Sealed or open?

[gtx6970]

modern kits. I'll buy sealed or open . It makes no difference

Vintage kits I prefer to buy opened, that way I can verify the contents are what they're supposed to be .

A few years back ( about 10 or more actually ) I went against my usual chain of thought and bought a sealed Barry Setzer vega funnycar. it was cheap compared to others I was seeing at the time. Within minutes of its arrival it was opened up. All was dead mint inside. On the shelf it went and will remain there in that condition till I no longer breathe air  . its one of these kits I had as much younger me and have zero interest to build it. I bought several builders to actually build one for the case

 

about 15 years ago. I bought a factory sealed Color Me Gone 1968 Charger. I paid for it ( stupid expensive and I thought my wife was gonna kill me, but that's another story  )  But I opened it right in front of the guy. and I thought he was gonna have a stroke that I opened it

[Pete J.]

Urban myth.  Sealed=complete.  This is just not the case.  I knew a hobby shop owner who had a machine to reseal boxes.  Cost under $200.  He kept it for returned kits.  Now he wasn't unscrupulous, he just didn't want people getting in the boxes on the shelf. He always inventoried any returns to make sure it was complete.  That doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't reseal a broken or incomplete kit.  We see the stories here with some frequency.  Opened the box and got a bunch of junk parts or even a different model.  Since vintage kits in original condition can sell for four or five times what an opened kit can sell for, it invites fraud.  

Almost all of my kits are not sealed.  That is for two reasons.  One, I have a lot of kits I got directly from Tamiya.  Tamiya wraps them in their warehouse when they come in from Japan, before they send them out to the distributore/stores.  They are all unwrapped in the warehouse.  If they give you a kit, it will not be wrapped.  Second, I buy a lot direct from Japan.  As was mentioned earlier, kits are not wrapped on the store shelves in Japan and they don't waste their time wrapping them to ship.  

I just think people making too much out of a "sealed" kit is ridiculous.  I would rather have an open and properly inventoried kit any day. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I immediately open and inventory everything I buy. I've encountered short-shots, tire burn, warpage, and re-sealed cherry-picked kits.

And frankly, I still find just looking at the parts, decals and instructions in something new to be part of the fun.   

Edited June 15, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[oldcarfan]

If I'm buying a vintage kit, I prefer it to be already opened so I can check for missing parts. There used to be some unscrupulous sellers who would advertise sealed in box kits for a premium. It turned out they had shrink wrappers and would fake it. When when you bought it and opened it later it was a box with scrap parts.

[89AKurt]

I've wondered about this topic.  I used to not care about the value, and opened every kit.  Recently have been buying what I could not afford, or simply missed out on, some are sealed.  I asked about the Aerovette on a new topic a few months ago, it *was* sealed until a minute ago.  I see the back window has the freaking tire burn!  So that's it, not buying any more sealed Revell and/or Monogram kits anymore, that's BS the windows are not protected from the tires!!!! 

[ewetwo]

I would never have thought about people resealing the kit to make it look new. But a neighbor was telling me this is exactly what is happening with old vinyl LPs. Even reproducing the stickers that say a certain hit in on it. You have to be so careful now days. It's totally different from when I was a kid painting a model car with a paint brush.

[bbowser]

11 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I immediately open and inventory everything I buy. I've encountered short-shots, tire burn, warpage, and re-sealed cherry-picked kits.

And frankly, I still find just looking at the parts, decals and instructions in something new to be part of the fun.   

This.  I buy to build, after I've spent the money I want to see what's in the box.

[ewetwo]

11 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I immediately open and inventory everything I buy. I've encountered short-shots, tire burn, warpage, and re-sealed cherry-picked kits.

And frankly, I still find just looking at the parts, decals and instructions in something new to be part of the fun.   

I agree with you Bill.  And I tired to send you a message but I can't. 

[Daddyfink]

I like leaving kits sealed, it not only makes it look nice, but, it also keeps everything in the box and I know it is a kit I have not started! And trust me, I start lots of stuff some times! 

But, I have had to unwrap some kits due to the wrap shrinking and crushing of the box, or the wrapping is so brittle that is is falling apart every time I handle it. 

Plus I like it when some old kits still have their original price tag! 

[Greg Myers]

So what have we learned here ?

1) Sealed does NOT = complete

2) Look for missing parts

3) Look for short shots

4) Protect parts from tire burn

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, ewetwo said:

...I tired to send you a message but I can't. 

Box was full. Fixed it.  

