How do I become a kit retailer

[HotRodaSaurus]

Many of us fellow collectors sell our surplus or unwanted items at swapmeets or internet auctions and often build a small customer base.

I sell old car magazines and a few kits but often get asked for the latest releases of kits such as Revells 32 Sedan or Mercury.

I would like to know the best way to purchase some new kits at trade prices, what are the minimum orders, who to contact etc.

Many of these kits are real hard to find in the UK and I am sure I could fill a gap supplying kits on a small scale(no pun intended ) at these swapmeets and autojumbles etc.

Do I contact the manufaturer direct or an importer? How do I find an importer if the manufacturer will not deal direct?

I dont want to compete with the big stores for the popular high selling stuff, just a small time guy that wants to help out and make a sall profit.

John

[Brendan]

I don't know how it works in the UK but in the US there are several ways you can do it. Get a retail license/business license and order directly from the manufacturer. Usually you have to spend a certain amount of money to do it. Or buy from a distributor but you'll usually paying a little over cost. Most places require that you have an actual business in order to make an order. When I worked at a hobby store, we had to have a minimum order to be able to get what we wanted. (usually between $200-500, depending on who we ordered from) Hope this helps. There are other ways here in the US, but this is the most common. I would contact a distributor to find out what you need to do.

[CAL]

I don't know how it works in the UK but in the US there are several ways you can do it. Get a retail license/business license and order directly from the manufacturer. Usually you have to spend a certain amount of money to do it. Or buy from a distributor but you'll usually paying a little over cost. Most places require that you have an actual business in order to make an order. When I worked at a hobby store, we had to have a minimum order to be able to get what we wanted. (usually between $200-500, depending on who we ordered from) Hope this helps. There are other ways here in the US, but this is the most common. I would contact a distributor to find out what you need to do.

I'd say with a distributor would be he best way. You will have more product line for sure. It can get expensive real quick dealing direct with every single company as the minums are typically high.

And, yes, most require an actual store front some even require photographic proof of the store front to get an account.

[LVZ2881]

It's my understanding that Revell does require a storefront....atleast from what I have heard from other actual retailers.

[HotRodaSaurus]

Thanks all, I think I could go $500 to start up but looks like I will have to track down the distributor/ importer I guess.

Last enquiry I made to a UK model shop was for a couple of Li'l Coffins, the shop keeper told me Revell(USA) only import to the UK a few times a year and didnt always completely fill the order even if the kits were still in stock.

Edited September 1, 2008 by HotRodaSaurus

[RodBurNeR]

you could start out small. most all shows don't require sellers to have a tax ID. you can go rent a table or two and set up with what you have, sell some and buy more to sell. a lot of guys have been doing that for years and they are now renting 3-4 tables and selling a few hundred kits and more model stuff. sellers at shows usually end up getting good deals on small collections too, since a person might come up and ask you if you want to buy their stuff.

just an idea for ya...

i will be vending this October if i stay in Omaha. (first time in 9 years) i used to sell at swaps, getting back into it i think.

[Art Anderson]

Thanks all, I think I could go $500 to start up but looks like I will have to track down the distributor/ importer I guess.

Last enquiry I made to a UK model shop was for a couple of Li'l Coffins, the shop keeper told me Revell(USA) only import to the UK a few times a year and didnt always completely fill the order even if the kits were still in stock.

Unfortunately, $500 won't do much at all, either at a wholesale distributor or the manufacturer--their minimums are higher than that. While there was a time when smaller hobby wholesalers would entertain an order in the amount you suggest, and look the other way as to whether you had a retail license in your area, or a storefront, those days I think are long gone. The relatively few wholesalers operating today are much larger, and much more interested in dealing only with either established local hobby shops, or with someone having 10's of thousands of dollars ready to go in making opening buys from them. Additionally, and while many may disagree, wholesalers are very protective of their established accounts--they aren't very willing to sell to someone undercutting them from their homes--this may anger some, but it is the way of the industry, and has been increasingly so since the late 1970's.

People such as Model King and Tom Carter of Hobby Heaven were able to establish themselves as mail-order/swap meet dealers by making what most of us would consider HUGE buys, in order to get the net price directly from the likes of AMT, Monogram and Revell in years past, but even those sources have gone away for the most part (which is why Hobby Heaven is no more, BTW). and Model King does his thing by commissioning special runs of AMT/Ertl kits. Such special runs can be as many as 10,000 units or more of one kit.

While you are in the UK, I suspect that the same things are operative there just as they are in the US.

Art

[truckman1958kits]

Many of us fellow collectors sell our surplus or unwanted items at swapmeets or internet auctions and often build a small customer base.

I sell old car magazines and a few kits but often get asked for the latest releases of kits such as Revells 32 Sedan or Mercury.

I would like to know the best way to purchase some new kits at trade prices, what are the minimum orders, who to contact etc.

Many of these kits are real hard to find in the UK and I am sure I could fill a gap supplying kits on a small scale(no pun intended ) at these swapmeets and autojumbles etc.

Do I contact the manufaturer direct or an importer? How do I find an importer if the manufacturer will not deal direct?

I dont want to compete with the big stores for the popular high selling stuff, just a small time guy that wants to help out and make a sall profit.

