Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / November 2008

It is an interesting quandry. I am an eBay buyer and seller and also
have "all the airplane kits I will ever want or need". The question is
- are kit builders going to die off with our generation. Some old kits
now are still going for good prices and I havent seen much drop off
yet.

Same with engines - engine collectors appreciate beautifully made,
special interest and nostalgic engines. I can't see much interest in
collecting electric motors. However, after everone switches to
electric and the engine guys are gone, there may not be much interest
in these as there is to us in "buggy whips".

I also wonder about all the greybeards and their muscle cars and hot
rods. Go to any hotrod meet and guess the average age. The kids around
here are interested in Nissans, Infinitis, BMWs and Hondas with
nitrous and tuned exhaust. Many hot rods will end up rusting or sold
for scrap by our grandkids. We are nostalgic for what we grew up with,
not what our grandparents (or even parents) grew up with.

So - keep or sell? It probably doesnt make much difference. People
with a passion will always find money to support it. Buyers of these
items are probably older with stable incomes or "enough" set aside for
hobbies, and will spend for out of production items they want. I don't
think Chinese ARFs will ever be nostalgic or in big demand. Until the
last month or so, foreign buyers were very good customers because our
dollar was so low. However, most kits are too expensive to ship or not
shippable at all, payment is a hassle and risky, and Europe is now in
a bigger mess than we are.

Don't put off building that favorite kit. Time has a way of slipping
away - later becomes never too fast.

Earle Levine
Santa Fe Dam RC Modelers

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I have more ARFs than kits to sell. Frankly, I want to hold on to the kits
just in case I live longer than I expect to live. At least I can put them
together, whether I fly them or not.

You make an excellent point on several areas of interest. I nearly bought a
restored 69 AMX, just like the one I had in 69. Then it dawned on me that
gasoline for such a beast is impossible to buy and I'd be lucky if I could
ever get out of it again even if I did manage to get in.

I suspect that there will be hard core collectors available for some years
to come. Some of the modelers I've associated with on the internet, and who
happen to be in their mid thirties and upwards, are interested in some of
the nostalgic modeling stuff. I was very surprised.

You are right about the Chinese ARFs though. The market for those models has
another year or two to go, especially if those companies do close their
doors. I should be able to sell them all before the interest wanes entirely.

All of my models are new-in-box (NIB) and are just like those being shipped
today as new. I even have a few popular models that have recently gone out
of production. I'm not a business, so I'm not looking to make a profit, per
se, but I would like to get most of my money back. I don't think that's
unreasonable, though I have received some email from peeved folks saying
that since they are "used", I should only ask for half of what they cost
new. That ain't gonna happen, folks. <G>

If you want something bad enough, you'll pay me enough to make it worth
selling. Not trying to be  nasty, just telling the truth.

I am thinking of going to the anonymous style of auctions. Some folks would
buy, but they don't want their buddies seeing how much they paid for it.
There are some models out there (kits) that I would pay a little more than
what they sold for originally - such as the Bridi UFO in fiberglass and
foam.

I'm also interested in buying Rom-Air tricycle landing gear in good to
excellent condition. I loved those landing gear. Even I could make them work
without a single failure. I probably shouldn't have said that...

Ed Cregger

No, I don't have the GWS Slow Stik. I would probably keep it if I did, which
would not do you any good.

The original thought that the wife and I had was to buy what we wanted while
we had the income. Once she retired we would be a whole lot tighter in
budgeting things, if you know what I mean? Well, we both went overboard and
now we don't have room to wiggle in our small retirement home. It just
sneaked up on us and one day we realized that we had gotten too carried
away.

I want to keep all of my small models. A few of my giant scale ARFs/kits and
get rid of a bunch that I'll probably never live to fly, even if I live
another twenty to thirty years. I don't crash all that much these days, of
course, with growing older we don't know if it will stay that way.

The wife is really intimidated by the large gas powered models. She refuses
to pit for me with those. I can't blame her. She's not that big. But she
used to do great when pitting for engines smaller than a 10cc pattern
engine. She used to start my planes, clean them up and pack them in the car
for me. I had polio as a child and do not have much energy. Without her
help, I would have quit flying a long time ago. But, as things happen, she
is now having her own issues with energy and arthritis, so the handwriting
is on the wall. Fortunately, my interest in building smaller, simpler models
has increased. In addition to small glow and Diesel engines, I'm also
interested in electric power these days.

I should do an inventory and then list everything here that will be for
sale. That and offer to email an updated list from time to time to those
that are interested. Thanks to all for commenting/responding to this thread.
It is appreciated.

Ed Cregger, N2ECW (ex NM2K)