Odds and Sods
This is a list of the many different kit manufacturers I have experienced and the number of kits I have built from that manufacturer, in blue.
Some manufacturers have simply re-boxed the kits of others.
So, for example, if all kits originating from FROG are accredited to FROG, including those sold in Matchbox and Revell and Novo boxes, etc., then the total of FROG kits I have built rises from 30. FROG also boxed kits from Hasegawa. Heller and Matchbox kits have also been re-boxed.
To complicate matters further, many kits are re-issued and re-issued again. So an original LS kit may well appear as an Arii kit and then perhaps as an Academy and then Minicraft kit and then as a "new" Revell kit. Then there are the particularly cheap and nasty Chinese copies, usually sold in Crown or Zhengdefu boxes.
That said, some companies specialise in re-packaging older kits, often with added extras such as photoetch or, at the very least, extra nice, new decals. SMER and Encore do well out of old Heller kits, whilst Algernon Products and, more recently, ACE Corporation, do well re-issuing fairly modern 1/144 kits, with fresh decals.
Tricky Fella, Johnny Provenance.
(Updated 26/06/23)
144th Squadron 5
Academy 11
Accurate Miniatures 1
ACE Corporation 2
Admiral 2
Adventures in Plastic 1
Aeroclub 21
AirAlex 1
Airfix 307
Airframe 1
Airlines 1
Alanger 1
Algernon Products 2
Alliance 2
AML 2
AModel 27
AMT/ERTL 25
Anigrand 19
Aoshima 1
Aozora 1
Arii 9
Ark Models 4
ARMA Hobby 12
Art Models 1
Attack 22
Attack Squadron 3
Aurora 4
AZ Model 33
Azur 3
Azur-Frrom 12
Bandai 5
Big Bird 2
Black Sun 1
Brengun 5
Choroszy Modelbud 1
CMR 12
Condor 1
Creations Chaubert 1
Dapol 1
Dark Star 1
Dekno 3
DML/Dragon 28
Duarte 1
Dujin 1
Eastern Express 4
Eduard 67
Eidai 3
Emhar 2
Encore 2
Entex International 2
ESCI 2
Fairy Kikaku 1
Fantastic Plastic 12
FCM 1
Fine Molds 9
Fly 2
FoxOne 1
Freightdog 2
FROG 30 (52)
FE-Resin 4
Flashback 1
F-Rsin 2
Fujimi 10
Gizmotron 1
Glencoe 1
Grand Models 1
Great Wall Hobby 1
Halcyon 3
Hasegawa 20
Heller 341
Heritage Aviation 1
High Planes 1
Hobby 2000 2
Hobby Boss 17
Hobbycraft 2
Huma 1
IBG Models 1
ICM 4
IOM Kit 1
Italeri 32
JPG Castings 3
Keil Kraft 1
KP Models 13
Krugozor 1
Liberty Quality 1
Lift Here 1
LS 4
Mach 2 1
Magna Models 1
Maquette 2
Marivox 1
Mark 1 Models 5
Matchbox 115
Mikr Mir 5
Mikrokit 1
Minicraft 6
Miniwing 12
Mister Craft 1
Moebius Models 2
Monogram 5
MPM 10
Novo 13
Obit 1
Owl 2
OzMods 7
OzMods/Revell 1
Panda 1
Pavla Models 6
Pegasus 42
Pegasus Hobbies 1
Pit Road 8
Platz 29
PM Models 3
PNT 1
Polar Lights 6
PZW Siedlce 1
Revell 165
RLai Models 1
Roden 14
RS Models 10
Ruch 1
SBS Models 9
S and M Models 2
Sabre Kits 2
S.H.E.D. Models 1
Siedlce 1
Silver Cloud 3
Skybirds '86 3
Skytrex 1
SMER 6
SMT 2
Sova-M 1
Special Hobby 51
SSM 4
Starfighter Decals 1
Stargazer Models 2
Super Model 1
Sweet 42
Sword 18
Tamiya 7
TanModel 3
Toko 2
Trumpeter 10
Tsukuda Hobbies 1
Ursus 1
Valom 22
Welsh Models 6
Whirlykits 2
Wolf Pack 2
Xtrakit 5
Yumo 1
ZTS Plastyk 3
Zvezda 6
Plus a resin Nimrod of unknown origin.
The Model Shop (with apologies to Monty Python)
(a Modeller walks in the door)
Modeller: Good Morning.
Model Shop Owner: Good morning, Sir. Welcome to the National Model Emporium! Purveyors of Plastic Goods, Frottering, For The Use Of.
Modeller: Ah, thank you, my good man.
Model Shop Owner: What can I do for you, Sir?
Modeller: Well, I was, uh, sitting in the public library on Thurmon Street just now, skimming through FROG by Lines and Helstrom, and I suddenly came over all creative.
Model Shop Owner: Creative, sir?
Modeller: Demiurgic.
Model Shop Owner: Eh?
Modeller: 'Ee, ah want to build summat, like!
Model Shop Owner: Ah, constructive!
Modeller: In a nutshell. And I thought to myself, "a little moulded styrene will do the trick," so, I curtailed my amphibious activites, sallied forth, and infiltrated your place of purveyance to negotiate the vending of some injection moulded particularities!
Model Shop Owner: Come again?
Modeller: I want to buy a model kit.
Model Shop Owner: Oh, I thought you were complaining about the Frog Chorus!
