Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[boatman 101]

As the title says guys   how do you ?
chris

[CJ]

Same as most "crafts" probably could never even work out in real terms the hours put into these models and value it. There are a few here who build and refurb so they may chip in with ideas but I assume if it yours you will be looking to recoup at the least what it has cost you in real money. Whether a value can be put on the hours spent I don't know !!

I try not to think what I spend on mine, otherwise the wife will want to know 

CJ

[Martin [Admin]]

Send photo and details of the model to an auction house... a reputable one.
 Conduct a test auction on ebay - start it at £10,000 and make it 'Open to Offers'.

[Shipmate60]

As a rule of thumb about the cost of the kit, if a kit.
Large models don't sell well due to transport problems.
Small RC models don't sell well.
A good guide is how much you would be prepared to buy it for.
Most modellers over value their own models and under value one for sale.
Have a look at the finishing price on ebay for an idea and also in the Sales section on here as we leave the sold posts up for a while.
A really well built model will sell better than an average or poorly built model.
There really isn't a rule of thumb it really is down to how much someone is willing to pay.
I have bought good models for well under a hundred pounds!!
It also depends on the kit manufacturer too.
Roughly a 4 foot model (the largest that will fit across the back seat of a family hatchback) will go from about £200 to £350 depending if sold with radio gear.
What type of models are you thinking of selling?
Warships seem to keep their price a little better if well built.
Pictures are very flattering to model boats so buyers can be wary until viewing of bit lower.
Not a great help I know but models seem to be in their own slump at the moment except for those built and kept in exceptional condition.

Bob

[Netleyned]

At the end of the day, no matter how much money and time, sweat and tears have gone into it,
it is only worth what someone is willing to pay if you wish to sell it.
Martins 'Test Auction' will give you some idea of what people will pay.

Ned

[justboatonic]

I had the same question a little while ago. The concensus was................. that there was no concensus!

IMVHO you have a couple of options, one, try and trade it in at a model shop for another kit but, you'll get rock bottom price! Two, try selling through small adds but you'll likely have little or no response. Three, put it up on flea bay but be prepared to be ripped off!

If using flea bay, I'd say put it up as a buy it now \ make an offer for 10 - 15% more than you actually want. This way, if you've undervalued it, you stand a chance of getting a reasonable price. If you dont get any offers in line with what you want, then consider an auction with a reserve in line with any best offer you did receive but turned down.

Its difficult using flea bay to gauge what other models are going for because some people \ wide boys try and sell for a grossly inflated price.

Bottom line is, if you get back what the kit cost, you'll have done well (again imvho).

[boatman 101]

MANY THANKS for your input guys 
chris

[F4TCT]

Same dilemma with my modified Wyeforce Tug.

Theres about £700-£750 ploughed into that model including £50 worth of prop shop screws, paint, radio gear etc etc...

Am I going to get that back for it - highly unlikely however I need to sell it!

So the question is, what is one to do?

[Colin Bishop]

Grit yout teeth and take the loss!

[wullie/mk2]

Stick it on ebay, you never know,its a fickle place,only recently there was an Italeri 1/35 Schnellboot,that had No props or motors,no rc gear, broken hand rails,yet it sold for £240,...but on the other hand in Dec last year there was a Graupner 1/150 Premium Bismarck, complete with all Rc gear,including 2 x Electronize 30amp Esc,s and Tx & rx + 6 x 6v 4amp batts, it only made £500, and this was a £1000+ worth,..its now in my shed,

[Norseman]

in the shed - thanks Wullie

My experience with ancient German scooters is this - The fully restored and pristine models are harder to sell and often attract a poorer price than the moderate sheds. Simply because for many enthusiasts the joy is  all in the restoration and not in the ownership.

Dave

[Rottweiler]

put it mayhem for sale and let the same  so called ."expert" who declared mine to be an "inferior and overpriced"
Definition of Expert    "ex" a has been "spurt" that which comes from little drips  ( self opinionated at that,and downright personal also"
Mick

[wullie/mk2]

in the shed - thanks Wullie

My experience with ancient German scooters is this - The fully restored and pristine models are harder to sell and often attract a poorer price than the moderate sheds. Simply because for many enthusiasts the joy is  all in the restoration and not in the ownership.

Dave

I,m Dazed & Confused Dave, whats yer Heinkel got to do wi my pristine Bismarck, apart from the fact that they were both German,

[Norseman]

Are you dazed and confused because you've started on those strong beers  you told me about?

and saying 'it's in the shed' where I live would be like shouting 'Free Boats' up and down the street.

Dave

[wullie/mk2]

Ah! I see,.... i,m a wee bit,No that you wid notice,slow on the uptake,at times, but then again,I sometimes sleep in ma shed,

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

put it mayhem for sale and let the same  so called ."expert" who declared mine to be an "inferior and overpriced"
Definition of Expert    "ex" a has been "spurt" that which comes from little drips  ( self opinionated at that,and downright personal also"
Mick

This has now been corrected.

We do not allow adverse  (or any)  comment of Folks sales any more.

