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As we have traveled around Europe I have taken the chance when possible, to pop into assorted slot, model and toy shops Every so often I grab something I couldn't get in NZ - or something a lot cheaper I've really been looking for scenic items and kit-bash material A few days ago in Padstow, England we parked opposite a tiny, stuffed to the gills toy store. Grief, I could have spent 100 quid if I had space in the suitcase; they must have been stocking up on random anything in 1/32nd for years in the hope someone wanted odd scale 1/32nd toys I limited myself to the tractor, the tractor with tank trailer, as I wanted a couple of tractors for y scenery, and the tank can be decorated as emergency water or something. The bit over scale morris minor van (1/26th). The Morrie is large enough for some clever cookie to reproduce a small batch for house class cars .... at 1/32nd it would have been a bit small to set up They were all dirt cheap about 13£ for the lot. Today we arrived in Belfast and I had tagged one model and kit shop to visit. Nothing of interest but as we walked back to the mall, we ducked through a small, disheveled, downtrodden indoor market. There was a pawn/2nd hand shop with a couple of die-casts in the window, decided not to buy, but she said two doors up has some kits WELL, I think the little Irish lady had been buying old stock, and 2nd hand die casts, kits and some slot cars for 30 years. The STUFF I spent an hour there. Pat - you would go Gaga on the old matchbox stuff. Any corgi collectors would have blown a fuse. She had big sliding plastic bins, each of which had four or five heavy plastic bags in it, about 15 quid each, sold by weight or volume - about the size of a 10 litre bucket per bag. Each bag had about 150 die-cast models, mostly corgi, some matchbox, some other assorted brands of "motors" In the end, all I bought was one 1/32nd Airfix kit of a DB5, again, I can kit bash it, but I know a bloke who may be interested in soaking it in silicone first When we arrived home last night I added them to the wardrobe where I have been stowing goodies the past few months. One day my wife is going to realise we need a checked suitcase just for slots and models to get them home to NZ.... I may not be seen alive again in NZ