Do people buy whole collections?

[Saito2]

Morbid though it may be, the Covid19 pandemic has given rise to thoughts about potentially putting my affairs in order. Simply put, I work a job with no enforced social distancing and sporadic mask usage despite state mandates. I have health conditions that put me at higher risk. This isn't to say I expect to expire but in planning for the worst case, which is in the realm of possibility, I don't want to burden my wife with a collection to sell piece by piece. So, can an entire collection be off loaded? About 75 complete cars, 25 of which are runners a mix of old and rereleases, almost exclusively off road from the first 100 (or rereleased versions thereof) is what we're talking about. Obviously, pricing would be on the cheaper side considering the amount of cars. I have no plans on selling, but if the worst were to happen, I don't want my wife to have to deal with selling 75 cars individually nor would I want them going into the trash. Some money for her wouldn't hurt but getting top dollar isn't in the cards.

[CoolHands]

 I say no. If it was only sold as a job lot it would probably only go for a 1/4 of the value. The market to buy that many cars as one lot would be so small.

[graemevw]

If 75 cars came up for sale at 1/4 of their value id be buying them!

I dont think the market would be too small, id guess a fair few collectors out there could afford the purchase. They would no doubt keep some and sell the rest on. 

I think if this is a serious concern for you then you need to make a list of what you have, what each car is worth with very conservative lower prices, then a total of how much less it would probably make sold as a lot. Then anyone else in the future at least doesnt have to do loads of research.

75 cars may well be better split into maybe 4 or 5 lots.

[CoolHands]

That would be a better idea - to leave instructions as to say 5 small job lots with which models in each lot. So put 5 decent collectible cars in each lot to make sure they sell. The wife could just follow the instructions as to what ones go together. Would make a lot more like that.

[speedy_w_beans]

I have seen one instance of a member here buying a whole collection from another member, but it was special circumstances.

[Nobbi1977]

I would keep a folder for each car. 
 

List a good description and a minimum value. This is also good for insurance anyway
 

Should the worst happen there will be someone local on here that might be able to help shift them a few at a time. 
 

You are lucky my wife has motorcycles to sort 😂

[Saito2]

I hadn't considered breaking them up into smaller lots. That seems like a good idea. I have a fair amount of "good" cars that could be sprinkled in throughout the lots to make them desirable. My new built shelfer Avante might interest some, but they'll have to take the old Madcap I couldn't sell for $60 with it, lol. Like I said, I have no plans on selling but my wife is a minimalist and hates collection clutter. If she got roughly half fair value, it might help with burial cost. 

5 minutes ago, Nobbi1977 said:

You are lucky my wife has motorcycles to sort 😂

Well, my wife has 1:1 cars to sort too . Those I figure she can handle. I did debate converting my Nova to automatic since she would like to keep it and can't/won't drive a 4 speed stick but that's taking things a bit too far. I'm not planning on going anywhere, but in these times, it makes you think...

[svenb]

Crikey! This is wee bit...... Well thingy! 

I'll let my kids sell all mine probably for a night on the razz. 

[Saito2]

Yes, I'm exceptionally sorry for the morbid tone of this thread but I needed some ideas on how to potentially proceed.

[Problemchild]

I’d say no - unless it was to split and sell the set themselves 

what you got

what you selling?

JJ

[svenb]

1 minute ago, Saito2 said:

Yes, I'm exceptionally sorry for the morbid tone of this thread but I needed some ideas on how to potentially proceed.

Difficult admittedly, just put a post it note on every model with your top and bottom value on it but under no circumstances ever put what you paid for it, ever, ever. 

[tamiya3speed]

To lighten the mood a bit, this reminds me of this quote I've seen around: My worst fear is that when I die, my wife will sell my cars for what I told her they cost. 

Seriously though, I have always told the wife that if I go, give 1 Bruiser to each child and tell them to keep that.  The rest of my collection can be split between the kids or sold if money is tight.

[Big Jon]

Our shops buy entire collections for pennies on the dollar, break them into smaller lots or high value individual items, then sell them on. I suspect that a lot of the vintage parts and cars on eBay come from collections that have been sold on. Obviously, to get the maximum amount of money, you'd sell it yourself, but a lot of widows or executors don't have the time or experience required.

Plastic modelers often have enormous collections of NIB kits and accessories, sometimes large enough to fill multiple storage units. The owner of a large hobby shop in California purchased a lot that filled an entire suburban house and three units. The doors of the units wouldn't open until some kits were removed, and, in the house, once a shelf was filled, the modeler would put another in front and fill it, so every room had to be excavated. Fortunately, everything was stored properly, so the kits retained value. Buying collections from hoarders is unpleasant, because most of the stuff is ruined from poor storage and reeks of mildew and rat urine, then you have to tell the wife that her husband's collection is only worth $75 or so for hundreds of kits.

