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General Modelling Forum => General Modeling topics => Topic started by: tigercat2 on April 02, 2009, 10:55:49 AM

Title: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: tigercat2 on April 02, 2009, 10:55:49 AM
As a companion piece to the "Oldest Surviving Model", what are your oldest surviving (and usable) decals, both aftermarket and kit decals?  I have a sheet from a Monogram 1/48 FW-190 that I bought about 1969 that I used the other day; amazingly after 40 years they did fine.  I have several aftermarket sheets that I remember buying at the Cameron Village Hobby Shop in Raleigh, NC in the late 60s that are still holding up fine.  I spray all the sheets with Glosscote and try to keep them at room temperature, and so far so good.


Wes W.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Zeke on April 02, 2009, 12:26:22 PM
I've still got some from an old Airfix 1/72 Phantom circa 1970ish...no idea if they're still useable mind you...???...probably better than the modern Airfix crud though!... :wacko: ;D
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: PR19_Kit on April 02, 2009, 12:49:57 PM
I have some really ancient Frog decals, maybe late 50s or early 60s, that I got with some models I bought from a local shop close down. But I'm darned if I know if they are still usable or not 'cos they're rubbish!  :lol:

If I was bulding the models, Attacker, FD2 etc. I'd use some more modern decals on them.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: NARSES2 on April 03, 2009, 02:14:54 AM
Well my oldest usable ones are a few sheets of "Almark" and "His Air Dec" generic sheets (RAF roundels and Luftwaffe crosses and swastika's) plus a sheet of "ABT Decals" for specific Hungarian Me 109's and CR 42's - the last CR 42 got used last year. All purchased circa 1967 ish
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: PR19_Kit on April 03, 2009, 03:28:38 AM
Cor, 'HisAirdec' and 'ABT', there's two names to conjour with.

I've got an 'ABT' set for Pierre Closterman's aircraft, a Spitfire IX and a Tempest if I remember correctly, plus some HisAirdec RAF grey bomber codes. Goodness knows when I saw them last but they're in my Decal Libary somewhere.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: kitnut617 on April 03, 2009, 04:52:49 AM
I've just used some of the decals from the sheet which was in the Airfix Beagle Basset box, Pattern No.255.  Although I can't find a date on the box my PAK-20 book says these Pattern numbers were used prior to 1972 and on the ATF forum it lists the first Basset release in 1968.  The couple of decals I have used worked just fine although the carrier film is a bit yellow, luckily it doesn't show on the Terrier's camo scheme I've done.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: tigercat2 on April 03, 2009, 05:53:13 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on April 03, 2009, 02:14:54 AM
Well my oldest usable ones are a few sheets of "Almark" and "His Air Dec" generic sheets (RAF roundels and Luftwaffe crosses and swastika's) plus a sheet of "ABT Decals" for specific Hungarian Me 109's and CR 42's - the last CR 42 got used last year. All purchased circa 1967 ish

I bought a number of "His Air Dec" generic sheets in 1969 or so, and they are still good and usable.  I used some the other day on a FW-190.  I guess if decals can last 40 years, they could last for a while longer.

Wes W.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Dork the kit slayer on April 04, 2009, 03:28:43 AM
The oldest would be some sheets from classic Revell "S" boxings. F-102, Mariner,Regulas. (1959/60)
My mate the Hunter Gatherer and I have some pretty old Starfighter decals that get passed back and forth for safe saving,
depending on who is the High Keeper of the Decal Box that year.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: B777LR on April 04, 2009, 05:03:52 AM
Oldest? I suppose that might be the Starfix Bf-109 decals...
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: chrisonord on April 04, 2009, 05:57:53 AM
Without getting all technical and doing some research ie, going up into the loft, I say my oldest kit and decals are my Airfix Fairy Delta ones, and there is some early seventies matchbox ones too, whether they are still, or were to begin with usable is anyones guess :huh:
Chris.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Brian da Basher on April 06, 2009, 01:14:59 PM
I'm not sure, but it's possible some of my RAF deecals go back to the days of balsa recognition models....
:cheers:
Brian da Basher
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: puddingwrestler on April 06, 2009, 02:04:52 PM
My oldest would be those on the 1970 released Revell Polikarpov I am currently working on over at MW. But they are not surviving, not by a long chalk. They are stuffed. Basically everything else I own is either current or 1980s at the oldest, so nothing really impressive there.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: HOG on April 06, 2009, 02:05:52 PM
Hoyhoy`Al

