mikemodeler Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hey guys, I have a question that probably has multiple answers but want to throw it out there to the group. I spent this weekend going through all of my sealed model kits and separating the "keepers" from the "sellers" and came up with a list of about 170 sealed kits I want to get rid of. I have finally realized that I don't have the time to build all of these up and I am better off selling them and using the money for other needed items in my life. The question is to those that have found themselves in the same situation and it is this: How did you get rid of the "excess" models in your collection? I know that there are buyers out there that will look at my list and make me an offer but reality is I am not needing to sell, more like wanting to sell. I am not an eBay guy, I have never bought or sold on there and am not looking to start. I am not sure what the status of eModelcars is and if it gets enough traffic to sell them. I travel with my job and am not home on a regular basis to ship on a schedule if I were to list them on eBay or eModelcars. I don't think I really want to trade any of my kits, the whole idea is to reduce what I have and I can't think of any kits I want that I don't already have. I am not aware of any upcoming shows in my area (Charlotte NC) that would allow me to get a table and sell them there. I will be compiling a spreadsheet of the kits with manufacturer and kit number/description in the coming days and am wondering if grouping them together (ex. '69 Camaro; '32 Ford; Chevy pickup, etc) would be easier to sell them or to just put a list together and send it out to the masses? How should I address shipping? It won't be cheap to send all 170 kits at once but even 4 or 5 at a time might run $20. I really appreciate the feedback that I am expecting and hopefully things will go smoothly in the process. Once all of the sealed kits are gone, then I will go through the open kits and make some decisions on those as well. I am not getting out of the hobby, just looking to make life a little easier and some fellow modellers happy with some kits from my collection. Thanks in advance! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Mike, 4 or 5 kits'll cost ya ALOT more than 20 bucks! A single kit goes for around 6/7 bucks at my PO. It DOES go by weight, so if you pack it cheaply it might be less, but you CAN'T gay ron tee what kinda condition it'll be in when ya get it! That's why i TRY to pack them well, expensive or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodiak Island Modeler Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 George is right. The delivery systems can do some very strange and exotic things to items that are carefully packed, and the less care taken, the more fun they can have. When I send something, I make sure that it is packaged like it's got to survive a demo derby, because it does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I am not an eBay guy, I have never bought or sold on there and am not looking to start. How should I address shipping? You should. It's not hard, and it exposes your kits to a worldwide pool of potential buyers who are willing to pay and not hassle you about the shipping cost. Shipping is also easy on eBay, as you can set it up so eBay automatically calculates the shipping cost, and all you have to do is enter the approx. weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick2005 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 PM me a list when you get it wrote up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyBradKeselowski Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I'll take a list also when you get wrote up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Before the advent of online auction sites- I used to put up a flyer in my local hobby shops/dime stores/etc. (with the store owner's permission, of course) and had pretty good luck that way. Sure, not everybody is going to look at it, but some will, and some will contact you. Even if not, I did end up selling quite a few guys who called me saying "Yeah... buddy of mine told me you had a (fill in the blank)." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Before the advent of online auction sites- I used to put up a flyer in my local hobby shops/dime stores/etc. (with the store owner's permission, of course) and had pretty good luck that way. Sure, not everybody is going to look at it, but some will, and some will contact you. Even if not, I did end up selling quite a few guys who called me saying "Yeah... buddy of mine told me you had a (fill in the blank)." Been thinking about that avenue Chuck as it worked for me in the past as well but other than a Hobbytown USA, there is not a LHS for 20 miles around me. Their selection has not changed much over the last year (except what I have bought it seems!) so I am not sure what kind of traffic their model kit aisle sees. I am thinking about contacting a couple of clubs in the surrounding area to see if they have members that might be interested in buying some/all of the kits too. Thanks for the ideas so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 You cam PM the list to me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheels Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I know it's April, but on August 18, 2012 in Clemmons, N.C. Carolina Kustom Modelers is putting on their annual model show. The 5th Annual NNL Model Car Summer Classic Event 2011. That might give you the time needed to get everything together. Here's the link. I'm considering going this year for the first time. I hear it's a pretty good show. Check it out. http://www.carolinakustommodelers.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 I know it's April, but on August 18, 2012 in Clemmons, N.C. Carolina Kustom Modelers is putting on their annual model show. The 5th Annual NNL Model Car Summer Classic Event 2011. That might give you the time needed to get everything together. Here's the link. I'm considering going this year for the first time. I hear it's a pretty good show. Check it out. http://www.carolinakustommodelers.com/ It is a great show and I plan on going to it although if my son gets accepted to the college he wants, I will be a 1,000 miles away and unable to make it. That show is a great one for buying kits and also some great models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordie Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Have you considered Craigslist, local, online advertising, but no shipping, buyer collects item(s) from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Have you considered Craigslist, local, online advertising, but no shipping, buyer collects item(s) from