YHR

Well guys I have decided to thin the herd. I have too many tanks and this fact is counterproductive to building more and is a primary reason I have backed off of this hobby lately. I have also become slot car crazy once again, so most of my time lately surrounds that hobby..

Before I sell these tanks I would like a few opinions or thoughts on how these should be sold. I wouldn't mind hearing from others who have either bought or sold pre owned tanks on what pitfalls have occurred.

They will be all sold as is and I will mention that the purchaser should be familiar with Radio Control and not afraid of hobby mechanics. As these are coming out of my personal collection, they are all one offs with custom fabricated pieces here and there. I doubt any two are the same with respect to recoil mechanics or elevation control. Once sold there will be no returns. These things are just to big to ship back and forth. Up front I will tell people that along with the statement,." If it arrives broken then fix it". If this troubles you then these tanks are probably not for you. Obviously I will do my best to ship these in a safe manner, but I just don't want to be troubled with shipping issues.

All of them have upgrades and electronics, and I think all of them have At least DBC2s in them so a hobby grade radio can be used..

So any words of advice before I start this purge, would be welcome. I am really looking for personal experiences that either made the sale a good one or bad one from both sides. This feedback will allow me to at least address the likely issues up front before a sale happens..

Cheers and thanks

Crius

I'm not sure you're fully prepared for the frustration you're about to experience. Selling tanks sucks.

First, take a good look at any of the tanks you'll be selling and figure out how much you have into it. Now be prepared that you'll be lucky to get back 50 cents on the dollar. I recently sold a couple hobby grade tanks, and you never get what they're worth. For one of those tanks I estimated that to duplicate it would cost about $800., but I got $400 for it. Admittedly I was in need of quick cash and had I taken the time to wait I probably would've gotten more, so if you want to get the true value you may have to wait quite a while for just the right buyer to come along. You know how it works - when you want to buy people want the moon, but when you want to sell they only want to pay in pennies.

Panther F

Dan, first and foremost I hate to see you 'leaving' but take it from me, I do understand the interest varies in hobbies.

Second I think you wouldn't have too much trouble selling them here to "known" members as I have heard it's a jungle out there selling them on eBay. All the trouble and even with the given preamble it will only be a heartache and frustration to you.


Good luck and keep in touch! (Slot cars huh? I used to race HO for over 15 years once)




Jeff

ausf

I'm in the same boat Dan.

I'd sell off the Thoma IV, JS-2, T-34 and Ersatz M-10 in a second, but I'm not keen on shipping them anywhere.

In the past I sold off the SU-100 upper and the StuG III. The upper was disassembled as much as possible, wrapped everything in bubble wrap and secured, then put in a large box with packing peanuts. I video'd it working before I shipped, took pics of how to assemble and the packing as well. I sold it to a member here and it went without a hitch.

The Stug was also to a member here, but he traveled a few hours to pick it up and came back for some help when he switched Txs.

I sell a lot of stuff on eBay, but really would be worried about a high end tank and possible issues, no matter how much arse covering is done.

Commander Bob ships stuff all over, I know he's busy, but maybe you can get some info from him.

Scaleman3

I agree with Crius,

Had mine on this site and got no replies thou, HL King Tiger, paid $150.00, Taigen Tiger I, paid $250.00, got $160.00 for both, (They were like new in the boxes) That's after driving 50 miles to a Tank meet where at least they could see and touch. Still like them and have another King Tiger, but buy and enjoy them, but unless you have a buyer that really wants that particular one don't expect to recover much. Hell I'am going for the T-90 when it arrives LOL!

Buy the way anyone get a T-90 in the states yet?

dgsselkirk

Very sorry to hear this Dan, but I too understand we get drawn out to other things. You were kind of in the wilderness out there too.. The packing and customs docs to prevent customs officials from opening the package are the 2 most important things. And yes, it seems the more we put into the damn things the less return we get out of them! LOL! I for sure would try here and the Brit site first before going to evilbay where you get nicked for 15% between them and paypal. I agree, do not sell to newbies unless you get it in writing they are willing to accept your terms...
I for one will be interested to see just what you have hidden away out there....

Dean

Panther F

Yes, please DO talk to Bob about selling RC tanks on eBay. The stories he told me over the phone is what I just eluded to... "even with the given preamble it will only be a heartache and frustration to you".

I have sold A LOT of things on eBay as well (over 12 years, 100% and an almost 700 feedback number) AND on here as well, but this is a category all on it's own and since you asked I just thought I'd chime in.

Good luck Dan. You're one of the good guys!




Jeff

Imex-Erik

I would ABSOLUTELY try to sell here first if possible. The forum members are more more skilled than the average consumer and since they are here they are much more likely to understand. Shipping is quite harsh in Canada, I'm not sure what happens at the border but I would swear there is an eternal soccer game going on between the US and Canadian delivery men! If you can ship it at the US border you will be much less likely to sustain damage during shipping. Its a shame to see you thinning the herd but at least it isn't a getting out of the hobby sale!

