eBay 1978 Galactica Model + Detail kit

[Cylon-Knight]

Looks like a good deal for you Battlestar lovers.

Cylon75 - wouldn't this look great in your fleet!?!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3D1&_rdc=1

[Red Eye]

Very interesting...

Sadly, I already got the Galactica-model kit, so where to buy just the detail kit for a reasonable price?

[Tinman]

NOTICE: The Galactica kit in CK's post above IS NOT an original kit as stated by the person selling it - though it is the TOS style Galactica. This is the second series of the kit put out by REVELL/MONOGRAM. Though it is the same kit - there is a big difference among collectors from the first release of the kit when it was made just by MONOGRAM Models.

This kit for sale also on E-Bay is for one of the Original Monogram Models Battlestar Galactica kits. Only $329.00 + Postage. Save your Cubits.
http://cgi.ebay.com/MONOGRAM-BATTLE-STA ... 3ca9270867

[Cylon-Knight]

Yes, very true. Good call Tinman!
My original 1978 Raider kit is MONOGRAM as well.
MONOGRAM only - NO REVELL. Pictures below:

[GoldCylon]

I had no idea the Monogram was worth more. I am not sure if I have any of the just Monogram models only, beside my originals I bought when released. I have a fleet of models boxed, un built.

[Cylon-Knight]

I have a fleet of models boxed, un built.

DO NOT let cylon75 in your house heehee

[Tinman]

I had no idea the Monogram was worth more. I am not sure if I have any of the just Monogram models only, beside my originals I bought when released. I have a fleet of models boxed, un built.

The original BSG set of model kits: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, CYLON BASESTAR, CYLON RAIDER & COLONIAL VIPER was put out by Monogram Models Inc. in 1978. For "Collectors" of model kits, these are the ones that will be the most desirable and generally the most expensive if you are going to buy one.

The second issue of the BSG kits came in (don't remember date) but was during the time Revell Models Inc. was buying out Monogram Models so for that period all the boxes has a combined REVELL/MONOGRAM emblem on the box. The kits were the same molds as the fist issue of the kits with no changes just new boxart for the kits.

The third issue of the kits, "The 30th Anniversary" edition in 2007, were done strictly by REVELL MODELS. This edition the molds were redone and the kits were improved with new parts, set up for lighting and had new decals and stands for the models made. But unfortunately, in this issue of the set they did not release a kit of the GALACTICA (for some unexplained FRAKING reason).

The GALACTICA kit is the "Crown Jewel" of this set of models and is usually VERY hard to find and very expensive if you can find one. $300 to $400 is the norm.

NOTE: If you are not a "Collector" but a simple model builder and actually want to build the kit. The "30th Anniversary" kits from 2007 are the best as they have been re-done with new parts and decals and are readily available.

[jzsauronzj]

"The third issue of the kits, "The 30th Anniversary" edition in 2007, were done strictly by REVELL MODELS. This edition the molds were redone and the kits were improved with new parts, set up for lighting and had new decals and stands for the models made. But unfortunately, in this issue of the set they did not release a kit of the GALACTICA (for some unexplained FRAKING reason)."

With regards to the release of the 30th Anniversary Kits: When 3 out of the 4 original kits were released none of my model suppliers had an answer as to why the original Battlestar Galactica Kit was not available. I eventually contacted Revell directly and spoke with a member of their sales division about the re-issue of this kit. It was explained to me that Glenn A Larson owns the copyrights exclusively to the use in any way, shape, or form of the original Galactica image and had originally given permission to Monogram-Revell to produce the kit back in 1978. Joint rights were owned on the other three images, thus it wasn't an issue when Revell decided to rework and reissue the Cylon Raider, Colonial Viper, and Cylon Basestar. Glenn A Larson would not grant permission to re-issue the actual Battlestar kit.

I'm lucky that some time back I had gotten ahold of one of the original Monogram Battlestar Galactica kits for a good price. Having alot of experience in special effects model making, I had decided that for my use only and for modifications that I wanted to make on the Galactica I took the time to actually make molds in RTV of all the parts in the kit and then proceeded to cast myself about 4 extra copies of the kit. I'm thankful for the fact I did that when I found out that the kit would not be re-issued

[Cylon-Knight]

Great info jzsauronzj, and welcome to the site!

