TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Over the years I have amassed a serious collection of OOP scale kits , ( and a few sport kits) from Ebay.

But lately, it seems the well has run dry. I still see nice kits from time to time, but not nearly as often. And the prices are generally 250 or 300.

Maybe I have just come to my senses . Maybe I have all the kits that I wanted (but couldn't afford when I was younger).

I realize that we all have our own perception of which kits were good and which kits were junk. So my question to you is this; am I alone here or does anyone else think Ebay is running out of the good stuff ? Maybe the past few years were a once in a lifetime event . Maybe there was a finite amount of old forgotten kits stored away. Ebay made it possible for buyers and sellers to find each other. IT happened. Now its over. (Well, it will go on for ever, just not teaming with classics. ) Is the party over ?

majortom-RCU

My Feedback: (40)

I have my own stash of OOP kits, far more than I'll ever build in my lifetime (getting older, so many kits, so little time). So I've thought I should do my son a favor and sell off half of these at least, save him the nuisance of disposing of them, create some working space & cash for myself, put the kits in the hands of people who I hope will build, fly and enjoy them. This is a good idea, but I need a supervisor to tell me to get off my duff and do it, otherwise I'm only motivated to go out and fly whenever the weather permits. I have some nice warbird kits, if anyone's interested--Dynaflite Spit, Pica T-28, stuff like that. Morrissey Bravos too (two of them).

Stickbuilder

I suppose that I'm as guilty as anyone of cherry picking the good ones on Ebay. Whenever a 1/5th scale Pica WACO shows up, I'm trying to buy it. Sometimes I'm successful. I don't think that there are as many of the good kits out there as some might think, and yes, I think that the well has about dried up. Sadly, I think that we will have to wait until someone else passes on to get our hands on the few remaining good kits that are still out there in collections.

Bill, AMA 4720

dmcmike

My Feedback: (14)

I think everyone on the planet bids on Waco's! I'd love to have one, but the last one I bid on went for something like $250! BTW, if anyone has a Deweyville Special - Orline made 'em - that they'd like to sell or trade... just shoot me a pm or email! Been looking for one for years, ever since that tree grabbed mine right out of the sky!

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

I can tell you, E-bay is not the place get a "deal" on a collectable kit. I buy them from other sources, and resell them on E-bay at fairly good profits. Just one of the ways I support my hobby, without using the "butter & egg" money.
However, if there is one certain kit you want, it will show up at E-bay eventually.

cooper998

I peruse e-bay about once a week looking for something different, occasionally I come accross a kit I used to own many years ago and bid on it, but I dont ever spend more than I can afford or what I think its worth. I think the "good stuff" has just about dried up and occasionally you do see a rare kit but the seller wants a ridiculous price for it like a recent auction for a Marutaka B-17 that the seller wanted $600 as a starting bid!
Lately all you see is the Chinese sellers trying to offload some cheap arf and gouge you on the shipping, even some of the dealers here in the states have started to do that also.

cooper998

blueline

My Feedback: (6)

TLH, "can" you tell me/us what what some of your other sources might be? Thanks in advance.

Mike Denest

My Feedback: (1)

Swap meets can sometimes be a good place for the OOP stuff, but from what I heard about the Lebanon, PA meet last March, things weren't good there either. Maybe the current load of collectors has everything tied up?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I have some OOP kits and I was going to put them on Ebay but if you don't do it often it can be more trouble then it's worth. I have one of the old Royal Giant Scale F-4-Us with the metal cowl I was going to sell but the kit weighs A ton, shipping would be A killer for anyone buying it so it's one of those planes I may build on A long cold winter. Or Not???? [&o]

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

even the production kits are goofy ,just won a bid on a kit and saved about 15$ total with no return policy thankfully it turned out it was a good buy but could have got it from tower and they have a liberal return policy with the shipping added it seems to cost more than the other on line stores

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

I go through the local newspaper on Thurs or Friday and look for the yard sales and estate sales. You find older, but seldom rare kits there. Oft' times the kit to what you have been looking for is never found, but you do locate a "I remember those... type of kits" and they indeed are worth the trip that weekend. Some times you also can get the vendor to through in a greasy old glow motor to butter up the deal as same overall cost.

However, how many times have you come upon a eBay description where "Not sure all is there" and then find the wood inside has little to do with what is pictured on the box. The box had only been used for storing old wood parts and plans, and somehow it became described as a rare old, and valuable kit for the vendor knew little about the contents.

Wm.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

It depends on what you are looking for. I find it cyclical. I buy kits one month and sell them 3 to 4 months later at a profit to help pay for my hobby. I buy a few a week usually and sell as many. You can always find a deal, but if you are looking for a particular, then you may have to wait for it.

The thing that I find odd is one day a kit will sell for $300, the very next day, the exact same kit will sell for $100. Those are the ones to watch.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

No secrets here. I buy from RCU Marketplace, RC Groups, E-bay, IMAA Classifieds. Even from an occasional online club news letter. You need to check all the sources 5 or more times a day to be able find the best deals. They don't last long.
I have also found if you are willing to buy larger "lots", they generally go for way less than the total value of individual items. I can usually keep what I want from the lot, then sell the rest seperatley, to cover all the purchase price.

FlyerBry

My Feedback: (8)

I find myself getting depressed over the "disappearing kits" issue every so often. Just the other day I noticed an announcement that Top Flite is bringing out a new .46 size B-25. Then I looked at the details - ARC and ARF only. The manufacturers who still sell kits don't even throw us a bone any more. First the kit manufacturers and now Ebay... I guess I'll have to start scratch building!

MajorTomski

My most frustrating issue is how dificult to do a search has become. Long ago I just hunted for balsa in the title or text. Now that brings up almost every thing but a balsa kit.

roncoleman

My Feedback: (14)

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

That has to be the "moronic" reply I have ever seen on RCU. This is not a political forum, and there is no place for politics.

carlosponti

My Feedback: (1)

i saw a seller who made a business out of it selling Lanier Stingers and Lasers for 100 more than if you bought it direct form lanier. this was on kits arfs everything. then you still had to pay shipping. i miss the old days of ebay

roncoleman

My Feedback: (14)

It's not over yet. Check this post.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4592311/tm.htm

This post may be deleted as some may think of this as being spam.
I'm not sure if it is.