WTH! Someone paid $2600 for a pre-built model. Why?

[Oldmopars]

See this ad for a E-bay model. https://www.ebay.com/itm/292481166350?_trksid=p2471758.m4704

I even looked at the bids, more than one person bid on it. Am I missing something or is there a market for built models?

I was looking at it before the bidding closed, and it is nice, don't get me wrong. Someone did a quality job on that little car, but it is just a resin kit.

Please explain. Maybe I need to start a side gig of building models and selling them if that is what they are worth. (not likely)

[Casey]

11 minutes ago, Oldmopars said:

Am I missing something or is there a market for built models?

Why wouldn't there be? Very few people have the artistic skill to end up with a finished product like that, much less have any idea how or where to go about starting such a project. If you do, you absolutely should make and sell them. People pay good money for things which are well made, and this model certainly seems to fit that description. Factor in the unique, obscure subject matter and you have a recipe for success.

 

[Jordan White]

The fact that the price jumps from 77 to 2600 makes me suspect that there is some foul play involved.

[Toner283]

I cannot see in the listing if it says or not but there is a builder named Paul Hettick (pretty sure that is his name) who has a big following on ebay for built models. Deservedly so, his models are excellently built. The ones he builds routinely sell for north of $1000.  Some of them far north of $1,000. If this one is one of his it doesn't surprise me that it sold for that much.

[Oldmopars]

Well, you learn something new every day. I guess I should improve my skills and start selling some cool stuff. I have the time.

[W-409]

Yep some of those built models go for big bucks! I just wonder how the sellers ship them so that they're not totally broken when they arrive at their destination. Sometimes I've thought of building something with the plans to sell it later on, but the market here in Finland isn't very impressive so the only choice would be trying to sell it in eBay.

[1930fordpickup]

Just look at the Art world. Some ugly stuff sells for Millions of dollars. Why can't this art form sell for good money?

[DiscoRover007]

I see some of these on eBay too and a lot of them are rip offs. I see a lot of guys selling built Tamiya kits for anywhere from $50-$200 dollars. Mind you these are models with the mold lines still on, imperfections in the paint and numerous issues.  

I’m all for seeking built and completed models. But if you sell it for a high price it darn well better be a nice job.

Alex Kustov could be selling his built models for $500 a pop at least by eBay standards.

I only started noticing these because I buy used and completed kits sometimes with the intention of stripping them down for parts.

Edited March 20, 2018 by DiscoRover007

[Psychographic]

If this is legit, more power to the seller.

 

But for that money it should be fully plumbed, wired, and have opening doors, hood, and tailgate.

[Can-Con]

25 minutes ago, Toner283 said:

I cannot see in the listing if it says or not but there is a builder named Paul Hettick (pretty sure that is his name) who has a big following on ebay for built models. Deservedly so, his models are excellently built. The ones he builds routinely sell for north of $1000.  Some of them far north of $1,000. If this one is one of his it doesn't surprise me that it sold for that much.

No, that's not one of his.

 

[Can-Con]

Yes, a good builder can get good bucks for his builds on e-bay. 

But it takes time to build up a customer base willing to pay those bucks and a unique model to sell.

A Falcon wagon can go for big money BUT A mice build of a common kit like a '57 Chevy for example would have to be a really excellent build to even get your money back out of it.

[Jantrix]

16 hours ago, Psychographic said:

If this is legit, more power to the seller.

But for that money it should be fully plumbed, wired, and have opening doors, hood, and tailgate.

But more than likely it was bought because Dear Old Dad had one just like that. Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Especially when it comes to family. 

Edited March 21, 2018 by Jantrix

[Can-Con]

35 minutes ago, Jordan White said:

The fact that the price jumps from 77 to 2600 makes me suspect that there is some foul play involved.

I doubt it. That's just how the bidding is set up.

 

Say you want that car really bad. someone's already bid $76 on it and want to guarantee you get it so you bid $3000.

Your bid does not automatically go up to $3000. It goes up to $77, just high enough to outbid the first guy.

So, now your bid is $77 and along comes another guy who wants it bad too. He bids $2599. 

He has not outbid you, you'r bid of $3000 is still higher. 

Your bid still does not go up to it's maximum but it makes your bid the next step higher than his, which would be $2600.

See how it works?

[Aaronw]

Let me know which you prefer, the above model or a nice handbag...

https://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/products/tuileries-epi-nvprod830008v

 

People buy ridiculously priced things all the time.

