Costs-Old Kits and us

Greed has always driven the market in any venue - always has.

Sellers get what they can get.

It's a game man has played since the dawn of time.

I'm into model cars and scarcity drives the prices as they become harder to find.

Many model cars from the last 10-20 years are starting to cost 5-15 times the original price. Sometimes 20 or more times as much.

New generations are coming into the hobby looking for models they built when they were kids, and model cars have also become a new form of investment for the future. 

Most of what we thought would be around for ever has disappeared, but when they do show up, hang on to your wallets.

You're complaining because you can't compete financially with others who can. That's the world we live in. 

A piece of advice. Redefine what makes you happy to what you can afford, and live with it. I don't mean to be snarky, but it's the only way to a happy life.

And somewhere, some guy who bought bitcoin is really unhappy because the market is going flat.

Bill

I’m not even sure what the issue is? You want something someone is selling, and don’t like the price? Ain’t that just too bad? I, quite frankly, like it that sellers can ask whatever price they want. And buyers are free to choose to pay it, or not. This is not a life necessity product like food or medicine.  What alternative would you suggest? No one owes you what you think is a fair price just because you want it, and a deal.

I have been buying a lot of vintage kits off of Ebay lately, many of which are coming from little mom and pop shops that also sell on-line through Ebay.  When I find something I want...and that's usually based on something I built as a kid or wanted to build as a kid but couldn't afford...I'll look for the best value of cost versus condition.  I don't really have the time or the desire to go hang out at a model show or hobby shop to look for deals, and what I manage to find on Ebay is a "deal" to me.  If something costs more than I'm willing to pay, then I move on to the next thing that interests me.  From my perspective, time is also a valuable commodity, so I'm willing to pay a little more just for the convenience and time savings.  Not going to begrudge a seller for wanting to get the highest amount they can for a rare item they're selling.  Recently picked up an old Monogram 1/72 B-36 for $125.00, and the whole thing is in excellent condition (except for the box which looks like a 40+ year old cardboard box usually does).  Pretty excited about tackling that monster some day, but I'm definitely ditching the conventional bombload it came with, in favor of a good old Mark 17 nuke.  Not sure why they have conventional bombs in the kit...don't think the later models of the B-36 ever did any conventional bombing.

Nice model and there's lots of things that can improve it.

The model is of an RB-36 and the warload is flash bombs. 

My most recent vintage kit build was the Revell "Coral Sea" straight deck from 1955, second plastic ship they sold.

I loved it, mine became Midway. I probably paid $30 for it 20 years ago.

Bill

Okay, so the issue here is that ancient kits that used to run under $5 back in the day are now a hundred dollars or more?

Umm, okay, yeah.

Sort of what vintage, hard to find, and whatever buzz words are used to drive up the price.

When I was a kid, I bought an Aurora MBT70 kit for around $3-4, plus tax, circa 1976-78.

In the early days of eBay, I first started using them in late 1995-96 when I was moving from Texas to Alabama. I found a builder's kit of one and it cost me $5 plus shipping. Probably less than $8 total.

Today, on eBay, there are three of them for sale between $50-60 plus around $10 shipping.

These are vintage kits and hard to find because the molds don't exist any longer. Are they worth $50? To someone I guess they could be. If someone was to repop them, they might be worth $20-30, maybe at Hobby Lobby before the 40% off coupon.

GMorrison

The model is of an RB-36 and the warload is flash bombs. 

Thanks Bill!  Now that makes sense.

Hi Bill;

    No,No,No!

 I am NOT complaining! I was wondering because the search for rare or hard to find Ships and Boats is so darned hard. In some cases you have to go to a sight, Type in the name you know it by and then type in the Manufacturer and release date. Many times that is NOT known.

     When looking for, say, The Wheeler 44'Cruiser, By Aurora, you put that in and you get sales places for Real Boats. I even one time put in a Boat that is quite common.The Revell Tri-Cabin Chris-Craft Motoryacht. Got no hits. Put in the same and got a hit when I changed the last word to " Cabin Cruiser".

   This boat for instance, in my youth because of it's size and appointments, was known as a MotorYacht" NOT a Cabin Cruiser. The little Lindberg Chris-Craft,30' boat( called by them, A "Picnic Boat ") is also known as a " Cabin Cruiser"

   The former is 55' long, the latter at 30 'and under! ALSO many times when you type in Yacht, all you get is Sailing Vessels. Okay, many early ones were Sailing Craft. But today.You have both and then you have the Mega-Yachts of today, which I call "Pods",Because like today's cars except for size and window layout, the average person cannot tell them apart from a distance!

