Overjoyed to completly heartbroken, where are my parts?

So I pick up seven kits at Hobby Lobby today taking advantage of the 1/2 off sale. I get home and open the boxes to admire my new possesions. To my surprise, two of the seven kits are missing trees. The tamiya supra kit is missing the entire body! They were all factory sealed and brand new. Has anyone had this problem before? I am wondering if Hobby Lobby will let me take them back since I have already opened them? I don't want to have to order replacement parts through a local hobby store, that will take forever....

Well I just got back from Hobby Lobby and got the Xanavi Skyline and it was in perfect condition. There were no missing trees, bent or broken parts, or even a probelm with the box. If the box was opened you can try to wrap it with your regular plastic wrap and use a blow dryer to make it shrink and them check for any openings in the wrapping and start all over if there is. Then just go back to the store and exchange for another one.

... They were all factory sealed ...

No such animal - Japanese manufacturers do not seal their boxes.

Yup, if they were shrink wraped it happened some time after leaving the factory, indeed Japan. Shop should give you a refund or replacement, and they'll sort it out with the importer.

Unconfirmed, but Tamiya may shrink-wrap US-bound kits at their warehouse in California. But Yeah, Tamiya kits striaght from Japan (a la HLJ) come unwrapped.

So I pick up seven kits at Hobby Lobby today taking advantage of the 1/2 off sale. I get home and open the boxes to admire my new possesions. To my surprise, two of the seven kits are missing trees. The tamiya supra kit is missing the entire body! They were all factory sealed and brand new. Has anyone had this problem before? I am wondering if Hobby Lobby will let me take them back since I have already opened them? I don't want to have to order replacement parts through a local hobby store, that will take forever....

I'd try talking to Hobby Lobby first. Explain to them the situation. If you are fortunate, they might give you a replacement. Sometimes I've found them to be less than helpful.

If that doesn't work, you can order spare trees from Tamiya USA directly. It's easy, and they are very helpful. Though for the Supra body, you just might be better off waiting for the next 1/2 off sale. You probably paid $10 for that kit (I've gotten 3 Supras from Hobby Lobby sales). The replacement body will be at least if not more than that after shipping (I bought one tree, cost $8 with shipping).

Thats really annoying, good luck trying to get the parts missing parts from them. The only consolation is the fact that you did only pay half price.

This plastic wrapping thing...........i was surprised last week when my Tamiya CLK GTR from HLJ was factory sealed, when i first saw it i thought it was the usual piece of cardboard under the box & then wrapped in plastic (if you get my drift :uhoh:) but No, it was properly factory sealed.

Quite hard to think they could forget to put the body in!!

Try Hobby Lobby first, then if they won't help you call Tamiya on 1-800-TAMIYA-A and explain the situation to them. I personally have always found Tamiya friendly and great to deal with.

A hobby shop I used to go to had their own shrink wrap machine in their back room. Items opened and returned that were complete would be re-wrapped, priced and put back on the shelves for sale again. I could see someone at Hobby Lobby doing the same thing, only perhaps not having the knowledge to recognize when key part(s) like a body or a whole tree are missing before re-wrapping it for sale again (if that's what they do). Then again, I don't see Hobby Lobby refusing to give your money back on a return either. You shouldn't have a problem.

Almost all Japanese kits are unwrapped, but most US distributors do instead. Otherwise, some stores are reluctant to carry such items. Tamiya kits in the US are mostly wrapped, and MRC did the same with the Fujimi kits, back when they were the official distributor.

Hobby Lobby took back the kits no questions asked. As a matter of fact, they didn't have one of the kits I orginally bought, so I picked up another Tamiya kit. They didn't charge me the difference between the Revell kit and the Tamiya kit. I made out like a bandit. Serves them right for selling me a model without a body....