What's Going On, Joe? #6

Once Again I Ask:  When Does a Hobby Become an Obsession?

OR
When Does an Obsession Become a Problem?

This past Saturday I was all set to go to Chicago with my fiance and her friend.  Well, due to lack of communication on all our parts, I decided the trip wasn't for me and they went and had a good time.  That left me to myself and since I had saved up a few bucks for the trip I decided to go spend it!

My first stop on any day when I have money to burn is, of course, Slot and Wing.  They very rarely get a few Scratch and Dent Gunpla kits in and they sell them cheap.  That's where I got the Bandai MG Destiny Gundam.  I drive over and when I walk in, I immediately head to the Scratch and Dent pile and start hunting.  Sitting in the middle of one of the wall-o-junk I find a little guy just begging for a good home.  I pick him up and give him a good once over.  Not bad, box is in decent shape.  Opening the box reveals all parts present and accounted for, in original bags, even.  My first acquisition of the day!

1/200 Fighting Action Gundam 00!

Not too shabby for a wasteland when it comes to Gunpla!  This kit will make a nice quick treat on those nights when I really need to sink my teeth into a build but don't have a lot of time.  I figure this guy will be no more than $5, so I decided to look through the actual store and see if anything strikes my fancy.  I head back to the main desk and around the corner, walking right past the scale train stuff and into the very meager selection of Sci Fi/Fantasy stuff.  Half way down the tiny aisle I see a grouping of about 10 Gunpla!!!  I am thrilled at the sight!  1/100 HG Deathscythe and Deathscythe Hell, an SD Strike Gundam with all of it's Striker Packs, 1/144 HG 00 Seven Swords, 1/144 HG Strike Freedom, I think there was a HG Sinanju (which I regret to inform I did not purchase), but behind them all was the mac-daddy himself...

1/100 MG Hi-Nu Gundam 30th Anniversary Edition with Clear Parts!

I knew it had to be mine!  Especially since the complete and total let down of the TT Hongli version which is still in the same condition you last saw it in here.  So when I saw the price...

Well, of course I'm not going to pass up this bargain!  I took my findings to the register and they sold my the little 00 kit for $3.  Not a bad haul! After a bit more spending around town (books mostly, and some good Chinese food) I went home to re-arrange my Gundam closet to make everything fit and get ready for the kits that were to arrive on Monday.  I took all of my built kits from the bottom and middle shelves and condensed them to the top shelf where most of my unbuilt collection had previously resided (they were spilling over to the built shelves anyway).  I spread out my unbuilt kits on the other two shelves and now I see that I have an issue...

I woke up the next day (Sunday) to find the bottom shelf had come loose from the wall and all of the boxes on it were resting against the closet door (French style doors, so it was bending open a little).  I have too many kits!

Monday came, along with two packages that only added to the heap!

The grey one is from eBay the Big Brown Box is from Gundam Store and More

Since some of these kits are for her, I'll have Melissa show them off!

MG Force Impulse Gundam

1/144 HG Deathscythe Hell Custom

This was supposed to be the Extra Finish Char's Zaku II, but they sent me a clear one instead.  I E-mailed them and am still waiting if they will fix it or what...

1/144 HG Sandrock Custom

1/144 HG Wing Zero Custom

MG Sinanju for Melissa!

Doesn't she have good taste?

1/100 NG Mirage Frame Astray for Melissa

1/144 HG 00 Susanowo also for Melissa.

That was it for the Gundam Store and More order.  From eBay, I got this:

Model Comprehends Hi-Nu Gundoom!

First (limited) Edition!

Gundam Store and More was out of one crucial element for this order.  I built the 1/144 HG Nataku late last year, and as you saw, I got three of the remaining four kits from GSaM...  They were out of stock on Heavy Arms Custom though!

I logged onto Advantage Hobby's website and luckily they had it for a little over $10.  And on their Facebook info page they have a coupon code for $5 off on your order.  I got this guy for around $6 after tax!

And it came with a Gundam.Info card!  I'm up to 9 cards now, maybe I'll win something!

I have two more coming from GSaM tomorrow!

So, with my shelves in my closet full to the brim and three more kits coming tomorrow, I've got one BIG issue...

I NEVER HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BUILD GUNPLA!!!!!!!

When the rest of the kits get here, I'll take pictures of my stash.

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!

The Destiny Plan - Part 4

Manipulators of Destinies

This time we focus on the parts for the arms.  As mentioned in the last posting, Bandai will be on the right side of the screen and TT Hongli will be on the left.

All of the parts for the arms are laid out.

Each piece for the Bandai arm has a corresponding piece on the TT Hongli, a NEAR exact copy.

Bandai

TT Hongli

Notice the slight differences in the molding for the hands

The cannon on the palm is MUCH more pronounced on the TT Hongli and the fanned out line details in front of the cannon are less defined on the TT...

The Bandai (right) is much more crisply detailed.

TT's panel lines are a lot deeper and more pronounced here.

This line is so deep I was afraid the part would snap clean off on the end when I was cutting it from the sprue.

The ring in the center is not molded as well on the TT and the two circles on the bottom of this piece are missing on TT's.  This is also a good comparison of the "chrome" for both.

Next posting will be the assembled arms.  Stay tuned for more of The Destiny Plan and be sure to like my Facebook Page!

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!

What's Going On, Joe? #5

Last day to vote on which kit I'll be building is tomorrow!  So please leave a comment.  1/100 NG Dynames, TT Hongli 1/100 NG Kyrios, MG Zeong, MG Guntank, or the 1/60 Wing Zero TV Version.

Expect another installment of The Destiny Plan on Thursday, this week!

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!

The Destiny Plan - Part 3

Are They Both Destined For Greatness?

The comparison begins!  I have attempted in all of my comparison shots to keep Bandai on the RIGHT side of you screen.  So unless you live in some sort of alternate reality where everything is mirrored, you should always be able to tell which is the true Destiny... of coarse, were you to exist in the other dimension where everything is mirrored, right would be left and left would be right, so it would still be on YOUR right but MY left... I'm dizzy...

ON WITH THE PICTURES!

TT on the left, Bandai on the right

The TT part is already a bit warped and the runner for Bandai is quite a bit darker.

Edges are sharper on the Bandai (right)

From a distance, the runners look nearly identical

TT has gotten rid of Bandai's runner labels and replaced them with their own.  The letter indicator for the runner is now mold on rather than cut out and the TT Logo replaces the name of the model.  Not to self:  Never have more than one set of runners out at a time when working on TT Hongli kits...  I would never get them back in their respective boxes. 

The time stamp indicating date of production and Bandai's info is clearly marked on the back of their runners.  TT has left the back of their tags blank.

The difference is all in the details.  I'll leave these two pictures to illustrate.  

Again, TT on the left, Bandai on the right.   

The silver is different for sure.

TT's is more like a frosty silver with a bit of texture, similar to the HGUC Extra Finish kits if you've ever gotten one.  Bandai's is smooth chrome, though it is slightly (ever so) gold in color and not purely silver.

Frosty silver can't shine a light on Bandai's chrome!

My left eye is fine, but my right eye...  IT BURNS IN THE BRIGHT LUMINESCENCE!

Blurry picture.

I think I like TT's take on the beam saber blades a little better; 

they are more pink and less orange than Bandai's.

Both of them are still glittery though...  What were they thinking?

The clear parts on the TT aren't NEARLY as bad as the TT MG Hi-Nu!  They are actually pretty good.  

More on that when we get to the extras, later on.

All the parts snipped and trimmed!

We begin with the individual parts next!

Until Next Time:  Happy Building!