ccoyle

Okay, let's delve a little further into this subject. Let's examine a few Mystery Models and discuss what makes them something less than what they seem to be. Take a look at Mystery Model #1. This one doesn't need too much explanation. It is obviously a curio -- something a kid would buy at the gift shop at Mystic Seaport. When the child outgrows it, it might end up in a yard sale. But more likely, though, it will just get discarded. But not all cheap models are so overtly cheesy. How about Mystery Model #2? This one looks nice -- from a distance. Once you get up close, you can see that the fittings are not to scale and the workmanship is not great. This is clearly a decor piece. If you have a nautical theme in your office, and you don't want to shell out big bucks for a scale model, you might get something like this at the local home decorating store. You probably won't have much success at selling it to someone else. Mystery Model #3 is something we see a lot of around here. It looks old. It looks antique. It must therefore be valuable, right? Wrong. This is a classic example of an older style of decor model, probably made in Spain. Columbus' ships were especially popular subjects. Some might have a plaque bearing the name "Fregatta" (fregatta is Spanish for 'frigate'). Unfortunately, unlike perhaps a matched pair of Holland & Holland shotguns, these models don't appreciate in value with age. They just get old, like shag carpet and avocado green appliances. Now, to mix things up a bit, let's look at a model that represents a ship still in existence. First we have the model: And now we have the real deal, the bark Star of India, the crown jewel of the San Diego Maritime Museum. At first glance, the model does kind of look like the real ship. But once again, the devil is in the details. Look closely at the real ship. Now look at the model. Notice the difference in the cut of the sails and the way the sails are set on their yards. Notice how fine the rigging looks on the real ship and how chunky it looks on the model. Notice how the model doesn't even have the proper rig (it has square sails on the mizzen mast, the mast at the rear of the ship; the real Star does not). If you could see the model up close, you would see that the lack of fidelity to the original extends to the deck fittings as well. In short, the model is only a crude likeness of the real thing. Now, here's the kicker. At the time of this writing, the Star of India model was available to purchase on the internet for (wait for it) -- $999.99. I kid you not! And, sadly, it's kind of like a new car in the sense that once you drive it off the lot, its value plummets. "But wait," you might say, "I bought this model for $999.99, so it must be worth at least $999.99, right?" Um -- no. In the first place, no one is going to pay $999.99 for your now-second-hand model when there are tons of brand-new ones available on the Internet. Second, I, at least, am certainly not going to pay that much for it, because I know where I can get a brand new model just like it for less than 1/10th of what you paid for yours. Ouch! In the next installment, I'll cue you in on what model ship buyers really want in a model and how much they might be willing to pay for it. Until then!

I'm not at a point in my life where I can commit to a group project, but I would be keenly interested in a C A Thayer build somewhere down the road.

Hi! On a fairly regular basis, we here at MSW receive requests from new members for help with identifying a ship model, such as something like one of these: The request usually looks something like this: Now, we are happy to help you with this request, but since we get asked so often, I thought it would be good to finally put some info on mystery models in one topic thread so that you can maybe find your answer before you post. Here are some basic things you should know: 1. Many, many models have been built over the years for the sole purpose of serving as decor or memorabilia. This would be a model purchased at, say, Sea World or Home Goods. These models are usually built to low standards in parts of the world where labor is relatively cheap. Once upon a time, southern Europe was a hot-spot for their manufacture. Nowadays most such models are coming out of Southeast Asia. These models usually have little, if any, historical or resale value. If you shelled out for one at an auction, you are probably stuck with it. Unfortunately, the vast majority of models we get asked about fall into this category. 2. A similar category of models could be classified as folk art. These are, as the name implies, locally built models that are an artistic representation of a ship rather than a scale model. Like the decor models, these also usually have little value other than sentimental value. 3. Then there are models that are actual attempts at scale model building, either scratch built or from a kit. Maybe your dad or grandpa built one. The value of these varies widely depending on the subject and the quality of the build, but the number of builders whose work is actually worth a large chunk of change is very, very small. The number of prospective buyers for such models is even smaller. 4. It is an extremely rare model that will turn out to have real value, either due to its artistic merit (built by someone who's a recognized master modeler) or historical value (e.g. a genuine prisoner-of-war bone model). Trust me, there are builders who are good (you would probably ooh and aah over their work), and then there are the builders whom those 'good' modelers look up to - the Stradivaris of our art, if you will. Those builders are few and far between, and grandpa probably wasn't one of them. 5. No matter what kind of model you have, the only people who can give you a true estimation of its worth (meaning, what a real person might actually pay) are those who make their living by doing such things, i.e. museum curators or owners of maritime art galleries. What you get from MSW should only be considered an informed opinion. If you do decide to go to a gallery, just let me prepare you well in advance for the shock you will likely experience upon hearing the appraised value of your model. In our hobby, 'valuable' and 'finely crafted' are not necessarily synonymous. Nine times out of ten, mystery models shown at MSW are, sad to say, essentially worthless in terms of monetary value. Some of those models, to be sure, still have sentimental value for their owners, and that is not to be taken lightly. If you have a model like that, then do what you can to preserve it. If, on the other hand, you were hoping you found an overlooked treasure at a boot sale, well, you most likely didn't. Sorry. Cheers!

