How Many Here Profit From Your Model Car Hobby?

[High octane]

I have enough trouble building for myself, let alone for someone else so I only build for me. Over the years I only remember building two models for others and they were gifts. While others build for profit and yet others buy and sell for profit, to me whatever works for them is okay.

[monkeyclaw]

Johnny; Nothing at all "wrong" with Making a few bucks along the way; If you are a modeler; sooner or later you will buy low & sell High. I guess the "deadset against" crowd either doesn't like money, or already have enough of it! As for me; I like money; and I enjoy making it from my "hobby"....not just the occasional buy-N-sell, or commissioned builds, or even making resin conversions; that's all just part of the "hobby" for me. To that end; I Am presently involved in the inventory and catalog of a Gigantic toy & racing memorabilia collection, that has been amassed over 50 years; by a very close friend of mine. I was asked to do so BECAUSE of my toy and model experience (HOBBY). For me the work as been amazing; and not truly "work" in that I have had the opportunity to handle some rare and very valuable toys and models while doing so; Several Thousand of them... as well as 1:1 racing stuff; and fine art as well. Again; IMHO the "hobby" is what you make it...if you are content to sit and assemble a model, then for you; That's the "hobby"....If you like going to shows; Then That's the hobby, and so on........It is what it is ..............ENJOY IT! Matt

[Dr. Cranky]

I've been enjoying the comments and I think this is an interesting, thought-provoking thread. Thank you.

I do not sell my work, but the older I get the more I realize this stuff will sit here and perhaps will disappear (hopeful my kids will not simply throw away the stuff when I'm gone--I hope not) but I just can't part with my work because I enjoy playing with and photographing my models.

Having said that, I do not mind generating a bit of money off books, after market parts and decals, etc . . . all of us know it can get to be quite an expensive hobby so every little bit that comes back to you helps keep you going.

Everyone has a right to profit from their art. Why not?

[Art Anderson]

Over the years (( started building model cars right about this time in 1952--age 8, 60 6yrs ago), I avoided taking any commissions for building model cars. About the time Monogram released their 1/72 scale B-52D (1967), while working in a local hobby shop, a middle aged couple asked me what I would charge to build up one for them (their son was piloting one out of Guam to North Vietnam then), and I told them $25, which at first they declared that was expensive, I was building stuff for fun. I had to explain to them that I built my models for me, for fun; but if I did it for someone else, the fun part went away--and they finally understood. So, $25 it was, on top of the kit, and paint. I built the thing, delivered it to their home, they were pleased, and paid me cash money.

It wasn't until late 1974 that the idea of building model cars for pay surfaced again, only this time it was AMT Corporation calling. They had learned that I had a bit of a reputation for building models of cars that had faced the green flag at Indianapolis on Race Day, "would I be interested in doing some Indy car builtups for them?". I said yes, and that started a 7-yr relationship with AMT Corporation and subsequently, Lesney-AMT, for box art, catalog, trade show display, and presentation models. That gig pulled in $2500 to perhaps $3500 a year (Dennis Doty built a lot of these models for AMT as well, until Lesney Corp filed for bankruptcy in early April 1982, owing me nearly $3000 (they paid me off in full plus interest upon settling the bankruptcy that August.)

In January 1989, I started All American Models, and the model-building for pay thing started up again, this time in earnest! What had been a hobby quickly morphed into more than a full-time job, and model building for fun ceased to exist here.

So yes, I've done model building for profit, but no longer. When I have time to build, it's just for me, and me alone.

Art

[modelmike]

I agree with the Doc.... there is nothing wrong with selling your builds.... they are art... but if you are buying kits cheap and selling them at a profit you are not a builder or "artest" if you will...... you are a middle man and should open a hobby store.... thats your calling "A great artest doesn't become great by selling his brushes and paint"

[Harry P.]

I think the original question here dealt with buying and reselling model kits for a profit, not whether you build models for a fee.

It seems to me that buying a kit (or more) and then reselling the kit to make a buck or two is sort of a "sideline" to the hobby... like some said, a way of generating some $$$ that you then put back into buying kits that you intend to build, or buying supplies, etc.

Building models for a fee, for a client, is a whole nother thing. To me, that's not a hobby, that's a job. Once you start building models to meet a customer's demands, the "hobby" aspect is gone and you've entered into a business transaction. Not that there's anything wrong with building models for clients... it's just not a hobby anymore, IMO.

Of course, there are shades of gray here. I suppose a lot of people build sometimes for themselves, sometimes for customers. Some people don't build models at all, but buy and sell kits purely as a profit-making deal. They're not builders, they're resellers.

