Auckland March Kits Fair

Auckland has just had its first fair of 2025, and I got some great bargains. Not many die-casts this time, but I did get some really nice kits, including some vintage treasures.

Sitting on a chair behind one table I spotted a couple of vintage Renwal military kits from the USA. Thinking that they had likely been put aside for someone else, I asked anyway, and managed to bag both of these classic kits for a song.

The Nike Surface-to-Air Missile is missing one forward missile fin, and there is damage to one end of the box, but the great box top artwork is intact. The missile is moulded in white plastic, with the launcher and three figures in olive drab.

The 8 Inch Self Propelled Howitzer, or M55, has been started, but again the box top is intact. This one is moulded in green plastic, with black tracks, and a full crew of six figures.

In the 1970s Fundimensions issued a series of four diorama kits, depicting giant insects or arachnids on the rampage, three of which were re-issued in the 1990s by AMT/Ertl. Obviously inspired by all those giant bug movies of the 1950s.

One of the tables had an example of the Rampaging Scorpion kit, which had been started, but was complete. Only the box top remained with the kit, showing the Scorpion attacking a city centre.

The Japanese firm Crown did a series of Model in a Bottle kits in the 1970s. In addition to the usual sailing ships, they also did several steam locomotives sitting on a length of railway track.

I was lucky enough to find one of these kits, almost complete, but lacking the instructions. The bottle is plastic, and has a separate base, so the completed model can be inserted after assembly.

A trio of aircraft kits – a 1960s Frog Messerschmitt Me-410 (I built a later version of this kit in the 1970s); an Airfix Dornier Do-17 from the 1970s; and a fictitious Italeri MiG-37 Ferret Soviet Stealth Fighter to go with their US Stealth Fighter kit. It is the box art which makes these kits.

Finally a batch of modern 1/72 scale armoured vehicles, by Trumpeter and Vespid. A US Sherman tank in Korean War markings; super heavy German Maus tank – it weighed 180 or so tons, and only two prototypes were built; Soviet-era SA-4 Ganef Surface-to-Air Missile launcher.

A nice haul, and a great day out. Several of these kits deserve a more detailed write-up – stay tuned.

Paul Adams from New Zealand