Let me start by saying that I buy a lot of my kits off of Ebay and normally, it is a very pleasant experience.

I just received a model that I bought off of Ebay for $6.99 (plus $6.00 shipping) and I'll have to admit, it was a learning experience because I've never bought a model manufactured by this company before. I saw the box top and it looked like it might be a decent build, it is a BTR-50 carrier manufactured by "GLENCOE".

I don't know if this model was just an exception or if all of Glencoe's models are like this but this is by far the cheesiest model I've ever seen. Rough guessing, there are probably a total of 30 parts (that's counting individual road wheels). Just about every part has an excessive amount of flashing attached. The pieces look like something that would come out of the $1.99 army man set that you find in the local Wal Mart toy department. The machine gun consisted of a box with a tube attached (not textured in any way....). And those were the good points about this model....

Please let this serve as a "heads up" to anyone who has not purchased this brand of model before. The model I received today was immediately given to my 10 year old who is interested in learning. If you are serious (and I know that most of you are) about modeling, make sure that you look at the contents of this manufacturers boxes before you buy any of their models.

In the 1990s, Glencoe repopped a lot of ancient kits from the late 50s and 60s. The BTR-50, FROG and PT-76 were very old kits originally made by Ringo, and then later by ITC (Ideal Toy Company). All three of these kits share the same lower hulls. They were basically nostalgic reissue items of kits from the early 60s.

Glencoe also released a lot of the old science fiction kits from Disney's old TV series. Some of these were Werner von Braun's concept designs of lunar rocket ships and other types of "real" space craft. These sci-fi kits were looked upon favorably. My personal favorite is the old Lindberg UFO that they reissued. I bought one recently to go along with my old original one.

IIRC, they repopped five armor kits, the three Soviet tracked vehicles, an ancient 1/15 scale Walker Bulldog and the old ITC M274 Mule with recoilless rifle. I just built the Mule a couple of months ago. Not a real bad 40 year old kit.

If you ever see the repopped Glencoe USS Oregon done by some of the current modelers, you will be amazed at what those guys do with that ancient kit as well. I don't know who's old kit this originally was.

You didn't get hosed, you got what you bought. Glencoe kits are not any big secret in the modeling world. Here is an old 1993 thread from rec.models.scale (the granddaddy of all model forums) still available on Google.com: Glencoe Models. If you had asked anyone, you would have received the same answer.

I didn't know what they made, but I know now if I see one, that it isn't what I was shopping for, but I never bought from a company unless I have heard something, but I have heard of others that aren't what you would expect either, like the cottage cheese resin you hear about, but I appreciate hearing they are not accurate.

Havin seen their Mechanical Mule in 1/24 i wouldnt say that they re the ideal company to buy . In an face to face auction this models started as 30 $ and went down to 13 and even then i didnt buy it . No good quality of plastic, innacuracies and no good detail. Maybe the company is mostly toy and not serious modelling. I say maybe cause i dont have other experiences or new productions

I dont think glencoe is any more toy like than lets say skif.there kits can be brought up to a decent looking model but it takes work.I still have one of the old ITC models in my stash some where...back in the dark ages of modelling thats all that was available.same goes for paint remember the old pactra paints?????larry

Glencoe's sci-fi and aircraft kits are actually pretty good, but I wouldn't go beyond that into the armor kits.