rsxse240 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I was looking on ebay to get some idea of reasonable prices for model kits so I can clear out some of my stock that I will likely never get around to building. Most of the kits I'm seeing are around $20 with a shipping of around $10 for a standard car model. I want to know what people are WILLING to pay (total cost of kit and shipping). Now granted, most of my kits are fairly common and most are opened but complete, which as a builder, I do not value the box or collectability of the kit so I look at a kit as if I'm going to build it. If it's an out of production or super rare kit I can see paying a higher price but $40 for an AMT Ford Ranger? I'd like to get as much as possible, but I don't want to want to wait for months. I'd like to buy a lathe asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 (edited) A couple of things come to mind. first where are you planing to sell your kits? Not wanting to "wait for months", brings up a few more problems. " If it's an out of production or super rare kit I can see paying a higher price", of course, and then if you go to an auction, that, in and of itself, will take care of it. Edited April 12, 2015 by Greg Myers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbowser Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 If you're looking to put them on eBay, do a search of each particular kit to see what they're going for. Shipping you can charge a flat rate (and make a couple extra $$) or specify actual cost, then the buyer pays the freight whatever it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I understand where you are coming from about cost of some kits. Just a few points about the cost in my head. Say you want to build a Ranger kit but can not find it at a local shop. What do you do? Drive a 100 miles to find it ? The shipping is cheaper than the gas. Around here there are two shows within an hour of my house drive. October and March. One hobby shop 1/2 hour from my house and a hobby lobby and michaels that carry current stuff. The hobby shop is pricey but just cheaper than ebay with shipping. I have been told there are a few North of me 1 hours away, again gas is not cheaper than shipping for one kit. Buying supplies or more than one kit it would be worth the drive. If you live in the middle of two big cities or none around you that 40 dollars is not to bad as it seems. If you have a local show try to get a table and sell as much as you can. The show table cost will be less than ebay/paypal charges as long as you sell enough kits. As far as what most kits go for at local shows 15 to 20 bucks. I would say the ranger kit would fall in that slot of not current but not long out of production. Many kits go fro 10bucks for the guy trying to clean up around the hobby room. But these are the kits everyone is trying to sell. Current NASCAR kits are 5 bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Are you putting them up for auction? If so, the price anyone is willing to pay will be determined by the buyer. Are you wanting to sell them for a set price (Buy it Now)? Do an ebay search for the same kits and you'll find out what the going rate is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Brian Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 There is a search function on ebay that will let you see what similar items have sold for in the past which can help as some of the "buy it now" prices are ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertw Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 While this aspect of your qestion has been addressed in the past, as a Canadian I quit buying from ebay when the cost of shipping became more then the cost I was paying for the kit . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 (edited) There is a search function on ebay that will let you see what similar items have sold for in the past which can help as some of the "buy it now" prices are ridiculous. You'll see that, where the average asking price for a certain model is $40, but there's one or two "Buy It Now"s for $180 and $200. Those guys are sitting there hoping that some idiot will stumble upon their item and hit the BUY button. It's like when you go to a flea market and there's one of those old AMT snap model pickup trucks from the late 1980s. We see them at swap meets for $5-20, but here's one for $50. The dealer doesn't know our market and figures a toy around 20 years old should be worth $50. Then some guy comes along and there's a model of his 1:1 truck. He's never seen one before and does the impulse buy. Edited April 12, 2015 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
av405 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 (edited) For a 90's era kit like the Ranger (I have a strong interest in 90's vehicles), I'm not really willing to pay more than $25 on ebay. Anything beyond that seems like a waste and the kits aren't so rare that I can't just wait until a better deal pops up. Edited April 12, 2015 by av405 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatz4u Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I always find better prices than Ebay at model shows.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 i'll give you $180.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I always find better prices than Ebay at model shows.. Same here. I go to a bunch of shows and swap meets. There are always $5 and $10 kit deals, especially at the smaller shows where guys like us have taken tables to thin out their collection. Then there guys who aren't as lucky as we are! In an area where there aren't any shows, so they rely on eBay and are used to paying a few more dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Ellis Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 A rare kit will always do well, unless it miraculously gets reissued. Like the '78 Ford pickup by AMT. $70 crashing down to $20 last December. Depends on the profit margin; what you paid and what you can afford to sell it for. Remember eBay and PayPal will take about 12% away from you (unless you are a store PowerSeller, then you save about 3%). Common kits are subject to a perceived shipping cost (usually $10) or is costing you $10 if you list Free Shipping. I think you end up practically giving away these kits as they are not a "got to have" item. Ebay has a broader audience. I think you will have to give stuff away at a local model show. Unless it is rare. Have you considered parting out the kits on eBay. In general, the parts are worth more than the whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitbash1 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 While this aspect of your question has been addressed in the past, as a Canadian I quit buying from ebay when the cost of shipping became more then the cost I was paying for the kit . I agree 100% with this. The only exception to this rule would be if the kit was super rare and the subject kit was something I'd be into