Impressive

[moparfarmer]

I sure hope he does all the wiring and plumbing for that kind of coin..His models are more than just fantastic..I always though the stuff from Danbury Mint was nice, but Paul's models will out do theirs any day..Like in the car business, there is a bum for every seat..There is always someone who will pay for the model they want..

[Art Anderson]

I sure hope he does all the wiring and plumbing for that kind of coin..His models are more than just fantastic..I always though the stuff from Danbury Mint was nice, but Paul's models will out do theirs any day..Like in the car business, there is a bum for every seat..There is always someone who will pay for the model they want..

I suspect that if Paul's customer base wants fully detailed, he'd do it.  But why do I detect a bit of unwarranted criticism?

Art

[om617]

I dont think they care if fully detailed,the subjects and finish makes it worth it for the buyer. Some people 

pay high price for promos,and it does not get anymore bland then those.

 

[Dragline]

I routinely get 300.00 to 600.00 for custom builds of all kinds. And there have been a few for much more than that.

 

Paul's stuff is resin so there are not many out there, none in plastic. And probably none done [or few in private hands] to that level of finish.

 

When I say there are THOUSANDS of people with money to burn that pay for righteous projects. I mean it. Hat's off to him.

[Dragline]

I just got an e-mail yesterday about the 1/16 Nomad. Customer wants it Pro Street with custom paint.

 

That will mean many hours of scratching a back-half for it and scrounging parts. Then there's the paint he wants. Digital Camo in greys. Plus a blown fuel motor.

 

I'll deliver it in 3 months and price will make him pause, but pay he will.

[drummerdad]

Ive seen some models I would pay that kind of money for, if I had it to spare. Some of the 1/8 scale builds here would be well worth that, but Im sure they would have to go for a lot more. I like his work, though it isnt my style, I can appreciate the talent. 

[peteski]

I sure hope he does all the wiring and plumbing for that kind of coin..His models are more than just fantastic..I always though the stuff from Danbury Mint was nice, but Paul's models will out do theirs any day..Like in the car business, there is a bum for every seat..There is always someone who will pay for the model they want..

If you look at the photo of the engine compartment in the eBay listing, it is built "box stock". No wiring or plumbing of any kind - only detail-painting. Again, it is the overall quality which brings the big bucks. There is another current thread in another part of this forum asking what a "Contest Quality" model is. Well, those models are perfect example. The clean and fastidious build makes these contest quality (even if they are not super-detailed).

[moparfarmer]

I suspect that if Paul's customer base wants fully detailed, he'd do it.  But why do I detect a bit of unwarranted criticism?

Art

Not really any cricizm I'd just want it if I was paying big money like that..

I sure hope he does all the wiring and plumbing for that kind of coin..His models are more than just fantastic..I always though the stuff from Danbury Mint was nice, but Paul's models will out do theirs any day..Like in the car business, there is a bum for every seat..There is always someone who will pay for the model they want..

[moparfarmer]

Petski, I don't think that blue GTX convertible is one of Paul's auctions..It refers to other items viewed, doesn't necissarily mean the auction holders...

[Russell C]

I'm sorry, 1. I would NEVER sell my models, and 2. I just can't justify that for someone elses work when I'd rather enjoy building it myself!

I wouldn't sell one of my models, either, unless someone really made it worth my while, such that I could afford to take time off what I'm currently bogged down with, to remake what I just sold.

But now let's examine the flip side here. Suppose I just won the lottery, and happened to see one of your models that I really want, which I don't otherwise feel like duplicating on my own. If you won't sell me the original, how much do you want for an exact duplicate? Assuming you have to take time off from work to work for me, what wage do you want, combined with all the parts, paint & extras that go into creating the duplicate? And what premium is it going to cost me for you to sign it as a "J Patton"?

As I implied at a similar prior thread, put all that cost together for a model that ought to place no worse than 2nd or so in its category (other than a pure box-stock, perhaps) at a major national contest, and you are looking at a top-flight model costing a grand or two.

[peteski]

Petski, I don't think that blue GTX convertible is one of Paul's auctions..It refers to other items viewed, doesn't necissarily mean the auction holders...

