SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Revell SMS Seeadler...kit from 1966..unopened bag..is it worth buying?

1119 views
3 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2004
Revell SMS Seeadler...kit from 1966..unopened bag..is it worth buying?
Posted by jhawk on Sunday, August 23, 2020 3:19 PM

I am not into collecting old kits or buying\selling vintage kits.  But, I saw this Revell SMS Seeadler (H-331:300) in a used bookstore.  The box is in good shape and the model parts are still in an unopened bag.  They wanted $230 for it.  I would not pay that price for any model, but it did get me to wondering if that kit was worth anywhere near that price.  I couldn't really find any info on pricing on the internet, so thought I'd ask here.  

Is this kit all that rare...I know it was re-released in the 90's?  Does it have a market value that high?

Thanks in advance for helping out my curiosity.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, August 23, 2020 3:35 PM

NO DO NOT BUY THAT KIT!!!!

It has no value except maybe to collectors who like scarce things.

This has been discussed in the past here. It was a particular bone in the craw of our late friend Dr. Tilley. Any giggle search using the terms "Revell Seeadler", "Finescale Forums", "Need advice on painting plastic sailing ship deck" and a few others will give you all the info you need, so I won't repeat it here in any detail.

Revell sold the USCGC Eagle kit starting in 1958. It's a good kit, although it isn't accurate for a whole different set of reasons that are actually interesting. 

In 1960 Revell pulled a marketing scam and reissued the kit as the Gorch Fock and as the Seeadler. The GF is a little closer, but the Seeadler is completely bogus. Revell removed the motor launches, replaced them with open boats, and replaced the mizzen mast with a square rigged one to change her from a bark to a full rigged ship.

There was even a note in the box from Count Von Luckner himself.

Sorry, it caused me pain as well when I was a kid reading his biography. For quite a while this was, however fake, about the only WW1 plastic ship model around.

 

Bill

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Monday, August 24, 2020 11:22 AM

Hi;

    Like Bill said. Whatever you DO NOT buy that kit. Four or five bucks is okay. Not that overinflated price! For a totally INCORRECT model it is fun to build but as to the Seeadler. It's a FAKE !

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.