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Mean Sets

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Samples Of Each Model

Showing Miscellaneous Furniture & Accessories made from card stock for "Mean Sets," and other items (phones, chairs, etc) from a number of retail providers (not provided with the models).

The miniature figures are from a variety of manufacturers, notably Pulp Figures, Brigade Models, Steve Barber, RAFM (also not provided with the models).

The Sets shown are all prototypes and the finished models may differ in small details, all of which represent improvements over what you may see.

The P.I.'s Office

The P.I.'s Office

The P.I.'s Office, another view

The Black Bird And Friends

Come, Come, Mr. Spade

All the furniture in the P.I's Office is from the "Miscellaneous Furniture & Accessories" Set, but the loo is from Country Store Miniatures.

The Cheap Hotel

The Cheap Hotel, one side of the hall

The Best Room, other side of the hall

Busy Night in the Hotel

The Shared Toilet; End of the hall

PI Checking Out A Lead

Knock, Knock

Come out, Marlowe

The Wrong Room

The rugs come with the model, but you'll have to find your own scale cooties.

The Italian Restaurant

The Italian Restaurant

The Italian Restaurant

The Italian Restaurant

Kinda Loud For A Restaurant

Big Shot At The Phone

Big Shot In The Loo

The murals and other art are printed on the wall sections or come separately, but the table cloths were "home made."

The Garage

The Garage Office

Bad Day

More Bad Day

Really Hard On The Ears

"The Garage" is partially modeled after (and identified in the front window as) the SMC Cartage Co. Garage where things got really noisy on St. Valentine's Day, '29.

The Speakeasy/Bar

The Office End of the Speakeasy/Bar

The Two Private Rooms Off The Main Floor

The Back Hall and Restroom Door

Thanks. Here's Your Change

Why Private Rooms Are Nice

The Speakeasy/Bar can be either one, depending on whether your game is set during Prohibition or after. The art and posters are separate and may placed--or not--as you prefer.

 

The P.I's Apartment

So You Want Me To Find Your Sister?

Come On In, Shweet Hot

Yeah, But I Call It Home

You Make Us A Cuppa Joe

The Mocha Java's In The Box

The P.I's Apartment (carefully modeled on Sam Spade's in The Maltese Falcon ) comes with a complete kitchen (electric refrigerator, stove, sink, cabinets). The Fireplace has gas logs for that cozy moment when you have to hide out with your client, or just heal up after your last beating.

The Illegal Brewery

Loading Up The Flower Truck

Hoods Watching The Office

The Office Seen From The Front

Ness At The Door

Hoods Defending The Brewery

Floor Plan

The Illegal Brewery is over twice the size of the usual "Mean Set" at 23" in length when assembled, and 8" high. Three vats cooking up beer are flanked by the office. The Main Doors on the left open to admit large trucks--or the Fed's gate-basing "Ness-Mobile." There's more than enough room for a whale of a shootout in here!

The Small Town Bank

I Wanna Make A Withdrawal

Would You Like To Speak To The Manager?

No, I Don't Want The Free Calendar

Actually, It's After Hours....

Now, What Was That Combination?

The Small Town Bank, the symbol of prosperity in an age of Depression. Just the ticket for Bonnie and Clyde, or when a Pro like Johnny Dillinger needs some pocket money. Comes with Vault, cashier's drawers, and period posters to set the mood.

The Night Club

Lauren Lizbeth, The Chanteuse on Stage

The Hat Check Room Next to The Floor Show

Back Stage And The Dressing Rooms

The View From The Tables

After a busy Gangster's day robbing banks or running that old home brew across Big Al's territory, it's time to take a swell dame out for an evening at a classy joint like this. And when you've seen enough of the show, food, and booze, you can always flash your "Membership Card" and go through the door on the left wall....

The Casino

While The Guys Are At The Tables, The Dolls Like The Bar

The Boss's Office Seen From Behind

This Bar Has Only The BEST Stuff!

Dutch Reagan in his Office. That's his Sweetheart on the Wall, but nobody knows her name.

That Was The Night It Got REALLY Crowded!

The Casino is right next door to the Night Club, but it takes a "Membership Card" to enter. But when you do, there's Craps, Roulette, and Blackjack tables for those who feel sportin'. The Bar keeps only the best hooch for them that knows the difference, and the Boss keeps an office in here, too. As you can see, there's a private door from his office to the Star's dressing room, which is, like, real convenient at times.

The Casino and Nightclub are designed to be built either separately, or as a single unified Set

The Big Shot's Entry Hall

I arrived that night and had to kick the door in before I got an answer

The Senator and The Mayor were waiting for me--and so was the Dame

They showed me the Art Collection, a fat check, and the door

But not before The Dame Told me a secret

Sooner or later, every P.I. gets invited to the home of the retired Judge/Governor/Senator because they want to know what he does. Usually, he gets no farther than the Vestibule and Drawing Room, so that's all we see (for now) of The Big Shot's Home.

The Old Farm House

The Front and Right Sides

The Right Side and Back

The Screened in Porch in Back and Left Side

The Front of the Place

Interior Layout (no furniture included!)

A Couple o' Mugs Waitin' to say HELLO! to the State Police

When your on the lam, or just laying low between bank jobs, sometimes you've just got to take what you can find for a place to hole up. All over the Mid-West, houses like this--abandoned or foreclosed by the banks--could be found off the main roads. And if a nosy neighbor didn't drop a nickel to the G-Men, a guy could finally get a night's sleep.

The Warehouse

Somebody must have not paid the pad this month!

Cops pouring in like beer on St. Paddy's Day!

But they didn't expect us to fight back!

Dutch Reagan and his Secretary even had to stop their dictation!

When you're not making home brew in one Warehouse, you're storing it in another. Or if you just deal in a little "Import/Export" business, or even carry on an odd scientific experiment or two, you need a place to keep your STUFF!"

The Barbershop/Drug Store

Nitti's Drug Store and the Ace Barber Shop fronts

A great Barber Shop! Two Torpedoes, No Waiting!

Santino and Fredo are good Barbers, and proud of their dual citizenship

Nitti's Drug Store always has lots of traffic for a place with not much on the shelves

I checked the place out when folks walked in, then staggered out an hour later

And there was this guy who was always hanging around the back door. If you whispered something he liked, he let you through

He liked the gat I held on him and let ME through--to the Speakeasy behind the joint!

The Barber Shop and Drug Store, two vital places for everyone from Punks to Made Guys to visit and hang out. The Public Phone Booth comes with the Drug Store, as do the posters and signage in both. That's King Victor Emmanuel III on the Barber Shop wall.

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All text, photos, and artwork are COPYRIGHT©2003 by Patrick Wilson.
They may not be used without written permission.
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