First of all, I want to thank all those that have written me at my yahoo eMail at brucetgt@yahoo.com. Some were compliments for which I was very touched, and then there were those with questions, in fact, quite a few came with questions. I've decided to post some of these here, highlighting the more common questions I have received regarding this blog and what I can and cannot do, with the hope that I don't get too many emails with the same things in the future. I've edited all the questions so they would fit into this FAQ page appropriately.
1. Can I buy some of these kits highlighted for you?
No, unless I know you personally. As a general rule, its never advisable to buy anyone anything unless you know the person well enough, and if a deposit is given. It is risky as the buyer may balk at the last minute and you're stuck with something you don't want. Furthermore I'm not a middleman. Buying online entails using my credit card, and though you will only be charged for the cost of the kit plus shipping, I'm still paying for the 15% interest incurred. Not a very profitable venture there.
2. Where did I get all my images from?
In most cases where I have the URL addresses, I will include them in together with their relevant topics. Most of these were saved by me during net surfing, some from as far back as 2007. I just compile them together and consolidate them into one or a few post.
3. Can I give you a quote inclusive of shipping?
Dudes and duddettes, I'm not a shop. Sorry, you will need to write in to the appropriate shops/person in charge where I have linked their products to, to get a shipping quote.
4. Can I highlight your builds in my blog?
Of course, but I need to see your build first. Send the images to me at brucetgt@yahoo.com and make sure your images are in high resolutions, and virus free. Topics can be anything ranging from Sci Fi, Naval, Military, Automobile but lets keep everything PG-13. No Adult contents please. That only goes to my personal folders.
5. Why haven't I highlighted any warnings about shops that don't deliver quality services/bad vendors?
Self preservation, I don't want to get sued. HAHAHA .. seriously in my experience. there was only two source where I had very bad experience, but I did receive my goods at the end, abet the quality sucks. On this blog, I only want to highlight the good ones, and leave the bad ones be, unless it is necessary, then I have to be careful with my choice of words used here. If you do have a bad experience, I recommend you bring this up in a forum. There may be some members there that can help
6. Can I recommend Hobby Shops in England, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Brazil and Argentina?
I would love to except that I only shop with the US, Japan and Hong Kong. So unless they advertise themselves in the scale modeling forums like Starship Modeler or Hobbytalk, I won't even know if they exist.
7. Why haven't I touched on kits from Robotech and Gundam?
I love Robotech but not enough to start a kit collection. It'll be too expensive for me in the long run seeing how many kits these genre has. And I know next to nothing about Gundam. I tried watching a few of the Gundam Anime episodes and found Caprica to be more interesting. And lastly, if I am correct, there is a code of building a Gundam kit, that is, the completed kit have to look like their anime counterparts. I tend to go toward realism. However I am not saying never, one day perhaps if and when I decide to venture into the Gundam realm. I do like a lot of their dioramas, and I'm not sure if Patlabor counts, I personally like this anime which I plan to highlight some time later.
8. Can I put in a good word for you so you can get your kits cheaper?
Ahhhh .... no. You will need to write in to the respective shops and ask. First of all you need to bear in mind most of these shops already have "their price" which is lower than the market price. Second, they too need to survive. As for resin kits, you will need to ask directly to the GKs. I have done so a few times and 7 out of 10 times, they do give me good rates. Usually it is the shipping that's the killer.
9. Can I come up with a blog on how to do certain stuff in scale modeling?
Already did at my other blog ... but there isn't much there yet. I'll need to actually sit down one day, compile and consolidate all my materials to make them relevant and helpful. There will be more stuff there, I promise.
10. What forums do I go to?
This is with respect for those who asked me where I got some of my information. Henceforth I will share with you the forums I go to but you will need to register first before you can actively participate.
Starship Modeler Discussion Forum
Models-Hobbytalk
Resin Illuminati
Replica Prop Forum
CultTVman Fantastic Model Forum
Scale Model Malaysia
Plastic Modeling - Plamo
There's more and some of my information also comes from other blog highlights.
11. Can girls do Sci Fi scale modeling? Will you be considered weird?
Of course this hobby is open to everyone. Also I do know of a few female scale modelers that have blown guys apart with their excellent builds. Yes, I'm talking about competition levels here. And no, you won't be considered weird just because you chose this as a hobby.
12. Why haven't I highlighted some of the things you requested?
There are only two reasons why I have not highlight those topics. First, they must be relevant to a model kit that is available in the market, and second, I don't have anything on some of the topics requested. Sorry.
13. Can I loan you my kits to be recasted?
Sorry, I can't do that. Its not fair to the original GKs and furthermore, its not ethical to me. I have worked hard to earn a lot of these GKs trust, and the last thing I want to do is deprive them of their income for their toil and hard work. I do allow recast for PARTS, but not the entire kit, and only do so with my trusted circle of scale modeler friends.
14. Can I do up a poll in my blog?
I would love to but I'm not exactly sure how you set one up in blogger. When I do find out how, then some polls we shall have.
15. What is the best shipping method for overseas customers (if ordering from the US)?
I would recommend International Priority Shipping. It has tracking and insurable, and I have never lost any kits yet using this method. If you are ordering from Japan, I recommend EMS. These shipping methods are a little pricier, but they are very dependable.
16. Why you can't view the images in my blog?
I have tested the site using my brother's laptop, my office computer and even via 3G with my HTC Desire HD - all having no problem viewing the images. Feedbacks also suggest a non-issue from other viewers. Chances are the problem may be due to your internet connection (net congestion is usually the culprit). I suggest calling up your net provider for answers.
More to come when I receive them and don't worry, your privacy is protected since I don't plan on highlighting your names and email addresses in this blog