Modeller: Oh, heaven forbid: I am one who delights in all manifestations of the McCartnian muse!
Model Shop Owner: Sorry?
Modeller: 'Ooo, Ah lahk a nice tuune, 'yer forced too!
Model Shop Owner: So it can go on playing, can it?
Modeller: Most certainly! Now then, some kits please, my good man.
Model Shop Owner: (lustily) Certainly, sir. What would you like?
Modeller: Well, eh, how about a little Red Star?
Model Shop Owner: I'm, a-fraid we're fresh out of Red Star, sir.
Modeller: Oh, never mind, how are you on Tamiya?
Model Shop Owner: I'm afraid we never have that at the end of the week, sir, we get it fresh on Monday.
Modeller: Tish tish. No matter. Well, stout yeoman, four boxes of Minicraft, if you please.
Model Shop Owner: Ah! They’ve beeeen on order, sir, for two weeks. Was expecting them this morning.
Modeller: 'T's Not my lucky day, is it? Aah, Hasegawa?
Model Shop Owner: Sorry, sir.
Modeller: Revell?
Model Shop Owner: Normally, sir, yes. Today the van broke down.
Modeller: Ah. Xtrakit?
Model Shop Owner: Sorry.
Modeller: Eduard? Gran?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Any Polish AModel , per chance.
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Maquette?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: LS?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: White Ensign?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Dragon?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Dujin?
Model Shop Owner: (pause) No.
Modeller: Choroszy Modelbud?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Duarte?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Bilek,, Roden, Platz, Pioneer, Sword, Special Hobby, Chematic, Krugozor?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Mach 2, perhaps?
Model Shop Owner: Ah! We have Mach 2, yessir.
Modeller: (suprised) You do! Excellent.
Model Shop Owner: Yessir. It's...ah.....it's a bit runny...
Modeller: Oh, I like it runny.
Model Shop Owner: Well,.. It's very runny, actually, sir.
Modeller: No matter. Fetch hither the plastique de la Belle France! Mmmm-wah!
Model Shop Owner: I...think it's a bit runnier than you'll like it, sir.
Modeller: I don't care how fucking runny it is. Hand it over with all speed.
Model Shop Owner: Oooooooooohhh........! (pause)
Modeller: What now?
Model Shop Owner: The cat's built it it.
Modeller: (pause) Has he.
Model Shop Owner: She, sir.
Modeller: (pause) Heller?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Hobby Craft?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Creations Chaubert?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Fujimi?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Japanese Doyusha?
Model Shop Owner: No, sir.
Modeller: You...do *have* some model kits, don't you?
Model Shop Owner: (brightly) Of course, sir. It's a model shop, sir. We've got--
Modeller: No no... don't tell me. I'm keen to guess.
Model Shop Owner: Fair enough.
Modeller: Uuuuuh, Sweet.
Model Shop Owner: Yes?
Modeller: Ah, well, I'll have one of those!
Model Shop Owner: Oh! I thought you were talking to me, sir. Mister Sweet, that's my name.
Modeller: (pause) Turkish PM?
Model Shop Owner: Uh, not as such.
Modeller: Uuh, Glencoe?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Halcyon,
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Monogram,
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Pegasus,
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Pit Road,
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Czech Master Resin
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Israeli Starfix?
Model Shop Owner: Not *today*, sir, no.
Modeller: (pause) Aah, how about Airfix?
Model Shop Owner: Well, we don't get much call for it around here, sir.
Modeller: Not much ca-- it's the single most popular plastic construction kit company in the world!
Model Shop Owner: Not 'round here, sir.
Modeller: (slight pause) and what IS the most popular model kit company 'round hyah?
Model Shop Owner: Siedlce, sir.
Modeller: IS it.
Model Shop Owner: Oh, yes, it's staggeringly popular in this manor, squire.
Modeller: Is it.
Model Shop Owner: It's our number one best seller, sir!
Modeller: I see. Uuh....Siedlce, eh?
Model Shop Owner: Right, sir.
Modeller: All right. Okay. 'Have you got any?' he asked, expecting the answer 'no'.
Model Shop Owner: I'll have a look, sir...yyyeeeee....nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno. Plum sold out, Sir.
Modeller: It's not much of a model shop, is it?
Model Shop Owner: Finest in the district!
Modeller: (annoyed) Explain the logic underlying that conclusion, please.
Model Shop Owner: Well, it's so clean, sir!
Modeller: It's certainly uncontaminated by models....
Model Shop Owner: (brightly) You haven't asked me about Lindberg, sir.
Modeller: Would it be worth it?
Model Shop Owner: Could be....
Modeller: Have you --SHUT THAT BLOODY FROG CHORUS OFF!
Model Shop Owner: Told you sir....
Modeller: (slowly) Have you got any Lindberg?
Model Shop Owner: No.
Modeller: Figures. Predictable, really I suppose. It was an act of purest optimism to have posed the question in the first place. Tell me:
Model Shop Owner: Yessir?
Modeller: (deliberately) Have you in fact got any models here at all.
Model Shop Owner: Yes, sir.
Modeller: Really?
(pause)
Model Shop Owner: No. Not really, sir.
Modeller: You haven't.
Model Shop Owner: Nossir. Not a one. I was deliberately wasting your time, sir.
Modeller: Well I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to shoot you.
Model Shop Owner: Right-Oh, sir.
(The Modeller takes out a gun and shoots the Model Shop Owner)
Modeller: What a *senseless* waste of human life.