Tell us about your great model finds!

My biggest score to date. 14 kits, mostly sealed Dragon kits for just $65. Retail price is probably at least $750-800. Why pay retail? Bwhahaha.

Here's the thread I started in the armor forum.

cs.finescale.com/.../154029.aspx

Lucked out a few times - About 30 years ago my best friend shows up with a U-Haul trailer loaded with all of his modeling stuff.  He was in the process of being divorced by his wife (and sadly he had caused most of the problems).  He announced that he was giving up modeling and did I want his modeling stuff.  Finally came down either I took it or it was going to the dump.  Upshot was that I ended up with a couple of hundred kits,  a lot of paints, brushes and reference materials. I've seen him a couple of times since and he apparently hasn't built a model since.

The second one was about 20 years ago, flew into the airport at Independence Ks to pick up my son who was going to a Juco there. The FBO had a couple hundred models hanging from the ceiling or in display cases.  While waiting on my son, I found out that a local man had built the models.  I also found out that he had recently passed away and his wife wanted to sell his stash.  Upshot was I bought about 650 models for $500 and sold about roughly 50 of them (old Aurora kits) for enough money to make a small profit and leave me with the other 600 kits.

Tigerman, that is a great score.  Craigslist comes through again!  Congrats and thanks for posting!

Eagle90

qmiester

Lucked out a few times - About 30 years ago my best friend shows up with a U-Haul trailer loaded with all of his modeling stuff.  He was in the process of being divorced by his wife (and sadly he had caused most of the problems).  He announced that he was giving up modeling and did I want his modeling stuff.  Finally came down either I took it or it was going to the dump.  Upshot was that I ended up with a couple of hundred kits,  a lot of paints, brushes and reference materials. I've seen him a couple of times since and he apparently hasn't built a model since.

The second one was about 20 years ago, flew into the airport at Independence Ks to pick up my son who was going to a Juco there. The FBO had a couple hundred models hanging from the ceiling or in display cases.  While waiting on my son, I found out that a local man had built the models.  I also found out that he had recently passed away and his wife wanted to sell his stash.  Upshot was I bought about 650 models for $500 and sold about roughly 50 of them (old Aurora kits) for enough money to make a small profit and leave me with the other 600 kits.

Qmiester....uh, I don't care how long ago those were, I think you have just pushed yourself into the best deal ever slot!   WOW!!!  Man, I love hearing these stories.  Do you still have some of those kits or have you built them?  Silly questions...that's over 600 kits!  How many did you get from the U-Haul?

Thanks for sharing!

Eagle90

Damn! I thought I got a deal at 65 bucks for the same ship of craigslist. I envy this finds.

eightfooticeman

Damn! I thought I got a deal at 65 bucks for the same ship of craigslist. I envy this finds.

Don't worry, they come to all of us.  Just wait for it.....wait for it! 

Yard sale season is upon us, that's another great place to find good deals.

Eagle90

sorry i dont have any great stories.. but when this thread first came out i went on craigslist to see IF there was anything and this guy had roughly 15 kits of all armor and 4 planes and he wanted less than 50$. i would have gotten them but being only 17 and in a small town trying to get job made a road block.  and sadly colorado doesnt have swap meets either :/ but i have a awesome grandma with who recently bought me a 1/48 b24D at hobby lobby with the 40% coupon and i had to rebuy the paint, filler, model knife and the total was around 60 but with coupon it was like the paint,filler, and model knife was free

connorMcclain

sorry i dont have any great stories.. but when this thread first came out i went on craigslist to see IF there was anything and this guy had roughly 15 kits of all armor and 4 planes and he wanted less than 50$. i would have gotten them but being only 17 and in a small town trying to get job made a road block.  and sadly colorado doesnt have swap meets either :/ but i have a awesome grandma with who recently bought me a 1/48 b24D at hobby lobby with the 40% coupon and i had to rebuy the paint, filler, model knife and the total was around 60 but with coupon it was like the paint,filler, and model knife was free

Go Grandma!!!  They live for stuff like that you know.  Don't fret, deals like that will c ome along again.  You are only 17!  You've got a whole life's worth of great deals still to come!  You are the next generation of modelers....and you are doing the hobby proud!  Thanks for sharing!

Eagle90

thanks eagle haha

These are some great finds....I watched Model Expo reduce the price of the 1/100th Heller "Victory" when they closed it and other kits out several years past.  I finally jumped and got it at about $60.00.  Not the very best deal listed here, but it was a bargain!

f8sader

These are some great finds....I watched Model Expo reduce the price of the 1/100th Heller "Victory" when they closed it and other kits out several years past.  I finally jumped and got it at about $60.00.  Not the very best deal listed here, but it was a bargain!

If you are happy with the bargain...than it's a bargain!  Sounds like a great build too.  That's one of those HUGE kits right?  I saw one at the model show I went to.  Huge box, beautiful kit!  Thanks for sharing!