John

******Hi, Well, things may have changed but a buddy of mine sold new kits at swap meets a few years back and his MIN. order revell required each OCT was $5000.00. All you need is a state tax # and $5K and you are in business. BTW: he gave it up. It got harder each year to meet the $5K min. order. Steve

[locoengr]

Great answers to these questions. Just curious when a buyer puts up the cash, etc, for their order.....can they specify certain kits or do they get what the sller decides to send them? T.I.A. Bruce in Fargo

[Brendan]

Great answers to these questions. Just curious when a buyer puts up the cash, etc, for their order.....can they specify certain kits or do they get what the sller decides to send them? T.I.A. Bruce in Fargo

It depents on whether you are ordering through a retailer or a distributor. Most of the time you have to order by the case, but I used to place orders through a company like Horizon or Squadron, while working for a hobby shop we could order individual itesm. But if I ordered directly through Revell or any of the other direct outfits, I had to order by the case. And you had to meet minimal orders. Usually we did that once or twice a year, but we were able to put preorders on kits not available yet to meet our mins.

[Art Anderson]

******Hi, Well, things may have changed but a buddy of mine sold new kits at swap meets a few years back and his MIN. order revell required each OCT was $5000.00. All you need is a state tax # and $5K and you are in business. BTW: he gave it up. It got harder each year to meet the $5K min. order. Steve

That was true in years past. However, a little more than a year ago, Revell-Monogram was bought up by Hobbico, better known to hobby shops as Great Planes Distributors, and RC hobbyists as Tower Hobbies. Their stated policy now is that for wholesale discounts, orders must be placed with Great Planes, not directly with Revell. And, Great Planes has always restricted their sales to storefront hobby shops only, upon presentation of qualifying information.

But yes, I am sure that the cutthroat nature of swap meet dealing in new kits drove the price down to the point that it was simply trading dollars, with very little profit to the sellers.

Art

[Ariel]

Hello

I have recently have done all these steps. Revell prefers that you buy from a distributor. You can apply with any of the

distributors/importers in your area. At this present moment alot of distributors require a minimum just so you can get free shipping. Believe it or not the minimum is from 50-150 dollars depending on the distributors. What you need to do is buy from them on a frequent bases. Distributors now don't even require you to have a store front as long as you have a webpage that will meet the same requirement as a store. That is secure on-line buying with credit cards/shopping basket/ etc.

Remember there are not alot of brick and mortor stores anymore and they do need to stay in business. If you can't get them in the UK. My advise to you is to contact a distributor in the US and see if they will sell to you.

revell distributors international

You can contact some of these distributors and find out their requirements.

Remember you may need a VAT# and register your business.

Good Luck

Ariel

[Aaronw]

If your big issue is getting US kits at a reasonable price, maybe you could use one of the big online dealers like Tower. Their prices are very good and a large enough order might keep the shipping relatively reasonable. If the kits are that difficult to get in the UK you might be able to offer decent prices and still make a little money.

http://www.towerhobbies.com/

Probably not practical but who knows.

[HotRodaSaurus]

Hi all, Thanks for the input, there are some really helpfull hints here.

The lack of Hobby shops these days is the reason I get asked if I can supply kits. The fact that you can order from the internet is not always what buyers want, many like to hold it in there hands, even if a new item is often sealed. They like to hold the items look at the box, read the details. Minor things but If the seller knows his product and is enthusiastic about it then a sale is usually on.

I will certaintly contact the distributers highlighted, I used to buy from Hobby Heavan as a builder/ customer. Then he had a big sale of all those SSP kits that didn't sell well, at rock bottom prices to. I bought a few hundered $$$ worth and sold the lot in no time. So over here(UK) the demand is there but most of our stores are now gone too, just as you guys.We are left with Toys * Us and ModelZo** , there are still a few independants but they are getting harder to find

Meanhile a lot of sellers sell new kits on the Bay, they cant all be high dollar bulk buyers surely.

Thanks, John

[Jello]

I have been going to car shows & swap meets for over 25 years mostly to buy model kits and there was a guy that set-up his van & trailer selling new kits at great prices in most of the shows I went to and I always looked forward to buying 20 or so kits everytime I saw him.

He was one very popular vender everybody checked out for years and last time I saw him was about 5-6 years ago and he along with most of the others that did the same thing quit the business due to slow kit sales & high prices and what I suspect was complains about car show venders selling kits cheaper than hobby shops.

In the last 3-4 years of car shows & swap meets, I have never seen another vender selling model kits down here in the south and I wonder why?? I have almost quit going to car shows cause no kits will be available.

One guy told me he was actually buying kits from stores, hobby shop sales and selling them for 3-10 bucks higher depending and he did very well but he could no longer get or find anymore to sell since Wal-mart stopped kit sales. He explained to me that it was cheaper to buy from stores than it was to buy direct from kit companies even at wholesale prices!

Most car shows & swap meets down here do require a state tax number just to get in and sell new stuff but if you say its, just a few items you no longer want and they look kinda worn out, your free to go in at most shows but watch out cause lots of states today are dying for more tax money and their people will be looking for "cheaters" at the shows & swap meets and if they see you 2-3 times at different shows, you can bet the farm they will check you out!

Unfortunately, the days of the little guy trying to earn a few extra bucks doing something he enjoys are pretty much over cause of taxes, insurance, high prices and silly politics but I suppose its still possible to make it work and Good Luck!

~ Jeff