My wife and I have a rule that we’re both very bad at following:
If you encounter something that’s hard to find, get it while the getting’s good
It’s a tough rule to follow because sometimes it requires us to stretch or bust our budget, and that alone tends to put us on our back feet. Plus, it’s sometimes hard to tell if the item really is hard to find. There have been times where we’ve said “no” and never found the item in question again, as well as times where we’ve said “yes” and found it later at a much lower price.
(we’ve also said “no” and later found it at an extremely inflated price. It works in every direction!)
Recently I visited a new (to me) store that sells Gunpla, and found two winners. The Wing Gundam Fenice:
And the Gundam Astaroth Rinascimento:
I came back to the store a little more than a week later, only to discover that both were gone. Note to self: you are not the only geeky person in this region. Far from it. There are lots of other people who are just as aware of these things, and some of them won’t hesitate to pull the trigger and buy something.
I was extremely disappointed, and in my overly emotional state I decided that I had to get something as a replacement. Something to make me feel better. But now I’m home, and I’m having a bit of buyer’s regret.
Here’s the first kit I got:
I actually have no regrets about this one. I was trying to find the Guntank back during Home Alone 2022 in April, so getting it now feels like a case of good karma.
Here’s the second kit:
This is the one I’m having second thoughts about. I got it in lieu of the original, HGUC Zaku I:
On one hand, the Origin version looks fantastic. But it has the exact same accessories as the Origin version of the Zaku II. I think that’s pretty lame.
Meanwhile, the OG Zaku I looks a bit out of date, but on the other hand it has a very different - and very cool - set of weapons. It’s got a spiked knuckle shield, a sturm faust, a 105mm cannon, and a smaller type of bazooka that I’ve not seen on any other model (plus a cool little cradle on its shoulder to help stabilize it):
Unfortunately, I didn’t know all of that at the store. And since I wasn’t alone, I didn’t have much time to think it over. I acted on instinct, got the Origin version, and immediately regretted it.
Hopefully I’ve learned my lesson for next time. Don’t just buy on impulse, and don’t “pity buy” because you didn’t get what you wanted right away. With any luck karma will come around again, and I’ll find either the Fenice or the Astaroth in stock somewhere soon.