The Pocher_Parts Man

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The Pocher_Parts Man

   I wrote a post about Pocher on March 15, 2013. I had made a great discovery on this fine 1960's model kit, and had to share this with everyone. Below is the link to that previous post.

Please click here to visit my first post on Pocher

  I had expected to write a another post about Pocher based on a local  master builder of these kits. However, at the last moment I  got  turned down. The person  was too busy, and told me to go to his website, use Skype, and download from there. I wasn't signed up for Skype, so that was the end of Pocher up to then.  But if you're a writer with a good memory, you either write down notes or remember. So this week, I went to the ebay.co.uk website and searched for Pocher. I found a person who sells all kinds of Pocher kits, as well as parts for the kits, and as Sherlock Holmes said in his many books ( actually it was Sir Author Conan Doyle) - "Watson, the game's afoot!".

   I wrote to  the person at pocher_parts, and asked for permission to use his photos and of course write about him. Mr.Peter Doney replied and said yes and yes. I also asked for some of his Pocher finished photos, and he sent me some. Unfortunately, they're a bit grainy and small-sized, but nevertheless,they present to you a "glimmer" of these fine models. As it turns out, Peter  is a model builder,and has been building these Pocher models for 20 years. He now has an ebay.co.uk link and sells, as well as helping fellow Pocher model builders. His main focus though is in helping fellow model builders rather than selling. So he sells parts to help other model builders complete their projects,as well as sells kits.

   For those who don't know the Pocher story it goes something like this. Mr. Arnoldo Pocher had a great idea to design and sell a great model kit in the 1980's as a 1:8 scale. Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out, and the company went bankrupt. The cost of a kit at the time was $ 35.00, and the kit weighed in at 16 pounds (about 6.3 kg). Maybe that was the problem, or poor marketing. Years later, model builder discover Pocher, and as the old saying goes - "the rest is history". IN 2013, you can find a Pocher kit for sale anywhere from $ 600.00 - $1500.00 US, and if you don't have the time to build it (some kits have as many as 600-700 parts), you can commission a master model maker to build one for you for another $ 1500.00. Tomorrow, I have the pleasure to present to you another person and merchant who sells Pocher-related items.I won't say any more, but when you see his photographs, you'll understand the aura and mystique behind Pocher models.

Please click here to visit Peter Doney's ebay.co.uk link

I didn't add any written descriptions to the photos because the box kits have labels,and the parts images illustrate the diversity of materials,parts, and colours.  If Peter suggests that I add the descriptions, for sure, I will.


Below: 

A Pocher Kit
Mercedes Benz 500K-AK
Cabriolet K74 Kit Unstarted and 100% Complete

The photo above best shows the metallic parts that are part of the kit. It's no wonder that Peter doesn't open the packets to photograph!  The other photographs show you the different colours and plastic and metal parts for the kit.

I asked Peter to send me some photos and the ones above are what he sent.

They're beautiful models to build and to see.

Most of the kits are of vintage famous cars from the 1930's and 1940's.

As it turns out, Hornby, the famous and now very big conglomerate owns the rights to Pocher., and has just come out or announced that they will be producing a modern-era Ferrari kit.

I contacted Hornby several times, but I never got a good answer to my request. I kept being moved around from country to country, and department to department. However, I will try again someday!

Thanks for dropping by,

and  as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you my be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com