Yet ANOTHER Collection For Sale!

Hello, model aircraft enthusiasts. I haven't posted to this newsgroup before, but I figured this might be the place to start. I see there are a few folks either actively selling off collections or at least contemplating it so I guess I'm at least in good company.
My 74-year-old father has collected model aircraft of virtually all types and descriptions since he was a child, and has collected the related magazines and other publications for the hobby for many years as well. It's quite an extensive collection (filling well over half of a two-car garage, boxed and stacked - and that doesn't count the built items) of boxed model kits still in original packaging, magazines sorted and categorized, and related paraphernalia. The collection in question includes RC models, some engines, plans, etc., as well as Plastic models, some non-flying balsa models, etc. There are (mostly) planes and (some) heli's, along with other odds and ends. And there are magazines for all of the above and more.... with issues going back I'd guess to at least the 1970's in most cases, and in some cases far longer (1960's, 1950's, perhaps some even older???)
Anyway, it's now for sale. Dad recently had some health problems that unfortunately required him to move from living independently in his home to living in an assisted living facility, so he's asked me to take care of selling off his beloved collection in the process of preparing his house for sale. So this past weekend I moved the collection to a storage unit near my own home, and am in the process of organizing it. I have yet to find the binder in which my father meticulously maintained a complete catalogue of the items but many of the boxes were labeled externally, so I have at least some idea of what I've got already. As soon as I have the complete collection catalogue at my disposal, I plan to convert it to a spreadsheet that I will be able to e-mail to anyone who is possibly interested in any of the items.
If anyone here has any tips that might help me in selling off Dad's collection for its real value (and I'm still determining that... in fact, help would be appreciated there too) I would love to hear from you.
Sincerely, Collector's Daughter

Summer - Let us know when you have a listing prepared of the items for sale (I myself am most interested in Real Space and Sci-Fi if you have any) and where we could send a letter to obtain it. Or respond via e-mail if you are able to transfer the list electronically. I hope your dad's felling better soon. Regards,

Summer, If you're talking about a huge collection, you may want to talk to some of the folks in Fayetteville, NC, who recently set up a sale of 10,000 kits for a fellow collector. If you would like the contact information for one of the LaFayette Scale Modelers Club members, let me know. They are the guys who hosted the sale and they can give you an idea of how much work they had to do. I am not a member, but when I lived near Fayetteville, I was and I still know one or two of the guys. Good luck and best wishes for your Dad.
-->Jonathan jbherri2 ***at**** yahoo DOT com

Summer Storms wrote:
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For its REAL VALUE? You might want to get really good at ebay. It's stunning what the true 'collector value' of some of the older/rarer kits will turn out to be and there's virtually no way you can personally invest the time to learn enough about it yourself (Nor do you want to. If you got to know enough to truly understand it, you'd keep everything.). Ebay levels that playing field, at least in the plastic model world. The collectors as well as the bargain hunter builders haunt it regularly.
If you use long-term auctions (not 3-day; 7 or 10 day), those who are willing to pay a lot for something will find out about it. If you get almost nothing for an item, that's what it was worth. For maximum return, though, you'll need to do the maximum work. Auction the items separately, not as lots. Depending on where you are, you may be able to find a commercial ebay lister who will do most of the work for you - for a fee.
Now, some will tell you you're making a mistake to do it this way - and they'll make what may appear to be a very generous offer for 'everything'. Rest assured that that the amount of that offer can be doubled or tripled - or more - if you have the patience to auction everything off separately.
Good luck. Tell your father that fellow modelers understand how difficult it is to part with a carefully considered lifetime accumulation of 'projects' as he is doing now. It sounds like you're treating it with the respect we'd all expect of our valuable 'stashes'. -- C.R. Krieger (Dreading that day ...)

snipped-for-privacy@yahoonospam.com says...
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One thing I'd be wary about: If the models spent a long time in a garage that was not climate controlled, they may have been damaged by summertime heat - likewise for your current storage space, if it's not climate controlled temperatures can skyrocket.

On Tue, 09 May 2006 12:59:36 -0400, Summer Storms
You did not say where you were located so, go to www.ipmsusa.org and click on the Chapter and RC Directory button to find a club near you (better if your Dad was a member of one). These folks can help you inventory and sell the collection. E-bay is a very good option if you have the time and patience, but to get maximum sales, a good description, particularly if the kit has been opened, is essential. To unload quickly, you can also sell the entire lot to a collector (who then resell the stuff), but you will be lucky to get 50% of the real value that way.
If you are near a club that hosts an annual show/contest, they may assist you to sell the kits at a vendor table there.
Keep in mind that the above relates only to the plastic kits - the flying models are an entirely different story. For those, I would highly recommend e-bay.
Good luck to you.
When you get your list together, please e-mail me the file at: snipped-for-privacy@bww.com He probably has some stuff I'm looking for!
John