jbwelda Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 i have recently been checking prices for the old Monogram Black Widow, you know, the simplistic but still iconic kit from our childhood, in the wide flat box with the cool box art and the forerunner of the other "color insect" series, the Green Hornet, Blue Beetle, Yellow Jacket, etc. dont know if anyone here has kept up on this but let me tell you, this kit goes for BIG bucks. like twice within a month i have seen complete with nice box examples go for 150$!!! that was astounding. then the other day this auction finished and again i was floored! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT i really love these old kits in this series and revell/monogram ought to bring them back. they were simple but well engineered and easy to enhance. i loved em when i was a kid and i still love em. and there were some cool accessories with some of them like the scuba gear (complete with sea hunt single valve regulator on the tank) with the blue beetle. the black widow seems to consistently draw big money, 50 - 60$ for even a mediocre build up, though the others in the series dont seem to lag far behind, with exception of the green hornet. i assume that is because the green hornet is one that was indeed reissued not too long ago (and i grabbed a few of). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatRod Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 (edited) Wow, I haven't paid that much attention lately Bill. That seems kinda steep to me. I picked this one up at a swap meet a few years ago for $13!!! As found... After restoration... Yep, it does have cool box art... Speaking of other "insect" cars, just picked up both of these... The Blue Beetle was an eBay find @ $77.99, and the Boss A Bone was $80 shipped from a buddy. The Beetles have been going for around $75-80 on the Bay, heck a factory sealed one just went for $107 recently. Keep watching, patients will pay off!!! Edited December 20, 2009 by RatRod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshaver Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Bill, jus my opinion now ................ Evil Bay got it's name from me on account of having a bunch of twerps there that got trust fund money jus goin to waste ! I don't care if it's Muscle cars , gasoline pumps books old guns , what ever . These clowns have over the years artificially run prices of items that USED to be within reach of average folks . No , today , they sit back and bid the heck out of an item just cause their inflated ego sez to do so ! I personally buy off E- Bay I will not seel or do business with E- Bay either . You want astronomical , yeah go throw yer money away on the Evil Bay , I won't stop ya . Still if ya wanna do something that i'll thank ya for , I need a working gas tank sending unit for my truck . Oh , Merry Christmas too ! Ed Shaver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Their only worth what some dummy is willing to pay for them. On a personal note, if I bought from e-bay (which I don't) I wouldn't bid more than $30. for any model, no matter how much I wanted it. Guess I'm a cheap skate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted December 20, 2009 Author Share Posted December 20, 2009 i am afraid i cant really agree with that assessment of ebay, Ed. what it is though is a worldwide marketplace where there are people with money to burn who have never had the opportunity to access some products but now can through that marketplace. the models you and i remember as being in every cut out bin in town (and this is more so with another passion of mine, records) and dirt cheap, are now sometimes bringing big money from those who never were around our bargain bins. so while it is disappointing to "lose" an auction to someone who is willing to throw down big money, the other side of the coin is that you didnt have to spend money because someone else outbid you, there is always a next time with the vast majority of things we might conspire to buy, and perhaps biggest of all, it opens that same marketplace to you to SELL your stuff at what you might consider pure sucker prices. and i have always found that while something might go for big bucks on ebay one day, on another it will go for peanuts and it is often not real apparent why that is so. so i just keep my cool and wait for the right opportunity. personally i love ebay despite all the criticisms and rarely feel taken advantage of or that i paid too much for something because the fact is, that something just isnt available around here or if it is (again lets talk about car models) it is usually WAY overpriced at a (model) swap meet unless you really happen into a bargain at a non-model swap meet or garage sale or something. so with ebay you have the world at your fingers and the only constraint is your willingness to lay down the cash. and you know even a hundred dollars for a kit is cheap compared to doing *real* cars! there isnt a day at the track you dont spend 100$, right? and how much enjoyment do you get from a kit, even if 10 years ago you could have gotten it for 10$...100$ dont buy much fun anymore! if you wanna play, you gotta pay! so i do see your point but i have to say ebay has opened up a worldwide market for so many things that overall its a blessing, its all in how you use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelmartin Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I got a dilapidated Black Widow at a model club swap meet night for $5.00 about 15-20 years ago. got reprinted decals on Ebay a few years ago. Build it?....Maybe someday!!!! I agrre that patience is the best method for getting what you want at a fair price. I have found that for some kits prices have come way down after Ebay because it turned out that there were a lot around like all the Monogram and Jo-han classic cars. People were routinely trying to get $40 to 75.00 for them at swap meets but after Ebay we find out that there are all worth $20.00 or less even for original issues. Some kits went crazy after Ebay like Funny cars. It turns out that people really wanted them. We have all heard about and seen some of those $500.- $800. Tom Daniels kits. OY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railfreak78 Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I'll say that Ebay has treated myself and my hobby choices well. Sure sometimes I loose but I have won a lot of things at huge huge savings compared to buying at local stores. I have a hidden treasure store though so I always compare and if they don't have it then it's off to Ebay when I can afford it lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgeytrucker Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 It's not ebay that's evil, it's (a few of) the people who use it. A few years ago the volume control/power switch on my 1966 Fisher (tube type) stereo failed. Where else but ebay could I even start to find that? I actually found one that evening and $45 and a week later I was listening to Led Zeppelin again. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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