Jump to content
J@mes

‘Shelf Queen’?

Recommended Posts

Are there specific guidelines to obtaining and maintain the status this over used term implies or can any old dog rocket get named as such in the hope of commanding a higher bid in an online auction? 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I thought the term referred to "as built" vehicles, showing no sign of wear. Anything less is a retired vehicle. Old/vintage stuff that's been previously run, doesn't count in my book, unless it's been fully rebuilt to as new condition. Most of my cars when new are shelfers for about 2-3 months, when the newness has worn off, they get run. Only one has remained a shelf queen, my orange Blitzer Beetle. It's never turned a wheel in anger. I have a 2nd brushless  Blitzer for beating on.

  • Like 6

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My view built but not run. Built for display. Maybe turned a wheel in anger on the carpet at home to test! Certainly not used and abused and I wouldn't expect it to show signs of damage.

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It is up to interpretation. At any rate it should be basically mint condition. I could never build an RC car and not at least take it for a test ride. I like to think of a shelf queen as a car that only gets driven once in a blue moon and very gently when it does.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Has to have full electrics including battery (tamiya of course) but never used if possible. And must have box art bodies. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I too see a lot of auctions of "NIB" for a built (but not run) kit that still has the box.

In my oppinion if its built its not "new" you just havent thrown the box away after you built it.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I’m admittedly more aligned with the purists in here (!) so be gentle ...

For me, a true shelf queen is a car that’s built purely to be admired and preserved in a case / sealed environment - so:

1. Boxed / built - original box, inserts, manual, parts, part bags, unused sprues etc;

2. No threadlock, glues or lubes - with originals NIP with the box;

3. Box art paint + OEM decals - expertly done, lacquered and polished;

4. Period r/c, battery and electrics - tested if installed (noting shelf queens needn’t  be but still need the full set if not) and otherwise unused with original boxes, bits, spares etc;

5. OEM hop ups - so no aftermarket quirks (apart from bearings) all with Tamiya bags / packets for authenticity;

6. A build diary - so either pics showing the build fun or (better) an electronic or hard copy thread like the ones in here. 

I expect there’ll be an interesting reaction to all that 😇 but - before anyone cries foul - every car I’ve seen with at least 1 - 4 has been (a) a true credit to their owner (b) preserved a piece of Tamiya history in a condition that best reflects brand legacy and (c) commanded significantly more if / when sold. 

5 and 6 are probably only helpful when the car is a massively rare and a hugely expensive NIB build.

And with that - let the flood gates open ...😂

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

for me its a never run (or just carpet tested) as such NO marks, no wear on tires and may not have any electrics.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hmmmm - not sure a shelf queen needs to be box art nor needs to have all the boxes etc etc etc

 

to me a shelf queen is a car that you have built that won’t be run

i only run 1 buggy (neo scorcher) and 1 truck (beetle) and the rest live on my shelf

apart from my terrascorcher, they all have little tweaks.

So my wild one can’t be a shelf queen?

pB91hCD.jpg
 

bf3LjH4.jpg
 

JJ

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Is...is that dirt? Dirt....on the tyre treads?? Dirt from outside???

<clutches neck, feels faint>

  • Haha 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Haha - I did a donut on the deck 

**** me ;)

Ha 

my racing fighter black edition has a modified decal set up, runs a brushless ESC combo (I wanted a red motor to match the design) but has never been driven - surely that qualifies ;)

 

JJ

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

shelf queens should have no scratch / damage / wear. i had built two rere bruisers and both of them had scratches on the parts out of the boxes. for example you can see imperfections on those metal parts

49349023451_743cd6a7dc_o.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
7 hours ago, Superluminal said:

I too see a lot of auctions of "NIB" for a built (but not run) kit that still has the box.