Without giving my age away, some old first issue AMT Enterprise, Romulan Wrbird, Enterprise bridge,mini Klingon-Romulan-Enterprise plus others.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Mossie on April 07, 2009, 06:39:32 AM
Probably the oldest kit decals I have is the venerable Airfix 1/24 Harrier GR.1, the decals are still with it.  This box dates from late eighties/early nineties.  Chrisonord recentley sent me some decals from a Heller Ouragan, I'm guessing they're of a similar vintage.  Another from that era is the remains of an Airfix 1/48 Tonka sheet.

The oldest aftermarket set I've got dates from about 1985, I acquired them from Dave on the ATF forum a few years back.  They're for the RAE Dak & include the DC-3 50th Anniversary markings & were cut from a larger Modeldecal sheet of Raspberry Ripple aircraft.  It also includes a free sticker of the 50th Anniversary badge!
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Spey_Phantom on April 07, 2009, 11:23:17 AM
well i might be only 25, but the oldest decals i have (witch are still unused) is a sheet of Belgian AF codes for spitfires, meteor and mosquito's dating back to 1962  :huh:
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Howard of Effingham on April 08, 2009, 03:44:44 AM
i have a couple of low-ish numbered microscale sheets, that must date from
about 1970 or late 1960's. one has luftwaffe unit insignia and the other is
for USN and MC 1930's a/c types.

Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Captain Canada on April 08, 2009, 03:52:53 AM
The oldest decals that I never got but paid for were the ones I ordered from JBOT in 2006......

:thumbsup:
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: kitnut617 on April 08, 2009, 06:22:14 PM
Quote from: Captain Canada on April 08, 2009, 03:52:53 AM
The oldest decals that I never got but paid for were the ones I ordered from JBOT in 2006......

:thumbsup:

Talking about JBot decals Todd, I was in our storage container (a C-Can) looking for something totally un-related today, when I looked in a box and found a bunch of model stuff, amongst them was the lost set of CC-117 Falcon and CC-150 Polaris decals I got from JBot, long time ago that was too.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: rallymodeller on April 08, 2009, 09:21:51 PM
I have the sheet that came with a 1958-issue Revell S.S. Doctor Lykes -- seems to be OK.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: JJC on July 28, 2009, 11:14:05 AM
i got the decals for revell's TFX F-111 fighter (and the kit!)
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: chrisonord on July 28, 2009, 12:34:43 PM
The oldest decals I have are the ones that are in my 1968 Airfix Avro Anson 1, I don't know what condition they are as the box is still sealed with its original tape. They should be ok as the box is in pretty good nick also.
Chris.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: Andrew Gorman on July 28, 2009, 04:57:51 PM
I just used an ABT decal for some Me-110 on a spaceship and it worked just fine.  I love a bargain bin.
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: The Rat on July 28, 2009, 08:03:55 PM
I've got an old Lincoln International Canberra that probably dates from the 50's, can't find a date on it.

(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv474%2FDaveBailey%2Ff64aff98.jpg&hash=97bb594d0ed43f8309afafd2ac0e32dfef54778e)

When I build it I will NOT be attempting to use these decals, reproduced here actual size:


(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv474%2FDaveBailey%2Flinccanbdecals1.jpg&hash=a77a1c0e848902927c7d5d10acd73d8affadad22)

Reproduced a bit larger for easy reading, here are the instructions on the back. Note that they aren't just any decals, but Super Quality ARMOUR-SKIN Decals!:

(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv474%2FDaveBailey%2Flinccanbdecals2.jpg&hash=3495cffcbfaa82b439c8eb10dce35db98f8a7ed6)
Title: Re: Oldest Surviving Decals
Post by: anthonyp on July 29, 2009, 06:01:54 PM
Picked up an Aurora Jet Commander off ebay a few months back.  Still had the decals.  Probably usable, only if I were to use liquid decal film to reinforce them.  Had some ancient ESCI decal sheets that I should have used it on, but didn't and lost some decals to flaking.