Vintage/Near Vintage Kit Worth

[Thistle17]

This topic may have been covered by others but I have been unable to find references here. If someone can point me to a thread I'd appreciate it.

 

Anyway i had put a post in a local hobby shop to entice new members. I did get a response from a gentleman who had about 25 models still in boxes. Most were Marine Model and Model Ship  Ways. There were 4 or 5 Italian kits. It struck me as an odd collection since there were 2 sets of duplicates. I recognized the boxes for the MM, they were yellow. Most boxes were in decent shape. The Model Ship Ways were of near recent vintage  as they were the boxes prior to their current 'blue boxes" but not the ones of the 1980's.

 

I am guessing the MM were of late 1970's vintage and into the 1980's. All are solid hull. They probably have lead fittings.

 

I am guessing the Model Ship Ways are 1990's vintage as most have laser cut bulkheads.

 

He desires to sell all as a package. So I am wondering what is the common offer profile in terms of cents on the dollar one would offer?

 

I am thinking our club would buy them and resell to start a small treasury fund, not that we would be looking to make a killing.

 

Anyone, any thoughts?

Edited October 5, 2016 by Thistle17

[GuntherMT]

I don't have much experience in this area, but in general it seems like old kits go for fairly low amounts.  I was able to pick up a MS kit that's probably from that same era, maybe a bit later (pre-blue box though) for about 23% of retail ($80 for a $350 kit), and I didn't try to negotiate at all, might have gotten it down even cheaper if I had.  (also consider that MS regularly sells their kits for 50% off, so this is really 1/2 of the regularly available price of $175)

 

I also got a barely started MS Constitution (also pre-blue box) for free, because someone wanted it out of their closet but couldn't bring himself to toss it in a garbage bin.

 

One other point of reference, guy in my IPMS group is trying to sell an MS Bounty launch for $40 (newer blue-box kit) and has had no takers for over a month now.

 

Obviously the desirability of each kit will vary from person to person, but I certainly wouldn't offer a very high price, based on my limited experience with used kits.

[ccoyle]

Brian's point about ME pricing is worth noting. The seller should be made aware that he can't reasonably expect to use ME's MSRP pricing as a starting point.

 

Over the years, I have seen many ME and MM models sold on eBay. Some of those older ME kits are still in production and pretty much identical to a kit being made now, so they should be priced based on what a current 2nd-hand, unbuilt, NIB kit could reasonably fetch. The price for anything OOP, and that includes all the MM kits, is going to depend on 1) the condition of the kit and 2) the subject. An old solid-hull Bluenose, for example, might not be worth much because the market's flooded with Bluenose kits, both old and new. An ME Forrester, on the other hand, is a rarer kit and only infrequently turns up on eBay, so it tends to go for a little more. Some of the really old kits might have some collector value, but what that value might be is going to require some research, like digging back through eBay's sold listings to see what the kit has sold for in the recent past.

 

I think the seller should also realize that selling his kits as a single lot is going to cost him. Anyone who buys the whole lot with an eye towards reselling them is taking a risk; some kits are going to sell well and for a good price, and others are going to be hard to get rid of and will probably be worth little. The buyer has to take that into account if he's hoping to make a little profit, and that means he's going to have offer less than what the seller might be able to get if the seller sold the kits individually himself. Essentially, the seller will have to pay for the convenience of getting rid of the entire lot at one shot.

[twintrow]

One or two  added words of caution....unless the boxes have been stored in an air conditioned and humidified environment, the wood is probably near useless.

This is one big issue with buying from ebay.  Always first write and ask how the kits have been stored. 

Just my 2 cents.

Tom

[bear]

From what I have seen there doesn't seem to be much of a wooden ship kit collectors market for vintage kit's other than those of around the 30's-50's era kit's.And some limited production kits like LSS kit's from the 90's.

The market is very limited and now is depressed due to old collectors like me selling off their collections or the kits being sold off in estate sales due to old collectors of my age not living long enough to sell off the kit's themselves .

 

Their is just not the interest of the younger generations in these hobbies. Same is true in Brass Age Car's. Our fathers collected them because they grew up driving in them and driving them,now that hey are almost gone their prices have fallen,just see some of the car auctions ,not enough bidders wanting them now days.

 

I just wish I had sold my kit collection off twenty years ago when prices were at their peak for plastic kits,and as for the wooden ship kits'I was not collecting any back then.

 

Keith

[Thistle17]

Thank you very much to those who responded. I must say you are a wise body out there. I think I knew this but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. His kitchen table was piled almost 2 feet high with these models and I may have seen them through e-bay dollar sign colored glasses.. And yes they were stored in his basement and I noticed even the stapled pages showed signs of rust so I am sure they were there awhile. I have been an NRG member for 35 years and I think this forum is the best thing to come down the "ways" in some time. I will say thank you again.