Myself, I have never sold a kit or a built model, and don't think I ever would. It's just not how the hobby works for me.

[Dr. Cranky]

Oh, thanks for the clarification, Harry. Nah, I only buy kits to build. Of course I know have quite a collection, but most of them have gotten robbed for parts. So it goes.

[DanielG]

I own a shop, so buying and selling is what I do, it is a business. I know people that build replicas for sale, also a business, it pays their bills. I also build stuff, it is a hobby even though I sell some of it, at prices that do not any where near reflect the amount of time put into them, NOT a business. Flipping kits (or realestate or whatever) is not a hobby unless your hobby is making money. It is how some hobbies turn into businesses and if you are lucky you are doing something that makes it worth getting up in the morning AND pays the bills. We should all be so lucky, oh, wait a minute, I am!

[Johnny K]

Matt, Doc, Art, Everyone else, thanks for all the responses. Most have been quite positive, but even the negative ones have been helpful and are quite appreciated - after all, I wanted to know how you truly felt about the subject.

Harry, perhaps I was a little less than clear in the OP - I did consider just asking the question as stated in the first three paragraphs, but decided i should put my own take in there. My real question was how many made profit within the scope of the hobby, by any method - not just the buying and selling of kits. That would rather limit things, I think. I know many members here produce resin products, decals, videos, various aftermarket products, and build for others as well as buy and sell kits. That's all a part of it.

I should also perhaps clarify that I don't simply 'buy low and sell high' as perhaps it came across. Further, I don't use this as a method of making money for things outside the hobby - everything I've made has either gone back into it or is sitting aside for future use.

Again, thanks for your thoughts. They're both thought-provoking and helpful.

[VintageJDM]

Food for thought, considering iv been thinking about the fate of my finished model's [if it ever happen's] i really cant see my self cluttering my house with finished models, i get sheer enjoyment from the build alone, design process, and execution of the job. If someone wants my finished models more than me and is willing to pay enough for me to cover the kit, paint, materials used and maybe a little more cheddar, just enough to buy more kits, ill wont miss a wink of sleep.

[espo]

I have profited in a way I think many of you have. . When I've had a bad day , or week, You can lose your self and your problems and focus on something that you truly enjoy. Life is good at the plastic alter of modeling.

[Jeff Johnston]

I personally don't build to sell but once my models have gone through the show circuit and I have shown them to enough people, then I would sell them. I am very happy with the profit I make.....

That is exactly what I do. Once my shelf fills up with built ups I sell a bunch, make a handful of cash so I can buy more stuff. I have maybe a half dozen built kits that I would never part with. However, I do not get emotionally attached to anything I build and I eventually do sell it. I like to build and for a while I like to look at by builts on the shelf. But always there is a time where I sell a bunch like i did recently. I took the money and bought new tires for my Mustang

[JonhDe31]

On 9/1/2012 at 3:50 AM, Johnny K said:

As with most things, I'm sure there are two camps here.

 

Many builders undoubtedly engage in the hobby for the sheer pleasure, joy, and sense of accomplishment it affords, willingly paying for kits, paints, equipment, and accessories with little regard for making money from it.

 

On the other hand, there must be as many, or more, to whom a bit of return on investment would make the hobby just a bit more enjoyable - not to mention help pay for some of those kits and supplies.

 

So, I'm wondering - how do others here feel about this, and how do you both enjoy the hobby and profit (or not) from it?

 

As for myself, I like the profit route. When I decided I wanted to build a model pickup a little over two and a half years ago, I was surprised at how prices had risen since I built as a kid. I remember getting my occasional dollar bill in the late 50's, early 60's and running out to the local 7-11-type store. I'd pick up a 98 cent kit and pay my remaining 2 cents in tax.

 

Reasonably, I decided to look for deals on eBay. Found a few, and inside a month had a collection of 25 kits, both current and vintage. I quickly realized (with the ever-so-loving and gentle persuasions of my wife), that I might be getting a bit carried away, so decided to resell some after I chose the ones I wanted.

 

To make what could become a long story shorter, I sold a few, but bought more. I soon realized I much more enjoyed buying and selling them than I did constantly building them. It was a year before I started reaching my break-even point. This weekend, I'll break the $3000 profit mark in addition to all the kits and parts I have being paid for - basically free. Not much, I know, for a year and a half, but it's not something I consider a business or career (retired) and I don't do it to make a living. It's just my way of enjoying the hobby.

For me, building model cars started purely as a hobby, but over time I’ve sold a few pieces just to fund new projects. It’s nice when passion and creativity can pay for themselves, even if it’s not about making a big profit.

