the end of the month and you live walking distance from the store. YOU SAVE 7 BUCKS.


WORST POSSIBLE RESULT:

Drive to a dozen Wal Marts, spend $30 on gas, spend 8 hours of time, and still find nothing. Log on to the Internet and find the dealers sold out. YOU GET NOTHING.


Assuming you are a serious collector, which option represents the most rational gamble?

You are always welcome to order from me. especially if you live in sothern California www.Aviatornut.com

i learned when the spitfires and P-40s were new to get at least the first ones from Bad Cat.
and i work next door to a Wally world. my dealerships parking lot connects to wallyw. in fact i eat lunch at Big mac inside it and still have missed planes i wanted. this WM never got the P-47s.
so if i hadn't preordered from Bad Cat i never would have gotten them
plus the TRU never got the BBI F-18 or F-16s. so Bad Cats preorders saved me again
just my 2 cents