My stash just grew again (2016)

[Weaver]

The previous deal for Typhoons - can we make it a trade for Spitfire mk I/IIas? Haven't seen them yet in this area - and I've been a fair way south too - and rather than pay £9 for the mk Va when it comes out for the priviledge of a new decal sheet, I'd rather buy three of the older kit.

Okay, so just to be clear, you want to trade 6 Typhoons for 6 Spitfire Mk.I/IIs, yes?

It's possible that I might be able to get more Mk.I/IIs: they're new into this area and more stores might get them.

I actually have 8 Typhoons for grabs.  Went through the numbers earlier.

Do you want me to try to find two more Mk.I/IIs or do you want to pick two other Spits of a different mark?

[The Wooksta!]

More mk I/IIs pls.  I've enough of t'others at the minute.

[Weaver]

More mk I/IIs pls.  I've enough of t'others at the minute.

I'm out in the car tomorrow morning so I'll have another look.

[The Wooksta!]

A cobra strike on Blaydon HB revealed a small restocking, so nabbed:

2 x P40 gift sets (1 being sold on)
5 x Spitfire mk IXcs

[JayBee]

More mk I/IIs pls.  I've enough of t'others at the minute.

Now that is a comment I never expected to hear !

Jim

[The Wooksta!]

I never expected to have to use it, but thanks to the Great Home Bargains Airfix Treasure Hunt^TM, here we are.

For all the jollity now, this is going to bite someone later on, be it Airfix themselves (the mk I/IIa kit is deleted and about to be rereleased as a IIa/Va - are you going to fork out nother 6 quid for the benefit of a new decal sheet?) or the second hand dealers, with their stock twice the price that Home Bargains is charging for new?  And that hits the modeller wanting to clear his stash too, because HB have effectively undercut him.  As much as I love cheap Spits, I can't see me forking out more than £3 for any almost Airfix 72nd Spitfire* now, and even if they are that price, I'll think twice because I have a full stash.



*The Cartograph marked Desert 9s are still prized, largely for the spare canopy.

[The Wooksta!]

There was talk of Redcar, but that may be shelved.

Having had to visit Redcar on numerous occasions whilst working I'd definitely shelve it. It was a strange, sad place even when the steelworks was fully open, by the end of my service it had gone downhill a lot and what it must be like now I have no idea.

The sad thing is I had a brochure from the then Industry Secretary back in the 70's in my office which proclaimed "Redcar the new Rhur" ! If only the plans had been followed through, but sadly they succumbed to regional and political rivalries 

I went yesterday.  What a trek through a dismal post industrial landscape.  Very depressing.

[Thorvic]

You do know Home Bargains are clearing those stock lines for Airfix, its not a stock reduction its removing those boxing's completely they no longer appear on the Airfix webstore !

[The Wooksta!]

In which case, they're shooting themselves in the foot - there's stuff in Home Bargains that's being cleared that Hannants can't order from Airfix and I'm sure Hornby would be getting more from Dave H than they got from Home Bargains.  If they left it on the webstore, they'd be getting the full lot from the buyer, not the tuppence ha'penny that they'll be getting from Home Bargains.  No wonder Hornby are in the mire with their 'experts' advising them.

Like I said earlier, it's going to bite someone somewhere. And Airfix are the first to be bitten themselves.  Here's some examples and please bear in mind these are just Spitfires, my primary interest:

http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/supermarine-spitfire-mki-mkiia-1-72.html?___store=airfix

£7.99.  I bought four yesterday for £3 each.  That's £20 Airfix have just lost.

http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/supermarine-spitfire-mkixc-1-72.html?___store=airfix

£8.99?  I'm saving £6 a kit here and how many am I normally buying?  Now, tell me why myself and others will be buying at full price.

The Red Arrows in HB are this year's colours too.  Not only are they loosing out on custom but they're having to pay a licencing fee too.

[Weaver]

It's all about cash flow. Sometimes generating £1m in one hit now by dumping the stock is better than generating £2m over the next few years as you sell the stock in dribs and drabs.

Also, it's only hitting stash clearances and 2nd hand traders while the sale is a) ongoing and b) remembered. In 12 month's time, most casual buyers will have forgotten what was in the HB sale and what wasn't and since the sale is ended they won't have the option of getting one for £3 anyway, so they'll be open to paying £5 for one at a show or £7 for one on Ebay if the kits looks like it's objectively worth it.

Anyway, I have two bits of bad news Lee:

1. None of the local HB shops have restocked and they have no more Mk.I/IIs. It'll be next week before I try again.

2. The figures I've been posting for what I've got are wrong. I think I've added a batch twice somewhere: sorry. The actual, counting-the-boxes figures are:

Spitfire Mk.22: 9
Spitfire Mk.IXc: 7
Spitfire Mk.Vb: 6
Spitfire Mk.I/IIa: 4
Spitfire PR.19: 11

Tomahawk Starter Set: 3
Dauntless: 4
Fw190 A8/F8: 5
Gladiator: 6
Hurricane: 8
LCVP: 4
Bf 109E-7/trop: 3
Mustang: 6
Red Arrows Hawk: 4
Typhoon: 6
Vampire T.11: 6

[The Wooksta!]

Not necessarily bad news.  Just means I'll not be getting a mountain at Telford.  If you can get them, great.  If not, well, I'm no worse off than I was yesterday.

[Chris Payne]

Been bad again.

Another Airfix 1/72 Gloster Gladiator from Home Bargains.

[The Wooksta!]

1 kit isn't being bad - £3 barely covers the price of a pint these days.  No, being bad would be, say, half a dozen Spitfires and a similar number of Hurricanes.

[Chris Payne]

1 kit isn't being bad - £3 barely covers the price of a pint these days.  No, being bad would be, say, half a dozen Spitfires and a similar number of Hurricanes.

It is kinda bad when I have had around 20 kits from Home bargains in around 3 weeks.

[The Wooksta!]

No. You're not being bad.  Trust me on this.  You didn't see the amount I've been trying to stash away... 

I'd say you're merely being financially prudent.  £3 a kit v £9 rrp?  No brainer.  And if you sell them on a few months down the line for say £4 apiece - still a bargain price for a buyer - then you've made a modest return on your investment.