Eagle90

Eagle, it is the big kit.  This posting (thread) has encouraged me to stop at some yard sales and taking a look.  I've been tagged as one who has models, so I wind up sometimes being the, "hey, Lon may want that model if you don't" guy amongst family and friends.  I wound up with a free 1/32 Revell (now) F3f-3 for this reason.

f8sader

Eagle, it is the big kit.  This posting (thread) has encouraged me to stop at some yard sales and taking a look.  I've been tagged as one who has models, so I wind up sometimes being the, "hey, Lon may want that model if you don't" guy amongst family and friends.  I wound up with a free 1/32 Revell (now) F3f-3 for this reason.

FREE!  Best bargain of them all.  And congrats on the tag!  Good tag to have!  Oh yeah, yard sales can be a treasure trove of models.  My wife, just last weekend, picked up an AMT/ERTL Star Trek USS Enterprise (#6676) for $1.50!  God love her!  Didn't realize until I was checking it out, that it has decals for 14 Starships!!!!  I have her and almost all our friends and family on the lookout for models at yard sales, auctions, estate sales, you name it.

So have you built it yet?  Got pics?!

Thanks for sharing again, keep them coming!

Eagle90

some pretty great finds and deals there, folks

I don't have a "huge score" story, but, a few little great deals

back when Esci was getting out of the business, I wandered into a Big Lots store here in Tennessee,,,,,,,I had been in the habit of looking in toy sections ever since I bought a stack of Top Gun Tomcats in a K-Mart store once in Wisconsin

they had a whole section of the Red Esci boxes,,,,,,,I wish I had bought the whole thing today, but, I only bought 15 of the Skyhawks, for 1.99 each

at Squadron, pre-internet days,,,,,,,they would have bagged kit sales,,,,,,one time, I bought 15 Testors-Fujimi A-7 Corsairs,,for 3.99 or so,,,,,another time, 6 Testors/Italeri Skyhawks for .99 each

at a model show near here in TN, a guy had a box of Rareplanes and Pink Profiles for $1 each,,,,,,so, I added to my antique Profile collection, and picked up a bunch of Rareplane Vacs,,,,,some of which still haven't been kitted in injection plastic or resin

a "reverse deal" just happened a year ago with me,,,,,,,,,,,a friend sent me a couple of aircraft books just as I was switching from Enamels to Acrylics,,,,,,,,,so, when I got to "halfway there" on my Acrylic paint buying, I sent him all of the Enamels I had, by UPS Ground,,,,,,,,,he was happy to get 100+ MM Enamels and shipping for the cost of two Squadron paperbacks,,,,,,,just a couple of months ago, he sent me a box of a dozen "orphaned" Skyhawks,,,,,,,knowing that my house would give them a good home, lol

you can have a lot of fun trading kits, books and decals with various forum friends,,,,,,,and then when you are traveling, and roll through their town,,,,,,,,you have someone to meet up with for a lunch and model talk

Rex

TarnShip

some pretty great finds and deals there, folks

I don't have a "huge score" story, but, a few little great deals

back when Esci was getting out of the business, I wandered into a Big Lots store here in Tennessee,,,,,,,I had been in the habit of looking in toy sections ever since I bought a stack of Top Gun Tomcats in a K-Mart store once in Wisconsin

they had a whole section of the Red Esci boxes,,,,,,,I wish I had bought the whole thing today, but, I only bought 15 of the Skyhawks, for 1.99 each

at Squadron, pre-internet days,,,,,,,they would have bagged kit sales,,,,,,one time, I bought 15 Testors-Fujimi A-7 Corsairs,,for 3.99 or so,,,,,another time, 6 Testors/Italeri Skyhawks for .99 each

at a model show near here in TN, a guy had a box of Rareplanes and Pink Profiles for $1 each,,,,,,so, I added to my antique Profile collection, and picked up a bunch of Rareplane Vacs,,,,,some of which still haven't been kitted in injection plastic or resin

a "reverse deal" just happened a year ago with me,,,,,,,,,,,a friend sent me a couple of aircraft books just as I was switching from Enamels to Acrylics,,,,,,,,,so, when I got to "halfway there" on my Acrylic paint buying, I sent him all of the Enamels I had, by UPS Ground,,,,,,,,,he was happy to get 100+ MM Enamels and shipping for the cost of two Squadron paperbacks,,,,,,,just a couple of months ago, he sent me a box of a dozen "orphaned" Skyhawks,,,,,,,knowing that my house would give them a good home, lol

you can have a lot of fun trading kits, books and decals with various forum friends,,,,,,,and then when you are traveling, and roll through their town,,,,,,,,you have someone to meet up with for a lunch and model talk

Rex

Hey Rex,  great stories!  Can't get enough of them!  You mentioned Squadron.  It reminded me of those "bagged" kit days too.  And I remembered I got a bagged A-6 for $3-$4 and a 1/48 He-11 for $4-$5!  Great memories!  Thanks for sharing!  Keep them coming!

