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Kit Value?

Let me preface this with the fact that this kit is NOT for sale... So please don't ask.

A very good friend recently handed me an original Estes Orbital Transport kit, Estes K42, # 1242

Pristine, and sealed in the bag, it has a Kiddie World price tag on it of $6.64. This kit is pretty much perfect. The tubes are not crushed. The paper flap that is on the top of the bag is a little bit dog-eared, but the hole is not torn through. Other than that, like I said, it's in most excellent condition.

I've seen other kits put up on auction on both ROL and eBay that sold for some seriously ridiculous prices.

Anyone have a guess what the Orbital Transport might be worth?

If, and I say IF, you had an opportunity to bid on this kit (but you won't,) what would you be willing to part with to have it?

(I ask because I'd like to return the favor. Like I said, he just handed it to me. "Here James. This is for you." I know it's not going to put my kid through school, but I'd like to get an idea of it's monetary value.)

Thanks,

James

Reply to
James L. Marino
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Many moons ago, I had a link to somenone's web page that kept tabs on winning bid prices for rocket kits. While googling to try to find it, I came across the following post:

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says, in a nutshell: "3 Orbital Transports have been auctioned off--high bid was $300, low bid was $102.50 and the average is $182.50." That was in July of 2000, before the re-issue.

Then I found the auction tabulation page:

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it was created in 1999 and doesn't look like it's been updated since 2000 (again, before the OT re-issue). It lists seven total sales with an average price of $376.

You may want to search the RMR archive on google to see if there are any more-recent postings.

I assume since he's a "very good friend" that you know what he likes to drink--buy him a bottle of that. If it was me, I'd give a sixer (or more) of my homebrew--"Mmmm, beer!"

-- Mark Recktenwald Stow, Ohio NAR #77432 L1, MTMA (#606) President MTMA web page:

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Reply to
mreckt

they've been going for $125-$150 lately.

Occasionally some newbies will get into a bidding war which is where you see the occasional inflated price. Or it's someone who just must have the kit, therefore is is worth it to them.

Roy nar12605

Reply to
Roy Green

the occasional inflated price. Or it's someone who

The re-release, a couple of years ago, probably softened the demand for the original kit, too. It's not an "original" in any sense, but among casual collectors who "just has to have one", it's enough. Thus your pool of potential bidders is diminished somewhat.

Reply to
I

the occasional inflated price. Or it's someone who

The big value in a re-release is for someone who wants to BUILD and FLY the sucker. I picked up a handful of them when re-released. But I still have my original, built in 1970 when it first came out.

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

I bought two myself, one to build and one to hang onto. But I haven't even built the one yet, because I still have my cloned O.T. (with all-natural, free-range organic balsa) from about 5 years ago.

Reply to
I

What type nose cones were included in the newer version?? I have a Orbital-Transport (OT) kit in an original sealed bag, with balsa nose cones, the numbers on the kit are K-42, #1242. The kit was made during the time Estes was a Damon company. I suspect the kit was manufactured late 70's or maybe early eighties, because the display hanger tag is overall black, with Blue and white lettering. Back in 2000 I put an OT kit up on ROL; the display hanger was green, with white and black lettering, also with a Washington DC hobby shop price tag of less than $10. The hobby shop had been out of business sense at least 1979. That kit went for $300, might of been $302, can't quite remember. I figured it was worth $100 at the time and could not believe anyone would pay more than that amount of money for it. The bidding war took off at about 5 min before closing and did not sop until about 15 min after the auction closed, due to ROL sniper guard. Hey, maybe I'll put the slightly newer one I have on ROL, and see if the fir will fly again.

Fred

I wrote:

built the one

balsa) from

Reply to
W. E. Fred Wallace

Plastic, both nose cones.

I haven't seen crazy prices on Estes kits from the 60's and 70's like there was a couple of years ago. Very high, yes, but not insane. I think the re-issue may have hurt the OT's value, plus (this is just a theory of mine) I believe the dot-com bubble was making people richer than they had brains to rightly deserve. When dot-com went pop, the insanity did too.

Still, it couldn't hurt to try - put her up!

Reply to
I

one HUNDRED million dollars

:)

Reply to
Tater Schuld

You are correct on that in many ways.

I had an intern buy (mortgage) a Porsche after he left my side to take an east coast dot come job with all kinds of options.

He was lucky, while his first dot com went belly up, he was a fighter and survived. He now has a huge house on the coast with a beach, and an H2 as well as a Boxer.

Reply to
Cranny Dane

SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you want to send a money order or use PayPal?

James

Reply to
James L. Marino

Sorry I can't remember the name, but there is a website that keeps an up to date list of auction results. I'm sure someone on rmr knows the site and can list it.

Randy

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Reply to
Randy

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 14:01:44 GMT, "James L. Marino" did carve unto the very living rock upon which we now stand:

Not trying to be smart, but if you've already seen the closing bids, then you have a firsthand account for what the market is willing to pay for the kit. I don't think anyone here (with the exception of Dr. Evil earlier) is gonna pay more than what you've already seen.

Reply to
Steve Ruud

Those were just that... other kits. I don't recall seeing an original OT. I'm just trying to determine an approximate value.

James

Reply to
James L. Marino

Hello James,

Determine an approximate value ... YOU CAN'T. Its a completely subjective market. An OT, skill level (green kit) just sold 2 weeks ago for less than $40.00 on an auction site. I have sen the "K" kit version sell for $125 - $150. The REAL guage of value is what you feel its worth. Trying to say, 'Kit X is worth Y dollars, and kit A is worth B dollars', is what gets a lot of people confused.

Would I pay $300.00 for an OT kit ... NO, not even if it were a first year issue. Would I pay $300.00 for a Vashon Viking ... YES! Its all about availability, and the likelyhood of the kit being re-issued. OTs during their production run were made in the 10s of thousands ... they are out there and pop up on ebay, one or two a month. The Vashon Viking was not made in the 10s of thousands and comes up on ebay every year or two or three ...

Cloning ... VERY easy to clone an OT for under $20.00. Vashon Viking ... in order to clone this with its metallic tanks, and stage couplers, ect., would cost as much if not more than to just pay the few hundred dollars for the original.

I would say that your OT is worth what you would be willing to sell it for, and what the buyer is willing to pay ... same with the Vashon Viking.

Oh, don't believe all the sky high prices you see on auction. Most of that comes from people shill bidding their items way up. Also, an OT just closed for $80 a couple weeks back ... so $40/$80 to $300 is a very WIDE price range. Sorry to not have better news for you ... most people figure a rocket HAS to be worth thousands of dollars because they want it to be.

Reply to
lunarlos

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