Hi, Like a moth to the flame, I had to make my weekly trip to the local hobby store today and guess what? They had a new Dragon Panzer IV in with my name on it. It was strickly a first come, first serve deal, and since I was one of the first couple of folks who go in on a regular basis and had been asking about it, he just went down the list and those who asked first got the first couple or so he got in stock.

And after opening it up and giving it a quick look-through, I can safely say that it's just about everything it has been advertised to be too. Lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, of parts. And the instructions show only about 12 that aren't used. Not too bad out of a total of close to 1,000 pieces.

The instrucitons are something too. It folds out to something like a road map in size, with lots and lots of pictures all over. (Now I wonder how many hidden 'land mines' are within with backwards numbers, pictures, etc. that Dragon has been known to slip up on sometimes.)

Now the real down-fall of the kit. When the h--- am I ever going to be able to get to it. Most likely it will get stuffed back into the closet or under the bed to gather cat hair and dust till who knows when........Oh well, at least it will give me time to see what other, much better builders than I, can do with this kit when they get theirs.

Good luck and take care, Sgirty

Lucky guy!!

I havn't seen it in any of my local shops but thats not too suprising since they are a bit slow when it comes to new stuff. I could go down to Toronto and get one I guess, but that would involve me driving to Toronto (no thanks) so I can wait. I was hoping Military Hobbies would have it but no luck so far. I guess it has to do with their move/merger they are doing.

I have been in a kit buying freeze the last little while as I have vowed to build a few from the stash before buying anymore. However this kit I am going to buy ASAP.

This kit has me excited.

HI, I'm with you Jeff, this kit is going to pretty much be the 'big freeze' for me too, at least I hope so (for sure going to have to quit going up to the hobby store every week). The boxes I have stacked up in the last 2 years is rediculous, it's just not logical. I've gathered enough to last me for quite some time if I never buy another. 10 in the closet, 12 stacked up in one corner; another 12 stacked up in the garage, 6 or 8 in a cupboard out there............ I know there are folks out there who have lots more than this, but here lately the ones I have are starting to represent a sort frustration, along with another hobby two that just doesn't seem to get done anymore.

And come the first of the year I'll have 3 grandkids to be watching everyday--2 in diapers--and this is going to cut down a whole lot more on what spare time I have now to devote to building models, much less anything else.

I'm beginning to wonder what kind of corner I've backed myself into here lately.

Take care, Sgirty

I so know what you mean in that regard. I got back in the hobby in the last couple years and my stash is getting a bit out of control also.

I always say that buying models for men is like women buying shoes. We will buy a new kit whether we need it or not! :-)

My wife and I are expecting our first child in Feb so I can only imagine its going to be even tougher.

HI, Congratulations on the first one. My youngest is now 31. Ha, ha! Time sure tends to go fast. Yes, it will get tougher, esp. when they reach their teenage years, but you have quite a while before that happens. Ha!

Take care, Sgirty

Ha! Thats funny cause I am 31. :-)

Anyways I will stop hi-jacking your thread.

Good luck building that kit whenever you find the time.

Can understand exactly what you meant and you're not the only one - "most likely it will get stuffed back into the closet or under the bed to gather cat hair and dust till who knows when".
Regards

Since Sgirty got his Pz1V E, I'm gonna have to make my run to Smitty's today to pick mine up!

I also know the problem with too many kits as I just checked and I have 23 kits stacked on the floor, 108 on the shelves in my hobby room and a bunch of the old 70's tamiya stuff in the basement collecting dust bunnies.

As I no longer work, you would think I would have plenty of time to build my kits. Nope, both my daughters are single Moms and Nurses with seven kids between them from 18 months to 16 years.

Guess who gets to baby sit while they work.

And changing diapers is a real pain in the Butt!

The problem is that the model company's just keep releasing better and better kits. I just can't resist adding the new kits to my stash.

Hi, Amen yagdpanzer, I know where you're coming from on this one.

Seven grandkids! Oh my God! I can't begin to imagine that! I've only got 3 to deal with come January, but just with the two now--one 5 and the other 15 months-- and the older one in kidergarden for a half day, it's still quie a job. And being a tad bit older doesn't help either. Where it is written that grandparents have to raise their grand children ? But more and more of us are doing it these days. Guess it just goes with the territory of that "New World Order" or some such thing that we hear about occasionally. But we just have to do what we have to do. Tell your daughters that they owe you big time on this one! But at least with today's diapers we don't have those pins to deal with anymore.

My daughter says that the grandkids are what keeps me young. Guess all these feelings I get in the joints, back, neck, etc., etc., etc. is just 'youth' speaking to me. Yeah, right!

With this new grandkid being a boy guess I'm going to have to get use to 'dodging the fountain of youth' from him! Maybe someday they will have an olympic competition for grandparents in diaper changing. I feel I'm almost ready for that event. Ha, ha!

Good luck from Smitty's, I do hope your kit is in. Russ said that one of the distributors kind of gave him a raw deal by sort changing him on the Inintal Tiger kits when they first arrived so he was sort of making up for it with the Panzer IVs this time around. Hope you're one of the lucky ones. You'll really enjoy it, if, like me, you ever get a chance to build it anytime in the near future.

Take care, Sgirty