You can make a Profit

[Boss31]

You can make a profit building model cars $$.. I did it for 20 years, but keep your day Job... Take a picture of a Real Car then build the Model.. In the pictures these were Built for people at Car Shows... Go to Car Show and Show them what You can Do..I did this in the 80s and 90s..(73 Now) I use real auto paint mix 4oz and get 4oz of Harder it only take 4-5 drops of harder....go to a paint shop and they will mix the paint - using the paint code..My cost about 25 to 30 dollars sale for 50 or 60 dollors..make a Little Profit..Sometime I would get 4or5 cars or pick ups to do..I will show some more pics later...Your going to BUILD models anyway..Thanks for Looking Paul

Edited November 4, 2021 by Boss31

[Painted Black]

If you say so. I do it for the fun and enjoyment. Nice builds.

[doorsovdoon]

Nice looking builds there. Profit isn't something I think about regarding model building, it's kind of an expensive hobby! I just enjoy building them and looking at them when their done. When I need to sell some to make room one day it's not going to be easy for me picking which ones to shift, I know I wont be making any profit from them for sure, them going to someone who will display them is more important to me than profit.

[Snake45]

31 minutes ago, Boss31 said:

My cost about 25 to 30 dollars sale for 50 or 60 dollors..make a Little Profit.

How many hours did you have in a build? 

[Venom]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

How many hours did you have in a build? 

Exactly... if I were to add up the hours of some of my builds and expect someone to pay me $15 an hour for it, they’d laugh and walk off as soon as they heard the final price. I think the only way to actually profit from model builds is to build them so quick and generically that they wouldn’t even be interesting.

[bobthehobbyguy]

I'd rather keep my building for my pleasure. Although you are making money off of your out of pocket expenses you aren't getting compensated for your time. Plus you've now have a deadline and you aren't necessarily building the subject matter you might want to build. 

[Geno]

I'm sure I could but I build by my timeline and for my pleasure. I've been asked to do commissioned builds but I'm just not interested, also all the time I invest in building and detailing I don't think I could part with them in the first place lol.☺️

[StevenGuthmiller]

There’s no way that I could make a profit with my building style.

My current project has been in the works for over a year already with some time to go.

With the time and materials that I have into it at this point, I would most likely have to get in the thousands of dollars just to break even.

Just doing some quick math, if I had just three hours a week in the shop, and figured that my time is worth at least $20.00 an hour, labor alone for the year would be about $3,000.00!

There’s no way that I could ever stay interested in building if I had to build the simplified builds that would be required to make any profit.

I’d be bored fecal matter-less in very short order!

 

 

 

Steve

[Boss31]

Sorry I piss so many of you off,  JUST TAKE ME OFF OF THIS SITE...

[doorsovdoon]

23 minutes ago, Boss31 said:

Sorry I piss so many of you off,  JUST TAKE ME OFF OF THIS SITE...

nah, we're not angry dude, just giving you our opinion and experience when it comes to making a profit from model building. I mean, it can be done yeah but it's not easy and there's a lot of factors to take into account if model building is something you want to make money on. Nobody is casting you out mate, your builds look great, we'd love to see more from you.

[Painted Black]

I don't think anyone is "pissed" off, but you did open the door!! There is a thread on this subject elsewhere on this board covering this subject, you should have posted this there. Don't leave just because we didn't respond in your favor. Look forward to more of your builds.

[Tom Geiger]

Nobody is upset! It’s a conversation. If you were hustling at car shows and you made a few dollars and made people happy, more power to you! 
 

 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Nobody is upset. If you're happy building kits and making a little money fine. Most artistic work seldom makes a lot of money. Those that do generally have paid their dues to get to that point.

However most of us build for our own enjoyment . In addition most have little time to do what they want.  And building to sell is considered work like and most want to be compensated for their time.  

As others have said we would like to see more of your work.

[Geno]

I agree, I'm surely not upset, I just know I couldn't make a profit. please stay and show us more of your builds. Love the ones you done. Peace.✌️

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

Nobody is upset. If you're happy building kits and making a little money fine. Most artistic work seldom makes a lot of money. Those that do generally have paid their dues to get to that point.

However most of us build for our own enjoyment . In addition most have little time to do what they want.  And building to sell is considered work like and most want to be compensated for their time.  

As others have said we would like to see more of your work.

Quoted for truth. What he said. 

[Tabbysdaddy]

20 hours ago, Boss31 said:

You can make a profit building model cars $$.. I did it for 20 years, but keep your day Job... Take a picture of a Real Car then build the Model.. In the pictures these were Built for people at Car Shows... Go to Car Show and Show them what You can Do..I did this in the 80s and 90s..(73 Now) I use real auto paint mix 4oz and get 4oz of Harder it only take 4-5 drops of harder....go to a paint shop and they will mix the paint - using the paint code..My cost about 25 to 30 dollars sale for 50 or 60 dollors..make a Little Profit..Sometime I would get 4or5 cars or pick ups to do..I will show some more pics later...Your going to BUILD models anyway..Thanks for Looking Paul

 

If you factor in costs of time and materials that's a loss.

[NOBLNG]

6 hours ago, Boss31 said:

Sorry I piss so many of you off,  JUST TAKE ME OFF OF THIS SITE...

As others have said, no one is pissed off…they are just being realistic and practical. Can you make a bit of profit off building a model? You can if you don’t expect an hourly wage. Can you do it often enough to make a decent living from it…like a career? I doubt it? Like you said…keep your day job! The most lucrative customer would likely be someone with very deep pockets that owns a unique custom car that they have an emotional attachment to. Wealthy folks do pay stupid money for stupider things.

Edited November 4, 2021 by NOBLNG

[Venom]

6 hours ago, Boss31 said:

Sorry I piss so many of you off,  JUST TAKE ME OFF OF THIS SITE...

None of us are pissed at all... We are simply sharing our thoughts about how it wouldn’t work for us... I’m sure every one of us would agree that if the profit thing works for you, we are happy for you.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Who said anything about being "pissed off"?

You have to understand that when you come onto a "forum" and make a post, people are going to respond with their thoughts and opinions on the subject.

That's the nature of a "forum".

If you don't want any reaction, or if you expect to get only positive, glowing reactions, you're barking up the wrong tree, dude.

 

You might need to thicken up your skin just a little around here, or you'll get eaten alive.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Venom]

Just a thought... This one is nearly 19 grand?

[Can-Con]

I built this Plymouth specifically to sell on e-bay years ago.

I kept track and know I had about 40 hours into it. 

Got just a couple bucks over $100 for it. That's about $2.50 an hour. NOT including kit and paint.

[Venom]

^^^^^^^Wow!... and a very nice build indeed... Should have easily been worth $500, and in my opinion, more like $1200 to really feel like a profit was involved... I mean that’s what it would take to keep me coming back for more....

........But such is the nature of art........

Edited November 4, 2021 by Venom

[NOBLNG]

12 minutes ago, Venom said:

^^^^^^^Wow!... and a very nice build indeed... Should have easily been worth $500, and in my opinion, more like $1200 to really feel like a profit was involved... I mean that’s what it would take to keep me coming back for more....

........But such is the nature of art........

Now if someone’s Dad had built that car…or someone had $80-$100,000 invested in it themselves, what’s another $1200. to have a replica on the mantle?

[1930fordpickup]

There is more than one builder on here that posts about what they can afford and can not afford to do with the hobby from time to time.  So someone makes a post about how they could still build and get a little money back in return.  Why is everyone worried about what he thinks his time is worth to him?

[Modlbldr]

.....Backs slowly out of the room, not making eye contact.

Later-