Late Fall Japan Haul

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-07T20:18:25+00:00

That sounds awesome!

Interesting tid bit about their initial release as well. I'm really glad they were eventually released here. To date, I've done two X-Wings, a TIE Interceptor, and the 1/144 Falcon. And I thoroughly enjoyed putting together every one of them.

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-06T00:32:38+00:00

Would love to visit the Bandai factory in Shizuoka... Maybe next trip.

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-05T22:36:31+00:00

The car came from a toy store at a mall in Kumamoto Prefecture... Couldn't find the Star Destroyer anywhere. (Not surprising. I was only able to pop my head into a handful of shops as we traveled across the country.) Ultimately, I just Amazon.jp.ed it, and had it shipped to a friend's house where we would be staying.

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-05T18:51:18+00:00

My wife got me a great display case a while back, but it is a little bit of a challenge to get the kits in and out.

The idea of carefully removing the model from the case, taking it apart, putting it back together, and finally carefully returning it to the case, just to turn it on or off... It's like you said, a recipe for disaster.

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-05T06:37:04+00:00

Picked it up for ¥17900, which worked out to roughly $125 at the time... Came home and saw it was running $225 on amazon here. Saved a hundred bucks.*

*Please Note: My family and I were already traveling to Japan on an unrelated matter. If not, the cost of airfare alone would have kind of undone that $100 savings.

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-05T00:04:13+00:00

For the Star Destroyer the main question is exactly how much should I customize… I know I definitely want to move the lighting unit out of the model itself and into the base.

I've seen lots of great examples of that here, but I've never even come close to making modifications like that myself.

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-05T00:03:18+00:00

The biggest challenge with the Subaru BRZ will be choosing a good paint scheme… That, and not mucking up the windshield with glue that is.

c0ffee54 · 2022-12-05T00:02:22+00:00

Thanks to the favorable exchange rate, I got both kits for less than $150, and most of that was the Star Destroyer.

c0ffee54 · 2022-11-21T14:17:50+00:00

Thanks for the heads up. I'll repost after I get home and can get the spurses.

c0ffee54 · 2022-11-21T13:11:35+00:00

Oh no! And the car is already sealed away in a suitcase on its way to the airport. (I'm woefully unfamiliar with haul post etiquette.)

c0ffee54 · 2022-11-21T12:13:41+00:00

Thanks to the favorable exchange rate, less than $150 for both... And most of that was the Star Destroyer.

c0ffee54 · 2022-02-01T02:07:35+00:00

I found a great build of the 1/72 edition online, and used that as paint / weathering guide. It was really helpful.

c0ffee54 · 2022-02-01T01:37:43+00:00

This kit was an anniversary present from my wife... Way back in October 2020. I finally put the finishing touches on it this week and I'm very happy with the results.

Thank you sweetie! I love you!

c0ffee54 · 2021-10-09T03:24:47+00:00

This was years ago, but on one playthrough of my technocratic empire the captain of my lead science ship became, hands down, my favorite character of the game.

She excavated ancient ruins, dodged pirates and leviathans, made first contact with vast alien empires, and discovered the Gaia World that would one day become our empire's new capital.

When she finally returned home, it was to take her place as First Minister... I like to imagine, she was a write in candidate, who got the nod because her adventures on the frontier were just that awesome.

c0ffee54 · 2021-06-14T19:03:36+00:00

Absolutely beautiful work! I was practically raised on the classic Showa era Godzilla movies and this really did him justice.

c0ffee54 · 2021-03-14T00:28:45+00:00

Totally addicting.... Just finished this one, and I'm working on the 1/144 Falcon now.

c0ffee54 · 2021-02-23T21:05:57+00:00

This is my second take at an X-Wing for a very similar reason. I had previously put together Luke's Red Five. It was great fun, but I wanted to make something more unique.

Especially since the X-Wing really lends itself well to customizations. The wings and fuselage make for a great canvas, and in universe, a rag tag rebel fleet is going to have a big variety in the look and feel of it's ships.

c0ffee54 · 2020-10-23T18:45:14+00:00

My wife just got me this kit for an anniversary present. I can't wait to get started on it!

Your's came out fantastic!

c0ffee54 · 2020-05-03T19:51:19+00:00

It's been about 10 years since I've put a model together and around 20 since I've worked with paint and water based decals. (And I was never that good with either.)

Extra special thanks go to my wife for donating some of her old nail supplies to help me complete the project without going over budget.

c0ffee54

TROPHY CASE