Are you an avid collector of model cars? Does your heart race every time you get home from the store with your newest one and open the box? Well, what do you do about the one that your local retail store does not carry? You were looking to buy it but before you could they sold out or discontinued the line. Now what do you do? You can just sit around and mope about the lost opportunity or you can get out there and find it.
The easiest way to do this is by searching for it on the Internet. If you know the maker, it can make it extremely easy to find the model car you are looking for. Just go to your favorite search engine and punch in the manufacturer's name and run a search. Once you hit their website, most of them will have a link to retail websites that you can go to and buy your model car. Easy isn't it? This would be great in a perfect world but as we all know the world is far from perfect.
Maybe the manufacturer you have chosen does not have a website or if they do then they don't have links to sales on their site. If this is the case then you are definitely in for a bit of fun. If you enjoy a good scavenger search then you are on the right path. Now you have to do a little digging.
The first place you will want to check are the different online auction sites. Once you reach one, all you have to do is to type in the model maker's name and the style of the car in question. The auction site should come back with what it calls hits within a moment or two. If there are no hits then it is possible that no one on that particular site is currently selling the model car you are looking for. If you do find it then you are good to go as long as it is in your price range. Make sure to check the seller's rating so that you know that you are buying from a reputable one.
If you cannot find one for sale on the auction sites then it is time to go back to the search engines. Again, type in your model's manufacturer and the car that it is styled after. Also type the word 'sales'. This should pull up several sites that offer model cars for sale. While it may take you several times of going through each link that come up you should eventually be able to find the model you are looking for. The only exception to this is if the model car is an ultra rare one that is in super high demand. If this is the case then you may just have to check back occasionally.
With a little bit of computer work and some diligence on your part you will soon be able to amass the model car collection that you are looking to build. Good luck and happy hunting!
Co-operation and sustainability are two philosophies which complement each other, allowing decisions to be made by a diverse group with many ideas, while caring for social, economic, and environmental livelihoods. O.U.R. Ecovillage is a prosperous intentional community in the Cowichan Valley, and an example of the intertwining of these two philosophies with an emphasis on the environmental aspect of sustainability.
The Global Ecovillage Network describes an ecovillage as ?urban or rural communities of people, who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life.? This was exactly the idea that Brandy MacPherson and others had in mind during the 1990s as they began the work of founding the ecovillage. After much musing and conversation at their Victoria co-op house about a small-scale agricultural environmental community, they decided to walk their talk. The inception of O.U.R. (One United Resource) Ecovillage occurred in 1999, when they purchased twenty-five acres of land in the Cowichan Valley.
The first year was spent learning about the land before altering it. Extensive soil testing was done to find the best places for organic agriculture, as well as species mapping, to find out what kind of wildlife lived where. Wind and sun patterns were monitored, so as to locate and face buildings in the best directions.
Part of being a co-operative project includes taking everyone's point of view as seriously as the next. Rather than just escaping into the wilderness and doing their thing without having to deal with regulatory boards and the local community plan, they have chosen to work very closely with the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
In May of 2003 they constructed a ?climate change? building, known also as the Healing Sanctuary, as an example of how co-operation and environmental sustainability can worked together. In creating the building a ?community visioning? process was held to involve a range of stakeholders.? The neighbours were consulted and the municipality was involved at every step of the way. Building materials were even donated by a range of companies.
The Ecovillage gets financial support from many places, but Van City Credit Union is one of their major supporters, with an award of $35,000 going to the climate change building for the solar, bio-diesel, rainwater collection, and radiant heating systems.
One of the most striking aspects of the Cowichan Ecovillage is how much it resembles a traditional farm yet it is a concrete alternative to industrialized farming. They teach permaculture courses, involving and educating the community and interested people in ways to grow food sustainably. Gardening at O.U.R. Ecovillage is taken very seriously, no pesticides are used, and their goal is to be self sufficient, eating only what they produce on the property. The Ecovillage also consults with the local First Nations groups to discover valuable local information about seasons, flora and fauna.
The decisions made at O.U.R. Ecovillage are made by consensus among the ?creation team,? with no one having the rights to veto another person's opinion. The creation team functions like a board of directors. Along the lines of the co-op model, capital has limited value, with no majority shareholder controlling the process. Currently, the land is under private ownership with the non-profit arm of O.U.R. Community Association taking on the lease for one dollar per year. Lately the creation team has been planning how the new owners group - people moving permanently into the Ecovillage - will manage; they are developing the Finance, Ownership and Governance Options project (FOG).
In the next three-year plan, the focus is going to be on developing housing that is innovative, ecological, and oriented toward low income, seniors and assisted living. Through the FOG project, many different options for how the new housing and whole Ecovillage are going to be managed and owned were presented and considered. Since our society's legal and financial systems favour individual ownership and use of land, there are major difficulties for an Ecovillage to overcome when deciding on which model to base FOG. They have since decided on the co-operative model, and created O.U.R. Land and Housing Co-operative. It is still under development, but the framework is now being finalized.
The vision behind O.U.R. Ecovillage is one of living sustainably socially, economically, and environmentally. Utilizing co-operative models of planning and development, and soon a co-operative model of ownership and governance, community and the environment can have a very clear place within the co-operative framework.
To explore more of ecovillage life, visit OUR Ecovillage at www.ourecovillage.org
Both Victor Epand & Josval are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Victor Epand has sinced written about articles on various topics from Shopping, Trucks and Interest. Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for