Long story short, yeah, there's a market for large collections, but they're more valuable in smaller lots.

[Jonathon Gillham]

A collection of mostly onroad cars was sold here a year or so ago and they had to do it individually.  The family enlisted the help of a local hobby shop who gave them an idea of value of each model and they did a big garage sale type thing over a few weekends.  They let stuff go for the bottom end of the price range but had a few key kits which they held on to waiting for the right price.  Makes sense to do it this way to me.

I picked up an F103 for my son and was talking to a collector who bought a couple of early F1's.  I don't think collectors would want to buy a whole collection as they would usually only want a few bits in it.  Likewise if you grouped them, you'd probably find that the Avante and Madcap together would sell for what the Avante's worth.  Opportunists would pick up the groups to split and resell so only buy them if they were cheap.  It may work if you had say Hotshot to Bigwig, someone may buy that family of cars I guess.

 

[Problemchild]

Come on - with eBay it’s easy to sell

posting can be a bit of a ball ache but buy a roll of bubble wrap, roll of thick brown paper and use a postal compare service (I use parcel2go)

costs about £6 to drop off or £7 for them to collect from the doorstep 

JJ

[futureworks]

Another alternative is just to identify who does toy auctions nationally wherever you live, if you wanted a very low hassle approach. If you recorded one or two auction house options as your preferred approach, that could be one route for selling them if ease is important. I've seen collections the size of yours go this way - doesn't mean top dollar necessarily, but it gets the job done.

[Re-Bugged]

11 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Morbid though it may be, the Covid19 pandemic has given rise to thoughts about potentially putting my affairs in order.
I have health conditions that put me at higher risk. This isn't to say I expect to expire but in planning for the worst case, which is in the realm of possibility, I don't want to burden my wife with a collection to sell piece by piece.

Despite your unenviable situation it is very admirable of your consideration towards your wife in this 👍🏻
I sincerely hope it just remains a hypothetical scenario for you.  
 

[SuperChamp82]

It’s a very fair (if unpleasant) fact to face @Saito2

None of the older guard in here are getting any younger and - like you - I wouldn’t want my family burdened with my collection at a horrible time 

There are a couple of members in here I’d put lawyers handling my will in touch with to sell things piecemeal for fair commission - and I’d do the same for them 

Beyond that, the best advice is probably to keep a record of a sensible - if slightly conservative - value for each kit and any lot then worse case you can hand the list over to someone to deal with rather than troubling family 

And to end on a lighter note, that will also fix @tamiya3speed issue - because your wife will never find out what you paid ! 😂

[Butler]

Where are you based Saito?

You may find someone here willing to help. I sold 3 of my mates tamiyas because he couldn't be bothered. I was happy to do it for a few beers.

You could offer a percentage of what ever they all sold for. Motivating you and the helper.

[Alwb68]

Hi Saito, why not put a list on the site. If members want to put there name against a car at a pre-agreed price.

Then heaven forbid, worst case scenario your wife has a list of people lined up to buy and prices already sorted.

Its then just a case of posting them out.

That way your wife gets more money. And you know they’ve gone to good homes.

Hopefully none of the above will be necessary.

Al

[Saito2]

I'm based in the NE United States. Interest in Tamiya or even RC around me is nil. I'm not sure that I want to go as far as posting up a list for potential buyers yet. Its hard enough to go down this path of thought process on its own. Like I said, the plan is not to die. I certainly don't expect to, and take the utmost precautions on my end that I can. I wear a mask the entire day, wash frequently and disinfect often. Its a shame most don't understand that face mask are far less effective when they a worn on top of one's head (unless you have a blowhole like a whale) or down around your neck (unless you have a tracheotomy) and have washing shouldn't be optional, but I digress. This is all worst-case scenario planning for my wife's sake. Thank you for all the suggestions. In the end, I think I'll either separate them into lots and/or write values up for each. 

[Falcon#5]

It's doubtful that anyone would pay for a job lot of that size, anywhere near what their combined individual values are worth.

My suggestion would be to sell them individually first, or split them into smaller lots of say 5 cars or so.

If you split the collection into groups of 5, pick the most valuable 15 and have them as the showpiece of each group.

Bundle the less valuable examples with each showpiece and you will find it easier to move all of them on, and have no 'leftovers'

[junkmunki]

Thats a big yes from me. I have purchased two complete collections. The first consisted of 9 vintage cars, and the second i have posted about on the forums. I have been back to the same collector 3 times and have now purchased his entire collection which amounts to approx 30 cars, either new in box, or built requiring either restoration or just cleaning. In addition, there were heaps of rare vintage spares.

This is a picture of the some of the second collection as i went to see it.

There is always a buyer, it just comes down to negotiations.

J