Expensive & collectible kits. Do you build or keep?

[ReptileGuy]

I often find myself on Ebay, looking at and purchasing some very rare and expensive kits. Many of which I only see available once, or once in a blue moon. I personally am the type to build everything I purchase, no matter how rare or collectible it is. I know for sure that in doing this, or even breaking the factory seal in many cases, that I am killing virtually ALL of the value in these collector kits. I'd just like to know;; What do you all do with kits like that when/if you make a big dollar purchase or score a rare collectible kit..? Do you store them on a shelf and not touch them, or do you just build them the same way I do..? On occasion, I get nervous about breaking the seal on certain kits, but it seems that in the eventually I just open them and get into the build anyways.I'd like to know what you all have to say about this..---- Nick R.

Edited January 1, 2013 by ReptileGuy

[Craig Irwin]

If I had no intention of building a kit I'd have no reason to buy it.

[crazyjim]

Build 'em.

[sjordan2]

Breaking the seal does not kill the collector value. If you want to resell it, especially for older kits that may have been subject to stacking or heat problems, you can confirm that the parts inventory is complete and in good shape. On eBay, I have often asked for the seller to open the box to confirm that, and about half of the sellers have done that for me.

You should also open it for your own peace of mind that everything is in order.

[martinfan5]

Model kits are meant to be built, so build them all

[A.R.C.]

If I had no intention of building a kit I'd have no reason to buy it.

Amen.

I`ve only ever bought one kit for more than the usual retail price. It was a Revell Monroe Handler still sealed. Dont know if its highly collectible but it seems to be fairly rare as it took me forever to find one.......its also ultracool but that might be just my thinking because it was one of those supercool kits from my childhood and one of my grails. I didnt pay a boatload for it but I paid more than I usually would. Once I got it out of the shipping box, that ultra minty, never touched original wrapping lasted 3 seconds and I was elbows deep in Monroe Handler. I havent built it yet but it will happen and Im looking forward to it.

[disabled modeler]

I plan to build/restore any I get a hold of to factory stock versions un-less there non stock optioned....but everything i get is a build for the future or present.

[Harry P.]

If I had no intention of building a kit I'd have no reason to buy it.

Exactly.

I spend a lot of money on Pocher kits. They are all highly collectible and getting both harder to find and more expensive all the time. And I think that most people who deal with them are in it on the "collectible" side of things. But every time I find one at a reasonable price (well, "reasonable" for a Pocher kit), I snap it up. And then I build it. I have no intention whatsoever of buying a Pocher kit with the intent of reselling it for a profit. If I buy it, I build it, period.

[GeeBee]

There plastic kits, and meant to be built, if I buy anything rare or obsolete, I buy it with the intention of builing it,

[philo426]

Hey Harry,I think i read somewhere that when you build a Pocher it is advisable to pre-drill the holes for the body screws.Your experience?

[Harry P.]

Hey Harry,I think i read somewhere that when you build a Pocher it is advisable to pre-drill the holes for the body screws.Your experience?

Yes. Pocher kits are notorious for screw holes that are too small for the screws, and the screws themselves are made of cheap metal and are very weak and brittle. If you try and force it into the hole, you'll snap off the screw head 95% of the time.

[MachinistMark]

Build.

[Harry P.]

Build.

Tonto man of few words.

[TooOld]

Build'em ! ! I have kits they stay in storage for years but I eventually get around to building them . Below is one that I unpacked a few weeks ago and plan on building in the next few months .

[Modelmartin]

I only have one kit which I would never build. It is the first kit I ever bought with the intention of saving it for the future. It was the Jo-Han Sox & Martin Cuda. I bought it in '71 shortly after it came out and I still have it and it is still sealed! It is just the sentiment that keeps me from doing anything with it. Everything else is for building!

[2002p51]

I buy 'em to build 'em.

Case in point:

Have you seen the price of these on eBay lately?

Or these:

This was a virgin, original AMT annual when I bought it.

[bbowser]

Are you a builder or collector (or both)? Both are worthwhile hobbies, all depends on your outlook.

[freakshow12]

I build em. I have torn into several of the above mentioned kits with no remorse. I cut up a sox&martin cuda to hake it better. I filled the t tops in the monroe handler to make it more accurate. I am restoring a 70 cougar and updating many clunky components. its plastic boys and I am glad to see all who have replied feel this way. what we do with out stuff is an art. it matters not at what level you build at either. My upside for building rare and uncommon stuff is that its very likely you wont see a row of them on a table at a show or contest. I take this road with my 1;1 stuff too. now with all the resin and transkits and reissues we dont need to hunt for as much rare stuff so that brings values down too.

[rmvw guy]

Build them and I don't save the boxes, if I did I would be out of room living in a fire trap.

[Tom Geiger]

Sell them! I paid a lot of money for mint old kits for a long time. I have some really neat stuff. A couple things that make me think I should sell them. 1. I noticed that although I have all this great material, I tend to build newer releases and I build stuff from junk! I don't think I've actually built any of those mint old kits. 2. For most of the mint sealed kits I have, I also have rebuildables of the same ones. I like restoring those, so I would be more likely to do that than crack open the minty one. and 3. Many of the ones I spent money on have been reissued over the years, greatly reducing the value. As the companies in charge of the old molds are more knowledgable and willing to invest more in tool restoration than in the past, I predict we'll see more of these reissued. And RM actually retooled the Tijuana Taxi and Rommels Rod, even killing the value on the restorables I own. So I can see myself going through my hoard and selling off stuff like this.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Tom Geiger

[ReptileGuy]

Wow, this is great input. Lots of responses. Now I will no longer feel guilty about breaking the plastic and touching them with my paws, paint or glue. Please hold, while I go cut the plastic factory seal off of 1 or two of the kits I paid over $150.00 for. They will all be built eventually and I've been just dying to see what they look like aside from the box art.---Nick

[slusher]

There no use unless you build them...

[Harry P.]

Wow, this is great input. Lots of responses. Now I will no longer feel guilty about breaking the plastic and touching them with my paws, paint or glue. Please hold, while I go cut the plastic factory seal off of 1 or two of the kits I paid over $150.00 for. They will all be built eventually and I've been just dying to see what they look like aside from the box art.---Nick

Build 'em. That's what they were made for!

[Craig Irwin]

A rare and valuable kit is only rare and valuable untill the next reissue!

[greymack]

Hi everyone and happy new year , well I'm with the rest of you with building the kits no matter the worth and why bother with the torture of looking at the kit on the shelf .Just build it already.