# Aurora Roman Bireme



## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

I recently acquired a sealed Aurora Roman Bireme off eBay. Looking at it, it had the original cello seal, but shaking the box it seemed as if there were too many parts inside.

I've heard before that sometimes an unscrupulous dealer would empty the parts out of a box, fill it with worthless sprue, then rewrap the box. I didn't think this was the case, particularly because the Bireme is not a particularly rare kit.

So, I opened it.

Inside was the complete model, as promised. And, even after 44 years (it was made in 1967) I still could get a whiff of that Aurora aroma.

But the reason it sounded so odd was that all the parts had been removed from the sprue. All the sprues were there, but all of the parts had been removed.

The instructions (somewhat brown) and decal were completely intact.

I've never seen this before. Did someone at the Aurora factory spend his or her night shift nipping parts from sprue? Did they all serendipitously separate from the sprue after being attached for 44 years? Was this just a fluke?

Enquiring minds (mine at least) want to know. Any ideas??


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## Frankie Boy (Feb 28, 2002)

There are only two possibilities.

1. The parts were removed from the sprues by someone at the factory (44 years ago, that is) and then sealed after that.

or

2. The parts were removed from the sprues _after _the box was sealed (and presumably in the hands of a customer) and then resealed.

You say you could still get a wiff of the _Auroma_ (sorry, couldn't resist). But is that real, or just wishful thinking? On the other hand, the box could have been resealed 44, 43 , 42 years ago and you might indeed still have been able to grab a genuine wiff of the aforementioned fragrance.

I'm interested to hear others' responses.


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## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

Aurora did alot of degating parts on the line so they could get the kits into the box the wanted them to fit in. It was extra work but worth it. The size of the kit with all the parts on the sprue could be quite large even for a smaller kit. All the extra plastic increased the weight of the box as well.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

I've had several Aurora kits in which most of the parts were off the sprues but the sprues were there, and in the case of the Tonto kit, like your Bireme, every single part was off the sprues, which were still present. 

If you were happy that the seal was original, especially if it was the brittle 'cigarette pack' type cellophane, I shouldn't think that it has been resealed over the years by an unscrupulous former owner. BTW, I find the Aurora odour lingers in most Aurora kits to a greater or lesser extent, even if they've been unsealed a long time.


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

last summer I purchased a mint sealed canadian monsters of the moviesthe mr hyde from a local hobby shop,the price was right $20......i kept it for a month before i couldnt stand it anymore and opened it.......imagine my surprise when i opened it and found cut up pieces of vinyl flooring.....called the lhs and after some colorful conversation they agreed quite humbly to take care of me the next day....I found out that they had bought this and alot of other rare auroras from the estate of the guy who owned retro resin after he passed away...they took care of me.i still buy from them and scored a nice complete except for instructions candadian issue long box jesse james from them sat....worse thing for them is they had what they thought to be a mint banana splits buggy.....again...cut up pieces of vinyl flooring


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## tr7nut (Apr 18, 1999)

*Childhood memories! *

I was an avid, rabid modeler even as a kid. I used to shake my presents (models, duh!) before Christmas and birthdays and could ALWAYS tell how many Aurora kits i was getting by the loose rattle inside the box. Nothing new here guys! :thumbsup:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Aurora were quite frugal at times and saved money by removing the main sprues and recycling them. I've had quite a few kits over the years that were mint and often found the parts were loose. I recall my Capt.Kidd kit was sealed and minty new when I scored it and the only sprue was the one that held all the small parts.

Chris.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*There was a legendary story in the 80's of an infamous collector ( Yes, the Collector was "infamous"..He passed away a few years back ) that bought a sealed Aurora 420 ( Lost in Space cyclops and chariot ) when it was going for a few thousand bucks..he opened it, and there was a Dempsey versus Firpo kit in it , which went for about $12 bucks at the time..and it was sealed perfectly, as if Aurora sealed it , which was later discovered was not the case*. *That's one of the reasons that I personally don't prefer sealed kits*.*as far as the "aurora smell"..funny that was mentioned..I recently opened up the Round 2 models Deluxe Batmobile...and I could swear I smelled it all over again...:thumbsup:*


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Older kits often have parts off the sprues becuase older kits had fewer and smaller sprue attachment points.

I have never seen a genuine, original Aurora kit with the original factory seal removed that had just parts and no sprues.

Most likely someone resealed the kit at a later date. Depending on when the original kit would have been sealed, its fairly obvious to spot a modern re-wrap.

I have/had a shrink wrap machine and have re-sealed thousands of kits over the years, both for sale in my shop and to keep kits in my collection all together. It is not uncommon. You can buy a shrink wrapper at Staples or Office Depot


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

Thanks for all the input!

I owned many original Aurora kits in the 60 and early 70s, so I am very familiar with their method of sealing the kits. I've even opened a few MIB kits acquired through the years, including the Bireme.

I am pretty well convinced the Bireme is an original kit with original cello. Much of this is based on a close examination of the cello, plus the fact that it stuck to the box when I opened it, indicating a lot of age. And you folks have added to that conviction. 

So, thanks again! I have an original Bireme, which although not a rare kit, is a nice one.

Jeff


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

It's still a rare kit Jeff- try finding it in your LHS...:thumbsup:

Chris.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

I got an unsealed 'second hand' Roman Bireme kit from John F. Green in his closing down sale, and when it arrived it had every part except the coiled rope.


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