Has anyone ever sold any?

I was talking to my partner last night and she asked me if I’d ever sold a kit. Yes I have but it was years ago and I can’t remember how much I got for it. It was R1 number 3 which I posted in here.
She asked me to go have a look on eBay to see if anyone was selling any, so I did.
The built kits for sale are generally poor quality and really old with flaking decals, someone wants over 200 each for a McRae Subaru and martini focus, both have incredibly yellowed lights for sitting in the sun for years and don’t look worth 400 quids worth imo.
We talked for a bit and she suggested I put my newly finished 405 up.. no chance!

My beautiful escort (which is what I call my Michelin jobbie) has given me the confidence to have a go at  anything in my cupboard of boxes and she was shocked when I told her the the actual kit of the pug sells for 100 quid and her words “18 months ago you wouldn’t have even opened the box, never mind start it”
She says my skills have improved hugely and the swearing and shouting has lessened to hardly anything anymore and I’ve gone from mediocre to high standard, not expert yet and a fair few years before I get there.

So we’re doing a test, buy a cheap kit and build it, then put it on eBay and see what happens.
Based on that I sold an R1 once, I ordered another last night for 24 quid on eBay.
It’s something that I want and if it doesn’t sell I won’t be gutted because I haven’t got one and a good way to buy another kit. Yay.
If I do manage to sell it I’ll try the ninja, I’ve got one but it has all the bells and whistles so no way I’m gonna build that and then sell it but I could get another because they’re cheap ish and if that didnt sell I’d give it to my pal.

You guys have some beautiful builds, have you ever sold any or tried too?

I've thought about it Ash as I ran out of display storage some time ago.

However, whenever I've seen built models for sale on eBay, I've kept a watch on them but invariably they sell for buttons or not at all. Even apparently well built ones.

So I never even tried selling any.

HTH.

You should try Al but it’s getting the price right. There’s a 1/12 porsche on there too with all the wiring etc but they want 400 quid for it.
I get it but you can’t really attach labour to the price.
I want enough to buy a replacement kit and paints so about 35 quid, a 1/12 martini Porsche costs loads and of course it’s a niche market, so that selling for 400 is a a long shot. An Impreza is a cheap kit too at around £20 and I’d rather spend £40 on 1 of those than the 230 the guys got it up for. I guess we’ll see when I’ve built this R1, it has to be mint though.

A few years ago I sold dozens in batches of two, photos are on my Piniterest pages, and got on average £30 pair, (£15-20 each) and pulled in about £2000 over 3 months. Expecting more than the value of an unbuilt kit is just dreaming and there is a difference in what you ask for a built kit, and what you actually get. I had one pair of bidders go up to £75 for a set, then never paid, and the models eventually sold for the average price when I relisted them.
I have bought damaged 1/8th models for up to £100 myself, because of their rarity - but my experience is you’ll not get your original outlay for a built kit 🥴

I’ve just taken a look at my Pinterest page of 1/25th models I have built, and 123 of them have been sold.
I may not have made a mint, but it’s nice to know they still had a value.

They are all a labor of love, and I have 101 on display at the moment plus some in a cupboard because I have no more room. A friend of mine did quite well with selling some of his. I should do so, but can't figure out which ones to let go of.

Wow Ron that’s loads!!

Sam, build another out of your stash just to sell maybe? Doesn’t have to be amazing detail I wouldn’t have thought and not an expensive kit but something you wouldn’t mind having on the shelf if it didn’t sell.

There are buyers out there…..just this morning I sold this 1/24th Mercedes to a chap who had seen it on a Facebook page of Old Road Haulage Companies. I built it a few years ago and had actually signwritten and driven the real truck back in the 80’s. He originally offered £50, but when I faltered he came back with £75…..which I accepted. …..and no Ebay charges ! How lucky is that

That’s absolutely brilliant Ron on both parts, truck looks ace and money is awesome!

Thats brilliant but I have to ask. How do you package these thing? I wouldn't trust any courier to make it to the other side undamaged. I only ask because I have the T.Bird to send out soon.

Fortunately for me, the buyer of the BRS truck lived only an hour away, and he collected it - but I still put it in a box, wrapped in bubble wrap.
For my previous sales on ebay, I specially bought double walled boxes to pack them in with foam and bubble wrap. I didn’t pack them solidly tight but allowed for a little movement. All arrived in good condition, I think, but don’t expect aerials and such to survive. I wrote into my ads a proviso - that it might be a problem. I think any reasonable builder would accept the odd bit dropping off, if it only meant glueing it back on - although they may be a little disappointed.

I finally dipped my toe in the selling built kits market on ebay..........

....... and wadya know I sold this one for twenty five smackers:





I've got six watchers one this one too:

Proof is in the pudding.....there are buyers out there !

Here’s a tip, don’t advertise too many at once, just three of four at a time. Then advertise another few once the first sale is over....that way you get the same customers coming back looking at your sales and buying more.

Thanks for the tip Ron,    I only listed two anyway.

Having a three day break in Hovingham, Yorkshire tomorrow so will list some more when I get back.

I tried again with these two.....





..... and got my £25 each asking price in under 24 hours.

Happy days.

If I can average that price for each of them, I'm in for 5k smackers. LOL

There are people out there that will appreciate a good model, and prepared to pay for them. Told ya !

Ya did bonnie lad, ya did.

The rat rod sold today too!!

Brilliant !

So which selling platform did each of you use? I am thinking about trying this and just wondered who had the best results and where.

Some of my builds are so old, at $20 I would triple my investment.

I used Ebay, UK, but that was six or seven years ago. Sold them all by advertising just half a dozen or so a week, so that I didn’t flood the market. Started them off at £10 each, later £15, but prices generally went above that.
Of course I had to buy flat pack boxes and bubble wrap, it makes things easier if selling a few.
Try testing the market with two or three to get an idea of how much they will actually go for - you might be surprised. Unfortunately postage and delivery has become expensive in recent years - but offer discounts for multi buys, it works out cheaper on postage and time packing and posting.

Sam, so far I have listed eight in total and sold seven.

All have been listed at GBP27.50 with free shipping. That way I wind up with twenty notes per. after fees and shipping.

Yes, sold about 10 1/35 armour builds, as well as some stuff like Land Cruisers, Jeeps, Fiats. All builds that don't fit my themes of GM cars and RAAF aircraft.

I used FB marketplace, got one rivet counter who was bitter 'n' twisted that I called one build a 1/24th rather than 1/25th. Or vice versa.

I also saw one build being flipped at double what I'd sold it for. Can't recall if he got the asking price.

Yes, I had a few of my sold models reappear on Ebay at above the price they were sold at too - but I was happy with what I earned from them and personally didn’t think there was much more profit to be made.