Strange that Glen didn't want the Galactica back out on the market. Maybe he was in a tiff about SciFi's re-worked show and didn't want his Galactica getting confused with the new one?

[Red Eye]

Revell could have use the molds from Timeslip for releasing their 30th Anniversary Galactica model.

It has the same size as the original kit and does have much more details on it.

But if Larson's holding the rights for the Galactica model itself it won't ever happen.

I'm unsure if it would be possible at all due to the rights belonging to another company, but rights could be bought...

[jzsauronzj]

Thank you for the welcome.

I believe Timeslip's molds are resin cast (Made via the use of a A-B Mix and pour. Revell-Monogram's molds are injection molds. The primary difference here is that Injection molds are designed to take a material i.e. plastic that does not expand and does not set up via a chemical reaction. Poured molds, like the ones that use resin or Alumilite are 99% of the time RTV and can handle the expansion of material that is of a 2 or 3 part mix origin.

Regardless of that, under copyright laws, no complete image of the original Galactica can be reproduced in any way without the consent of Glenn A. Larson. Companies that sell "Upgrade" kits can do so because they are not reproducing and selling their products in a fasion that makes those pieces exclusively recognizeable as componants of a copywritten image. What I mean is that you dont look at pieces from the Revell Galactica Upgrade on their own and say HEY, That is part of Glenn A Larson's Battlestar Galactica"!

As to why Glenn A. Larson will not release the image for Revell or anyone else to make and sell a full kit from, who knows. I'm sure he has his reasons no matter how much we may think they suck or not. I know he was approached several times, including once by Richard Hatch, to buy the copyrights to the Battlestar Galactic but every approach has been denied.

I was lucky enough to end up working and having John Dykstra as my dept head on Spiderman I and on off time I did spend one night picking his brain about the original Battlestar Galactica but I never thought to ask him about the aboce subject because at the time, I didnt know about it. If I can find John's email address somewhere in my business card cache Ill shoot him off a note and see if he knows why.

[GoldCylon]

I had no idea that Glen owned the right to the Galactica, nor was holding back from selling a complete accurate detailed information about the build. This is very interesting information of a ship loved by so many.

Now what did you do on the Spider-man movie?

Thanks for inserting such great insight on the Galactica, and welcome on board.

[jzsauronzj]

I am a Rigger and I.A.T.S.E. Union Stagehand. When you are a rigger in a theater or an arena what my job entails is to first assure that the entire weight of a show (this includes all the truss, lighting, video, sounf, etc) that is flown over the stage will not exceed the tolerances of the structural steel of the building that it all hangs in. For example, at the moment we are teching Roger Waters World Tour. Above the stage hangs about 120,000lbs Static (not moving)/ 150,000lbs dynamic (In motion like bouncing due to vibration caused by the show and the dancing of an audience of about 19,000 people). All that hangs via wire rope and chain motors. The rigger is responsible for all of that.

When working in motion pictures or tv, a rigger usually works with 2nd Unit stunts/effects. We are the ones responsible for wirework with actors and stuntmen as well as hanging everything from set pieces to guidlines to animate the movement of creatures, robots, etc. When you watch Spiderman I and you see the scene where Toby Maguire first jumps from one building to another and then from there ends up slamming into the wall accross the street on a third building (that gag we called "Jump, Jump, Splat) that is the result of about 3 days of us rigging a flying track for the stuntman as well as the camera to be "rigged" to. We erected a large truss system that spanned from roof to roof and the splat part was a cable fly that went from the second roof, accross the street to the third building.

Another scene we spent 3 weeks setting up that noone will now ever see because of 9-11 would have been the final shot in Spiderman I that had Spiderman asleep in a web slung between tower 1 and tower 2 of the Worlds Trade Center. It was cut out because of 9-11. For three weeks us second unit riggers hung off the tops of tower 1 and tower two rigging the spider webs between the towers.

There is alot more to it then that, of course. When people hear the term "Rigger" the immediately think "Oil Platforms" and stuff like that. That is only one type of rigger. Most people have no idea what Riggers in the entertainment industry do.

[GoldCylon]

Very cool, and yes I did see that section in the Towers that was cut in the theaters before 9-11, and it can still be seen on YouTube a while back. Interesting back ground information again. Thanks