Batmobile Baywatch – What’s Up With That?

Pimp My Batmobile 5 Comments

Contrary to what some folks think, we’re not just a place that makes or sells custom Batmobile model parts. Our charter/mission/scope here is to try to cover all aspects of Batmobile (and other Bat vehicles) model or toy collecting. We spend a lot of time talking about upgrade parts and such, but as we spread our wings and enter into PMB! V 2.0 this Spring, we’re bringing other aspects of our world back into focus.

I notice interesting Batmobile items for sale or auction on the web all the time. Sometimes they’re cool. Sometimes they’re um…suspect. I like to try to separate the wheat from the chaff and share it with all of you. I call it  “Batmobile Baywatch.”

Today’s offering is this interesting gem. (Please note that these links are  time-sensitive and so – may not be still around when you get around to reading this. So I’ve grabbed a screenshot.)

Purported to be a “1/12th 1966 batmobile” and then further described to be “special order-built to order” it invites many questions. Here’s the full auction description:

“THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL MASTERED OF THE FAMOUS 1966 BATMOBILE IN A HUGE 1/12 SCALE. THIS MODEL COMES WITH DETAILED TURBINE ENGINE, OPENING DOORS, OPENING HOOD, OPENING TRUCK, LIGHTS.

THIS A SPECIAL ORDER-BUILT TO ORDER MODEL ONLY

PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY!!!

COMES WITH A FULL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE AND A 10 YEAR WARRANTY..

EXTREME REPRODUCTIONS

MIKE/DON”

It also has an opening bid of $750.00, a Buy-It-Now of $825.00 and, perhaps most interesting – it only has one photo up and it is a rear shot of the Hot Wheels 1:18 Batmobile.

Wow, a 10 year warranty.  My JEEP doesn’t even have that.  Plus it has an opening “TRUCK.”

Okay. So, as far as I know, I don’t know Mike or Don or any place calling themselves “Extreme Reproductions.” It could be somebody that we know.  And who knows, MAYBE they really do have a 1/12th custom, made to order Batmobile they make and sell. But to put an eBay auction up for this type of thing, at that kind of price, with only a user feedback rating of 12, with a single  shot of something we all recognize as NOT a 1/12th OR custom model of any sort – – well that’s going to get us talking at the very least.

I’ll admit this right now. I have certain snobbish, judgmental leanings. For example,  I look at typing an entire auction description (or an email message etc.) in “ALL CAPS’ as the digital equivalent of a Southern accent “shouting”.  Maybe that’s how they solicit custom stuff in Oregon. I watch Portlandia, but I’m certainly no expert on Pacific Northwest sales techniques. But even if you give Mike and Don the benefit of a lot of doubt here – Let’s look past the ALL CAPS and spelling/grammar concerns. Let’s suspend our concern about the “12” eBay feedback rating. Let’s ignore the $750.00 starting bid. Let’s pretend we don’t know that eBay policies prohibit pre-selling of items that are further than 30 days out from purchase date. And let’s not dwell on the fact that they only have  ONE photo up of a 1:18 Hot Wheels Batmobile when they’re selling a custom 1:12 model. Let’s look past ALL of that…

Well see, that’s where it all breaks down. Because we can’t look past all that. Maybe the all-caps thing. But to everything else up there, we give a hearty “What’s Up With That?!”  I’ve contacted the seller. I will report back any followup we get from these folks. As I said before – Who Knows? It MIGHT just be the coolest big Batmobile model that we’ve ever seen! But until we get some more info – I wouldn’t advise hopping  on that $825 buy it now button.

-S

  1. Alexander Rivera

    March 3, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    Looks like a scam auction……..The only 1/12 that I know of was trash done many years ago……buyer beware!

  2. Ed Coxe

    March 4, 2012 at 12:18 am

    And now the seller has ended the auction early because “the item is no longer available”! Good job, Scooter!

  3. admin

    March 26, 2012 at 9:33 am

    Followup Update: Tim actually found the company and the owner and sent me a link to their profile on manta. I have contacted him and it looks like the guy is a modelbuilder who may have worked for ILM at one time and is currently offering custom model and vacuform work. I hope he’s legit, but that doesn’t really answer the way he listed the Batmobile model originally.

    I would love to see their Batmobile model and even show it here. If they’re just trying to circumvent I.P. issues, they’re going about it the wrong way. Will post back when I make better contact.
    -S

  4. Preben skanvig jacobsen

    March 30, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    hi Tim

    Tim Batmobile modellen ModelBuilder, sendte mig
    name Preben skanvig jacobsen
    Peter graus vej 4,3.ht
    arssdder 2000 Frederiksberg DK 2000 DENMRAK
    hilsen Preben skanvig jacobsen

  5. admin

    March 31, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    (Admin note – Preben is a Danish Batmobile Modeler. He says “Hi” to Tim. Let’s see if my 80’s time spent abroad in Denmark is still fresh in my mind.)

    Hej Preben,
    Velkommen til Pimp My Batmobile! Tim er en af de bidragydere og modelers her. Men løbehjul skriver artiklerne. Lad os vide, hvis vi kan hjælpe dig på nogen måde.

    -Scooter

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