Bargain Project

A while ago, I saw a resin for sale in a model horse sales group. I was kind of interested as it was a body for a quite okay price and for some reason I have a thing for resin project horses. I didn't end up buying him as I just didn't have the funds then.

A while later I by accident found that particular model on an auction site similar to ebay. He was listed very cheap and I thought I'd put in a bid and hope for the best. Of course I worked late the day the auction ended so I didn't know if I had gotten him or not until late that night when I got home.

I had won the model! I was quite happy about it and paid immediately.

The seller shipped super fast and I had him in hands in the beginning of the week after the auction ended.

I went to pick up the package and the first thing I noticed was that there was a dent in the box. I thought okay, not too surprising as the Swedish Postal system isn't exactly known for their great care with packages, but it's a big box so he might be okay. Then I saw the bottom of the cardboard box... There were a gap where the flaps of the underside met (not an injury to the box just a regular gap that some cardboard boxes can have). This gap was wide enough for me to get my fingers into and it was not taped shut. I lifted the box and my heart sank when I could hear the model move around in the box.

I stuck my fingers into the gap in the bottom and to my horror I could feel a plastic bag and then I could feel the barrel of the model.

I hurried home to open the box and this is what was in it:

I removed the newspapers which as you can see weren't too tightly packed and there were maybe two layers. Then I saw this:

The plastic bag on the left is the bag I could feel through the gap in the bottom. Fortunately the model only suffered a broken ear from this packaging. I know I didn't pay a lot for this model or shipping (less than $30 ppd) and that he is a body quality model but I would personally NEVER send even a body this poorly packed. I think that at least a layer of bubblewrap wouldn't be too much to ask. I however haven't made a hassle out of it as he was so cheap and did *almost* arrive unscathed and the broken ear will be an easy fix. 

The model in question is a Horsing Around Akhal-Teke which has had some reaction in the molding process so the model has some texture all over his body which will need extensive sanding and maybe some resculpting as well. He is also missing his tail (which I don't have a problem with as I'm not that fond of his original tail).

I knew he would be missing his left ear but due to the packing he is almost earless.

However, I did manage to find the piece in the newspapper wrapping. Which I find being a slight miracle as it could've easily slid out of the gap in the bottom and gotten lost forever.

At the moment I'm not sure if I will reattach the ear or use the fact that he is earless as an opportunity to make him a Marwari instead.