[gtx6970]

Ive sold a few ( very few )  over the years but doubt I could claim a profit 

 

Ive bought and sold some unbuilt stuff over the years , but 99% of the time it all goes right back in to more kits to build

Wash , Rinse , Repeat 

 

I do have some old annuals / Drag car kits I plan to sell off. But have serious doubts I'll make a profit on any of them 

[mcs1056]

My selling, to date, has been unwanted kits or duplicates I've gotten in buying lots. I got a stash from a son-in-law who was cleaning out FILs house. I don't want NASCAR stuff, and DEFINITELY don't want any of the four Batmobiles. To Ebay they went. I've recovered the cost of the purchase, and made some other folks happy in getting a pretty good deal. 

Win/Win. 

[Dragline]

I did some army building for others in the Warhammer hobby. Like many, it was fun at first then became a job in short order. Too many requests for my work (which is flattering), but ultimately I stopped. I have sold complete cars on eBay a bit and that is just a mess. Cars always arrive broken despite my best packing efforts. A couple of transactions claimed not as good as advertised. Which is complete rubbish. I provided a tons of pics and if you have seen my work here.... Well, I consider myself above average. I sold some very nice cars that were polished and detailed beyond almost all who claimed to be "Pro Built". I see some real junk proclaimed as pro built or built to a high standard, which were neither.

I have a few pics of what I sold. You tell me if they were above average or not.

All sold for an average of about 125.00 each.

[Khils]

1 hour ago, Dragline said:

.....it was fun at first then became a job in short order. Too many requests for my work (which is flattering), but ultimately I stopped.

  Likewise!    

      I was asked the amount of time I had "into such a build". .... quick calculations for that particular commission.... $100 sale price minus time & materials= >$0.05/hour

Never Again!!      (....build your own)

[iBorg]

I've never sold a finished model but have profited from the hobby. I've developed skills that the average person lacks and while I'm slow, I'm also a fairly good craftsman at a host of things. My wife and I joke about the times we need some odd ball repair and I go looking for the model box to achieve it. Model building has given me the confidence to try numerous things that I would not had attempted without the manual skills I've gained from it.

[Dragline]

2 hours ago, Khils said:

  Likewise!    

      I was asked the amount of time I had "into such a build". .... quick calculations for that particular commission.... $100 sale price minus time & materials= >$0.05/hour

Never Again!!      (....build your own)

Warhammer is a bit different. Profit is possible and can be high. But the process takes a while and is mostly repetitive. It's better than model cars by quite a bit.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I have absolutely no desire to monetize my hobby.

Now, that doesn’t mean that I won’t try to seek some form of return on all of my stuff someday when I decide to give it all up.

My biggest issue with selling my finished models is that when I begin adding up the cost of the model kit, the materials, and all of the time and work that was put into it, there’s no way that anyone is going to be on the same page as far as value goes.

Too often, people think anything from $50.00 to a couple hundred is fair when purchasing a built kit, but when I’m starting with an expensive vintage kit, and spending hours upon hours modifying it, well, how much is your time worth to you?

If I spend a couple hundred on a rare kit, put $50.00 or $60.00 worth of materials into it, we’re already approaching $300.00 without figuring any time whatsoever.

I can very easily put a hundred hours into a project, (often much more) so at even a meager $10.00 per hour, that’s $1,000.00, plus the kit and materials, means asking $1,300.00 for a model.

I recently turned down an offer of $950.00 for a Johan ‘68 442.

The bottom line being, if I’m going to put the time and effort into it, the prospective buyer better be willing to open his wallet really wide if he wants it.

And I’m not going to change my building habits just to sell something, meaning I’m not going to start building OOB versus what I really love.

I’ve had people make offers to me on occasion, and to be honest, the vast majority of those offers, I’ve considered insults more than anything.

And I’m confident that the person making the offer thought I was crazy for turning down their $100.00 offers, but I’m not in the habit of giving things away, unless it’s to a close friend.

 

 

Steve

[Brudda]

I see no problem with making a profit from your hobby, although it turns into work if a deadline is set. Work that you may like but with a schedule, its still work. I said I would not turn my hobby into work. But I have to admit , I did. I was very lucky to be able to build 1/8 scale models for free. I get them and build them , put the info into a forum and the kit is free. The people giving me the models asked if I would custom paint some for special customers. Because I did not want to do it, I said $1000 per car. And guess what I had several people in Europe that wanted their cars custom painted. Really weird, but I did them and they loved them. Still getting requests to do more. No time right now because I’m working for Ferrari Racing, but maybe later. Here is a pic of one that went to England. It does take a little out of the enjoyment of building I think. It sells a little of your modeling soul. This is just my very humble opinion. Everyone has their opinions on the subject this is just my experience.