building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Have you considered parting out the kits on eBay. In general, the parts are worth more than the whole. and, more effort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsxse240 Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Have you considered parting out the kits on eBay. In general, the parts are worth more than the whole. I think these guys parting out kits for ridiculous prices are just ripping us off. Sure there are a few parts that may be needed for some rare kit like a bullet nose off a Studebaker or a hood for a Pontiac J2000 that someone may need to restore an old kit, but I keep seeing readily available kits being parted out and for the price of a chassis and a hood, you can get an entire model. I really appreciate all of the input. I would really like to just trade someone for a lathe, but that just doesn't seem possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 ..... the parts are worth more than the whole. after initially balking at the vendors doing this at a few shows attended, i realized it's not much different than the cottage industries. buyer has the choice to or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 after initially balking at the vendors doing this at a few shows attended, i relized it's not much different than the cottage industries. buyer has the choice to or not. There is a guy who does this at East Coast shows, Ernies Model Car Parts. He packs up assemblies into small bags. He's very reasonable in prices. When I go to shows I spend at least $20 on mirrors, door handle sets, sun visor sets etc at a dollar or two apiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I know a guy locally that does quite well doing it.,,,,,,he parts out anything from old annuals to modern kits If there is a market for , I so go for it.. Its called free enterprise. . and is no different than doing the same thing with 1/1 cars or trucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsxse240 Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 I can see parting out a kit if you were to have used the body or other crucial part on another build or if you just want to clean out your parts bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatW Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 (edited) The price is also down to where we live. I'm in the UK and we don't have many LHS outlets, so we either have to rely on retail websites or ebay etc, as we don't see many 'American Car Kits' here.I mean depicting American cars. If there is a kit we want we have to source where they are available. I buy quite a few kits from retail websites based either in the USA or Japan and ebay UK or .com. We have a few model shows around the country each year, but they are 85% military based, which I don't build. At some shows there are swaps and parts bins, but you have to sort the bits yourself and are charged by how many bits you want. Yes we have to pay shipping and that sometimes doubles the price of the kit, plus UK Postal handling £8 and customs charges which vary by the weight of the package, this can add another between £5 and £10. But what choice do we have if we want to enjoy/continue our hobby. Edited April 13, 2015 by PatW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 We have a few model shows around the country each year, but they are 85% military based, which I don't build. Sounds like you need to start a model car show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsxse240 Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Sounds like you need to start a model car show! This is so true for my area too! I wish I had some capital to put on a show, I'd LOVE to! My Church has a really nice gymnasium with a kitchen, tables, chairs, and restrooms all at the renter's disposal and $200/8 hours isn't that bad. Only problem is that it's 35 miles outside of Oklahoma City. Well, I guess I'll sell a few of the kits I'm not going to build, unless one of you has a lathe they want to trade! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Ken, Not sure how many kits you have to sell, but if it is a sizable number, you have a couple of options. 1. If you want to get rid of them quickly but cheaply, then there are guys that buy collections (Fred Sterns, Dean's Hobby Stop, etc). While you might only get $8 for a recent kit, (a hypothetical example) if you have 40 kits and they all bring $8 a piece, you can get $320 in a fast manner. This would save you trips to the post office and the time to box them up if you sold them to 40 different customers. Also saves you eBay fees and the time on the computer to post and monitor the auctions. 2. Find a swap meet/model contest within a reasonable driving distance. I have gone to a couple of shows in recent years that are up to 2 hours away but have been able to come home with $300 to $500 in my pocket after selling off kits at $10-$15 a piece, depending on subject. Makes for a great ride home with cash in pocket! Usually a table is $20 for a show and unless you have a lot of kits, an 8 foot table can hold 50 kits easily. 3. Create a list that can be shared with members here and let it be known. Selling has to be done via PM and not openly on the forum, but as long as you play by the rules, you can sell kits. It might be best to do it in a spreadsheet format (if you can) so you can sort it several different ways if you have a wide variety of kits (trucks, muscle cars, hot rods or by make). eBay has a large audience, as has been pointed out, but with it comes some expense and time that can be overwhelming if you have a lot of kits to sell. I am going to be thinning my stash (too many kits, not enough time to build) and have found either trading them for kits I will build or selling them at shows is the easiest way for me to achieve my goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vamach1 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 A little off topic but here is what I do not understand. I go to some large model car shows and I see a few vendors with a WALL full of mostly older kits without any prices. If I went this show five years from now most of the same kits would probably not be sold. Anyone in business should want to turn over their inventory quickly and make a profit. After paying a vendor fee and travels cost and spending hours trying to sell old kits, I have to wonder why some people don;t just list the kits on Ebay and sell them to the highest bidder and call it a day. There is something to be said I suppose for someone handing you cash and the model going to a good home (or probably just another collector) but this is something I observe and wondered if others think the same thing. I've never bought for fifty times its original price mainly because I'd build the kit and then it would be worthless and there is no model that I just cannot live without. Am I alone here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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