Why Do You Sell Your Gear?

[taliesin]

I see people who trade or sell their cars all the time. Sometimes they only have it for a few weeks. Why?

I pretty much keep my stuff until its not fit for use anymore and then either refurbish it, or use it for spares. I can't imagine buying something and then selling it off right away. My neighbor just bought a nitro HPI last month, and he is selling it already. Says he is bored and too busy to mess with it. $500 invested for 3 weeks use?

I just bought a beautiful mini off ebay from a guy who never ran it. bought it, built it, took a picture of it and then sold it. yeah for me, but...

Tell me your reasons, if you would. I'm not criticizing anybody or their reasoning. Just curious is all.

[pikachoo75]

interesting point,taliesin.

I guess when i was younger i had to "trade in"(and add cash!) my exsiting car if i wanted another one,so i would only do this after much consideration(and saving)

Now with Ebay its easy to get impulse buys...too easy.

I guess im at a junction were i cant get my head round all the bits and projects anymore,and they will end up on Ebay.

This will leave me with 2 complete cars and some spares.I guess the "clutter" is getting me down and i know im not using my "core" cars enough due to the endless projects that burn at the back!

I do get your point tho,i had a friend when i was younger and he would swap cars all the time,he lost money (the norm) on each transaction,but it didnt dishearten him.I guess he was simply keen to try as many as poss.

I also think that its difficult to "settle" for a certain car type ,unless you got a track/club etc nearby.

So todays idea of bashing a monster truck around a field,might turn into tomorrows touring car in a car park!

I unfortunalty dont have any tracks or clubs that im aware of nearby so i am happy with scale cars for random runs in diff locations.

[4wdmt]

Why do I sell? Lets see...

One reason is to fund another RC item that fancy me at the moment.

Second, if I buy a certain kit or RC. I THOUGHT it will be nice having one or it will suit my taste. Unfortunately, I also end up selling them like new or slightly used when my fondness of the item wears down.

Third. I am a sucker. YUP. I end up buying something because of the hype, because it is a new release and because it just looks good. Then, I don't see myself enjoying them after acquiring the item.

Most of the buyers of my hand me downs are lucky. Never did I remember selling a really bashed up RC unit. Always mint and or in good condition.

OH, one more thing. I like to build kits. I don't mind buying it, building it and then selling it if I don't see it being run in the future.

[pikachoo75]

Hi 4wdmt,aint that the truth!

I also find that the "hype" can sell me a model,but its more the the mental picture of me using said model in idealic dream conditions!

so when the cruel reality of actualy using it at the school car park....the novelty rapidly wears off!

I must add that i too find it abit of a wrench to sell any of my stuff.i always think its worth more than it is! well once i have made it with tlc then drooled over it etc (metaphoricaly)

[pagedm_f350]

You can just about ditto me on everything 4wdmt said!

I think it is ryanbored that has a signature: Buy it, Hide it, Build it, Sell it.... couldn't be more true!

[Taman]

Unfortunately I only sell when I need the money Ultimately I'd love to keep everything I'd ever bought. I recently did a Super Champ up and even got a NIB Body kit, unfortunately with a mortgage to pay and my cars clutch playing up I had to sell the SC and the NIB body....took heaps of photos to remember it.

[Robert Davies]

I'm sorry.....

What is this "sell" of which you speak?

-Rob

[Berenger]

Personally I get most of my fun from building kits. In fact I haven't actually run a model for many years, but that hasn't stopped me from collecting them and building them whenever I can.

If you do get most, or all, your fun from building the kits, why keep them once they're done? Unless we're talking about vintage, desireable or very good to look at kits there's not a great deal of point. As others have said, sell them and free up some cash for other kits.

Again, unless we're talking about vintage kits, I generally do lose a little money building and then selling but what hobby can anyone think of that's trully free?

[Mad Ax]

I sell for a variety of reasons. Usually when I buy something I imagine I will keep it for ages, but sometimes it doesn't turn out to be what I expected.

Sometimes I buy a project that turns out to need too much money spent on it, and it goes back in the trades after very little work.

Sometimes I buy a new kit to start a project, and realise after starting that it is beyond my skills to finish.

Sometimes I buy a kit to build and find that as a runner, it isn't as much fun as I thought.

Sometimes I just feel like having a clearout and getting rid of the stuff that doesn't get much use.

I very rarely sell parts unless I'm really trying to raise cash or someone specifically requests a part that I know I have spare; but built kits take up a lot of space on the shelf and if I'm not running it or it's not fitting in with my current display ideas, it'll go.

I almost regret selling some of my late-vintage models but then I remember how my shelf is organised and realise they won't fit. I look forward to collecting them again later once my current collection plan is finished.

Sometimes I want to own something just to say I've owned it, even if for a short while, before selling it on - so I can say "Yep, I had one of them, it was great."

[c_a_r_t_e_r]

Hi 4wdmt,aint that the truth!

I also find that the "hype" can sell me a model,but its more the the mental picture of me using said model in idealic dream conditions!

so when the cruel reality of actualy using it at the school car park....the novelty rapidly wears off!

I must add that i too find it abit of a wrench to sell any of my stuff.i always think its worth more than it is! well once i have made it with tlc then drooled over it etc (metaphoricaly)

Haha! You've just summed up my exact thoughts about this too, I couldn't put my finger on it! It's all about creating that mental picture of running the thing in the perfect environment, but my dreams are always based on a close-up view (like you'd stand next to a 1:1 car).. driving a small model down the road on my own isn't anywhere near as much fun, especially when I know it's going to come back in less than mint condition.

