"Mixed" Trade with Nektarios1

[sequoiaranger]

When I discovered that the USS Antietam (1/700 Dragon kit) came with TWO flightdecks (one clear, one opaque) I was ecstatic. I needed extra flight deck length to whif up an elongated WW II angled-deck carrier...

http://www.combinedfleet.com/furashita/bonhom_f.htm

I was a little put off that the two flight decks in the kit were dissimilar. That is, the shape and perimeter was the same, but the clear flight deck was without any raised deck detail like the opaque one. That made sense, because if you wanted a clear deck to show off the hangar deck below, you wouldn't want the "detail" to refract your vision. I understood. And most people would opt for the solid deck anyway. But I needed two identical decks for my whif, and I didn't care which ones.

So...I was fishing around for anyone who might have either one of the decks to spare. The Dragon kit is rare and expensive, so the "field" was limited. Nektarios1 (in Greece) offered to trade his spare clear flightdeck for something I might have. I really didn't have anything worthwhile (for him) to trade, so we agreed on mailing costs. I asked him to please support the flightdeck with stiff cardboard or something, as it was like a foot-and-a-half long and brittle. Anyway, he duly sent his flightdeck, for which I am grateful. BUT...

For some reason he did not put any support in the envelope-type package and sure enough, the flightdeck was shattered into some five pieces and others cracked. If I had wanted the entire flightdeck, I would have been really PIS*ED, but as it was, miraculously, the particular three inches or so of flightdeck that I really needed for an extension was unharmed.

When I wrote him about the condition of the flightdeck, he said that he has mailed other things to people and never had breakage. To me, it seems careless and naive to think that something that long and brittle would not need some support, and I had asked him specifically to support it and he did not. I know I NEVER send anything by mail that isn't "armored" against mishandling. As a result of our conversation, he said he was sorry, to consider the flightdeck a "gift", and don't worry about paying mailing costs.

I am going to send him several sets of 1965 1/700 aircraft (his original request for trade) that I bought for the Skyraiders on it (and didn't want anything else) anyway, because I truly believe his heart was in the right place and I can indeed use the flightdeck he sent me.

[update-Sept 24th, 2009] Over two months ago I sent him some 1/700 60's US aircraft (his original request for a swap with the flight deck which I could not fill, but bought him some anyway for his trouble of sending me the flight deck). There were probably thirty or more aircraft/helicopters. The Post Office said that it would take ten days to get there. that was about 60 days ago. I have not heard ANYTHING from Nektarios1 indicating receipt of the package. Rather rude, I would say, especially when the aircraft were a BONUS gift.

[update Sept 30] The 1/700 aircraft arrived and were acknowledged by Nektarios1. Apparently the Greek post office had it all this while and notification to Nektarios1 was mishandled. Forgiven.

I know this was lengthy, but I wanted to give a fair representation of the trade.