[mtdoramike]

Good luck if that is what you are intending, take a look on ebay, old Model Shipways kits and Marine Model kits go for next to nothing if they sell at all. On the classifieds here they wouldn't sell unless it's a really rare kit. Most of those kits you are referring too are more than likely solid hull kits, which kind of went out of fashion once plank on frame came onto the market. I for one love these old kits and wish I had time to build every one of them, but I don't. I would offer him $100.00 for the lot and he should be glad to get that offer unless the foreign kits are newer kits that have a pretty high retail figure. It's a shame people take these fine kits off the market not intending to build them at all but just to collect them like they think there will be a chance they will increase in value, BUT THEY NEVER DO, for the most part such as in this case, the kits are so outdated that you can't give them away. But if your intent is to buy them and resell them for your club, save your money and see if they will donate them to your club, if they say no, just wait for a bit, they will be back when they realize they are sitting on a pink elephant.

 

 

Mike

Edited June 13, 2016 by mtdoramike

[uss frolick]

I like the old, solid hull MS kits from the pre-POB laser days (the early 1980's). I have a 3/16" Fair American (exact same size as the new POB 1/4" version!), and the 1/8" Essex. I've always wanted to pick up the Solid Hull 3/16th Rattlesnake, not for investments, just for fun. I've always wanted to try planking over a solid hull.

 

*** Horrible gramatical errors corrected ***

Edited June 13, 2016 by uss frolick

[Thistle17]

USS Frolic

There is a MM Rattlesnake in the mix. I will remember your post. Right now the individual wants to release the whole lot. I meet with 3 other members tomorrow and will see what they have to say. If it were my call at this time there is a less than 50% chance we will make him an offer (and then will he accept). There is a possibility that within the group some of the MS kits would be picked up. So it is a mixed bag. Standby..

[mtdoramike]

Its a blast planking over a solid hull kit, i have done a few and the only way i would do a solid hull would be to plank over it. Now if there were a dos amigos slaver kit in the bunch, that would be just my game. I know Marine models did one.

 

Mike

[Thistle17]

Sorry mike no kit like that in the mix.

[grsjax]

Old kits are worth what someone is willing to pay for them.  Sometimes you will see a kit on ebay go for a high price but other times you will see the same kit go unsold for a long time even if the kit is priced low.  Only way to know for sure is to list the kits and see what happens. 

 

One thing to look at are the plans in the kits.  A good set of plans suitable for scratch building might be worth more than the kit.

Edited June 13, 2016 by grsjax

[Thistle17]

Thank you all for your sage advice. I took your feedback to a sub group of our membership and we unanimously decided not to make an offer to purchase the kits. We did however propose to the owner that he donate the kits to our benefactor, The Military History Society of Rochester, to help raise monies for the continuation of this great museum. The owner in turn would be able to write off the donation on this years tax returns as it is a not for profit entity.

[John Allen]

Really double check how they were stored. My daughter bought a Mamoli HMS Victory on e-bay as a gift. She was happy she got it at a great price. All the decks were warped, some lumber, hardware and rigging had walked off. (discovered at a later date)

 

Said nothing to her thinking I could fix damage.

 

Never could totally take the warp out of the decks, which affected the planking and what I can see as imperfections in the build. Should have taken the time to cut new decks.

 

That being said do not get those big eyes I'm getting a deal. There could be dead falls hiding in the bushes.

 

John

[Thistle17]

John your point is well taken. We will proceed with caution even if he decides to donate the kits. I wrote the owner of the kits a letter and rationale for our proposal based on perspectives provided here, feedback from club members and my own continued watching on e-bay. I have not set any expectation of the owners agreement with the donation proposal. We will see what we will see!!!!!!

[Thistle17]

Well here is a saga that ended well. The owner of the ship model kits previously referred to called  and offered his kits up to the Military History Society of Rochester NY. In turn he will receive a write off for his taxes and we the Model Shipwright Guild of Western NY will work to find the kits a good home and hopefully raise funds for the museum in so doing. This was a win.win for all. It just shows this "band of brothers" that exists in the model ship building world.Indeed a great ending.

[mtdoramike]

Fantastic, It's nice to here that there really is a happy ending for this saga. Great news indeed.

 

 

mike

[Thistle17]

At our last meeting we have decided on offering some kits for sale. After we ensure that the kits are complete we will alert MSW. Other kits we are planning on utilizing to mentor young folk and hopefully draw them away from those technology gadgets they seem to have grown as an appendage.

[Thistle17]

Well as of yesterday all kits have been sold. Our feeble marketing attemps close to home netted sales of about 8 kits to members. The balance are being shipped to Model Expo answering their offer to buy old kits. Granted we didn't make a great deal for the museum but we did net around $500. I will terminate this thread on about a week.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

I wonder why Model Expo is buying back their old kits? Have I got that right? So as not to compete with themselves?

[mtdoramike]

Model Expo sells quite a bit of kits as well as other products on Ebay. They also buy and resell kits from estate sales as well.

 

 

mike