# Nearly Fainted!



## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Look at this. I built it in 1972 whilst serving aboard the REINA DEL MAR. Tried to sell it in 1972 for £20, but finally accepted £16 to get rid of it - still well satisfied!

For 38 years, it passed from my life and memory until ten days ago, when someone told me that there was a model of BIDSTON HILL on Ebay that looked like one of mine.

Sure enough - same one. I was rivetted to Ebay for ten days and amazed when it finally sold on Sunday evening for £376" - How about that!

Bob


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

You were robbed. There aint no justice in this world.

John.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

John,
I wouldn't say I was robbed. I was very happy with the £16 all those years ago. As I said, if someone had tried to give me £30 (then), I would have refused it anyway, considering it too much. I know this, because the purser of WINDSOR CASTLE asked me to build one and when it was complete, he tried to press £25 on me, but fair play won and I said £15 was sufficent. But these days, I don't like them to go for below the minimum wage. When they do go for vast sums at auctions, I still feel a bit guilty, don't know why.
Bob


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## jerome morris (May 27, 2008)

Bob, You should be proud of the fact she went for so large a sum.
Maybe you have a new collector out there....
You'll be rich beyond your dreams in the near future!


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I doubt it! They probably thought it was an antique and I doubt whether it would even have sold if it was known that it was relatively recent.  The better I get at building them, the less interest they attract! I have just listed a recent one for interest, but I doubt whether it will sell.
Bob


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## jerome morris (May 27, 2008)

Do you not sign your name and date on the underside of the base board?


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I have put my name on the nameplate for years now. I may have signed the BIDSTON HILL model, but the close-up pictures on the Ebay listing showed no sign of a name, so either I didn't put it on, or someone removed it. However, the person who sold it knew exactly who I am because he contacted me after he purchased it some months ago on Ebay. The new owner has only to google "Model of Barque BIDSTON HILL" and they will find me. I seem to be all over the internet these days. I don't think most people can even tell the difference between a poor model and a good model these days, because they don't actually have enough knowledge. In the decsription, it said that she had a crew of between 8 and 15 men and could sail at 23 knots - fat chance of that! More like crew of thirty and 16 knots with favourable weather condtions! Not all that long ago, someone who had a model I built years ago came to see us and was looking at recent productions and I remarked that I had improved dramatically since I built his. He replied that he couldn't tell the difference.

Anyway, here is a more recent model of a four-masted barque in a simlar setting to BIDSTON HILL. I can tell the differnce, but can anyone else? This is the four-masted barque SOMALI.
Bob


Bob


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