[irishcarguy]

I thought an expert was an idiot a thousand miles from home. I have actually been told that I am considered an expert in my field( restoring old British sportscars) my reply is always the same, I am still learning & I am considered good only because I have screwed it up more times than most other people & learned to correct my mistakes & I mean that.I find I am only as good as my last job & there are times that things I have done could show a marked improvement if I had taken more care.Mick B.

[justboatonic]

Same dilemma with my modified Wyeforce Tug.

Theres about £700-£750 ploughed into that model including £50 worth of prop shop screws, paint, radio gear etc etc...

Am I going to get that back for it - highly unlikely however I need to sell it!

So the question is, what is one to do?

Its heartbreaking seeing all the money you've put into something realise very little. But the best chance of getting as much back as possible is to make your flea bay pitch is interesting and giving the right info. I'd always say have at least 4 good quality pictures ie big and in focus!

Number of times I've seen flea bay adverts for stuff that is out of focus or uses small pictures is untrue and I generally skip past them.

[polaris]

Dear All,

As Justboatonic has correctly pointed out, the basic business marketing procedure of the 3 P's is vital, viz, Presentation, Presentation, Presentation.

If people can't see, what hope?

As to value of our vessels, well, maybe it is we all who should be setting the levels? We all are after all supposed to be rather good at what we do? Therefore, the min. sale price of any vessel should be it's material build cost. However, what about time I hear everybody shout... quite true, but, if that was taken into consideration, all our vessels would be a min. of £2k + !!! Difficult one isn't it.

Regards, Bernard

[Colin Bishop]

Its heartbreaking seeing all the money you've put into something realise very little.

Well, actually you quite probably will get that back. What you won't get is the notional cost of the hours you spent making it. But then, as those hours were spent on pursuing your hobby then they don't really count - you worked for free.

Even if you have made a museum quality scratch built model which realises a tidy sale price, the notional hourly rate will still be very low. You will only make money if you are commissioned to do a build by a third party.

In valuing your work as an amateur you have to factor in the cost of the pleasure you had in making the model and subtract that from the selling price! Then it all begins to make a bit more sense!

Colin

[armc40]

MY advice is that if the Charity shops refuse to take it....there's a very good chance that you're onto a loser !

[Norseman]

Colin posted while I was typing this -but here it is anyway

Sorry Bernard - I don't fully agree. Let's use a kit as the example.
Part of the value of a boat / boat kit lies in the build, in the fun you have had doing it. You then, in part, bought fun.
If then you accept that fun is part of what you bought, and as that fun cannot then be passed on to your buyer - why should he perform a full refund?
That doesn't mean you should give it away though.

Dave

[Shipmate60]

One way is to try and take yourself out of the equation.
If you saw your model for sale in a model shop how much would you pay for it.
Most modellers over value their own models and undervalue others models.
I always assume that at the very least I will rewire the model to how I want it but this usually ends up in a complete refurbishment.

Bob

[Colin Bishop]

There is also the further point that the price you get will be very dependent upon who happens to be a prospective buyer at the time you put it up for sale and that is in the lap of the Gods as Robert Wilson will confirm. If your sale of a WW2 warship model coincides with someone looking for a model of that ship because his Dad served on it during the war then you may strike lucky! The same thing happens in auctions if there hapens to be a buyer with a particular interest in the model, or type of model, you are selling - maybe he wants to complete a collection. It does happen, but not as often as you might like.

These days you can buy a very nice looking RTR scale model for not a huge amount of money. It will almost certainly have been made by a combination of large scale precision manufacturing and finished off by a Chinese guy working for peanuts by our standards. Contrast that with your nice kit model - you haven't really 'made' it you have essentially assembled it and in painting it etc, you are up against the Chinese guy who is doing this sort of work on a full time basis so he will be a lot better at it than you are. And so the RTR product is likely to be superior in most respects to yours and will not command a premium pricewise, probably the opposite in fact as yours will be in a 'used' state and not pristine.

Colin

[polaris]

Dear All,

I think we will all be in agreement that we are 'all right'! Indeed, one way and another everybody is. Bob touched on one succinct point, in that owners might overvalue their own, but undervalue others. My opinion in all this - rightly or wrongly - is that it seems always a buyers mkt.. True we have all one way and another put many 100's of hrs., lot's of thought, and lot's of research so to get things as right as possible, and as someone said, this is 'the hobby' - however seriously we take it.

I can easily see this debate going round in circles, and it is easy to understand why. What we should get for our vessels we never will and that's that... and whilst it would be nice to get 'a good price', at the end of the day most of us are content with 'our lot'. I am, I am thankful for what I have and enjoy them (despite the fact that I have had none of them on the water for 2 years - sadly), and I have not forgotten all the help alongside all my work/effort that I received from other Mayhem members - without whom my work on Belfast would have been considerably more difficult, and I am not now afraid of tackling any kind of superstructure work/remodelling. What value all of this, priceless, what financial return over 'investment'... none, so what, none was sought in the first place... except a determination to get that partic. vessel on the water to befit her status... and it was achieved. What total return, 0, when I pop my clogs she is going to HMS Belfast - who have said they would like mine. Satisfaction from project... 100%!

Regards, Bernard