Eagle90

I just purchased an early 1980s vintage  Hasegawa B-17 F kit ( partially built ) for 25 cents at a second hand store.

First and only time I've found a model kit in a second hand store.( toy department, of course) .

Thankfully, paint was never applied by the original owner,.

Yo !

This is beginning to sound like where I live . There's a flea market near by and I go there once in a while .There's a fellow who haunts it to buy kits he calls " Rare " then he goes to where his flea market booth is in another city  and sells them at a 125 percent markup ! The folks here are getting wise though and not bringing out the models till after he leaves . He's burned a lot of folks . Now that put me on the " Catbird seat " They all know me and tell the newbies that I will give a fair price and it's cause I build them !  Sooo , I fell into a deal where I got  some long out of production IMAI modern ships .The whole bunch , because the folks weren't sure all the parts were there $ 5.00 ! Got the nine kits home and not only were ALL the parts there , the decals had been put in bags by someone and heat sealed ! The instructions were in with the decals . How's that for slipping on a banana and falling into a deal   ? All the models had to be about the same scale as MONOGRAM'S " Swift Boat " kit .     Tanker - Builder

Eagle90

Sprue-C-Goose

Those 1/24 Airfix kits are sweet!  I have the Spit.  What a monster.  The B-36 is another I have in my stash too.  Remeber building one as a kid....thought it was the biggest thing I had ever seen!  Ah the memories!  You said the kits were flying off the table.  Were you there first thing after opening?  I ask because I am planning on getting to the show as soon as they open!  Hit all the tables and buy everything I want (maybe even trade some stuff, I plan on taking some boxes of kits just in case), then take my time and take pics of the builds.  Shopping carts!  That is too funny!  That reminds me of another great deal I had.  Will post soon!

 Eagle90

 

Bought a 1/24 AIRFIX P-51 D for  $7.00 at the 2013 Butch O'Hare show this year.

Two Dollars more than the 1/24 AIRFIX STUKA and Bf-109 E last year........

Inflation, I suppose........

Still sorting through it to see what might be missing as the AIRFIX bag wasn't completely sealed ; it is another no box, no decals, no instructions kit.

Even if incomplete.............I have a 1/24 scale Merlin engine and six- count 'em- six 1/24 scale .50 caliber machine guns for possible Rat Rod builds........

$7.00!  Nice!  That's what I like to hear!

Eagle90

Eagle90

$7.00!  Nice!  That's what I like to hear!

Eagle90

Once got a Trumpeter 1/35 K5 Leopold from Ebay for 12 dollars.  Seller misspelled Leopold and I stumbled across it.  Best part was that it was local, so no shipping.  If memory serves, I gave the guy more than that, just to not feel too guilty, but still a great find.

Back in '83, as a teenager, I went to a model contest in Blytheville, AR. We went to a hobby shop in the middle of the day with the rest of our club and I saw the most beautiful model a 13 year old had ever seen. It was the MPC 1/48 EA-6B Prowler, which went for around $30 bucks at the time. Of course I was broke, but it got worse when one of the club members bought it. Talkin' bout hopes dashed! Fast forward to 1991, and he's selling his models to fund his R/C habit, and lo and behold, I picked it up from him for only $5! Never built it, and never will; it's not even the best on the market, but such is the power of box art.

Caveman

Once got a Trumpeter 1/35 K5 Leopold from Ebay for 12 dollars.  Seller misspelled Leopold and I stumbled across it.  Best part was that it was local, so no shipping.  If memory serves, I gave the guy more than that, just to not feel too guilty, but still a great find.

$12!!!!!!!!!!  I don't think I'd have felt guilty, but giving more was a down right cool thing to do!  Great story!

Eagle90

mississippivol

Back in '83, as a teenager, I went to a model contest in Blytheville, AR. We went to a hobby shop in the middle of the day with the rest of our club and I saw the most beautiful model a 13 year old had ever seen. It was the MPC 1/48 EA-6B Prowler, which went for around $30 bucks at the time. Of course I was broke, but it got worse when one of the club members bought it. Talkin' bout hopes dashed! Fast forward to 1991, and he's selling his models to fund his R/C habit, and lo and behold, I picked it up from him for only $5! Never built it, and never will; it's not even the best on the market, but such is the power of box art.

Awesome!  Quite a wait for the kit, but in the long run, you got it!  And for next to nothing!

Eagle90

I was going to start a "part II" thread for this, but let's just keep this one going!