[ewetwo]

Took all day but I opened every kit and put tires in baggies. I did notice the newer kits did have the tires sealed separately.  I had one slight tire burn. And I found out I have 3 1940 ford coupes plus a sedan delivery. And some kits I really have no interest in. 

Edited June 16, 2018 by ewetwo

[Bucky]

I'm thinking those "pristine" sealed kits I have may need to be opened, and the parts and decals separated and protected.

I'll never build all 895 of these kits, and when I start selling them, the new owner may well appreciate the fact that the parts

haven't "melted" together!! LOL

[SfanGoch]

Never overestimate the intelligence of ebay shoppers. If the parts melted together, sell those kits as "adult builts" and ask 60 bucks each. They'll bite.

[niteowl7710]

The irony of the Japanese not dealing their own kits for sale in country, or self importation is that they WILL shrink wrap kits imported into Japan. I've bought several Belkits, Heller and RevellAG kits from Japan and they're all shrink wrapped. The Belkits ones even get Aoshima labeling over the Belkits kit information. It's weird getting a sealed RevellAG kit that's WRAPPED rather than just having those circle seals on the end. 

I have seen (and received 2nd hand) kits in Japanese Hobby Shops with plastic banding around it. I presume those stores are having issues with contents walking off and it's a cheap method of theft deterrent. 

To the Original point, sealed, unsealed, it's all getting opened when I get home...or maybe in the car in the parking lot if it's something I just have to see. I really don't see the point, in 2018, why EVERYONE isn't just digging into their kits to appreciate them. Time and time again the "kit of no return" has in fact returned. Even with things like old annuals and JoHans, their value as a collectible is the idea you can sell it for more than you paid for it. While I don't prescribe to the sky is falling doom of the hobby, the fact is the market for those super rare old kits that are gonna fund your retirement is gonna hit a tipping point, probably within the next 15 years, where the number of collections that will come into the market is going to far exceed the customer base for them.

Edited June 17, 2018 by niteowl7710

[Mike999]

9 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

Never overestimate the intelligence of ebay shoppers. If the parts melted together, sell those kits as "adult builts" and ask 60 bucks each. They'll bite.

Or their eyesight and reading skills, apparently.  I have an eBay sale up right now. One item has the scale mentioned in the Listing header; several times in the Listing itself; and the scale is on the box photo that goes along with the listing.  Somebody emailed me to ask: "What scale is this kit?"  That happens every time I have an eBay sale. I get several questions that are already answered in the Listing, if the eBay shoppers would only read it.

As for sealed Japanese kits: I have a Gunze-Sangyo 1/24 Karmann-Ghia kit that I bought in Tokyo back in the 1990's.  It's shrink-wrapped and has a shop sticker on one end from Tenshodo, the big hobby/train shop in the Ginza shopping district. But I have another Gunze kit I bought in Taiwan that was never shrink-wrapped. Go figure.

[MrObsessive]

I learned a lesson about "sealed" kits many years ago in the mid '80's. I was off work due to an accident I had there, and couldn't do anything more than sit at home and look through the model magazines (SAE) or build. I came across an ad in SAE (pre internet days) for a sealed AMT "Golden Classics" '53 Studebaker Starliner coupe. The seller was asking $20 for it and at the time (1985-'86) that was a good chunk of change for a kit.

I was excited as could be when the kit finally got to my place.............opened it up, and much to my chagrin only to see the body completely leaned over on one side. Almost as if it was set against something warm, and the body warped. Nothing else in the box was damaged. Chassis was straight, no tire burn, nothing missing-----just a body that was absolutely worthless. Since the kit was sealed, I would have had a hard time complaining to the seller as they could claim ignorance. I figured it was probably damaged from the factory, and they went ahead and shipped it anyway.

Sooooo............from that point on I never bought another old sealed kit again. I ended up using the body for paint practice as it was useless for anything else.

[MrObsessive]

28 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

Or their eyesight and reading skills, apparently.  I have an eBay sale up right now. One item has the scale mentioned in the Listing header; several times in the Listing itself; and the scale is on the box photo that goes along with the listing.  Somebody emailed me to ask: "What scale is this kit?"  That happens every time I have an eBay sale. I get several questions that are already answered in the Listing, if the eBay shoppers would only read it.

As for sealed Japanese kits: I have a Gunze-Sangyo 1/24 Karmann-Ghia kit that I bought in Tokyo back in the 1990's.  It's shrink-wrapped and has a shop sticker on one end from Tenshodo, the big hobby/train shop in the Ginza shopping district. But I have another Gunze kit I bought in Taiwan that was never shrink-wrapped. Go figure.

