Model Forum / General / Rockets / November 2005

Was it an auction (still extreme) or is that what they want because it's
OOP?

Randy
www.vernarockets.com

The 1284 Space Shuttle kit was discontinued several years ago.  $80 is
actually a fairly reasonable price for this kit, and I have seen copies
sell for $100-120 on eBay.

James
___________________
James Duffy
jduffy@mac.com

Hi Pete.

There's three Happy Hobbies in Milwaukee, and I don't know if they're family
owned, or franchised. They are all pretty run-down places, and I don't know
about their business traffic, but but they're all chock-full-of-OOP stuff. I
don't recall seeing anything Centauri, but I have seen a lot of OOP Estes &
NCR kits at these stores. Their prices on current production kits are
reasonable[I paid $32 or so for an Aerotech Mustang/ $52 aprox. for a LOC
Hi-Tech 45 & $30ish for a LOC Onyx], but prices on OOP kits tend to be
"collectable" prices. I found an Estes "Sizzler" at one store for
$30-------got one on eBay for under $10. Then again $18 for an Estes Black
Brant II seemed reasonable when you factor in S&H on an auction. I don't
like to buy as a collector, so I avoid collector prices unless it's a
must-have.

Hello Pete,

Well welcome to the world of O-O-P kit prices :/

Some out of production kits are WORTH the costs as the plastic molds
that were used to make KEY parts are no longer in existence.  Estes
isn't going to sink $100,000+ into a new mold, just to make 300 - 400
rocketeers from coast-to-coast happy.  Those kinds of kits as well as
old (30+ or so) can fetch hundreds, even at or over $1000.00.

There is a good site that used to keep up with pricing until 2000 or
so, here is the url:

http://members.aol.com/djadamson9/report.html

As for the Estes Space Shuttle: If its in mint condition, unopened,
$80.00 isn't a bad asking price.  If you plan to just keep it as a
collectible for the next 15 - 20 years, inflation alone will net you a
greater amount than the $80.00 you paid.  If you are looking just for
something to fly, keep an eye out on ebay/rol and try to get an open,
complete, good condition or better kit for as little as you can.

First off, the Estes Shuttle flies like crap.  The orbitor doesn't
really glide; it just pushes the air out of the way.  The total weight
of the kit, means that you are not going to get any real altitude ...
might be a good thing if you fly in small fields.  Too bad the NCR
Shuttle is OOP and sells for over $500+, as there you could add radio
control gear.  You can do the same with the Gillow's Space Shuttle and
roll your own tubes for ET and SRB.  With the sub-micro or selenoid
servo/receiver (sub-sub micro) and poly-litho battery packs, the weight
incurred would just be a few 10s of grams.  Gillow Shuttles sell in the
$10 - $20 range.  Note that after Challenger, and Columbia the Gillow
Shuttles peaked at $150+ ... but now that the interest and excitement
of dead Astronauts has passed, the prices are back down to the $10 -
$20 range.

I also called and spoke to a woman at the hobby shop you mentioned.
The prices for the Centuri kits were as follows:

Javelin 1980's version - $45
Thunderhawk - $60
Astro 1 1980s - $50
Starfire - $45
Moonraker - $35

I told her I would think about it and wished her a good day ... she is
definately using ebay as a guide to price her old stock.