Scumbag!!

[Aeronaut]

Can you believe this guy??
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-METAL-TOY-P ... 8514515044

[grwebster]

I once wrote to a seller with a very similar item advising him that the item he was selling was a modern asian tin object and not as he described it - "a rare vintage toy attic find".
This set of a series of back and forth emails with him even at one point claiming it was his friends grandfathers toy he took out of the attic himself- Yeah right!
Buyer beware.

[ramseyd]

Caveat Emptor!
I have seen several of these. And I guess there are folks who are not as knowledgeable who buy thinking they have an old toy plane. Guess you could report this to eBay as not a 40-50s era model and is falsely advertised.
Dennis

[dasimperator]

So what is it and what is it really worth?

[Tone]

I saw this post. That sure is an ugly toy. Rexford is near where I live, too. Judging by the photos of Air Force One in flight you posted, he's probably near you too! It is a painted tin "decoration" made overseas, I do not know for certain what country. I would say it's worth $15-$20 tops.

"Home Goods" in Clifton Park sometimes has painted tin "decoration" planes like this one in stock.

[grwebster]

It is "a modern asian tin object"
no collector value.

[Aeronaut]

It is "a modern asian tin object"
no collector value.

Great description GR! I was at a loss of words to describe this "object"

[Tone]

Guys, I see so many of these thingies as opposed to true old toy models that I am getting fed up with seeing all of them. Look at French and German auctions and the same is true: modern reproduction items. I don't care whether they're hand-made or machine-made, they still lack the charm of the oldies.

[soslipstream]

I agree with all you. About a year ago I visited a resturant in Muncie, Indiana at the airport owned by an old aquaintance. He worked for 20 years at the headquarters of the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) so had been around many scale models for many years. He is a smart, entertaining, and a retired hotshot USN Fighter Pilot. In showing me around is aviation themed eatery, he showed me a long wall filled with this Asian metal trash on shelves and those ugly, D@#% cast aluminum models from the same area of the world. He was quite proud of his "collection". I didn't have the heart to tell him that they were all JUNK!

Instead, I sent him some pictures of our (rhetorically) stuff. I also suggested he visit MAC and cruise around. Funny, haven't heard BOO from him since!

Amongst the poorly crafted Asian tin airplanes and the goofy looking aluminum ones lurks the remnants of the Lookheed lawsuit from the 90's that stopped the use of scale designs and names. This is now true for all A/C manufacturers. What once was labled a "Lockheed P-38 Lightning" has become "Classic Fork-tailed Fighter". Cartoon-like outlines and nondescript shapes painted to appear "scale" is the end result. It probably cost too much to get international licensing for the "cheapo" market. I suspect some of the high cost of the mohagany models from the Philipines is dedicated to such licensing. Note that some ads depict a photograph of the real airplane and not the model lest they come under a lawsuit.

As for the sellers on Ebay and elsewhere that pitch this junk, they simply lower the worth of being responsible. With the economy so low, I doubt Ebay would ever challenge these opportunists. Sad thing is that the junk will gain its own status. One wonders if models will be referred to as pre-Asian invasion or post Asian invasion.

Shaking my head,
Tom

[dasimperator]

Dude has another one of those 'vintage' planes on the block as well as a couple of these...

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-ZERO-POINT-SCALAR-ENERGY-NANOI-HEALING-WANDS-/160608639211

"Zero-point scalar-energy nanoi-healing wands"

In other words - a metal rod supposedly imbued with 'mystical healing powers' - woohoo.

In other words, a load of bollocks.