YHR

Don't fret guys, I have done this before in hobbies, and the best fix is a purge. Too much stuff is suffocating after awhile. I don't have to tell you guys how much work this things can be sometimes. I probably have 28 tanks, and keeping them all in top running order is more of a job then a pleasure.

I am also going to be selling off a bunch of my N scale train stuff. Another case of just accumulating too much stuff until it gets to the point it is not as much fun anymore

Just so everyone knows I am keeping my Cromwell, Fireflies, and the Canadian Leo's that took a lot of time to build, I have a Stug F, but that I am keeping as it would be a lot of work to duplicate the effort again. Most of the other German armor will go, and i will probably get rid of the Soviet stuff as well.

I will probably stay away from ebay. I have been a member since 1999 and have a 100% rating, but I believe these tanks might be just too much trouble to deal with through ebay. They really need to go to someone who understands hobby mechanics, and (no offence to anyone) not newbies who tend to want a trouble free RTR tank that never breaks down. When you find that tank let me know I feel for the Mato and the Taigens of the world. It must be very hard to keep people happy. I have always been the kind of guy that fixes things that are broke, and as such have had very few issue with vendors. However my experience selling tank electronics opened my eyes to what being a green hobbyist really is. Us old guys who have been messing around with hobby gear for 40 years, forget how hopeless and intimidating a hobby can be for someone who has never opened up anything ever before. The buyer needs to understand and not be afraid to rip off the top and dig in. Selling them on this forum is probably my best bet to find that kind of guy.

I appreciate the feedback, and understand that I won't get near what I put into them. Probably best that I just post what I have for sale and bump it every few weeks in the classified section, until they get sold. I am not in a big hurry, but my Wife and I are thinking we should build a new house. The volume of hobby stuff I have is overwhelming, even to me. A Purge over the next year will just make things that much simpler

I said this before but I will say it again. It has been the biggest surprise of my life that since I retired I seem to have less time( desire) for hobbies then I did when I was working. I had a high stress career, and I think the time I spent building tanks was therapy for me. No routine, or obligations of any kind means I can do whatever I want, and because my most favorite person in the whole world is also retired, we just do things together more then ever before.( just got back from gold panning !!!) Of course a couple of new Grand Children have also come along, and just experiencing life through their eyes is a very rewarding experience right now, and one I don't want to miss out on. I had a little CA scare as well that maybe aligned my priorities a bit. Everything is good and I am A OK, but there were a few weeks of soul searching.

So I am not leaving this hobby, just lightening the load to try an breath some new life into it for me. I may even get into 1/35 scale. If I build a new house it will be a Bungelow with a big basement. I can see building a large 1/32 slot car track that could play host to 1/35 scale tank battles when the mood strikes me. Outdoor tanking in Canada during the winter is impossible in my neck of the woods so my inventory of 1/16 outdoor tanks sits idle for 6 months a year at least.

Sorry to drift so far off topic, but I have not been around much, and a lot of you I consider friends so I just thought I would give a little personal update on what is up with me.

So stay tuned and over the next few weeks I will probably start a "For sale" thread in the Classifieds

Cheers

superrod

My Feedback: (16)

I think you have the right idea on the thinning if you plan to move. I am just finishing a move. My other hobby is 64 to 66 trucks. I did not realize how much I had ( I knew it was a lot) until had to move it all. Now I am working on the thinning. Wish I had thought about a year ago. When you go to list them try the video approach like Crius does. Makes it easy to see what you are getting and what you are selling. I look forward to what you have to offer.
Jimmy

Pcomm1.v2

Hi Dan,

My 2 cents on a way to sell your rc tank collection. Twelve years ago I set a goal to build all the Tamiya 1/16 rc tanks and did so, the KV-2 doesn't count, 'cause I built two KV1s.

That meant I ended up building an embarrassing number of Tamiya rc tanks, which ended up just sitting around

All my Tamiya tanks sold: 2 Tiger IE, Tiger I Mid, 3 KTs, Jagdpanzer, Panther G, Pz4J, two Leo 1A4s f/o, Gepard Flakpanzer f/o, 2 JS-2s, 2 KV-1s, Type 10, 4 Shermans and 2 Pershings.

All the tanks were sold "Almost RTR", with kit instructions, a Futaba radio, tank battery, a TBU and most had a very well rendered T/C figure included.

Thus, I have sold and shipped all but 3 of the Tamiya's builds (my keepers for now). I sold about 20% of my models on eBay, but I found the cost of the auction fees plus PayPal fee was killer.

The better way to market my models was to sell from my Facebook rc tank page and link that page to either the appropriate You Tube Video featuring the model and or the online model build write up. That integrated campaign approach is successful for my models.

The less popular Shermans and Pershings were break even models, but the WWII German and Russian armor all sold for profit.

The Cold War Leo 1 and Gepard Flakpanzer sold for quite a bit, two different collectors who value Daryl Turner's custom design work stepped up.

