Coming soon from Agora Models. Click on the Image below for the World of Wayne’s link.
Why Partswork?
I guess it all started by the concept of Book Reader Club way back in the 90’s. For a monthly subscription, you’ll get some choice books shipped to you. There are some Pros and Cons, which basically centered to the Company’s Library. The chosen books are kinda boring and you’d have to pay more for the better ones. The idea then evolved to Scale Models where pre-painted parts would arrive at your doorstep every week, along with some fancy publication full of supposedly facts & fun stuff plus the promises ‘unique’ of free gifts . All you have to do is to pick up the screwdriver and follow the instructions, never mind if you’ve never build a model before.
The idea is that over the course of a year or so, you’d have ‘built’ a nice spanky model with some (questionable) bells and whistles, which, I suppose, would cost more if it was pre-built in a factory. So, now, you can sit back, take sip of water/ wine/ beer, etc. and enjoy the fruits of your success. and it looked so professionally built too. Ah, the beauty of living in a perfect World.
Was it worth it?
Trust me on this: Weekly Logistics shipping (subriptions) and Armchair Modellers are a bad thing.
In Malaysia, those who were brave enough to start with Deagostini’s F1 Formula car, I salute them. Like most Partswork Projects, they would start you off with the First Issue which would be priced significantly low (bait) and very simple parts building. Once you are hooked, you’d look forward to the next issue, and the next and so on. And here comes the clincker. If (for some unknown reasons) you missed one issue, you’re dead. The project can’t go on.
If the manufacturer/ company closes down, you’re dead.
If the Project is suddenly on hiatus, you’re dead.
Dead as in, a few kilograms worth of assembled metal and plastics that you wasted on. I’d say wasted because unless it’s finished, that is just a pile of junk.
But hang on. Let’s be real here. When you’ve done the math, you’d have realised that you are about to committed a few grand and more than a year to see this Project to completion. All of a sudden, you WILL start to worry if the Project in your Country suddenly stops or got interrupted halfway. If you’re lucky, either another Company will rescue it with a buyout or, there is a Section in their Website where you can order THE WHOLE set to finish the damn thing. Sadly, you will have to decide on what to do with the extras since they do not offer replacement/ purchase by parts. And that, people, was the good news.
This was what happened to me. I have an un-started 2018 DeLorean and it’s been years since I did another stock count on it before I could start on it (I mean, if I can really start on it). Alas, some issues are forever gone and I do not know which ones to replace and the move to a new place might have already complicate things.
Seriously, is this really for you?
If you have enough time and energy, venturing into Facebook pages would tell you that this is not a simple Project. Moreso if you’re not an experienced Scale Modeler. I would pay close attention (if the algorithms allow me) if there are issues with electricals, which, is never boring.
And it started a new Business
Well for some anyway. Put it this way, most of the Partswork Projects especially in the SciFi segment allows you to improve on the pile of… I mean, Model. Overnight, you have electronic experts who does a much better job of creating the lighting effects, sound and power distribution, decal makers who makes your um, Model look at realistic as possible and so on. Of course there were some who stepped on others but I am not too bothered in their squabbles.
After spending so much on the Model, might as well make it better and stand out among the others who have the same piece of.. I mean, Model.
