What's been your big bargain purchase?

[berr13]

I was wandering through a swap meet in southern California one Sunday years ago, and found an MPC annual '68 GTO for sale. It was unpainted, somewhat built, and included all sorts of extra parts from other kits (lots of IMC Ford GT stuff, for one), and incomplete, but in the box. Guy wanted .75 for it, and I chiseled him down to .25. Later sold it for $45 on eBay. I also got in on the Pocher models at K Mart--I bought two different Alfas, and later sold them for ten times what I paid for them.

[kitbash1]

I got a Entex 1/8 scale McLaren M23 at an estate sale 10 years ago, price $10.00 . Box open, not started.

[ChrisBcritter]

Large scale ITC '53 Vette - paid a dollar for it at a rummage sale and sold it for $75.

Edited August 18, 2013 by ChrisBcritter

[deja-view]

Probably my first Ala Kart kit in 1960 or so for about 1 dollar. But that doesn't really count 50 years later. Maybe not seeming like a "bargain", but a few years back I got a mint 1/8 scale Entex M23 McLaren with TWO sets of perfect Marlboro decals for $300 if I remember correctly. I couldn't bear to build it, and sold it a year or two later for $1000+, and then sold the second set of decals for another $75.

But for kits I absolutely plan to keep and build it would have to be my Bandai 1/12 scale 1969 Corvette that the seller carried all the way from Australia and handed to me. I think I paid $50 for it, and I've only seen one more in 10 years....and bought it, too (for a lot more than $50. One will someday be converted to a replica of my long gone 1973 Corvette coupe.

Wait. Would snagging 3 Pocher 1/8 scale Porsche 911 (993?) kits for $90 each count? I think it was Model Empire or ModelExpo, around 1996-7. I built them all for customers, one into a bright yellow cabriolet with a nice canvas top. Not the best models that Pocher made, but with patience, a lot of extra detailing, and a whole lotta paint they can be done up pretty nice.

Edited August 18, 2013 by deja-view

[Luc Janssens]

$15 for an original amt '66 Impala convertible, at a diecast store in the mid 90s.

[Repstock]

I have won three (over the years) International CO-4070A's for $25.00 (buy it now, these were three different occasions) on eBay.

I got a sealed 1/32 International Eagle cabover at the Toledo NNL for $30.00,

lastly, when I worked at a department store (going out of business), they gave me 125 pounds of .020 styrene sheets (the dividers in the record racks, yes, THAT long ago) for $10.00. I still have about 120 pounds left.

Oh yes, I got a 1970 JoHan Roadrunner for $27.00 on eBay. (blurry picture, sold as a GTX. I took a chance, and the model was perfect!)

I have never found any deals at flea markets or yard sales. I still look, though.

[disabled modeler]

Every great once in awhile I find good deals at garage sales but there few and far between....bought a (real) 60 Impala SS HT for $75.oo once was in nice shape but had a bad camshaft. Plastic...best one recently was a General Lee kit open no decals for 2.oo.

[Guest]

The biggest and best purchase I've made so far was an IH Transtar II Eagle cabover, lowboy trailer, two John Deere 4430 tractors, two John Deere 310 backhoes and a '77 Ford F-350 with a camper for $210 shipped. They were all sealed except for the F-350. But, it was sealed inside. I later scored a John Deere farm wagon for $20 shipped.

[Scott Colmer]

About 20 years ago I was at the the NNL West swap meet. On the table was a MPC STP 20th scale Turbine open but sealed inside. I asked the guy how much. He said 20 bucks. I had to borrow the money from a friend. I liked the the kit. When we all compared our buys, I found out what a steal that was.

Second was a cleanly build chitty chitty bang bang for 10.00 off e-bay

Third was a collection that included a Pocher Alpha Romero and double T kit for 100.00. I sold the Alpha for 100.00 and called it a good deal.

Scott

[checkmate]

Got a MPC Vette Van for $14.95......cost me $25 to ship it here.

[Tom Geiger]

I was checking out one of the websites that had popped up to compete with eBay. Those sites are always under funded and have zero traffic. I went to the toy/model section and there were a few new diecasts. Then I saw a model lot.. two kits, an original 1963 Nova convertible and the original issue Monogram Model A Woody Wagon. Price $10. for the pair!

[Craig Irwin]

I bought a Modelhaus 48 Tucker, complete and unstarted in the original box for $40 at a swap meet.

[Skip]

Fifteen years ago, picked up a unopened Monogram Big Deuce, (black edition) at a garage sale for $12.50. Couldn't bring myself to haggle on the price! I knew my uncle was looking for one. I was going to give it to him at that price, he wouldn't hear any thing of the sort and stuffed $50 in my hand. That was the last model he built too, both of thought we got screaming deals.