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rcgrabbag

Have You Run A "blue Book" On Your Collection?

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Now I know we don't like to think of collecting as an investment, but every once in a while I poke around ebay to see what stuff I have is going for these days just out of curiosity (no interest in selling anything I have). Vintage stuff is going for crazy money these days, so much more so than just a few years ago. There is a Blazing Blazer, assembled, on ebay for $2000 with 6 days left to go in the auction!!! That was about the price of a NIB blazer 4-5 years ago. Supply must be drying up, because it seems to me that vintage Tamiya, especially NIB, aren't available in the numbers that I recall when I first started collecting about 5 yrs. ago, and maybe that's what's driving prices up. I still see sellers like Tamiya-RC and JC/RC with vintage stuff, but not the routine appearances of NIB Rough Riders and Sand Scorchers like the "old" days. I remember the Can Am Lola, there was ALWAYS a NIB one on ebay being sold by someone at any given point in time, but I don't think I've seen one for over a year or more. And don't get me started on diplo tyres.

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I see collecting getting more and more popular. I have seen a huge surge in the RC10 scene. I think once the economy picks up and people have more play money, there will be another big jump in the market.

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I see collecting getting more and more popular. I have seen a huge surge in the RC10 scene. I think once the economy picks up and people have more play money, there will be another big jump in the market.

Yeah Jim you are not wrong about RC-10s !

I remember a few years back being in a store in Florida that only sold used rc stuff ! they were almost giving rc-10s away... oh if only I'd known, and had a MUCH bigger baggage allowance ! :D

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What I would like to put "in a book" is all people whom have helped my over the years!

"From who did I buy what?" kind a thing.

After all parts both original, hop ups and home made witch I've bought over the years would've been cool to

have all the names from those sellers!

But it's way tolate now...

I have no idea from whom I bought my 3 SS from (kit or parts).

I know the first SS i bought, I bought it from a japanees ebayer named "bonflo" the 5th dec 2004.

I wish, I wish... :huh:

Badboy

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What I would like to put "in a book" is all people whom have helped my over the years!

"From who did I buy what?" kind a thing.

After all parts both original, hop ups and home made witch I've bought over the years would've been cool to

have all the names from those sellers!

But it's way tolate now...

I have no idea from whom I bought my 3 SS from (kit or parts).

I know the first SS i bought, I bought it from a japanees ebayer named "bonflo" the 5th dec 2004.

I wish, I wish... :angry:

Badboy

That is a GREAT idea !

I recently, and by chance, got in touch with 2 people I had sold stuff too a long time ago, and after some general chatting remembered all about the deals and what great people they had been to deal with, I really should document all the people I've dealt with, and how it went.

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I agree with you, rcgrabbag. If you're looking at a period of 5 years, there have been definite increases in price.

Although in theory an increase should be noticeable over the past 2 years too, though I have not really seen it happen. Sometimes I think certain models have reached their peak and aren't going to get higher prices. I actually wonder if this is due, in part, to community awareness of "expected" values, due to discussions - like this one. If something is listed on eBay for $200 more than the expected value, it often just sits there for months, gathering dust.

I don't think anyone should simply pay more for something if they can wait and get a better price, of course. However I do think that people should remember to buy what their heart desires (if they can afford it) and remember the real reason for buying (nostalgia) and not worry too much at least, about supposed market values. None of this stuff is really "worth" anything - all the prices we see are crazy prices set by other crazy people. They are what people are prepared to pay. On those lucky occasions when I have had spare cash to buy something collectible, I usually don't muck about and wait and watch 6 kits go by in order to save a few bucks getting the cheapest one. They're ALL way too dear for the value of the metal and plastic you're getting, so I just buy one and consider myself lucky to own one at all. All of the prices for these toy cars are ridiculous, so if it's something you really want, then don't wait :) Because as we're seeing, the supply won't last forever.

And no, I'm not in the process of selling ;) (nor do I care about values of anything I own, as I'll never be selling my stuff).

But getting back to value increases....

I started buying a few NIBs in 2000, and bought a NIB Fox and Wild One. Those are two cars whose values don't seem to have increased much at all in 8 years. e.g. The Fox cost me around US$450-$500, and that's about what they go for now. (If anything they're actually cheaper for me now, due to the stronger Aussie dollar, which is pretty weird).

cheers,

H.

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Actually, yes.. i do , little brother made a "office database kind of thingy" for me,

Have a little backlog, should update it :)

In basic, for the complete cars only, and a other one for parts. ( ehm, so i can

see in what storage box there put in )

He also put in a little option, a "total score" for price paid for all kits

After seeing it one time, kindly asked him to remove the option.

A 200 euro kit, ok.. that is a lot of money, but to overlook

You really .. really do not what to know what kind of silly amount you poured into the

hobby/habbit already.. ( not even including radio gear, paint.. well.. anything "extra" )

Stefan

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saw a NIB rough rider recently go for $2000; highest i've seen yet. also just saw a "shelf queen" rough rider go for over $700 another first for me.

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I don't keep a 'blue' book as such but I do keep an excel spreadsheet on each build so I know where I got the parts from and how much they cost. Household Insurance policy will only cover $1000 maximum per model.

Scary is the total at the bottom sometimes. My Top-Force spec Blazing Mamba total is AU$1511.78 including all postage costs. Even scarier is when your wife finds the file. :S

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