I don't know about other countries but here, about this time of year, we're innundated with ads for "part works", where "week by week" you can collect some dumb magazine and another part of a model (eg part of a doll's house, an historic soldier figure, part of the Titanic, a tiny decorated plate to display, bits of an art set - how the hell can you use it without the whole set immediately!!). Usually the first issue is much discounted to hook you (eg £1.99 vs £7.99), and often the there are more than 100 issues. Imagine taking 2 years to build a model, frustratingly waiting a week for each new bit. I worked out one where a simple model would take 2 years to build and cost 100s of ££. There was one where you could build a Thomas teh Tank Engine model, costing £300 +, and taking 2 years to finish. The rug rat would have grown out of the concept by then!

Just seem one where you can get every episode of SG1 (3 per issue), in, I think, 4 sets of 8 discs (with magazine explaining the technology, weapons and connections to ancient civilisation - as if they really had, FGSakes - etc), costing £7-odd for each issue - coming to some £250 for the collection, of stuff that's already been aired loads of time for free). Imagine paying that much for "complete series" DVD sets!

I suspect that the companies, like de Prado (I think), make their killings early then gradually withdraw their production, knowing very few will stay the course. I can't imagine how people can be mug enough to engage with these things