Carrier flight deck decals

mark.hinds · Post by **mark.hinds** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:47 am

You guys might want to go to the website below, and ask the guy to extend his line of carrier flight deck decals to cover GHQ micronaughts...

SNIP! Link to commercial website has been removed.

Please note the sticky from our gracious hosts at the top of the forum. It includes the following passage:

GHQ wrote: Because this forum is paid for and maintained by GHQ, we ask that you do not include any website addresses for other companies in your postings.

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Extra Crispy · Post by **Extra Crispy** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:06 am

I have a bunch of these - they are amazing. Down to having the flight decks loaded with planes! If he does end up doing 1/2400 hold on to your wallets!

av8rmongo · Post by **av8rmongo** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:01 am

Can these be printed on regular decal paper? The website talks about printing on adhesive backed paper which doesn't sound like it would conform to the excellent detail lines present in GHQ models. If it can be printed on decal paper and "softening" agents like micro-sol can be used then this really would be great.

Paul

8ball · Post by **8ball** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:10 pm

I confess. Toshach Miniatures is me.

Thanks for the plug Mark.

Since most of the art I do for the 1:6000 stuff starts out much larger, it would not be a problem to create appliques for GHQ Micronaut CVs. They could be printed out on decal paper, or any kind of stock for that matter. I like the Hammermill White Window Decal stock because it produces great results and it's pretty cheap. Besides, I've had some problems with that decal stock that your run through your inkjet printer. No matter how much I Krylon it, the ink still runs when it hits the water.

I've considered the problem that the appliques would cover the fine detailing on the GHQ CV decks, though that, and more can be replicated in the applique art.

The problem for me would be the expense. I need the actual model to make an accurate fit, and that's a pretty significant investment. We'll see what I can work out.

Tom

Extra Crispy · Post by **Extra Crispy** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:30 pm

Tom:

I'm sure people here might lend you a model in exchange for one free..it costs a little postage back and forth but saves you having to drop $10-15 for all those ships...also GHQ might work something out with you too.

Mark

cbovill · Post by **cbovill** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:46 am

It sure seems like there would be sufficient demand for true, professional grade decal sets for the many, many excellent carriers GHQ manufactures.

Just think of all those naked carriers running around out there that could be retrofitted with full deck decals.

I myself would prefer if they were clear decals with just the lines and other special deck markings and features depicted. That way I could still paint the deck the basic colors and weather it the way I want it.

Chris

opsctr · Post by **opsctr** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:29 am

There was a company that provided flight deck decals. They couldn't stay in business because the people who purchased the ships from GHQ did not automatically purchase the decals. When one of the hobby shops here went out of business a couple of years ago they had dozens of those decals remaining in their stock. Wasted...

It's great for members of this forum to request manufacturers do "thus and so" but there are not enough members of this forum willing to purchase enough of most of the products requested to make providing them financially feasible. You may not like this reality, ...but that is the way it is unfortunately.

If you want them so bad pay someone (put your money where your mouth is

) to do the artwork and go to I-94, or someone like that who makes decals, to have them made. All it takes is money.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for potential customers making their desires known, ...but in the real world of profit and loss manufacturers must make what they think they can make a PROFIT on based on their business model.

OpsCtr06

av8rmongo · Post by **av8rmongo** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:18 am

opsctr wrote:There was a company that provided flight deck decals. They couldn't stay in business because the people who purchased the ships from GHQ did not automatically purchase the decals.

If you are talking about SeaBat decals this is not exactly what happened. I have tried to contact the copyright owner regarding his line of decals and although I was not able to talk to the guy the reply I received said that they would not be continued due to health reasons. Offers to purchase the copyright and essentially take over the product line went unanswered. I don't think that line was ever intended to be a sole source of income, the volume of aircraft carriers sold just couldn't support that.

There is a slow but steady demand for these items - you'll never get rich but there will always be demand. SeaBat made WWII carrier decals, modern ship hull and deck markings. I bought out the stock, twenty or so packs, from a store in the same situation that you have described and I've shared or sold much of that with members of this forum. There is demand and with the right printer anyone could do this.

Paul

opsctr · Post by **opsctr** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:08 am

Paul, the problem remains one of numbers for those unable to do their own. A labor of love has its own rewards but most business considerations must deal with profitability. I too purchased many of the decal sets for much the same reason but was foiled in my efforts by a flooded basement which rendered all those efforts for naught...

