Avoid or buy

[Conrod]

i quite like the idea Ebay has for its raiting system for users and was wondering if we could start something up like that. i don't want a business to suffer but i would like them to lift their game a bit to avoid somebody the panic attack i had. An example i had was with a shop in Homebush, Sydney. Anyway when i bought the DJ Greens Tuff XE last year, thery were selling it before it was actually released ( i checked biante site after and it read "In production") and so in the excitment i ordered it from the other place (thinking that maybe autoart sent it out first). When it was processed i had to wait 2 weeks for delivery because the business wasn't sure if they would have enough to send out and we were all in a queue. what id love to know is how can they collect money first without knowing if they can supply demand. i learnt my lesson but i dont want somebody else to sh*t themselves because there not sure whats going on! Is it legal to say the shop name? or better still what if everybody supplied trustworthy shops to help out people if biante sells out. i know its hard because we all have our little secret shop where we know some stock is left and we dont want to tell.

my choice is:

Frontline Hobbies
255 Hunter st NEWCASTLE NSW 2300 (02) 4929 1140- trustworthy and fantastic!

[zeitgeist]

I'm a member of the miata forum and they have a dealer discussion area that covers exactly what you suggest.

Some dealers are just awful and all the posts reflect that. Others are the object of a rare but scathing post from the odd disgruntled customer. Such posts usually have a number of responses defending the dealer. In short, I believe it tends to govern itself quite well.

My first (and last) experience with the place you mentioned involved the attempted purchase of Johnson's XC.

Their inventory showed they had one at a price only slightly above issue price, so I was quite excited. I rang the shop to see if it actually existed and very nice lady confirmed that they had the car and told me I was 'quite lucky because this had just been returned from laybuy'.

She said that she would send me an email regarding shipping costs within the hour. When I didn't get the email, I rang the shop again and was told that they didn't have it. No further explanation given. Draw your own conclusions here.

I've been very happy with Biante, Triking, Sherriff's Minicars and Motormazing. Nice, helpful folks all around.

BC

[terrine]

you say tom-ay-to
i say tom-ar-to

there will always be 2 sets of customers for every shop.

conrod, i too have had a first and last experience with the retailer you mentioned...i am in the (un)fortunate position where no model shop (persay) exists in my area so i have to shop around for most of my models and have dealt with dealers in every mainland state and overseas.....there is no secret...shop around

r/peter

[Senator1]

Conrod
You mean the guy who's shop is in the rear section of service station next to the markets
He also has stalls at Bathurst & Eastern Creek on the V8 weekends
I've had dealings with him in the past & i don't trust him

[Dale Robertson]

My two bobs worth, a really good and honest dealer to deal with
on the web or at his shop is PPM cars on the central coast.
His name is Terry Quinlan and he will have a web site on soon, so
look on sold.com or business hours phone 02 43 891501 at his
shop. This man is not a stick up merchant and I highly recommend
him to anyone.

[BATHURSTFAN]

I stopped buying models at a certain bayside area of Brisbane because they hold popular models to sell at a higher price later on and when you ask if there is any available they say no, or they try to make you buy another model with a new release.

I think you need to "get to know" a dealer so they know you and know that you do buy models and not just place an order and then not want it.

[Highlander]

I always liked that shop Bathurst Fan UNTIL. I got my XC Twin set off them,i only ordered the set alone,so they helped themself to the Plaque order certificate,tore the page out and stuck the rest back in the box. So if i wanted the plaque i would have to order through them,and since i didnt, i got left with a ripped up sheet. Now i wouldnt even by a Battery there.

[7Litre]

Guys,
I have no problems with my local dealer and I know that if he's got any leftover from orders he then puts them on the shelf. He is sincere and looks after his customers very well. I shop at "Road Rage" in Morayfield, QLD.and never been disappointed yet.

Regards 7Litre.......

[chups]

I used to shop at gamesworld but not anymore. not because they are untrustworhty but because they just dont get the numbers of models anymore and by the time they get them everywhere has sold out so if i wait to get it from there then they dont get enough i miss out all together.

for anyone in perth, i shop at
1: Triking,

if they dont have it (which hardly ever happens) then i goto

2:Stanbridges

, and if they are sold out then i can usually get it from

3:perth hobby centre

then theres the lions den. and to make it better with the exception of stanbridges (which is a 10 min drive) they are all in walking distance from each other.