 But back to my article. There is NO specific kit pricing guide for Model Ships and Boats of any type. That's the gist of what I was saying. Yes, to the other readers. I have paid some high prices for what I wanted. I just wish there was a more DEFINITIVE GUIDE for prices on those models and where they might be found besides " The Bay"

 Oh one more thing.Ther were some very nice Sailing Yachts put out by Monogram, Aurora, Imaii and Entex and Pyro. What became of them? Does anyone even care?

MJames70;

   I am NOTcomplaining about Pricing! I am, If you paid real attention, which obviously you missed the point. I was commenting that, Yes, prices are sometimes astronomical. I have paid almost that for some I wanted. The point is.There IS NOT any one SPECIFIC GUIDE for PRICES and CONDITIONs for MODEL SHIPS and BOATS!!

Hi Dave;

 Hey, read my post again! Right in the middle I mention something that is the point. The rest is a result of Lack of that item! A Sales Guide for Model Ships and Boats and approx.value given condition. Greed? He rears his head up all the time. And he has gotten his claws on me a few times. But what is true is if you have saved or happen to have the option you will pay for what you want, High price be darned. Right?

It might be because it wasn't as popular a subject as planes, cars or armor.

Warships are fairly popular as were older sailing ships (as opposed to sailboats).

If they aren't big sellers, they don't sell out at the stores and the stores don't pass on the demand to the manufacturer. Then the manufacturer doesn't do as many production runs.

This, of course, leads to less of these kits available in the secondary market.

Many of Aurora's molds were transported to Monogram in Illinois from Long Island. Then there was the infamous train wreck that damaged many molds, and then there was the scraping of many Aurora molds by Monogram "without regard to the subject matter" as stated in either the Aurora or Monogram history book.

So these subjects weren't in great demand when new, the molds may have been destroyed and now the actual kits are so scarce that they can't reverse engineer the molds (like they did with a few subjects) or the subjects wouldn't recoup the cost of reverse engineering the molds.

And if you want to see a book about the history of the types of kits you like, start writing one. It's similar to wanting to see a new version of a kit that doesn't exist; as soon as you start your own conversion, one comes out.

Price guides are worthless as soon as they're compiled, even in the digital age.

The price of any item on the secondary market is what the buyer and seller agree on at the time of the sale.

SELL ME THIS PEN!

Hi Rob:

      Sadly, in the last paragraph you hit the nail on the head. When the book would come out the prices have changed so quickly it's redundant. BUT, even a year old book can give you some idea where the model you want, fits pricewise.

       Like I said the very rare ones I wanted, I Knew would be high. But not so high in the POORLY BUILT, Missing parts bunch!! Boy did I get a shock!! Sometimes you cannot find the original missing parts which makes the model after you try to correct it, Not an O.O.B. Version.

      Also, I bought a "Pogo" before it came back on the retail market. The counter rotating props were glued together and the mechanism wasn't even there to Salvage, and it cost me $45.00!. Thank Gosh for Nylon gears and stuff like that. Now I have a restored original and a finely built and detailed new release sitting together.They still get comments from folks too!

     But, I do prefer Non Military floating subjects. I guess it's because I grew up around both the Pleasure craft and the Worka-Holic versions like trawlers and Various types of large Civilian vessels. Paper is fun and there is a lot. But let's face it, It ain't plastic!

      I guess I lost interest after losing two Brothers in Falluja! I just couldn't get the *** for working on another Warship! My Bad I guess!

Hi Baron;

 Ya know this is so very true. I sell and really enjoy when I do. Why? Because I know that Buyer is going to enjoy the purchase or make more money on it. So Be It. I got my asking price which is usually lower than many around me. You should see what a price hike LEGO sets out of the market for at least two years  jump too. It's almost ridiculous!

I just sold my millimium falcon box for 1300 bucks and i checked today and you can still get them at the lego store for 900 with shipping

Cafguy;

   I thank you for your comments. They were a handful raising them too! They were as stubborn about the U.S.of A. as I am. Remember I wasn't Born Here. But this is MY Country and My Home.  I am not a " Super Patriot" but don't test my 78 year old resolve. You mess wid my Boys and Girls and yer messin wid Me!

Don't have to be born here to be american.  Thats the  beuty of it.   sorry i cant spell

Cafguy

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