So sometimes I sell it to recoup most of my money back, but only so I can do it again!

The pleasure was in the adrenaline of the purchase, the excitement of waiting (impatiently) for the delivery to arrive, the initial unpacking, the build and detailing, the gentle trial run... then if I sell it there's the warm glow from feeling someone else's appreciation of your hard work!

I have the same feeling towards 1:1 cars, as I've always tried to buy either the top of the range model or something relatively unusual - it's hard to part with it, but selling it gives me the chance to bask in someone else's appreciation! Especially if they see how well I've looked after it.

Saying that, I've sold some models that I wish I'd kept and miss now.. but then I'll just buy another one the same eventually and get to build it all over again, but even better!

Tim.

[ukzz4iroc]

Great topic.

I get as much fun out of trading as I do owning and driving. Would be doing it with real cars if I had the cash (and my Mrs let me). Not really for the money either, I think finding something that you've never seen in the flesh or want to see what its like is a compelling reason to buy and then in most cases find it isn't what I wanted. The key thing is I don't know until I get it.

In addition I have the cars that I would never sell like my King Hauler, Turbo Optima and 959. That list is increasing too!

[TheBlueDragon]

I only sell an RC if I dont use it much for instance my Xray M18 I sold because it was too low to use on the roads near me

[blakeatron]

I used to have to sell my projects to fund the next one - by adding more cash etc and building upto better models.

Now i am financially better off i dont actually have to sell my models, but i still do! noramlly to either clear space for another model or normally because its just not as much 'fun' running it as i though it would be!

However i also buy a lot of kits for a single piece and sell off the rest, only to find i need another bit so buy another full kit!

[Badboy]

I'm more like Buy it, don't sell it!!!

Badboy

[pikachoo75]

c_a_r_t_e_r,i get what you mean.

Ive bought the 3 DVD's from Tamiya101.Moosey Mania,R/C Bandits and 19.I love how the Tamiya's are captured in a "1:1" sense.its like your driving along side them due to the low down camera work.If it was possible to drive them like that it would be awsome.

But i guess it would be abit tricky tryin to run along side whilst crouching!

Perhaps getting hold of one of these "spy cam" things and mounting it on the car would add fun to a run.

[Danbox]

I should let my wife read this thread. It might help her understand my condition a little better.

[Saito]

I've always bought and sold my full size autos for the thrill of learning a new car inside and out and then moving on. I've had far more cars than most folks will own in a lifetime. I've always HAD to sell to move on to the next project. Ah, but my nice little Tamiya vehicles I can hold onto, slowly amassing funds for the next one that catches my eye. I'm not a collector exactly (I only purchase the vintage vehicles that truly mean something to me) and yet I somehow have a collection on my hands! I agonize over making decisions, analyzing ever aspect to arrive at the proper decision. The beauty of Tamiyas is that I never have to deal with seller's remorse.

[loaded]

If you had ever been to a mall in your underwear, loaded to the eyeballs, then I guess you would realise why so many people sell stuff they only recently bought.

Paul.

[taliesin]

If you had ever been to a mall in your underwear, loaded to the eyeballs, then I guess you would realise why so many people sell stuff they only recently bought.

i'm guessing you mean 'buyer's remorse?' is there a story here we should hear about? LOL

[3doorpete]

I actually really enjoy the build process, so if I have no emotional attachment to a car, I'll build it, keep it for a while (often not even run) and then sell it.

My hotshot was a case in point. I really enjoyed the complicated build and the looks. I never planned to run it, so just enjoyed it for a while and sold it. Someone got a high spec ballraced well put together Hotshot for about 30 under what you can buy them for new.

[loaded]

I am not saying that I have never wandered around a mall in my underwear with vodka almost pouring out of my ears, but this is a far more likely scenario in my living room. Trouble is, I also have a computer at home, an eBay account, Paypal and EZsniper. This is an even stronger cocktail for making mistakes.

Not that I ever make mistakes....

Paul

[*Topcat*]

I am not saying that I have never wandered around a mall in my underwear with vodka almost pouring out of my ears, but this is a far more likely scenario in my living room. Trouble is, I also have a computer at home, an eBay account, Paypal and EZsniper. This is an even stronger cocktail for making mistakes.

Not that I ever make mistakes....

Paul

next time you decide to do this let me know and i'll swap you a packet of aspirin for one of your nib porsche 959's

i tend to hold onto most of my stuff as i keep telling myself that i'll get around to finishing it one day! maybe i should take a reality check but it also annoys the wife when she cant use the conservatory table as its full of models and bits and thats just gotta be worth keeping them all

[4wdmt]

I'll just update this thread.

Just what I posted, another fine example of why I sell my stuff. To fund another RC that I fancy at the moment.

I just sold my new built Tamiya Land Cruiser CR-01 locally just to fund my interest in buying the new Traxxas E-REVO that will be released late May. Now that I have added some amount to my funds...my eyes are set on this electric revo.

I think I am sick or something. No, I am an addict...I need therapy...help! .

[backtomyroots]

OH, one more thing. I like to build kits. I don't mind buying it, building it and then selling it

Exactly .