I was referring to the gold Cordoba mentioned in the initial post in this thread.

[Jantrix]

"Highly detailed interior featuring simulated "Rich Corinthian Leather" 

I love that. It's fantastic to see someone who calls their stuff "pro-built" who lives up to the name. When you wonder about the folks who buy this stuff, in a lot of cases it's nostalgia. "That's just like the one dad had." And then bang, the credit card is out. For others, it's the thrill of buying a piece of art from a real artist. If you are a car guy, and not into conventional art, this is perfect.

[Ron Hamilton]

Well hang on to your hats! I've found one of his recent auctions here, and you'll be floored what someone paid for it. I'm not against what he makes on his builds. If someone is willing to spend that kind of coin for what are truly one of kind cars, more power to 'em!

I couldn't do what he does because it would suddenly become work and no longer a hobby. Not to mention when I spend that much time meticulously sweating the details, it would be mighty hard to part with it afterwards. 

Bill,

I would stack your builds with ANYONE!!!! Paul's work is very nice too.

[Ron Hamilton]

One thing I can say for Paul is that he "sweats the details". Not only are his modeling subjects unique, they are excellently painted and detailed. They represent the subject matter better than most models I have seen. The building is first rate, and are a relative bargain for the time spent on the work.

I take my hat off to him.

[Jordan White]

Think of something like this as a painting. People can try to paint a picture, but it won't turn out anything near what someone with time and skill can do. This is why they pay big bucks for someone else to do it, especially if it's a one of a kind item like in the auction in the OP.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Man's got a market for 'em, he should satisfy and exploit that market to the best of his abilities and get well paid.

And I'll tellya what - even four figures is pretty cheapskate for that kind of workmanship.  I got models well beneath that level of finish that $1500 wouldn't compensate my time for.

[gtx6970]

He definitely has a client base with deep pockets, and if he can consistently get that kind of coin for his builds...I say more power to him

[Maindrian Pace]

I just watched it end, it went from $895 to $2,905 with two seconds left in the auction. Better than reality TV!

[Jantrix]

I just watched it end, it went from $895 to $2,905 with two seconds left in the auction. Better than reality TV!

Wow. That  is amazing. If he had 60 hours in this piece (which seems reasonable and likely), it would come to about $48 dollars an hour. Which is a pretty good wage. My hats off to him. It's an excellent example on what your skill/patience/notoriety level would need to be, to make a living at this. But I'm with Bill, I don't think this would interest me. It would become work.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Jantrix

[ChrisBcritter]

o***w did it again! Just for esses and giggles, here are some recent results:

[peteski]

Speaking about deep pockets, I see the same bidders bidding on multiple models.

[keyser]

I'm glad Paul sells nice builds. What's the alternative? Franklin, Danbury dead, and won't do a Marquis Colony Park even if they weren't. 

I'm sure someone here (Harry) will weigh in on all Paul's failings. The nice thing about this thread is most of us are happy Mr. Hettick does well. He also has mastered stuff for Don Holthaus, so nobody can claim he's a kit assembler.

No reason to be critical of successes you don't like. You life may contain successes you don't want or like either. Careful what you wish for, you may get it  

[Maindrian Pace]

Wow. That  is amazing. If he had 60 hours in this piece (which seems reasonable and likely), it would come to about $48 dollars an hour. Which is a pretty good wage. My hats off to him. It's an excellent example on what your skill/patience/notoriety level would need to be, to make a living at this. But I'm with Bill, I don't think this would interest me. It would become work.

Not exactly. It costs 20% of the total to sell on ebay, so he'll see around $2,324 of that $2,950, or about $38.70 an hour for 60 hours work. Still a pretty good wage for a job that you like.

[Jantrix]

Not exactly. It costs 20% of the total to sell on ebay, so he'll see around $2,324 of that $2,950, or about $38.70 an hour for 60 hours work. Still a pretty good wage for a job that you like.

Wow. I'd no idea that ebay took that big a bite.

[ferrariscale]

More power to him I say. I get about 42au/hr in the job im currently in, and to say I love doing it would be a lie :).. he loves want he does and has been doing for many years ..that in itself is $$