Greetings one and all!
This is my first visit and posting. I put together models when I was a
youngster with my uncle. I am now 51 and uncle has long since passed. To
my surprise, he left me with a box of model airplanes. I was told by my
neighbor who put me onto the news group to read and perhaps post the list of
models. I have spent the better part of this day reading all the postings
and replies. I continue to be completely blown away with how things have
changed. Growing up, all we had was Testors and Comet paints and awful
brushes.
I will list what I have, and perhaps someone can give me an idea of what
they are worth. I suspect that they are too valuable to assemble and paint,
as I have been advised that all of the models are out of production and some
of the manufactures are likewise gone by the wayside. I appreciate your
patience and understanding that I am a complete novice. (I was really good
as a kid but haven't done a model in 20 years at least) Here we go, the
list by maker, type model, kit number and the year as closely as I can
determine by the box or instructions. All are complete with instructions
and decals. A couple have been dry-fitted, but are complete. Given that
most are 1950's vintage, there are a few places on the box where insects
nibbled away at the corners of the boxes while stored in Uncle's basement.
I have listed the scale where that particular info is available either on
the box or instruction sheet. In some cases scale is not listed and I am
advised that the scale was what ever fit into a (roughly) 4x15 in box.
These kits were made prior to the plastic bag type packaging, except as
noted.
1. Comet (Hobycraft, Inc), Grumman S2F Tracker, kit # PL-801-98
"authentic scale" perfect & complete (decals & instructions) Large pieces
dry fitted, but small parts still on plastic bars. There is no date on the
box, or instruction but from the look of it, late 50's early 60's.
2. Revel-Monogram, Sopwith Camel, kit #197:198, dated copyright 1957 and
1959. Opened for dry fit as above. Complete with decals and instructions.
3. Monogram 4-Star "Plastikit" 1/12th scale (1 inch = 1 foot), Wright
Cyclone 9 Radial Aircraft Engine (C9HE) Deluxe model-motorized with stub
prop and engine stand. No painting required from the Monogram Hobby-Tech
Series, PE252M-298 dated 1959. Complete and near perfect. Features a
cut-away cylinder head. Pete says it's extremely rare and I defer to his
superior knowledge of models. The box is likewise in perfect condition.
4. Hawk (mfg) Convair 880 (1960) model #519-98. complete. Delta Airlines
decals, perfect condition features 45 parts.
5. Hawk Viscount (1956) decals for Continental Airlines kit #506-98.
complete and perfect. Features 82 parts.
6. Revell "Authentic kit" Douglas DC-8 (1958) Jet Mainliner, kit #H248:98.
complete with decals and inst. Perfect.
7. Hawk- BOAC, Dehavilland Comet IV, (1958), Model #H507-98 complete with
decals and instructions. Minor insect damage to corner and one end of box
otherwise perfect.
8. Revell- Fairchild F27 Propjet Transport, Kit #H297-98 dated 1958
complete with decals and instructions. Perfect.
9. PYRO- 1915 Model T Ford "Vintage Brass Car" (easy now, it's plastic, but
features a brass looking radiator on the box--go figure) dated 1967,
kit CS451-100. Red plastic. Complete with instructions. There is no
mention of any decals in the instruction sheet.
10. Monogram 1:24 scale, Ferrari Testarossa unopened plastic bag. 96 pieces,
dated 1991 complete with instructions.
That's the lot, there are a few model cars that have been assembled and
painted, T-bird, Lincoln continental, Cord, '32 Ford
coupe/hardtop/convertible. I realize already built items are most likely of
little value so what ever my son does not want, I'll photograph and shoot
them out to ebay.
If anyone can help me with the fair market value of the airplanes I'd
appreciate it, and in return I will give first preference to members of the
news group. This is about all the info I can provide at this time. I will
be happy to re-check the items and answer questions or what ever I can to be
helpful.
Thanks for taking the time to read my first posting. I look forward to
corresponding and hopefully make a contribution to the group.
Best Wishes,
Bruce
Hello and welcome!
There are at least four avenues I know of for the sale of "Out of
Production" (OOP) kits.
Here are the URLs for two places that I have been buying from for about
three years now that carry a lot of OOP kits. You may want to try and
contact them regarding the current resell value of some of these kits:
1) C.A. Hood :
formatting link
Gasoline Alley Antiques:
formatting link
You may also see mention of "John F. Green" models. An outfit that dealt
exclusively with OOP kits. However, John F. Green closed up shop earlier
this year.
In addition, Nostalgic Plastic:
3)
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I believe is still running a web site, although their "brick and mortar"
store closed earlier this year.
4) Finally, there is always eBay. I'd look for the same/similar kit in
"Active/Completed" items and see what the going price is.
Hope this helps,
Best wishes,
John M.