Right, so, I was cruising the internet and I come across an estate sale advertising thousands of decals!  PM for a PDF listing of them.  The it said AM and kit PDF's to follow at a later date.  Didn't think too much about it.  Checked back later and they are having a "sale" on the decals..have sold half, want to get rid of the rest kinda thing.  So I e-mail the guy, and ask him to send me the PDF file and that I would be interested in the kit file when he gets around to it.  10 minutes later, I get a reply with ALL THREE PDF files.  I check and he has not advertised the AM and kit files yet.   So I check out the decals.  Pretty cool, there are some I need/could use, so I jot them down.  AM, I'm old school and not really sure what I'm looking at, so I move on to the kit list............and there (Indian Jones music blasts) are over 800 kits listed!  I notice at the bottom of the spreadsheet that he has headings for 1/144, 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, Rare, and Misc!!!!  I about slip into a coma!  I quickly run through the Rare, Misc, 1/144, and 1/72 (sorry Bish) headings and with shaking hands click onto the 1/48 heading.  As I look through the listing, I start to get light headed, a little woozy!  There are kits here I have been wanting for a long time but can't see paying evil bay prices for.  I start to jot down some kits.  I quickly realize I need to start another spreadsheet and just copy and paste!  So, after whittling down the list (after the initial 78 kits!), I come up with 69 kits.  I take a deep breath and let reality settle in and think to myself, the shipping on 48 kits will be the killer in this deal.  So, just for jiggles, I e-mail the guy with the list and ask what the shipping would be for these kits.  I get a reply back fairly quickly with one simple word...."REALLY?!"  LOL!  So I reply, "yes sir, well, depends on shipping I guess."  20 minutes later, he emails back and says that some of the kits had already been sold, here is what is left and the shipping will be $$.  I freaked out when I saw the shipping.  Not in a bad way, a VERY good way.  So, what did I do?  What any good modeller would do....I went through the list again to find what I could replace those already sold kits with!!!!!  Another e-mail with what was not there and it came to 48 kits, shipping the same.  Well, after telling the wife what I was about to do (and picking her up off the floor), I promptly paid the man and started making room for the new kids in the hobby room!  I have since order 7 more kits, 8 sets of decals, and some AM stuff!  I'm with the modern crowd now with AM stuff!  

I say all this because the prices were awesome and I now have a load of "new" kits that made yesterday (they ALL arrived at the same time....4 boxes and an envelope!) like Christmas day!  So here are a couple of pics of the plastic party!

Instant Stash !

Modern internet technology is amazing !

Yeah, as you can see, my stash was not hurting anyway, this pushed me past 320!

Gotta get to building!

Eagle90

I've been hitting the local Value Village a lot lately, especially since this find:

I saw this beat-up (but sealed) old MPC truck kit at the store.  It was an ugly stepside pickup, probably some 80's chevy, or so I thought (box art showed the back side).  Although I wasn't at all interested in an 80's chevy truck, at $3 I decided to get one just to practice on.  I've never been a fan of pre-2000 american trucks, especially stepsides.  For pickups I've always preferred the 80's Japanese trucks

Got home and opened it and to my pleasant surprise this was actually a rare model of the Datsun 620 pickup.  I absolutely loved the look of the truck, and while i preferred the stock bed I eventually came to love the stepside look of it.  The MPC kits with the stock beds tend to go for ~80 on eBay, and someone has been listing the one I have (called the "California Stepside") for $170 (prices include shipping).

I've also been really interested in models of old Hondas, and I've had my eyes on a 1/16 Honda Civic by Nitto, but it would cost me $200 total to buy and get it shipped here.  So luckily I met someone who had one.  He'll sell it to me for $75.  Nowhere NEAR the steal for the Datsun pickup, but still good!

Big Jake sold me the Heller Victory in a Katrina damaged box for $ 70.00.

FocusOne

I've been hitting the local Value Village a lot lately, especially since this find:

I saw this beat-up (but sealed) old MPC truck kit at the store.  It was an ugly stepside pickup, probably some 80's chevy, or so I thought (box art showed the back side).  Although I wasn't at all interested in an 80's chevy truck, at $3 I decided to get one just to practice on.  I've never been a fan of pre-2000 american trucks, especially stepsides.  For pickups I've always preferred the 80's Japanese trucks

Got home and opened it and to my pleasant surprise this was actually a rare model of the Datsun 620 pickup.  I absolutely loved the look of the truck, and while i preferred the stock bed I eventually came to love the stepside look of it.  The MPC kits with the stock beds tend to go for ~80 on eBay, and someone has been listing the one I have (called the "California Stepside") for $170 (prices include shipping).

I've also been really interested in models of old Hondas, and I've had my eyes on a 1/16 Honda Civic by Nitto, but it would cost me $200 total to buy and get it shipped here.  So luckily I met someone who had one.  He'll sell it to me for $75.  Nowhere NEAR the steal for the Datsun pickup, but still good!

$3!!!!!  I love hearing stories like this!  Great find!

Eagle90