bisonmeat Posted December 20, 2019 Share #1 Posted December 20, 2019 My uncle is a model ship builder and collector and has been doing it for at least 30 years. He is currently 70 years old and plans to retire soon, and has asked me to help him sell his 90+ ships. I'm sorry if this sounds like a repetitive story of a newbie trying to see if there is any value to a ship they have, but I am lost and I ran across this website and community. I would like to know if it is even worth my time to study and learn about model ships to fulfill my uncle's wishes of selling his collection. He tells me each boat is of high quality and took many months to finish one. His dream was to open a museum with his ships displayed for people to see. Please take a look at some pictures I took today and let me know if you can tell right off the bat if these ships are low value/craftsmanship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cleek Posted December 20, 2019 Share #2 Posted December 20, 2019 I'd suggest you see if there's an auction house that might be interested in selling them for you. They really need to be appraised by a qualified appraiser who can get a closer look at them. Some appear to be kit models and they would not be worth as much as one-off scratch-built models of high quality or very old models with reliable provenances.. (I'm wondering what he's got in those nice storage boxes!) What you have pictured there look to be basically marketable as quality decorator pieces, not investment grade, museum-quality, models that bring the big bucks. Like a lot of things, ship models generally don't sell for anything near what the time to build them is worth. If your uncle spend 30 years building and collecting them, he probably has a pretty good idea what they are worth already. mtaylor, ccoyle, Gregory and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vwmiller Posted December 20, 2019 Share #3 Posted December 20, 2019 I agree with Mr. Cleek, seek out an appraiser to find a value. The workmanship appears to be very good to excellent on the ones you have pictured. Again, in agreement, if they are from kits, usually the value doesn't even equal the price of the kit. A scratch built model is worth much more. I refer to mine as "white elephants", in that they are interesting (to those interested in such things), but take up a lot of space and need to be properly cared for and placed inside a case. If not in a case, the lines tend to collect dirt and dust. If nothing else, you may want to donate them to schools, libraries, or local museums etc. that may want them. Although they probably wouldn't buy them, you can take a tax deduction based on the value. One other option is to take them to a craft fair, many times there are people who attend these fairs that would be interested. druxey, Gregory, ccoyle and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccoyle Posted December 20, 2019 Share #4 Posted December 20, 2019 I do not envy you the task of trying to find homes for over 90 models. I agree with what the previous replies have stated. These are well-built models, but they appear to all be built from kits. The one in the first photo also appears to have a thick layer of dust, which means it would need a good cleaning in order to have the best chance of catching someone's eye. Follow up on the suggestions regarding craft fairs and donations; also think about antique or consignment shops. A local modeling club might be able to help you with the job. mtaylor and Gregory 2 Quote Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Bf 109E-7/trop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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