I’m just curious how many people on here actually buy a hard to find model kit and then store the thing in their stash without any intention to build it?
I was on Ebay looking for a 1/25 model kit for an old late 80’s/early 90’s Chevy C1500 Silverado pickup to build for my dad for his bday and was astounded to see them going for upwards of $100!? It appears that they are hard to find (well probably not so much since there are over 30 available on Ebay right now), but it got me to thinking. Do people actually buy model kits with the intent to collect them and keep them unopened?
Personally, my stash currently consists of a little over 40 unbuilt kits (yes I know thats not a lot by somes standards, but I don’t just store them and not build them either). I probably build somewhere between 3 to 5 kits per year now. Right now I’ve slowed down quite a bit since I’ve been building the DeAgostini Millennium Falcon model, but I fully intend to build each and every kit I have at some point in my life.
I understand if it’s a vintage kit from back in the 50’s or 60’s or something that might have sentimental value (I know someone who bought a 55’ Chevy kit with their Dad back in the mid-90’s that was intended to be a father-son build, but never got built because their Dad died suddenly and ever since they keep the kit, still in the cellophane wrapper), but this is a kit manafactured in the early 1990’s of a fairly common pickup truck. It hardly should be considered a “collectors item” imo.
I have every intentions of building the kits I purchased. Only problem is that they’re piling up faster than I can build them. At my current build/completion rate I will have to live to about 175 to finish what I got now. And just the other day I added the Kitty Hawk OV-10A/C to the stash.
I never intended to be a “collector” but I ran across 5 rare and valuable kits for cheap that will be in my limited stash of 20 or so kits probably for posterity. I still don’t know why I don’t just go ahead and build them . I bought them because I liked them, later to find out that they where collector’s items.
I do know several collectors. I am not one myself, but I appreciate their viewpoint. If you look at books about collecting, it turns out people collect everything under the sun- why not model kits? They go about their hobby just like other collectors- buying, trading, selling, organizing their collection, etc. I don’t know if there are clubs just about kit collecting. I belong to three model clubs, and I know a few members of a couple of them are collectors, not builders.
I am aware of tensions between collectors and builders. Builders believe collectors bid up prices, and make kits more expensive. Some collectors feel builders take too many kits out of circulation, reducing the number available, which raises prices. I think both views are probably correct. Niether group is right or wrong, just two different hobbies.
Oh, I do have one kit that is my one-kit collection. Just after WW2 I discovered a kit, a balsa wood kit, of a midget race car. Since my dad was a midget driver, I was really interested in that kind of racing, and built a number of those kits- they were by far the best kits of race cars. A few years ago, after putting out my desires in a number of forums, a fellow replied and sold me one of those old kits. Now, these kits consisted of various size blocks of balsa wood, wheels, some fittings, and plans. I was able to buy and saw up balsa wood to match the kit ones, make molds of the wheels and cast them in resin, and reproduce the fittings from raw stock, so I still have my kit, and built the model too! But one collector kit does not make me a collector.
Hey, now wait a second here! There’s no such thing as a collector or hoarder in this hobby. LOL! I don’t collect either but I will buy a kit to add to the stash with intention to build.
Back in the '80s there was something of a “war” between collectors and builders. The collectors couldn’t believe that someone would open a rare kit and put it together. The builders couldn’t figure out why anyone would hoard a model obviously meant for building just so they could make some money off it.
I haven’t seen or heard any arguements of this type since then. Maybe everyone has mellowed, or maybe I’m just out of the loop. I’m sure if I came across something extremely rare I would set it aside for preservation. That said, as far as I’m concerned models are for building, and I normally only buy kits with that in mind.
Most of the time, for building. If I don’t build it, it will sit around. I’ve given away a lot of kits, but I’m not a seller.
Now, with the recent passing of George Barris, did pick up a small pile of Monogram kits of his designs. I like them, I probably will build some of them, and I don’t know when they’ll no longer be around, or so expensive that I cannot afford them.
Yes, there are kit collectors out there, in the literal sense-folks who buy an old kit and care about the condition of the box, the box art, how many examples of a particular kit were issued, in short, all of the things that collectors of any item think about, as they accumulate a collection.
But for most of us, or all of us, perhaps, collecting kits is not intentional, that is, we fully expect in some corner of our minds to build them, even if it’s physically not possible. The other posters’ responses indicate that. Some of us die and leave our stash to our family to worry about, others look at the stash at some point and say to ourselves, “I’ll never build all of these kits”, still others, “I’ve got a lot of money tied up in my stash–is this what I really want to do?” I’m in that boat-I’m starting to think I’ll never build all of the kits I’ve accumulated, and that I should start getting rid of them, preferably to modelers who will build them. No PM’s, please–I haven’t decided to do that yet, just thinking about it.
Without more details about the auction you saw, I’d say that, it that was the opening price, then the seller must think he’s going to get $100 for it, either because he’s done some research, or he has no clue, and will learn through trial and error; or, if there are bids up to that price, you got some people who let that e-adrenaline start flowing and bid it up, or they really wanted the kit. Or maybe something else entirely.
There are some true collectors out there. They purchse a kit with the intent to collect it, but not build it. But, with the advent of eBay, you find more investors. People who will do their research, then buy a kit with the expectation to sell it at a higher price to make a profit. A good reason why you’ll see high prices on some kits.
I have a stash for the sole purpose of spending the next 30 years building them. If i don’t last that long, hopefully some of my kids will enjoy building them!
Edit: I also have a stash/collection because I have this incredibly childish notion that I enjoy having my very own hobby store in my basement!
I buy to build. I have ideas for them all but you know what happens…160, if I buy one kit this year it will be a good one and on the list…lol Collecting is part of it just like any collector but we can build what we collect:-)
I don’t understand the collector. I buy with all the intentions of building them. I also don’t quite understand the guy who buys multiples of the same kit. To me there are way to many seperate subjects to build that I can’t see the need to build the same kit over and over. Just me i guess.
I don’t consider myself a collector but I can understand those that do. I believe it reminds them of an earlier time in their life (childhood) which is looked upon with fond memories. It’s kind of a way of going back in time to when things were simplier. There are also those who collect as an investment. However, from what I have seen model collecting value is nowhere near other related collectibles like comics and baseball cards where items can go for tens of thousands to millions of $$$
