Building old kits - should I or shouldn't I?

I have a few old kits that are not really collector items because the boxes are beat up or disintegrating and I was wondering if it is worth building them or does there resale value mean that I hold onto them or sell them and buy a more modern laser cut kit.

Examples

top flite sure form hurricane kit
sterling nieuport 28c1
sterling he11cat
top flite p47 sure fom kit
jetco dolphin
jetco sabre stunt

Except for the Neuport I have the same selection...but more..lol. I
have been taking them and using the parts as templates and scratch building them...one at a time and slowly but the kits are intact and
will probably get sold before long to somebody else to use or build.

Mostly I got them cuz I built them or always wanted them as a kid in
the 60's.

This will all depend on your kits condition. I just finished the Saber Stunt from the kit right out of the box and found that the only parts that are bad were the elevators as both were way too heavy so I just cut another pair of them. All the rest of the wood was better than I expected so went along with the build. Now it's paint time and decided that I would paint it just like the real F-86 Saber that we are restoring at Stead Air Base for the CAF. So far it's coming along fine and hope it fly's as good as it looks. Larry

I'd suggest that the "SureForm" TF's go on eBAY. I've seen a few go for ridiculous prices. The two Sterling kits likewise are rapidly becoming collector's items, especially the Nieuport.

The Jetcos have ebay potential north of $100, and the Sterling Nieuport maybe $150. The Hellcat around $75, and the Sure-Form has a wider range, say $75 to $125. I would say copy and hold the kits, or copy, and eventually sell the kits. Currell

Why build anything die cut when you can have laser cut for about the worth of the old kit? Tom H.

ummmmm....he did mention that the kit boxes were in pretty bad condition. Doesn't the value of the kit come in large part, from that box condition? Just wondering.

Yep,
That's what I said, the boxes are pretty shot.

The hellcat and the jetco kits I could probably get a pretty decent amount.

But the Nieuport and the others are pretty shot

Just to spice things up I have a sig ryan Sta but the box is shot on that one too.

Pow wow - not bad.

Trophy trainer - not bad (one of mr Noyes original TT's)

Top flite tutor - not bad

Original Banshee - so so I guess

I always fell remorse when I sell one of these because you'll never see it again

But the building of some of these can be a real excercise in patience as well, especially compared to the kits that we have nowadays.

Joe,
The Noyes TT is probably a good builder. The rest are cool but all are kind of emotional rather than good flying contest models; so that would be a thing only you could determine.
The Sterling Scalers I have I'm doing as old style with old engines and JRoberts 3 line stuff.
The Form Flite models are neat as they have the possibility of being built light, but the Thunderbolt is really small for Scale and the Hurricane has need for a 25% larger stab and elevator, pretty decal sheet though.
All of these kits would make a neat collection, but where do you display them all?
eBay is the way to go if selling some because that way you get a much larger audience and the prices you get will be much higher than anywhere else.
Chris...

Chris,
In my attic. I have been collecting these with the intent of building all of them - I just never get around to it. I'll see a good kit or a good buy on a kit and I'll get it.

Example: - I've built the sterling hellcat and flew it quite a bit about twelve years ago - I had a ball with that plane, and I flew it in multiple configurations, three line with Flaps, etc. I eventually planted it trying to take off from the field one day when the grass was a little too long for me to get off the ground.
Six months later I'm working in another state and walk into a hobby shop that is definintely not one of those places an R/c'er or a Cl'er would be hanging out in, but low and behold in the back amidst the dust is this sterling kit and it called to me.

Three days later I walked in and bought it. It's been with me ever since.

I have way more kits than I'll actually ever build. but that doesn't mean I don't plan on building them.

The cost of kits recently has diminished my ability to buy but I still look at the kits and think "man that would be a good kit to Build, put an La46 on it, a good GRW tank,..."

You know how it goes - we all do.

>Joe,
>The Noyes TT is probably a good builder. The rest are cool but
>all are kind of emotional rather than good flying contest
>models; so that would be a thing only you could determine.
>The Sterling Scalers I have I'm doing as old style with old
>engines and JRoberts 3 line stuff.
>The Form Flite models are neat as they have the possibility of
>being built light, but the Thunderbolt is really small for
>Scale and the Hurricane has need for a 25% larger stab and
>elevator, pretty decal sheet though.
>All of these kits would make a neat collection, but where do
>you display them all?
>eBay is the way to go if selling some because that way you get
>a much larger audience and the prices you get will be much
>higher than anywhere else.
>Chris...

Chris, this thread has George Alexander written all over it! LOL....

Hey John,
Did you ever finish that Guillows Trainer?
Chris...

The thing about vintage kits is that even for collectors, a shot-out box is not too much a deterent... If they already have one they can chose the better wood of the two kits for the collectable one and be guilt free to build the other. I did this with a PDQ Circus King. Took a bug eaten box and plans with good (well for a PDQ!) wood and swapped and matched parts until I had a very nice kit for patterns and all original parts even down to the silkspan.

Try eBay with a reserve on a couple and see what you can get, if your happy with that then sell the rest and go with something new...laser cut even.

Box condition matters quite a bit on Ebay....collectors will not pay for a crappy box,even if the contents are fine.How do I know?...I've bought and sold about 100 kits on Ebay..my 2 cents worth

>Box condition matters quite a bit on Ebay....collectors will
>not pay for a crappy box,even if the contents are fine.How do
>I know?...I've bought and sold about 100 kits on Ebay..my 2
>cents worth


None of this stuff lasts forever and it all goes to rust and dust sooner or later. I'd build what you want to and sell off the rest. The last Sterling Nieuport 28 kit I had went out the door for $25, so did a mint Monocoupe.
I paid $75 on ebay for a (Sterling) Guardian a month or so back because the box was shot although the rest was ok.

JAK

Well I heard from another concern last night

When I got home from work yesterday I told my wife (the real boss)
about the gist of this thread and how I was thinking about selling some of my old kits. Her response was:

WHAT!!!!!???? Sell the Spitzy anderson x500 thingamahoochy!!??

Isn't that the one that won the worlds back in '32? the one and only kit of it's kind left? what about all that quality workmanship you don't see anymore?

She had a good laugh at ribbing me and then said:

Honey, this is you - I've never seen anyone get so much enjoyment out of the anticipation of building a kit or buying a kit. You can sell the kits and planes and everything else, but you're never going to be as happy with the money as you are with those kits.

That's why she's the boss.

Honey, this is you - I've never seen anyone get so much enjoyment out of the anticipation of building a kit or buying a kit. You can sell the kits and planes and everything else, but you're never going to be as happy with the money as you are with those kits.

That's why she's the boss.

Well put!

I agree with the folks who say copy the plans and trace templates of the parts. That way you can both build them and, if you like, pass them on to others.

Of course you probably would not want to build a buck to make those molded fuselages.

George

Sometimes an empty kit box in great conditions surfaces, cheap or free, and you can 'restore' a kit to prime condition. Same for engine boxes. Somebody has to be lucky sometime, and it might be you, but I'd rather it was me. Steve

Steve Helmick
Renton, Washington
USA

I remember the collectors prayer - "Lord, when I pass on, please don't let my wife sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it."

Steve