Do you ever sell what you build?

It ain't worth the trouble!

It just so happens I sold a model at a show this past weekend. Mind you, this was a figure, and the practice is a little more common amongst figure builders, or so I am led to believe. The figure in question was Pegaso's Teutonic Grandmaster, and it had just received a bronze at a major show on the west coast. Just before the awards, a fellow walked up and offered $300 U.S.D. for it. So, I let it go, but not before I took a bunch of pictures of it. The way I see it, I'll build myself another one, and the money covered my hotel bill for the weekend. Besides, the joy is in the building, right? As for the amount, I'm told by some that I undersold myself, but it was my first major show, and I'm not what you'd call a "name" in the hobby, so $300 seemed resonable enough. I promise if I ever get famous though, my prices will go up!

I've sold a number of models over the past 5-6 years on a contract basis. Everything from subs to a motorcycle, but mainly modern 1/48th jets. I find a good deal of job satisfaction when the completed model is presented to the buyer. My prices are in the $250 - $750 range; depends what the customer wants and how detailed they desire it. About a week ago I finished a 1/12th scale AMT fire engine for a cousin. It took a good six months and I figure I made about five cents a hour for my labor.
One thing I try to avoid is accepting a contract for a model without finding out if a kit is available. I once assured an individual I could build up a specific plane for him and then discovered it was no longer in production. He also wanted it done by a specific date, his father's birthday, and when I did uncover the kit I really had to burn some midnight oil in order to complete it by the deadline. The cost of the kit also was 2-3 times what I recalled it originally going for and really cut into my profit margin. You live and learn, I guess is the moral to that story.
Dick McC

I usually sell everything I make. Most models I build are scrathbuilt and commissioned.

Just sold four tonight to a big name collector in Chicago. All 1/48; He-111B $450.00, IAR 80C $150.00, Fw200C8 $700.00, Do-217 M-11 $550.00.

Holy cr*p, that is some serious bucks. My models are thorughly mediocre compared to some I see here, so I'd be happy to cover my costs and add 50 bucks. I WOULD like to charge for labor, but my stuff isn't good enough. For example, my mig-29 I spent a 100 on the kit and peripherals, and I've spent 20 hours on it so far, but I'd probably only charge 150-200 bucks. I wouldn't sell it for the world though, so it doesn't matter.

I would LOVE to sell, but I'm afraid my stuff is not good enough to get big $$$, but I hope I can learn very quickly!!! A few, I don't know- 100.00 bucks would be great!!

I used to paint Civil War figures, very cheap ones valued at a nickle a piece. I painted them and sold them a A civil War Reenactment for about 3 bucks each. I made around $450!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But the store I used to sell them at isnt around anymore.

owell, I had fun! I dont tihnk I'll ever sell models though.

I've sold models some on a commission basis to folks that I have seen my stuff on the internet and then asked me to build somthing for them. To be truthful though, I'm no pro builder so I can't call the kits professionally built.
The best offer I ever had was a guy from the USA who wanted to pay me $400. for a Tomcat that I built, however I built it for myself so I declined his very generous offer. I kick myself everytime I look at that kit now......................:)

I would like to, but I've become too attached to them!

I haven't sold models yet but I plan to. It's not the money for me, it's my lack of space. You'll never get much money for the time you put into a model unless your'e a serious pro. But I can see getting back 2-4 times the amount I spent on the kit and supplies.

Dave

you know, after i build a kit................man i don't even want to say this aloud..........i really don't care to keep it............as long as i have some decent photos of it. like some others have mentioned here, i don't really have the storage/display space, so the majority of mine end up broken or trashed. i've built 9 kits and only have 4 that are display worthy, and 3 that are crippled.

so, yes, i'd like to sell my models if at all possible. how do you find people that want them? later.

I have sold many models as commission builds (currently working on 5 HMMWVs now), mostly 1/35 armor and softskins. I guess I am selling them on the cheap. I usually charge 2x the kit price for an out of the box build. Added stowage is usually about $25 extra and each figure is an additional $5 for a Dragon quality figure. Resin, AM items, PE stuff and any scratch-building will cost much more. I usually sell a 1/35 DML M1A1 for about $50 OOB, $75-$100 for one loaded with gear and a couple crew figures. I include a simple wooden base and some dirt groundwork.

Personally, I think $300+ for a figure is nuts and $500-$700 for anything short of a huge dio is also crazy. There is no way you can charge for your labor and time. Remember guys, we are only assembling and painting plastic. They are not gold plated. On the other hand, if some sucker wants to part with his money in a bad way, and he offers a crazy price for my stuff, I will take it from him. He is the idiot wanting to spend that much money.

Just saw this over at Armorama. The ultimate in craziness, 1/72 USS Enterprise Aircraft carrier on Ebay, only $250,000.00. What a bargain. Totally nuts. Must be gold underneath all that gray paint.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6520154898&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1

$$$250000.00$$$ HOLY CRAP!!!! But that boat is AMAZING!!

I wish I got even 8 or 9 bucks an hour for my time. A $700 model has over $100.00 in the base kit plus another $20.00 in materials plus as much as nine months (2 - 3 hours per day every day) of my time. It also includes a considerable amount of scratch built material.

I have sold off a few. Mainly cause I don't have the room and my wife forces me to get rid of them anyway, little does she know I just turn the money right around for new kits. All of them I have sold have been ones I got free or very cheap so I always come out ahead. Plus I have a LHS owner that has said he would buy any off me I dont want to keep as well.

I can't imagine selling anything I build. I kick out a good one on occasion, but i don't feel as though my skills are consistant enough that anything I build would be worth much.

Although, I guess a person who is buying it would not be as picky as we would. We know what faults to look for. Most buyers I guess wouldn't know if something they did see on the completed model was a mistake.