In my oppinion if its built its not "new" you just havent thrown the box away after you built it.

they had just took all the fun out of it.

putting the kits together is where all my stories are also built:D

ps what aren't they telling you?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I guess the definition of shelf queen varies from person to person.  Since I have a room dedicated to my rc mess, almost all my cars are on a shelf in that room, both never run and beaten to heck. To me they are all shelf queens. 
 

but I guess a real shelf queen might be something I’d have on display elsewhere in the house. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What a thing actually is has no bearing on what someone will without any sense of irony label it as in order to get a better price on ebay...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
15 hours ago, pourMoneyIntoSea said:

shelf queens should have no scratch / damage / wear. i had built two rere bruisers and both of them had scratches on the parts out of the boxes. for example you can see imperfections on those metal parts

49349023451_743cd6a7dc_o.jpg

That is an interesting point. Some may argue that the marks and wear that are present from the box are evidence of how the model was manufactured and packaged, and are therefore part of its character, the removal of which will impact upon its originality.

It puts me in mind of the argument regarding full-size concours cars, some of which are polished and prepped to the point of being "better than new" and are therefore no longer quite as original in some people's minds as they were when they came out of the factory with so-called "authentic flaws".

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
49 minutes ago, TurnipJF said:

That is an interesting point. Some may argue that the marks and wear that are present from the box are evidence of how the model was manufactured and packaged, and are therefore part of its character, the removal of which will impact upon its originality.

It puts me in mind of the argument regarding full-size concours cars, some of which are polished and prepped to the point of being "better than new" and are therefore no longer quite as original in some people's minds as they were when they came out of the factory with so-called "authentic flaws".

I restored cars professionally for two award winning (AACA/Bloonigton Gold,etc.) shops. They did fall into those two camps. The first shop restored as close to factory spec as possible (did many Corvettes and Muscle Cars here). This meant all the various oversprays, paint drips and any other "abnormalities" that cropped up from typical automotive production methods were painstakingly researched and reproduced.

The second shop I worked for over restored everything. I was honestly surprised they won all those awards they did because everything was done "perfectly". I say "perfectly" because in my mind if you don't make it like original, your not really restoring it. In a sense, by blocking all cars dead straight, ensuring absolute uniform panel gaps, using base clear where lacquer should be, etc. etc., you're actually customizing the car in the end. Obviously, I fall in line with the first shop. Factory restored means FACTORY restored, no more no less. Over restoring is actually taking the easy way out in the end.  

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Meh.. if it's fit for your shelf, then it's a queen.  I think whatever a person has put their effort into either restoring to their own standards, or acquiring some long sought after piece.. it's still the same.  

 

In terms of selling an item..  perhaps the definition is a bit more narrowed down.  There's certainly a difference between:  1) Never run     2) Never seen the outdoors    3) Lightly used for a test run only   4) "Adult maintained"   5) Ran like it was stolen

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
11 hours ago, Saito2 said:

I restored cars professionally for two award winning (AACA/Bloonigton Gold,etc.) shops. They did fall into those two camps.

Interestingly enough I was having a conversation about American cars last night.  A few years back I hired a Corvette Stingray ragtop from a local enthusiast*.  He falls into the "everything must be as original as possible" camp.  That included all the original vacuum power system on the Corvette, so every time it rained (which of course it does when you hire a ragtop) I had to pull over, get out and lift the wiper cover so the wipers would work, and every time I put the lights on I had to get out and encourage the left lid to open.

For a car intended to be driven, especially by inexperienced people, I'd have been a "replace it with electric and enjoy it more" camp.

That said, I can't abide these old musclecars with 20" wheels and rubber band tyres.  Sure, put a modern motor in it if that's your thing, replace the leafs with coilovers and links if you want to put all that power onto the road and not end up in a tree, but don't spoil the look with those dustbin lid wheels.  Leave them for the gangstas in their Escalades...

*He has 4 60s/70s convertibles (2 Mustangs and a Camaro as well as the Corvette) and he pays for their ownership by hiring them out.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Mad Ax said:

He has 4 60s/70s convertibles (2 Mustangs and a Camaro as well as the Corvette) and he pays for their ownership by hiring them out.

Interesting concept. Corvette restoration enthusiast in particular are big on originality. For showing purposes, authentic tires are a must. For any driving purposes, I'd certainly make allowances for things like radial tires. The thing is, by the 60's, things pretty much worked on cars. Chevrolet didn't sell a bunch of cars who's headlights didn't work right when new. Age, wear and vacuum leaks contribute to failure over time. I've had to replace the miles of vacuum line under the hood of a Corvette to get things right again. They were marginal, so anything out of whack in the system would lead to issues, but they did work when new.

