Kit Values

[Semi Trailer Mechanic]

Hey fellas.

I'm thinking about thinning out the collection / stash. Is there somewhere on the web a value guild that'll give a ballpark figure?

Thanks.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Semi Trailer Mechanic

[highway]

Hey fellas.

I'm thinking about thinning out the collection / stash. Is there somewhere on the web a value guild that'll give a ballpark figure?

Thanks.

I don't know if there is or not, but I'll be more than happy to help you thin the herd!

[Harry P.]

ebay. That's where you'll see what kits are currently going for. Any "price guide" is obsolete almost instantly.

[mikemodeler]

To Harry's point, ebay will guide you but in the end it is the actual kit and its' condition that will determine the value.

Just because someone bids up a particular kit on ebay doesn't always translate into what you will get if you list yours on ebay or take it to a local model car swap meet.

You can also check out a couple of the sellers of old kits like Fred Sterns and jiminohio for a reference, keeping in mind they are a business and therefore trying to make a profit.

You might be better served to bundle several kits together when you are ready to sell. It will make the task easier and on the outside chance you a have a few opened kits or ones not highly sought after, easier to get rid of.

Best of luck in your efforts.

[Eshaver]

Then too, factor in messed up boxes , missing parts , and of coursethe sour economy. Look , anint nothin thats collectable brining "Top Dollar " these days . I'm in the service station business and I can tell ya , don't expect to make a killin , get rich or send yer kids to college ....... Oh good luck . Ed Shaver

[Harry P.]

To Harry's point, ebay will guide you but in the end it is the actual kit and its' condition that will determine the value.

The kit itself won't tell you anything. A kit is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, so you need to check out a place where you can see what people are willing to pay for it, and ebay is the place to see that. Ebay will probably have the biggest number of any particular kit on sale, and you can take a look at the prices and come up with a reasonable idea of what that kit is currently "worth."

[elan]

I tried to thin my collection last year. It was a big pain in the butt. After 3 months of

trying and only getting rid of 3 kits, I gave up. I'll just find more storage and keep them.

Good luck

[Chuck Most]

Cliché Alert!!!! Cliché Alert!!!!

Old kits are worth whatever amount they sell for. As has been said, value guides are pretty much worthless. E Model Cars and E-Bay prices can serve as a kind of barometer, but there really aren't any hard and fast guidelines as far as prices. For instance, I've seen the old MPC '32 Chevy Panel in unbuilt condition going for anywhere from $60 to $160- it all depends on who's selling it and who wants it badly enough. (And all this is NOT considering condition of the parts, box, etc. That's a whole other ballgame I have no desire thinking about right now! )

[route66modeler]

pm sent. Steve

[Aaronw]

Pending re-issues also play a big part. Payhaulers were selling for $200-300, until RC2 reissued it for $25. Now the originals still go for more than the re-issues because of collectors but if you just want to build one the reissues seem to sell for $40-60.

[whale392]

Of this point; I have noticed that E-bay and the real world do not always agree. I have been going to shows and swap meets this fall to get a somewhat better true assassment of what the kits I have are worth. You will find widely varying prices for the same kits from show to show and Ebay. Ask some of the vendors at a show what they ultimately got for some of their kits...........

[mikemodeler]

As Ed pointed out, with a sour economy, prices are depressed with demand down. If you have to sell, be prepared to take less that what you may have thought you could get.

You might be best served waiting awhile or selling a few here and there to get an idea of what to expect.

[Art Anderson]

Of this point; I have noticed that E-bay and the real world do not always agree. I have been going to shows and swap meets this fall to get a somewhat better true assassment of what the kits I have are worth. You will find widely varying prices for the same kits from show to show and Ebay. Ask some of the vendors at a show what they ultimately got for some of their kits...........

You make a very good point! It helps to think of valuing and selling one's old or surplus kits in "business terms", frankly.

In the business world, there are two ways of placing a value on any assets (assets are those items which can be sold for cash): Their "book value" and their "quick sale" value. A vendor at a swap meet almost always is working on the "book value" (what he thinks the item is worth, based perhaps on what he has in it, what comparable kits are selling for), while a seller on eBay is working on the "quick sale" value. At the swap meet, the vendor most likely is willing to hold out for a certain price (even if he negotiates) while on eBay (just as with a live auction--household, farm, business liquidation) the item is up for competitive bidding, and it will be sold at some point at that event, whatever the price (unless there is a reserve which must be met).

Both are good for establishing at least approximate values of model kits, and their are a few price guides which are updated regularly which can help to give one an idea as to the approximate value of truly collectible model kits. Notice I keep coming back to "idea", approximate. Guide books are just that, guidelines, they are not cast in concrete; the price ultimately paid by the buyer to the seller can vary, vary a lot; and as others have stated, auction results can be all over the map.

Art

[Harry P.]

Of this point; I have noticed that E-bay and the real world do not always agree.

Ebay is a part of the "real world," it's not an imaginary place. It's as "real" as any swap meet.

There is no one absolute dollar figure that can be attached to any kit. The selling price will vary depending on demand, condition, the weather in Omaha and a lot of other variables. But ebay will offer a quick and easy "window" to the current going rates for a given kit. Obviously the prices for any kit will vary, but by looking at the current range you can make a reasonable estimate as to what a given kit might bring if you decide to sell it. If you go by what the kit sells for at a swap meet, you're getting only one price, the price that particular vendor is asking. Ebay will give you a much broader view.

[Kaleb]

Or Silent Auction not to take away from emodelcars or ebay but seems to me that majority of people who would buy cars are on here. Hold two a week or something and set up a gmail just for it. If its worth anything people will pay, first start the price right under what a normal kit would be and let it go.

[southpier]

like everything, there's "seller's value" and there's "buyer's value". seldom are they the same. plus, you've got to figure the "headache value" of selling anything. but if it's stuff you're not using and want to clear space, let it go with a clear conscience and move on. life's too short!

good luck

[whale392]

Ok Harry, just as Barrett-Jackson, Mecum and Russo & Steele are 'real' auto auctions too. I believe you missed my point. While E-bay is a part of the 'real' world, what goes on there (with shill bidding and run-up bids/sniping) DOES NOT reflect what happens in a more realistic setting (E.g: selling from your own collection to the general public). No offense to you Harry, but I do believe you to be wiser than this and know where I came from on that statement.

[route66modeler]

Of this point; I have noticed that E-bay and the real world do not always agree. I have been going to shows and swap meets this fall to get a somewhat better true assassment of what the kits I have are worth. You will find widely varying prices for the same kits from show to show and Ebay. Ask some of the vendors at a show what they ultimately got for some of their kits...........

HI, I sell at shows and on evil bay. There are times where I sell a kit for more at a show than what I would get on evilbay. But it works both ways. You can buy kits at shows and sell them for more on evilbay too. Depends on your local market. Steve