[Psychographic]

That's a nice bag, but I don't have any shoes that match.

[Richard Bartrop]

When you're talking about doing it as an actual pay the bills kind of job as opposed to doing it for fun and pizza money.  labour, especially skilled labour, gets expensive.

That would be an interesting exercise.  The next model you build, keep track of how long it actually takes you, and then figure out what you think would be a reasonable wage to live on.  I suspect even at minimum wage, that would work out to a very expensive model.

[Mike999]

I checked some of the seller's feedback, which is 100% positive (as a seller and buyer).  Along with the high-buck built-ups he's also sold some old kits and parts for what seem to be reasonable prices. 

But those built-ups!  Wow.  In just the past 6 months, he has sold the following:

1976 Ford Gran Torino - Pro Built 1/25 Revell $717.07
1958 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special - Pro Built 1/25 Jo-Han $1,030.99
1961 Ford Falcon - Pro Built 1/25 Vintage AMT $462.07
1963 Oldsmobile Starfire - Pro Built - Restored 1/25 Jo-Han $560.00
1972 Oldsmobile Toronado - Pro Built 1/25 Jo-Han $750.00

1959 Oldsmobile Station Wagon R&R Resin & 1959 Olds 98 JoHan Promo $152.50.  Hmm...that sounds more like a project that got dropped. Happens to the best of us, I guess.

[BigTallDad]

The rarity of the kit also has something to do with the price, as does the original cost of a kit. Harry's Pocher built-ups could probably hit that price range.

Edited March 20, 2018 by BigTallDad

[gbdolfans]

Note that a lot of his feedback from high priced builds are from the same person.

That guy must have a love of built models.

Someone named n****n.

[gtx6970]

Ive seen a few of Paul Hetticks   builds top $5k ( not a typo either )

The one the OP posted is not one of his

 

[Lunajammer]

44 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

I doubt it. That's just how the bidding is set up.

 

Say you want that car really bad. someone's already bid $76 on it and want to guarantee you get it so you bid $3000.

Your bid does not automatically go up to $3000. It goes up to $77, just high enough to outbid the first guy.

So, now your bid is $77 and along comes another guy who wants it bad too. He bids $2599. 

He has not outbid you, you'r bid of $3000 is still higher. 

Your bid still does not go up to it's maximum but it makes your bid the next step higher than his, which would be $2600.

See how it works?

That would be funny... yet entirely plausible.

[Art Anderson]

30 minutes ago, BigTallDad said:

The rarity of the kit also has something to do with the price, as does the original cost of a kit. Harry Pri's Pocher built-ups could probably hit that price range.

More like the cost of highly skilled labor, frankly!   For example, if your hourly pay at your job (you know, the job that pays your bills, puts food on your table, clothes on your back, makes the car and house payments--on and on) is $20/hr, and you decide to build a very well-done (in the opinion of say, contest judges, not your own opinion to the exclusion of all others),  and  you decide to enter this "market", consider how many hours it takes you to complete a model car that will turn the heads of others, how much would YOU charge for it?  Consider that at your standard rate of $20/hr (what you, in this perhaps hypothetical situation) if a model that will "turn heads" in the marketplace of folks who choose to buy the work of others, and that this hypothetical model takes you 100 hours to complete, wouldn't you have every reason to expect $2,000 for your excellent work?

Guys like Paul Hettick,  have been at this business of doing scale model cars professionally for years, and he has a well (and hard)-earned reputation.  End of statement.

Art Anderson

[BigTallDad]

You're right, Art.

And looking at it from a slightly different slant...let's say you have 100 quality hours invested in a model and it looks super; what's that worth from a minimum wage perspective, even though the workmanship merits a much higher hourly rate?

[martinfan5]

4 hours ago, Lunajammer said:

That would be funny... yet entirely plausible.

It is, and how it works , so if you really want something badly, putting in a stupid high max bid is the sure fire way you will win

Edited March 21, 2018 by martinfan5

[peteski]

The bids look legit to me.   m***z(5935) snipped it and beat the maximum amount e***n(118) placed on it.  If you click on "Show Automatic Bids", the bidding sequence becomes clearer.

While it is a kit-bash of couple of models with some custom made parts, the engine is built box-stock and there is a prominent seam on the transmission. The BMF on the side windows is also a bit rough. Not something I would spend couple of grand on. But it is pretty, and someone out there obviously thought it was worth what he paid for it.