5k Away From Greatness, But Who’s Counting?
Anyone who’s into the model side of the Warhammer 40k hobby knows how expensive it can be. Model kits can easily reach a hundred dollars apiece, brushes and other tools are expensive, you have to buy specialized paints… it’s no simple feat. But at least it doesn’t cost $35,000, right? One Australian game store was determined to change that.
But first, we have to rewind a little bit. The model in question is an old Thunderhawk gunship, made from metal – rather than the usual plastics that modern Warhammer sets are made from nowadays. Being a large vehicle, and being just one of 500 ever made, the original set needed to have a suitably large price tag – coming in at $1050 USD (adjusted for inflation, of course. The original price tag was around $650 dollars, in case that feels a bit more reasonable).
One youtuber decided to pick one up, build it, and paint it, as part of a video taking about the model. Once all was said and done he got ready to sell the freshly-painted model off, but didn’t expect the ebay auction to get so… competitive.
Stunned at the final price tag, the youtuber decided to call up the buyer, to have a chat. On the other end of the video call was an Australian couple that owned a small games store, who were interested in “purchasing a piece of history.” Not only that, but they had also picked up two other Thunderhawk models, and intended to use them in a larger diorama.
Even forgetting the history of the Thunderhawk (which is surprisingly extensive, to be fair), the couple made their own wish come true. Soon, they’ll be the proud owners of the most expensive model in a game full of expensive models. Their store: the War Room, has seen more attention than ever before, and will enter Warhammer’s history books as the home for a truly unforgettable moment.