Parking Tower ID?

[Cat]

Does anyone recognise this parking tower?
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r386217979

Is it plastic, resin, 3D-print?  My google-fu is failing to turn up other examples except from this seller.

I'm torn between bidding on this or waiting to find one of the GreenMax kits for a kitbashing project.  With the GreenMax parking tower, I would have to scrape off the moulded on lettering, but would also get another building kit in the package too.

**edit**
Hmm, it really looks like it could be a bootleg of the GreenMax parking tower with the lettering scraped off:
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10007638

Edited March 13, 2020 by Cat

[cteno4]

These are CNC cut buildings that have been coming out of China the past 2 or 3 years. Some are definitely very close knockoffs of Tomix, Kato and greenmax. Some are pretty looking. Outland is one of the main players and found on ebay, they sell there and others also seem to sell them, very unclear if it’s a real brand.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Outland-Building-Model-N-HO-Scale-Office-Train-House-Apartment-Building-Model/253838919280?hash=item3b19fa8670:m:mz6Ga9BsnwKvnq6TvBsv6Mg

 

they are all cut from styrene with a very small tip so unfortunately windows have like a 1mm radius on the corners when you look closely. Can be squared up watching tv sitting with a small square file or xacto and a beer... the round holes you see there on the face are the floors which have small square tenons cut along their edge that pop into the round mortise holes in the walls. It’s a tiny bit of the square peg (tenon) into a round hole (mortise) but leads to a tight fit that is good but sometimes needs just a quick hit with the file to clip the corners of the tenons a tiny tad.

 

some use a painted plastic and then cut thru it for detail lines for contrasts. Nice but you always have issues with the edges and tenon ends being white against the next colored piece. Usually just one interior intermediate floor so if you need to add more floors if you want it not a pretty empty shell. They also don’t usually supply any clear acetate sheet for the window (not needed in parking structure!), but you can easily scavenge that from old Kato and Tomix building boxes that have big openings covered with it or just buy some clear acetate sheets to add in. They do need some light sealing along all the corners if you light them as they are all just butt joints, no rabit to help light seal.

 

they are simple but for their size relatively inexpensive and can be fixed up quite a bit if you are willing to put the time in on them. I have like 15 I’ve collected over the last few years and plan to use them as sort of second layer buildings in scenes with the nicer Tomytec, Tomix and kato buildings in front of them. Same technique as using the chinese architectural figures to be the crowd with the edges being nicer figures or filling parking structure with chinese architectural cars where you see little of of the cars but shapes.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Cat]

Thanks for that info, Jeff.  It's inexpensive enough that I'll give it a shot.  Styrene is easy enough to clean up as needed, and is by far my preferred medium for kitbashing.  This should be easier to clean up than scraping the lettering off the GreenMax one.

[cteno4]

I’ll have to go look but I think the P on the greenmax was separate. These were on ebay (I got one for like $10) I’ll go look. Searching for this on ebay can be a bit of chasing leads around. Start by searching “1/150 building” or “gundam building” and then look at the other suggestions in some of them or look at sellers other items. I know I’ve found a few ones this way I had not seen in main searches and some better deals. I haven’t look at them recently as I have a stash now! 
 

These Parking structures are actually the easiest buildings to kit bash. A very quick and dirty CNC to make the detail lines can be done with a cheap xy table ($30) and drill press or Dremel in a stand. Lots of Mini router bits on ebay. I’ve done a lot of small details using this setup.

 

more on outland

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[cteno4]

Of course for that block that gogi has been thru...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-144-Ruined-Building-After-War-Assembling-Outland-Model-Nobby-Fashionable-Gift/153197830880?hash=item23ab4d62e0:m:mWJMtjhE6UkjdXaRWMwCxRw&var=453054870275

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Outland-Models-Railway-Scenery-City-Ruin-Building-Abandoned-Tall-Office-N-Scale/153197830693?hash=item23ab4d6225:g:lZgAAOSw95BbrYK0

https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-1-144-Ruined-Building-GUNDAM-Scene-After-War-Assembling-Outland-Model-Gift/153196796838?hash=item23ab3d9ba6:g:wm8AAOSwRUdbrHtE

https://www.ebay.com/itm/N-Scale-1-144-White-Abandoned-Office-Building-after-War-Scene-6-7-6-9-15cm/153179981555?hash=item23aa3d06f3:g:5eUAAOSwaOpbmzDK
 

of course just get a new one cheaper and go at it for 10 min with needle nippers and hot knife and play goji yourself!

 

jeff

[keiichi77]

12 hours ago, Cat said:

Does anyone recognize this parking tower?
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r386217979

 

Definitely an Outland models building, I was repairing mine a couple days ago after the cat knocked it to the floor. I have had mine for a couple years now, I think I bought 5 buildings for $40 at the time.

[Cat]

Those battle damaged buildings are always tempting to use for kaiju or mecha tabletop battles.  So far, I've resisted buying them...

[Cat]

Just searching for "Outland" on EBay turned up several sellers, all at much better prices than YAJ.  I've spotted several buildings that have beenlisted with no identity onYAJ — I guess those sellers there didn't want to give away the name so it could be found directly.

This is great, since we're just now sorting out what we need for the tall buildings on our layout.

[cteno4]

You can also find some on aliexpress at good prices.

 

jeff