[ferrari fan]

The people at Stanbridges are very good and Perth Hobby Shop are nice. No hessitation in recommending both of them.
For Minichamps and Biante/Auto Art you cannot get past the best!! Triking Wesly Arcade Perth.
Over all we are blessed with a VERY good spread of genuine retail outlets as all of them are very helpfull to me and that is the only way I can judge it.
Games world is another matter as I do not have regular dealings with them but they have stunning looking girls working there:D

[Conrod]

hey Senator1, lets just say it probably involves ethonal and ends with cents per litre! a brock XU-1 covered in a blanket dust is for sale too.

other places that sell inflated prices are markets!

It seems all the stalls at parklea are dearer than shops. i once asked if a stall had a 1979 corvette by autoart etc.. , i mean he had all the biante range there, and laughed when he came out with a Road legends vette at a low sum of $80. ive seen these in junk shops for $20!

twice ive bought biantes for a fraction of the price and this is because i ended up buying the display stock in the window. you'd be amazed how you can sweet talk a pimple popper into believing the cars are devalued heaps because they are out of the box. just hope the boss doesn't catch you!

[zeitgeist]

Originally posted by Highlander
Now i wouldnt even by a Battery there.

Wish I had met you, Bathursthfan and, frankly, this whole forum a few months ago. I got suckered in by their "free shipping",
and received VASTLY underinsured boxes on the verge of collapse. The cars survived but by luck alone.

Never again. The little I might "save" isn't worth rewarding them with future purchases.

BC

[Aussiecollector]

The hombush shop has been mentioned many times and is regarded by some as the warehouse as his stock hardly ever moves due to the pricing. I have seen this guys son return from a trip up the road to Suttons warehouse where he has just purchased a couple of 2000 skaife/lowndes Bathurst cars for $105 and come back and put stickers on them for $250.00 and $275.00. The thing about this guy is he is buying his models at wholesale and the prices he has on most stuff is just stupid.

Saying that I found 2 1/18th (Hakkinen) MP4/13 Mirror Man cars stuck at the back of the stock covered in dust and managed to get them for $80.00 each so it depends on the day but in General he is the KING of the PROFITEERS, in Sydney that is, DARCY'S has to be a contender for Victoria.
Do what I do use them for what they are worth and only buy what is within the acceptable range.

Like last week I managed to get some CC Signature Series cars that I was missing for $25.00 each from a store in Sydney some of these are 1/250 pieces.

Glenn

[zeitgeist]

Originally posted by Aussiecollector
... DARCY'S has to be a contender for Victoria.
Do what I do use them for what they are worth and only buy what is within the acceptable range.


Do they ever have ANYTHING in the acceptable range? Does anyone know anyone who has paid the prices stated on their website?

They're welcome to set whatever price they like, but you can't stay in business if you don't sell anything. I'm a little new to this, but they're part of a car dealership, right? Perhaps, unlike a specialty store, the cars can sit a bit longer and it doesn't really figure that much on the balance sheet.

Do they get the occasional customer who wanders in and casually drops $400 on the Moffat Cobra while getting their tires rotated?

BC

[ferrari fan]

mp4/13 ONLY CAME OUT IN RACETRIM WITH THE Z"MIRRORMAN" LOGO
The Festival of speed edition with Nick Heidfeld was the one that was fitted with the "Nick" logo that all further Mclaren models (legal to sell in Australia) came/come with.
To get these for $80 each is a bargain as one on Ebay went as much as 385 UK pounds ,if I am not correct (West Edition in West box)

[chocman36]

The McLaren site was selling the 4/13,4/14 1/18 models in West for only 20 Pounds afew months ago.If you are quick the 1/18
4/17 of David and Kimi were for sale again..50 pounds plus 20 shipping.
The Homebush shop is not for model collectors..more for idiots that DON'T collect nor know the real value.Saying that I have got some very rare and expensive model CHEAP(mostly because Frank doesn't know there value=B191 Schumacher Jordon for $45)