Perhaps the way to go would be to have one of the existing manufacturers create thin solid and dotted lines and appropriate numbers that could be used to duplicate markings, albeit with a little more work for the modeler. I have always used a fine line brush to produce what I needed but realize many modelers don't have the patience required.

OpsCtr06

kiasutha · Post by **kiasutha** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:44 am

If decal stripes will help, do a web search for micro scale decals.
They have them in sizes down to 1/64" wide if that is thin enough ...
They also have alphabet and number sets in many styles, sizes and colors.
Full catalogue is on line.
JimR.

8ball · Post by **8ball** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:55 am

My "business model" is to make a supplemental income creating stuff that's fun to create, and that fills a need. Once the art is complete, and the pdf uploaded, the download service does the rest. So, it's very low maintenance, nad I don't need to maintain an inventory. I really enjoy doing it, and get paid for it to boot.

Now, is selling a ship decal for $5 profitable? A typical ship probably takes me from 5 to 10 hours to create. So you tell me.

av8rmongo · Post by **av8rmongo** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:59 pm

8ball,

You beat me to it. The majority of the cost seem to be in the set-up. Even if you're buying a printer eventually, with patience, you should recoup that expense. I don't think you'll ever get rich making decals for microarmor/micronauts but it could certainly subsidize your hobby.

Paul

mark.hinds · Post by **mark.hinds** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:27 am

To "Moderator Mk 1":

Sorry about the link, but I (somewhat logically) assumed that GHQ would only object to links belonging to competitors. For example, suppose I posted a link to IBM? I doubt they'd care, even though it is "another company"

Mark.

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:13 am

mark.hinds wrote: Sorry about the link ...

No problem. But please do try to keep that rule in mind.

...but I (somewhat logically) assumed that GHQ would only object to links belonging to competitors. For example, suppose I posted a link to IBM? I doubt they'd care, even though it is "another company"

Not an illogical assumption. But you see this is the internet, and logic does not always apply here. (Well, it does, if you go all the way down to the binary coding and the transistors. But not up at the level were we vhumans reside.)

The issue that drove GHQ to ask for a volunteer moderating team was not so much the need to control the discussions among the forum's members-in-good-standing. The happy little community that makes up this forum has been pretty well behaved and largely self-policing from the start on matters of conduct and citizenship.

But there came a point where the forum was being overun by SPAM. That is what drove the call for a posse of "deputies", spread around multiple timezones, to shoot down the SPAMMERs as fast as they could post.

But how do we define SPAM? What is the rule for whether a post is SPAM, or is not SPAM? GHQ came up with a very simple litmus test -- whether the post contains a link to a commercial website. Ever see a SPAM that didn't?

So I would not say that GHQ would turn a blind eye to a link to IBM. Their rule on commercial links is not simply directed towards competitors. Yes, they would probably be even less patient with a link to "Brand-X 6mm Tanks" than to "IBM", but the key is an even standard of no links to commercial sites at all. After all, GHQ is paying to host this site for us, and they if they don't want other companies advertised here, that is their priviledge.

It is accepted that members of the forum might choose to discuss various supplies related to the hobby. There is no desire to stifle these discussions, even IF they include mention of competitors. GHQ has stated clearly that you are welcome to discuss other companies in your postings, but if you wish to exchange web links please use the PM function -- because if it appears in a forum post, and it has a link, the MODERATORS have range clearance to conduct live-fire.

We MODERATORS also carry the responsibility for controlling any budding flame-fests. But this group is so friendly and well mannered that our super-powers are almost never called into play on that issue.

Hope that helps clarify matters. Please keep in mind that I am not employed by GHQ, nor otherwise affiliated with them. I'm a happy customer just like you, one of the pardners riding the range, who was deputized to be a member of the posse.

We now return to your regularly scheduled thread...

fredjg · Post by **fredjg** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:11 am

A few interesting e-bay auctions this weekend, thst seem relevant to this thread.

There were four auctions, containing 2 or 3 sets each, of seabat modern decals this weekend - no carrier decals, The packs went for up to $10.00 each.

Since GHQ has previously mentioned, that Harpoon miniatures are slow sellers... I think the demand for 1/2400 decals may be seriously underestimated - for both the size of the demand/market and price points.