Looey's Hammer

I've been working on a HUMONGOUS 3D print for a friend. It's sort of a War Hammer thing!

Cheers

Looey

Oz Base

Old Man eBay Blues

Being a mad keen toy collector I naturally joined eBay when it first appeared in Blighty in 2000, five Years after it's US birth.

I've been enjoying buying and selling for 25 years. In that time there's been a few changes as eBay kept up with things: dropping Western Union, having PayPal, not having PayPal, Seller dashboard etc etc. 

But recently eBay has gone full on with change. So much change it's making my head spin and I'm getting annoyed, as it's all clearly an attempt to pander to the younger vote and their dire need for simplicity.

It began with a new rule of only getting paid on delivery. 

Not only that, there's a grace period of a couple of days added on, so you only get paid, including postage, once you've posted your items. You're out of pocket from the off.

Then there's delivery. How do you confirm delivery in order to get paid? 

Tracking. Yes, but tracking costs the buyer more. Still, it's the only way for eBay to see there's been a delivery. 

Unless, the tracking fails! More on that later! 

So, with staggered payments in arrears, you never actually have all the money you're owed, as every delivery is inevitably on different days. This makes using your hard-earned eBay moolah difficult, as you have to save up in effect to get that dear item you so want for yourself, in which time it may well have gone!

And so back to tracking, when it fails. This happened to me last week, a Torchy the Battery Boy annual that should have been tracked was left untracked by Royal Mail. As such it could never be confirmed as delivered. The Nightmare scenario! Just think of it had been a hugely expensive item! 

Even more galling was the fact that the buyer told me the annual had arrived and she was enjoying reading about her old TV favourite! 

I contacted eBay via chat and after a lengthy but amicable conversation it turns out that eBay pay up after 14 days from the sale anyway, regardless of delivery or not! Doh!

Now we come to the biggest change of all. Shipping/ postage. 

eBay have created a new Simple Post process that involves Evri amongst other couriers.

It means the buyer can choose to have Evri pre-paid labels, which, in my case, have to be printed at the post office on the Evri machine. I don't get to see the address until that point and I don't really know how much they've paid.

It's all a royal pain in the backside and clearly trying to win back the pre-paid one- click young punters who are flocking to Vinted in droves. 

But what about us long-standing and loyal ebayers who still possess some semblance of patience and don't need one-click solutions to all and everything?

What. About. Us?

Anyways, rant over. I need to wrap my latest sales and go to see the Evri machine in town! 

The eBay dinosaur.

PS. What's your current eBay experience?

Kevin's Star Trek The Motion Picture communicator

I've made a scratchbuilt replica of the communicator from Star Trek The Motion Picture.

Not a patch on the original series ones but it has something.

Cheers,

Kevin

Mystery Ships

I saw these online and thought, wow! They look neat! Obviously Japanese, I don't know what they are. Anyone? 

British Warship Jig-saws

Here is another set of jig-saw puzzles, which I have had for a few decades. Clearly, all the vessels in the Combat Ships Series are British ships from the Falklands War of 1982, although there is one howling mistake.

JR Jigsaws, Handley Printers Ltd, 200 pieces. Size 12 3/4 inches by 9 inches, or 324mm by 228mm.

The paintings are just not up to the standards of those featuring Roy Cross or Roy Huxley artwork. I assume these were made in Britain ?

H.M.S. Fearless – Landing Platform Dock, amphibious landing ship

H.M.S. Glamorgan – County Class Guided Missile Destroyer, but the box top painting shows a Sheffield Class Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer

H.M.S. Argonaut – Leander Class Frigate, after conversion to an Exocet Leander, with surface-surface missiles.

H.M.S. Endurance – Ice Patrol Vessel

Not a great set, but they would have been topical when they came out.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Gone for a Burton: Batman Forever

Having watched the first two Tim Burton Batman movies again, on DVD, I've been basking in late 80's - early 90's bat-glow.

And then I watched Batman Forever. Oh dear! 

I can't believe it's a Tim Burton movie too! What was he thinking? Somewhere between Returns and Forever Tim lost his Mojo. Maybe he just ran out of steam and not having Keaton carrying on must have been a blow.

There was no subtle beginning, no introduction, just a messy, loud string if explosions and chases with Two Face chuckling throughout. There appeared to be no story until Wayne met Nigma.

I just feel the casting was all wrong. Val Kilmer is just too darn good looking for his own good and never seems to get riled. Chris's Robin is just too annoying to even write much about. And Nicole Kidman as Meridian Chase just didn't do it, her performance was neither here nor there.

But I've saved the worst till last: Two Face.

 Tommy Lee Jones was not the actor for Harvey Dent's bifurcated character. It was wishy washy at best and the make-up and clothing looked daft. I can't think of a single memorable line they gave poor Tommy to say.

Jim Carey did OK as the Riddler, a sort of Mask dry-run, but being a funny guy he was well, funny. Too much funny ruins Batman for me I'm afraid. 

Michael Gough's Alfred kept things on the straight and narrow when he could, but overall the complete carnage and cacophony around him was all we could hear.

The whole film was a bit of a mess but I'm glad I've seen it again.

Have you seen it?

Next up, George Clooney's Batman and Robin!

Ed's Red Alert!

Woodsy,

An urgent communiqué has been received warning of an incoming alien fleet.

 Our outpost has been placed on alert and our fighter's scrambled. Missile defense vehicles have been posted on the perimeter and Space Marines deployed to defensive positions.

HG Toys spaceships flying over MPC 60mm ringhand space troops and mobile missile launcher.

Ad is a scan of an original comic book ad from the 1960s. Now, that is a scene I'd love to recreate!

From Vegas Base

Ed

The Rugby Post!

 I've had this idea for ages, how else to use a shop rack I have.

Eh voila!

Action Man rugby conversion! 

Behind the scenes! All the action! 

C'mon Castleford Tigers!