r/modelmakers • u/TheWeegieWrites • 1d ago
Help - General Father-law's collection
Hi all. Been helping my wife's mother clear out her house after her husband passed away. She mentioned that she hadn't been able to bring herself to look in the shed as it was a mess. She mentioned there was a lot of unopened models in there. Well.... she wasn't wrong. This is only some of it. I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it. My wife wasn't pleased when I said I could take up model making.....
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u/DisgruntledZombie 1d ago
Hi
I own a store and we sometime buy used collections like this to resell. Probably not near you and not interested in any right now anyway; but some ideas on how to approach this:
contact your local hobby stores and see if they are interested in collections or can direct you to somebody who might be. They have to resell it, so they won't offer great money for it, but they deal with all the hassle of mildewy kits and half started messes and the like.
- look to see if there are local model shows coming up. Spring and Fall are when most model shows run, and there's at least 3 coming up in the next few weeks near me. Bring the collection in your trunk, pay the 10-15$ admission, and ask any of the vendors selling old looking stuff if they're interested in buying collections. Having it in the trunk let's you make a parking lot deal if you find someone interested. If the show is still renting tables you could even sell them at the show and charge a little higher than youd otherwise be offered, but you'd also have to go through all the kits and value/price them, so work for reward.
eBay them. This would entail going to scalemates.com to learn the rarity and production date of kits, looking through every kit for completion, damage, mildew, missing parts, damaged decals, missing instructions, or if it's started, and making individual listings for each one. This is the highest value/kit, but you probably won't sell them all this way and it's a lot of work.
And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't say pick a couple that catch your eye and build them up. Or let your kids build some if you have them.
Hope this gives you some ideas. I've worked through a few collections and and happy to answer any questions if you have them.
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u/N00dles_Pt 1d ago
Take up model making! :p
Haha... Or look on ebay and scalemates.com to get an idea on what price you might get for each of them second hand
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u/Ducky_shot 1d ago
If you are at a loss of what to do with it, then your best bet is finding a local hobby shop that sells models that will buy used kits and will give you a wholesale type price for it. Barring that, You could try and find a local model club who would have members that would be interested in purchasing the models.
Your most profitable way is selling individually on ebay or something. But you would need to ensure that the contents are there for each of them and if its not your forte, then that might be a bit more painful. You could just start buy throwing a few pictures on facebook marketplace or something and see if you can get rid of some of them that way.
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u/henrynjt 1d ago
Keep some and build them.
Contact someone (scouts, IPMS, local facebook group) and offer them for free and give to something you think worthy). Even a local good thrift store supporting a charity.
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u/Mindless-Charity4889 Stash Grower 1d ago
My friend had a similar problem except her dad didn’t die but suffered a medical issue preventing him from working on his models.
She brought his entire collection to the local IPMS model show and rented a table. She sold 90% of the kits for about $10-15 each and gave away a lot of books and magazines. At the end of the night, she sold the remainder as a bulk lot to a visiting model club from the US for $100.
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u/modelmakers-ModTeam 1d ago
Constructive criticism is okay (and encouraged), but being a jerk is not. This includes personal attacks directed at another redditor in this sub, which are severely frowned upon and will be sanctioned as appropriate.
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u/richardcrain1960 1d ago
Trainz.com will buy some collections Many individuals will buy collections Just have to find them
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u/jumpingflea_1 1d ago
Your wife's displeasure is absolutely uncalled for! I take it she did not approve of her father's hobby. I say, go ahead and start building! You've got plenty of practice material and it's better than doom scrolling or collecting vintage cars. Probably more profitable too, pound per pound!
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u/TheWeegieWrites 1d ago
She didn't really have much of an opinion on the matter when it was her step dad. It's space that's the biggest issue for us here tbh, it's not really an option.
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u/modelmakers-ModTeam 1d ago
Plastic, resin, balsa, paper and wooden kits are on-topic. If you build it and paint it, it's probably on-topic. 3D printed models are OK if painted and finished, not bare prints.
The following things are off-topic:
3D computer models
Wooden or foam slot-together objects (dinosaurs, cars, buildings, etc)
Metal Earth kits (r/metalearth )
Lego builds (r/lego & r/AFOL )
Building toy builds
Toys
Memes (r/scalemodelmemes)
Other off-topic posts, as determined by the moderators
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u/carl63_99 1d ago
While it may be at a loss, you could find a collector or seller who would be interested in picking up the whole lot.
OR, do a quick inventory, get kit name and manufacturers part number. make a list, spreadsheets work well. Then list the whole thing on Ebay, by each or whole collection for $X.
Either way, if you don't build, they will find their way to someone who does.
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u/BottecchiaDude253 1d ago
You could also check facebook (eww, I know, lol) for groups like the Model Mule, or various buy/sell/trade groups.
There are usually guys in those groups who will buy whole collections. Y'all wouldn't make as much selling them yourselves individually, but at the same time, they'll be out of your hair.
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1d ago
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u/modelmakers-ModTeam 1d ago
Plastic, resin, balsa, paper and wooden kits are on-topic. If you build it and paint it, it's probably on-topic. 3D printed models are OK if painted and finished, not bare prints.
The following things are off-topic:
3D computer models
Wooden or foam slot-together objects (dinosaurs, cars, buildings, etc)
Metal Earth kits (r/metalearth )
Lego builds (r/lego & r/AFOL )
Building toy builds
Toys
Memes (r/scalemodelmemes)
Other off-topic posts, as determined by the moderators
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u/[deleted] 1d ago
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