For those who were kind enough to respond, thanks, I was able to locate
everything on my "laundry list" and was pleasantly surprised at the
information I found. Firstly, the kits are only worth what they will fetch
at auction. At least I have an idea of what the kits retail for and I was
considering setting the reserve at 80% of retail and let the bidders bump it
from there. I am new at this, so if someone has an alternate strategy, I am
listening carefully! From what I could find out, it appears that most of
the airplane kits are worth around $100 each. The real killer was that
there were people who were perfectly willing to shell out $20 and up for an
empty box, i.e., no model but the bare box and perhaps an instruction sheet.
A few items were so rare, that I was unable to find them anywhere. The
Comet kit of the Gruman S2F (stoof) hasegawa has a new one for 18.00USD.
I'm very fond of this particular bird as I flew in one from the decks of the
Intrepid. I'm tempted to snag the kit, and sell the rare bird to a
collector who would appreciate it. The dark horse was the Monogram 4 Star
Wright Cyclone radial engine... I located one kit, incomplete and damaged
priced at 125 USD. My question here is, if a messed up kit is worth 125,
what is one that is in pristine condition worth? 20%, 50%, double? I don't
want to be greedy, definitely not my style, but I don't want to give it away
only to have someone else turn around a sell it for double (for example)
which strikes me as too much like shooting myself in the foot.
I would appreciate any further guidance offered to this novice. Thanks to
John R. Meloro for the invaluable info he was kind enough to send, roughly
40 minutes after I posted. Damn fast these Ethernet connections, gotta love
it.
Best wishes to all
Bruce
Bruce, the Comet S2F moulds went to Aurora along the way and was
re-released by them many times. If you find a listing for the Aurora
kit you can probably add a few dollars to the price because you have the
older, rarer kit.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
I bought two Comet S2Fs from eBay in the past six months. One was partially
assembled and incomplete. I paid $5.00 for this one. The other was
completely perfect and I think I paid aobut $40.00 for it.
I would put the starting price at $1.00 and let them fetch what they will.
It's not likely someone could buy it off eBay from you for X and then turn
around and re-sell it on eBay for 2X. One can be pretty sure eBay will set
the correct market price. Having said this, you may get more money per kit
between now and Christmas than any other time of year, 'cause some folks
will spend more for gifts.
Jerry 47
"Bruce Apple" wrote in
news:daprb.137779$ snipped-for-privacy@twister.tampabay.rr.com:
I bought one of those engines in a newer boxing for like $20. I don't think
it was regarded as anything to unusual.
Just my 2 cents
Frank
You never know. I bought a sterling balsa and white metal kit of the Missouri
BB63 on ebay about 2 years ago for USD 220.00. Two more sold within 3 weeks
for up to 330.00. Never got around to building this really big model so a year
later thought I would sell it on ebay. Looked around and the several i found
sold for 130.00 to 156.00. I still have it.
I'm not sure where you got your average price of $100 per aircraft
kit, but I think you're going to be disappointed if you feel that the
models that you've listed are going to fetch those kind of bucks. I
just checked completed auctions for Hawk Comet IVs and 880s, and both
were closer to $20 - 25 each. Glencoe's re-release of the 880 and
Viscount severely reduced the values of the original kits. The Revell
large scale Camel might go a little higher. I just had a Revell DC-8
go for about $40, although another "S" kit like yours just went for
$75.
The thing with eBay is that it's all about TWO people who need to want
it bad. And it's funny what can get caught up in a frenzy. (An Airfix
Lancaster just went for over $100. Huh? But it can happen.) And it's
also funny what can happen if you don't get those two people who are
hot to trot. Or if there's several of an item available.
I've sold a lot of kits on eBay (I do this for a living), and more
often than not, I'm happy and pleasantly surprised. You have a box of
basically free models. Whatever you get for them will be much more
than the orginal purchase price. eBay is the ultimte marketplace. It
certainly can't be said that eBay sets any type of price for an item.
But it certainly sets the price for what two people think the item is
worth at that time.
You should set the items below $10 to start. Your auction listing fees
will be less. (I think all of them will bring over $10 with no
problem, so you might even be able to go with $1 as starting bid as
suggested earlier.) No reserve, unless you want to keep them. And let
the market do what it will do. Whatever you make on them, you are
ahead!
I'm not sure why you're worried that someone else might snatch them up
and make more off them than you. First off, I don't think kit dealers
are able to troll eBay for "bargains" unless they have a specific
customer for an item. I certainly have never found a kit for auction
on eBay that's jumped out and said "you can make much more off me than
the current bid". Secondly, as long as you are happy with the selling
price, why should you worry what the buyer (whoever they might be...
modeler, collector or vendor) might end up doing with them?
Congrats on the box of kits! After all these years, it's still a
pleasure to me to drool over a stack of vintage plastic, and I'm sure
they brought back some great memories for you as well.
Good luck with your auctions!
Jeff Garrity
Rare-Plane Detective
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