P.S. I'm not advocating things need to be this strict for our shelf queens. If its a clean and/or restored Tamiya that is presented on a shelf, then its a shelf queen to me, whether it has scratches underneath from previous use or not. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting question to bring up.

It seems that, given the lack of an official RC Magna Carta stating specific requirements, the definition is quite subjective.

Personally, I agree with @Killajb: whatever you deem worth being on your shelf, is your shelf queen (and well, we could have shelf princesses too, in case there's need for some sort of hierarchy).

When if comes to an Ebay auction I think that there's nothing wrong with embellishing your ad a little bit, to a certain extent of course. What looks old and worn out to a buyer could still be a shelf queen to the seller for whatever reason, so in such case I would just take the term with a grain of salt and rather concentrate on description/pics. Besides, if the photos depict a munched up rat, you can call it shelf queen all you want but by doing so you won't command a dime more, if anything it'd make the seller look less professional or even suspicious.

So as a buyer I'll be relatively "tolerant" with an ad's description but, as I said, only to a certain extent. A little while ago I got kinda half-screwed when winning an auction on the bay: what was supposed to be "Shelf Queen and RTR" was nothing more than an used, vintage car in way-better-than-average conditions (way better, yes, which is still far from pristine). And, most important, it didn't even turn on. To tell the full story, after getting quite mad at the seller he convinced me that he was in good faith so, moved by gis explanation and sorry for being so mad at him, I even left him a positive feedback (dumb dumb).  To be fair though, after the disagreement the guy gave me the support needed to bring the model back to life, so at least that. With the hindsight, I know that I still got kind of screwed as the description simply did NOT match the item (it's really about that, besides how much I did or did not pay for it).

What annoyed me though was not that it was called a shelf queen, but that it was presented as rtr -ready to run. That I found just not acceptable.

Rtr to me means able to go for a good ride, spin some wheels in anger, shred a backyard, not tinker-for-a-month and run it like you are on eggshells cause the whole thing might just pop if you only give it the evil eye!

By the way, shall we start another debate on what rtr means to each of us? :)

Anyway, live and learn! Now that model works and is one of my shelfers that I'm pleased to admire, who knows one day I may sell it myself and when doing so I will accurately describe it just for what it is, no more no less. And I may even call it a shelf queen, 'cause that's what it actually is (for me at least, and for the person that in good faith or not sold it to me).

But back to the personal view on the subject. When it comes to my own fleet, besides the exception mentioned above, the status of Shelf Queen is something that must be earned. 

My Top Shelfer is currently a Hornet, the one that got me back into rc a few years ago now. I bought it new, built it and enjoyed it immensely. Through the year and a half or so that I've used it, it withstood so much use and abuse. From accidentals dips in the lake to the most debauched, booze-fueled bashing sessions, it survived everything, the "Anytime Baby" motto still holding on to the shreds of what used to be a rear wing. One day I decided it was enough, so I stripped it down to the last screw and restored it back to its original glory (new wheels/tires and body shell will do most of the job). Now at a glimpse it seems new and never run, but take a closer look and the scratches/imperfections on the tub are visible, so what? The dog definitely earned its stripes, not to mention that some signs of wear hidden under the display-oriented polishing only add extra appeal to a machine that used to get down and dirty before passively sitting in a cabinet.

Here it is by the way... getting the itch to run it again already.

20190210_155425-2016x1134.jpg

(Sorry I recycled the pic from an old post of mine, like others I'm having trouble uploading and need to find a new host)

This Hornet will always be more of a shelf queen to me than any new built/never run Avante I may (hopefully!) ever own in the future, because it fought its own many battles! My Manta Ray is on the same path by the way,  I run it all the time now but it might get a facelift and its place of honour on the shelf soon. Others, like the Big Boss, basically go from the field straight to the shelf as I like it much better with some dirt on (yes, my wife is very understanding).

But again, almost all of the above is subject to personal views which is part of the fun in out much stimulating hobby.

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...