A little off subject, but your story reminds me of something I saw on eBay just a couple days ago. I saw listed a Johan 1971 Eldorado kit which was not sealed. As I'm looking through the pics, I'm looking for pics of the model but all I see are pics of a stripped AMT '59 Pontiac convertible and its parts. There were a bunch of pics but none of the Eldo listed. So I wrote the seller and said to them that their auction listing is a bit confusing. You have listed a '71 Eldo, but all I see are pics of the Johan box, but the model is definitely a '59 Pontiac sitting outside of it.

So which model is the auction for?? The Eldorado (not seen but the box), or the Pontiac?

He wrote back and said that "somehow" the models were switched and that the auction was for the '71 Eldorado. He pulled the auction but as I check the vintage section all the time on the 'Bay, somehow that Eldorado hasn't made it back to its box to be listed again...........nor the Poncho for that matter!

[D. Battista]

On 6/14/2018 at 8:49 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

I immediately open and inventory everything I buy. I've encountered short-shots, tire burn, warpage, and re-sealed cherry-picked kits.

And frankly, I still find just looking at the parts, decals and instructions in something new to be part of the fun.   

Exactly how I feel too.  I like to know what I'm buying is in good condition. As far as buying second hand kits I would rather have them open. I have been bit several times buying still sealed old kits. One time I bought a "still sealed" Revell's Stars and stripes Corvette kit at a swap meet, paid $20 for it, got it home and opened it , and it was a box of empty sprues and a couple of pickup truck beds. I knew the seller , and told him . He said he got it at a swap meeet also but didn't open it. Obvisouly he didn't know and didn't remember who he bought it from. Sad to know this happens in our hobby..! 

One of my most sought after kits was the Revell 1/8 Jaguar, found one still sealed at a hobby shop for a decent price, got it home the windshield was broke in half

Very leary of buying still sealed second hand kits , and I try not to buy them if posssible. In my opinion "still sealed" does'nt add to the kits collectability...!

[thatz4u]

I never buy kits on Ebay, too many horror stories from others, too overpriced, etc. I have found some great vintage kits at swapmeets at reasonilble prices, & I can look in the boxes.

[Rob Hall]

I've bought hundreds of kits on eBay over the last 21 years with no problems, most were opened.  I did buy a sealed '67 Ford Galaxie convertible to find the windshield frame was broken. 

[bbowser]

I've purchased many on eBay as well with few problems.  Like mentioned above, you have to read the description (if there is one) and look at the pics carefully.  If you have questions, ask.  If it looks too good to be true, it probably is 

[Mike999]

I've never had a problem with a blatant rip-off on eBay either, using it since 1998, I think.  Only a few times where sellers just didn't know much about kits and goofed.

One woman sold me a kit with no instructions.  She posted several pics of the open kit, but I didn't notice that none showed the instructions. So mostly my fault.  I did message her (politely!) and said she might want to mention, in the Description, if kits were missing instructions.  She messaged right back and apologized, saying she didn't know much about scale models and asking if I wanted a refund.  I didn't, it was a Jo-Han Eldorado at a great price. I already had one, and my neighbor's cat could build that kit without instructions anyway.

My current eBay sale includes a pretty rare resin kit.  One eBayer messaged and asked if I could provide more photos. That seemed reasonable, he wants to see exactly what he's getting.  I just took some more photos and added them to the Listing.  Years ago, editing your eBay Listings was a lot harder than it is now.

[Ace-Garageguy]

13 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

Never overestimate the intelligence of ebay shoppers...

 

3 hours ago, Mike999 said:

Or their eyesight and reading skills, apparently...

Not just eBay. It's everywhere. I routinely have people ask questions that I previously answered clearly and concisely in posts and emails.

Reading comprehension and use of English just ain't wat it used to were.

[peteski]

On 6/15/2018 at 9:36 AM, Daddyfink said:

I like leaving kits sealed, it not only makes it look nice, but, it also keeps everything in the box and I know it is a kit I have not started! And trust me, I start lots of stuff some times! 

But, I have had to unwrap some kits due to the wrap shrinking and crushing of the box, or the wrapping is so brittle that is is falling apart every time I handle it. 

Plus I like it when some old kits still have their original price tag! 

If I feel nostalgic (like that old price tag on old kit's shrink wrap). I flip the box upside down and using a hobby knife I cut the wrapping using the gap between the cover and the bottom of the box to guide the  knife. I do this on 3 sides.  At that point the box can be opened but the wrap stays intact on the cover. When closing i fold the bottom part of the wrap into the cover anc close up the box.  That way it still looks shrink-wrapped but it can be opened.