I'm been searching for some 1/32 scale decals for both the Trumpeter SBD-2 Dauntless (Midway version only), and the F4F-4 Wildcat (Midway version only as well).

One of the issues I've seen in After Market decals for 1/32 scale is that the rarely include the national markings. If I'm going to be replacing the kit decals, the National Insignia markings need to be changed as well for numerous reasons. So I've continued to search secondary decal sources and have found guys selling decals from discontinued AM sources.

AM company: The Fine Art of Decals
Cutting Edge F4F sheet #1
Yellow Hammer Decals SBD-1/2/3 sheet #3

My question is that these two sheets are circa 2006. That makes them nearly 11 years old. I have no idea if the decals have been sealed in plastic or not, nor what the storage conditions have been. At $24 per sheet I really don't want issues with the decals coming apart once placed in water, or coming in contact with the Microscale decal solutions.

All the AM decals I've bought over the years have been from current runs. Does anyone have experience with older decals?

Joel

Hi Joel,
Most of my stash is second hand. Many kits around that age have yellowed decals that might be turned white with time in the sun. They are still old, though.

Remember the Ki-44 Tojo that I foiled? That kit was old and I sun-bathed the yellow out. But when it came to applying the decals, they were very fragile. Some of the decals had to be replaced by some I made because they came apart while trying to get them off the sheet. Moreover, they take longer soaking to get them off.

I've accepted that most of my older kits will need AM decals. I certainly wouldn't want to pay full price for a sheet that old.

Gaz

Hi Joel

The crucial thing is to know how they've been stored. I've got decals in my stash that are 20 to 30 years old and I've used them without any problems, but I've stored them away from damp or daylight. If you can't guarantee that - and you can't if you're buying "blind" - it's a case of caveat emptor.

All the best

Rowan

Gary & Rowan,
Thanks for your replies. That's kind of what I thought. I'm going to email the guy ask him those questions. As a back up when the times comes to purchase those sheets, which both have been out of production for years, and YellowHammer is out of business, I'll use my PayPal account as a secondary layer of protection.
Joel

Why look for old decals?