This marketing system was fun for me and I enjoyed posting the online build briefs, making short proof of operation rc tank music videos and photographing the models as I built along. Fun!

A shipping tip for USA and Canada delivery is to use UPS Ground, insured for final model sale value, marked "Fragile" on the box, with an adult delivery confirmation signature required for delivery.

"I did not offer any returns." And advised the potential buyer that prior modeling assembly and rc setup experience was required to best enjoy the rc tank model.

I was available to offer email help for setup, but really none was needed. Most of the people who bought my models are both East Coast and West Coast rc tank club people, so they are well skilled rc tankers.

I did not market to overseas rc model collectors. The fear of damaged models and the high cost of shipping, customs paper work, the subject matter, makes international shipping a bad idea, but that is just my opinion.

The system I use to pack and ship a built rc tank is as follows:

1. Dismount the turret to avoid barrel/mantlet damage and thickly bubble wrap it mounted to a piece of sized to fit flat cardboard, so the barrel does not flop around.

2. I dismount the top deck and separately bubble wrap it, thickly.

3. The hull (DMD & MFU in place) with mounted tracks, attached glacis plate and aft rear armor plate are like wise thickly bubble wrapped as one unit.

4. I fit every thing in 2 boxes: Weighty stuff like the boxed or bubble wrapped battery, OEM boxed radio system and the tank's built hull-track set goes in one box covered in shipping peanuts.

5. The lighter components, turret, top deck and TBU go into the second box and surround everything with packing peanuts. I pack the finished tank commander figure nested in bubble wrap and placed in a Ziploc "3" medium plastic container, purchased at the grocery store, in the second box.

6. The system does work to help deliver the rc model to its new owner without damage. The buyer pays for the Staples shipping supplies along with all the UPS fees.

Have fun and enjoy the marketing process!

John

PS It took 6 years to complete the sell off, great fun

YHR

Thanks John, a lot of useful information there. I have a facebook account but never have used it. May have to look at this again. Good thing is I have video of almost all of these tanks in action.

Big thing for me is to sell them to people who understand what they are getting into, and have the ability to tear down and fix things. I have found with any tank, things crop up that need attention, and I will say this to anyone. If you think buying any RC tank is going to give years of running without problems, you are dreaming. Things need tweaking, and this fact is a good reason to buy at least one Tamiya, Having to build it gives you the inside scoop of what is going on inside.

Cheers

ravaging_savage

I just got into the tank world but I have had a few hobbies over the years and the hardest part of selling something is to price it at what its worth to someone else not what its worth to me. One thing that helps me cope with the reality of what I can sell it for is to think about it this way. I didnt build this with the goal of selling it. I had many hours, building, tinkering on, and enjoying it. If I think of the enjoyment I got out of the item like mileage on a used car. The low selling price doesnt hurt so much.

Regarding selling the item. CYA document everything. Look at the wording used on big ebay hobby retailers and adapt that into your description.

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

Dan, I've not been active in the hobby for some time now...mostly due to the fact that I have no time. I recently opened a repair shop and it takes all of my spare time. I have still been doing the ElMod sales and installs if needs be, but no tank building. Still have the FURY that is on the back burner, but done nothing with her yet.
I have considered selling off a few of my tanks and I am also turned off with the ebay route. Never liked ebay for custom stuff. Now, facebook has many rc tank pages and guys who are like minded. It is a good place to buy sell and trade.Of course there is always the issue of getting whatr you want for the item in question. we know what it entails to build these things and build them to a quality higher than OTB. Some guys will sell stuff and list it as custom when it is sprayed with a rattle can. I strongly suggest selling them privately if possible. Facebook pages would give them a lot of exposure and probably help to move them into a new home.
P.S. Wouldn't hurt to post them on this page either.
P.P.S. How the hell ya been brother/

YHR

Hey Joe. Good to hear you are running a repair shop. Life is good, and I have had an excellent time in this tank adventure for the past decade. As I mentioned retirement has surprised me , and unbelievably I have less time for tanks. I got back into slot cars. Easy to build, and even easier to ship. Proxy racing allows you to build a car and mail it off to be raced on slot car tracks around NA and the world. Perfect for a guy like me who is up North. The digital technology allowing multiple cars on the same track was enticing. I also think I can stick a Benedini in 1/32 digital scale slot car, so that is on my to do list. Would be kind of cool to hear braking and acceleration coming out of the car. A small transducer attached to the underside of the roof would be the speaker. Don't need a lot of volume as you are inside a room with these

As I move around in hobbies, I find the skills and techniques picked up in one hobby can be transferable to another with some good results. As far as I know, nobody has done onboard sound on a slot car before.

There a about 8 tanks I will not part with. The rest will be gone over time.

Cheers

Dan

YHR

Double post

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

Well, I certainly wish you the best in any of your endeavors. Though this hobby will be losing a wealth of knowledge and a very good man.

YHR

Thanks, but not lost , just misplaced