you. I have checked Craigslist, but there is little activity here in Charlotte. On a negative side, there has been a rash of robberies associated with Craigslist here locally, not that model builders are the type prone to ripping others off ! There is a show about 90 minutes south of here in mid-May that could be an outlet, will have to see what tables run. Thanks for the tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustymodeler Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 You could also pm me a list when you get one made up please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantrix Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I put up a list of models I wasn't interested in here in the appropriate forum section and traded them for models I wanted. Pretty simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 You could try a local swap meet at a car show . The spaces are not always cheap but if you could make it to the dates they have it would get ride of the shipping problem. I have seen many people selling a couple models at car show but few who sell this many at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 You could try a local swap meet at a car show . The spaces are not always cheap but if you could make it to the dates they have it would get ride of the shipping problem. I have seen many people selling a couple models at car show but few who sell this many at one time. I had thought of that- we have the Food Lion Auto Fair coming up in 2 weeks here at the Charlotte Speedway but figure a table would probably run $100. I have learned of a show next month in SC that I may attend, if my schedule works out. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 You'll get the biggest audience and best price offered if you sell them one by one on Ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 yes you are totally handicapping yourself by excluding ebay. if you are looking to optimize income, ebay is the way. yeah its lame and yeah its a pain especially just starting out but i guarantee you you will get results there if you have anything other than recent issues or reissues. craigslist sadly has devolved into a ghetto yard sale situation with you as likely to get robbed or cheated as to get what you pay for. i know thats not literally true but sometimes it seems like it. trying to off them at yard sales or non-automotive swap meets is going to bring bottom dollar. 1:1 auto swaps might be better but again probably near bottom prices or they will just sit there in the sun. word of mouth in places like, say, here are likely to lead to a few sales though, so if you would kindly pm me your list with asking prices i would be glad to see whats available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 You'll get the biggest audience and best price offered if you sell them one by one on Ebay. I have no doubt that eBay is the best way to sell these kits but it is the time aspect that has me aprehensive over starting down that road. With 170 kits to possibly sell (maybe more), it could take me a considerable amount of time to get rid of them, not to mention my free time, which I have very little of. I have considered selling them in lots, although that can be tricky because they have to be the right combos to appeal to buyers. Thanks for the tip, if I list them on eBay I will let the forum know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I have purchased alot of kits on ebay, But I understand that your not interested in doing this. You might want to use it as a price guide. USPS flat rate shipping boxes are the best way to go, the boxes are free, and you can pay for and print shipping labels from home. I'd love to see the list. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Brian Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I would like a list also, I'm local so we might not have to involve the postal service in any transaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 using ebay as a price guide is not a bad idea. but you have to know some secrets and possibly you have to be a member to exploit those secrets. the secret i am alluding to is do NOT judge what a model will sell for before the auction is over. most action happens in the very last few minutes and prices can skyrocket. do an advanced search and find and check the box that says "completed listings only" (or something to that effect). then you will see what things really sold for. or not. which brings us to the case of "buy it now". basically ignore "buy it now" as in many cases its someone dreaming and not reflective of a true price. of course this does not hold true though if someone actually bought it for the "buy it now" price...that typically means, to me anyway, that it would have gone for more if the auction continued to a close normally instead of just getting bought for the asking price. one thing you didnt mention was ratio of "rare" kits to everyday ordinary kits in your stash. obviously the former is going to draw a lot more than the latter. that thing about spending the time on it is definately a problem, unless you want to be a packing and shipping clerk for the duration. so i feel ya there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Thanks for the responses guys and I am still getting the list together of the kits I want to sell formatted for everyone to review. I think I have figured out my plan for selling these kits without having to spend a ton of money or time in the process. First I will offer them up to members here via PM- please don't send me a message just yet! I will let you all know when I am ready!! What ever kits are left over I will take to a show in Simpsonville, SC (Greenville area) in mid-May. If there are any left after that, I will consider eModelcars and then eBay or any other upcoming model shows/swap meets. My plan includes getting some boxes and packing material ready so that I can ship fairly quickly and cheaply once I am ready to go. I would like to be able to offer free shipping but it will obviously be reflected in the kit price if I do. I am not sure how International shipping works (cheapest, most reliable, etc) so I may elect to ship USA only, I will try to get all the facts and figures. To Dan's point above, my re-investment plans do include some kit purchases and most likely a Pace spray booth as I want to have a clean & safe painting station to replace the cardboard box in the garage! My goal is to reduce the number of impulse buys and instead focus on those kits that I truly intend to build. Thanks again, I should have the list ready by this weekend and will start a new post alerting you all ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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