Agreed. And one reason why mods occasionally have to hit the magic 'edit' button, Also, might I suggest using the search function to search the key words "best kit, " since this topic comes up fairly regularly? I think you will find some opinions on the matter. Good luck!

It's like a building slip from IKEA!

Diorama, maybe? Oarsmen in full regalia, William IV comfortably ensconced on a cushion ...

Schnellbaukasten is German for "quick-build kit." Not sure a how a POB 3-master qualifies as a 'quick build'.

Ah, Revell of Germany. That makes more sense.

Wait -- Revell re-badged a wood kit?

John, it's about 25mm-ish in diameter.

Just catching up on this thread. I'm actually pretty surprised at the asking price listed above for Blue Crab. $2500 seems almost like a "what's wrong with it?" kind of price.

The kit, marvelous as it is, was designed with the novice builder in mind, so there are a number of simplified features. Fortunately, we have a large number of Fly and Pegasus builds on the forum, both in-progress and completed, and these are provide a wealth of upgrade ideas. I also heartily recommend looking at dubz's Syren log, as he is quite good at adding convincing extra details to ships of the same period and similar rate. I, too, have a Fly in progress, although I started in 2006 (!) and haven't touched her in about three years. Too many projects, dontcha know.

That strip was designed to make the deck planking easier for novice builders. The actual ship did not have that feature.

Doug, I'm assuming you don't have the forecastle and quarterdecks glued in yet, right?

I don't think those are the same outfits. "Bateaux miniatures" is a company that makes model ships. Bateaux Leclerc may be connected to the family somehow, but Bateaux Leclerc was a kit line. They are not high profile within the ship modeling community, and I think they may even have been out of the business for a considerable time. I have seen Leclerc kits for sale on eBay and elsewhere from time to time. I suspect their kits are on par with what was being produced back in the 70s/80s - something like the AL of Canada.

A boxed modeler's tool set may not be that great of an investment (I know this from personal experience). I never use the heavy-duty knife handle that came with the set, or most of the specialty blades. Instead, I use a regular el cheapo craft knife handle and buy #11 blades in 100-packs (much, much cheaper that way). The included gouges are next to worthless; at some point you will probably want to pick up a quality set of gouges, and these are truly one of the 'you get what you pay for' tools of the hobby. Now, as to a few things the boxed set lacks ... 1. Wire-sized drill bits. These break all the time. Buy them in bulk, in a variety of sizes. 2. Round-nose pliers. Very useful for forming all kinds of stuff out of wire, such as eyebolts. 3. Several gauges of blackened, annealed wire, for forming stuff with your round-nosed pliers. 4. Forceps, straight and curved tips. 5. A variety of tweezers. And here's another up-vote for headband magnifiers. Indispensable, IMO, especially for older eyes. Like mine. These are tools I use often. For tools that are used less frequently, it is handy to live next door to a modeler with a fully-equipped shop, so that you can dash over and borrow things.

This is not a very popular technique in our mostly-wood-models community, although I have seen models done like that - mostly miniatures in diorama settings. A search on 'weathering' might yield some tips. Also, the more dedicated steel navy forums out there will have more info on weathering, albeit aimed at steel navy subjects obviously. Good luck with your search!

Ray, Do not be fooled by a label that says a kit is for 'beginners' - that is meant to create sales, not to ensure that you get a good start in the hobby. I believe it is always good advice to start with a simple wooden kit. Wood is different than working in plastic, and a simple kit will get you started well, teach you basic skills, save you money, spare you frustration, not take years to complete, and give you the satisfaction of getting a first wood model finished. HMS Snake is not an easy kit - lots of guns, lots of rigging, lots of repetitive tasks. Save it for a second or third model.

Butapren is mentioned extensively in the literature of Eastern European card models, but I have never been able to learn exactly what it is. The only thing I can gather is that it is not available in the West.

Ooooh - HMS Mercury.

If we're talking strictly about wooden models, then I'd say '10-15 of the "big players'" is a generous overstatement; it's more like a half-dozen. My guess is that is easier for smaller fish to join in these days thanks to the advent of 3-D design software and cheaper laser cutting and CNC milling machinery. And thank goodness for that, too, since it means modelers have more choices now than ever.

By 'tied up' I assume you mean furled? Yes, there are many modelers in this forum, along with examples of their work, who do just that. Browse through the gallery to find some models with furled sails, then find the build logs for those models to see how they did things. Try searching 'furled sails', too - you'll probably get some hits. Good luck!

Great work, Pete! Now you are down to only two projects, I believe?

Gentlemen, I just did some pruning of this topic. This thread was started specifically to discuss projects in the works at Amati. I don't know why Chris hasn't posted in a while, but I'm sure he has his reasons. In the meantime, the thread was drifting off-topic and threatening to become a full-blown topic hijack. Discussions of particular kits already in production should go in the wooden kits forum. Build pics should go in a build log. Chit-chat should go in the Shore Leave forum. Thank you!

Working from memory here, but if I recall correctly, eating the salt dough is a no-no, as the salt content is way too high. Kinda like drinking seawater.