I haven’t been on here as much for the past couple of weeks, or at my work bench at all, and this is why… I got a job and went back to work…
Why, after the years of retirement? Well, because it is hobby related…
This literally fell into my lap at a recent AMPS meeting. I am working for a Hobby importer/distributor company from Canada that is now setting up shop in the US. Right now we are just getting the warehouse established, and I haven’t done this much physical labor of this sort in 20 years, since I was on deployment overseas.
We have had pallets of cartons full of models, supplies, and collectable type items, coming in that need to be sorted, itemized, and placed for distribution orders. We don’t sell to the public, only to hobby retailers - either actual shops or online stores.
So far we have only received shipments from two of our four planned main suppliers, and all I can say is wow. It’s one thing to see these items in catalogs or online on the webpage. But to see them all in one place in reality… it’s amazing!
Oh yeah, and maybe not just for you either – I foresee members rattling your cage - “Can you just get me an xyz and an abc.?” Jeez I’d post a disclaimer saying this was all just a hoax before it’s too late
You would probably just mistake it for the ringing of cash register bells…
When I first saw the photographs I thought @Uncle-Heavy had relocated his stash.
Wow, usually it’s the other way around Canada importing from the US for distribution, must be a tax thing. I wouldn’t have thought there would be much avenue for expanding distribution, what do I know. Kudos.
There is a new hobby store opening soon very close to me that is looking for staff. There is a little bit of temptation to take a part time position….but I enjoy my time off too much……oh, but a discount…
@MoramarthT, yeah, this is gonna be the biggest stash ever!
@Uncle-Heavy, all the models so far are coming from across the Pacific, and then trucked from the Los Angeles Port area, so I hate to imagine the shipping cost…
@Johnnych01, I may not be able to take these models home, but at least I get to fondle some of them… pretty cool indeed
@Klaus-Adler, Oh yes… lots of muscles being used again that haven’t been used this much and this long in many many years… thank goodness I have a hot tub at home to soak in after work! It would be nice if the companies would put all of the same item cartons on the same pallet, instead of spreading them across multiple pallets…
@Barney, I’m curious how this dual country thing will work. This company is based in Toronto, so for shipping to here its gonna theoretically cost less from the West Coast ports. And if we supply US shops & retailers there should be some tax & shipping advantages I imagine. That side of things is all outside my wheelhouse. Personally I’d take a job at a shop for the discounts… just not too many hours.
The thing I do not understand is why some items are not imported here. An example is Tiger Models T90M. The other Tiger Models T90 versions are available here but not the T90M. For that kit you have to order from China. It makes no sense to me. If you find out the hows and whys of import, share with the rest of us still in the dark.
@phil2015, seriously I must be doing something right, as life is really good. Somebody upstairs is watching out for me.
@TopSmith, well I can surely ask as to why some brands or kits are only available from overseas.
Oh and for anyone looking for the new AK 1/35 Land Rover and FJ kits, those came in to the warehouse last week. After looking at them, I know I want at least the IDF FJ, and a Land Rover or two…
