F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
SHIPPING INFO:
Orders generally ship within 1 week.....
…but can take MORE THAN 3 weeks depending on production schedules.
These kits are produced and made by a small company. We consider our kits to be hand-produced, specialty items; not a product manufactured by a large company like Walmart or shipped with the speed of Amazon; therefore they sometimes take time to produce.
PLEASE NOTE - MAIL-IN orders take longer, we only get a handful a year so we visit the Post Office infrequently. We encourage you to order online for faster processing.
Can I use Visa/ Mastercard/ Amex/ Discover?
Yes, through PayPal even if you don't have a Paypal account you can use any credit card as well as Apple Pay & Google Pay.
Shipping Costs
All orders ship via USPS Mail
USA - $9.50
Canada Rate - $22.50 to $32.50. Check your local import fees. We are not responsible for import fees.
Europe Rate - $29.50 to $44.50 . Check your local import fees. We are not responsible for import fees.
Australia & New Zealand Flat Rate Under 2lbs - $ 46.50 to $55.50 Check your local import fees.. We are not responsible for import fees.
Everywhere else International Flat Rate -$39.50 to $ 54.50 Check your local import fees. We are not responsible for import fees.
Shipping will automatically be calculated for online orders.
Please note that when you place an order online, your card is charged immediately upon checkout.
Return Policy:
-There is a restocking fee on returned merchandise of 25%*
- *There are no returns on our Limited Run Kits. These are made to order items.
Age Recommendation and Materials Hazards
We recommend that our kit and products NOT be used by children under 14. All of our kits contain small parts, made of wood, metal and plastic.
We recommend that you use the proper Personal Protection Equipment when building models:
Eye Protection / Goggles
Rubber Gloves
Respirator
Work in a well ventilated space. Always wash hands after handing metal, resin or plastic parts.
How does the rewards program work? Click here for more info.
Are these kits easy to build?
Yes, we believe they are. They are not the snap together type however; that’s where the craftsman part of craftsman kit comes from. These kits are mostly wood, laser cut parts that need to be assembled with some amount of care and skill, but nothing you couldn’t do with just a bit of patience and practice.
How long does it take to build one?
Of course this varies from modeler to modeler, but for example, a one car garage can take you one night to build, a medium sized kit will take a week, chipping away at it each night. The big kits can take weeks. But that’s the value in this type of modeling, it provides hours of entertainment with a satisfying finale.
Why do we make craftsman kits?
There are many reasons, but chief among them is an attempt at historical preservation. As all of our kits are designed with a mid-century mindset, it’s a great opportunity to portray that which has been lost through the years. While fractionally smaller, three dimensional miniature representations of the past are as valid and important as text, painted canvas, sculpture and photographs.
Are your kits prototypical?
Not if we can help it! Occasionally we'll recreate an existing real world structure, but typically each design is made up of several aspects of different buildings, with lots of creative license in-between.
What if I screw up a part from a kit?
Well, firstly, it means you learned something new, so that’s a good thing. Secondly, just shoot us an email and we can get a new part out to you.
What are the different kit groups?
LIMITED RUN KITS: We only make one of these a year limited to about 200, once sold out they're gone for good.
STANDARD KITS: This is our regular, always available and expanding line of kits.
KIT OF THE MONTH: This is a six or twelve month subscription where you get one kit every month.
FREE KITS: We offer a free kit a few times a year; these are small HO scale kits offered with a $50 or more purchase. These are simple kits and do not include instructions.
How do I know when new kits are released?
Sign up for our Email Newsletter and you'll get updates on kit releases. You can sign up by finding the sign up box found at the bottom of our home page.
Do you have a Blog?
We do, You can find it here: BLOG
Can we visit the Fos Scale Models studio? Where is it?
You can if we’re not too busy, just call ahead. We're in South East Connecticut. We also have workshops throughout the year in our shop, stay tuned for those. Click here for Workshops
When did you start making kits?
Back in 2002. The first kit, the Limited Run Big Lou’s Grill, was released in September of that year and sold out in a few months.
PLEASE READ; It Could Happen to You!
That’s right. The kit you receive might be missing a part or may contain a damaged part. It happens.
When producing and packing our kits, thousands a year, and thousands of parts a day, BY HAND, NOT MACHINE.
There are no automated packing machines or window counting robots. These kits are made by real people. If you have any damaged or missing parts, here’s all you need to do; please email us and include "MISSING PARTS" in the subject line. We’ll get it out to you right away.
We’re here to help you build your kit! What we ask that you don’t do is call us screaming and yelling; that never helps and please, no nasty emails. While we will do everything we can to fix a problem with your order; we’ll also let you know when you are being unreasonable. Like we said, we’re here to help. We have nothing to gain by not helping; so let us help you with whatever we can without hostility.
Thanks in advance,
Doug Foscale
P.S. All emails should include a subject, as our email system will consider the email as SPAM if left the email subject is blank.