I just can't do it anymore

[Starry Eyes]

I've got to share my feelings in hopes several of my fellow klowns are in the same boat ... I want to thin my collection but every time I start sorting and making a rather large pile of kits to let go of I start feeling this remorse - start putting them back- then picking other kits and going through the whole damned scenario again until I get so overwhelmed that I end up walking away from the task in hand .. NOW, I know some of you are laughing ;D and nodding your head saying - "yep, that's the way it goes" .. and someone I'm sure will reply and say- "just send them to me" ..
The fact of the matter is I DO need to thin down my kits to a more manageable level and get my rear in gear and start building the kits I've "stored" and "stared" at for the past several years .. ... but every time I walk in the model room I take off on that "why not thin this stuff down and make a pile" thingy .. Where the hell does a guy draw the linbe and say enough is enough ? Anyone have abny REAL tips or pointers for me ? Sheeesh .. somebody stop the madness already, I just can't do this anymore..

[guest]

Maybe start with the duplicates.

[Deleted]

Chuck Ol' Buddy,
I don't have all the answers, but I'm doing some weeding of my own.
Try a lookin from different angle... Now, What do I have here that I
desperatly want to KEEP, & BUILD! Put these in a safe place,
they are going NOOOO WHERE!!!
Now select just 6 kits from the remainder, certainly you can live
without 6! Put these 6 up for sale, Once you have a buyer, You'll
have to follow through... Your honor is at stake!
Yea Chuck, It may hurt a little, but you'll be 6 kits thinner than before.
Now you can try it again!

Good Luck My Friend!
Bill

[RatRod]

You Knucklehead...... ;D

I know perfectly what your feeling Chuck, all the years of collecting treasures, and now that we're growing older (gracefully.. ) They start getting to be a pain in the a$$.

WOW!!! Did I just say that?

[70spop]

I don't have the answer - Bill's suggestion sounds like a good start. I can offer my empathy, though. I'm in the same boat. And even though I have identified a particular segment of kits as "what I really want to keep and focus on", it's still really easy to think of other kits that I'd want to keep for PARTS for that core project group. And then there are the, "oh, but I should still keep at least ONE of those" kits... and then I need to keep the "parts kits" for THAT particular kit. And then the kits that have wheels and tires that are just TOO GOOD to let go, I mean.... since I've already got them... you know. It just goes on...

And then there's the bare fact that I'm not even really doing any model building these days, and haven't in years, other than dreaming up projects that I think would be "really cool!!" Do I really want to keep spending money, space and time to keep a collection just so I can "fondle plastic" at will?

As John said, I'm gettin' older, and a sizable kit collection is kind of a pain in the ass.

Brian

[Starry Eyes]

One of my biggest delimas is that many of the kits I want to remove from my collection are NOT show rods, rather some of those "ho-hum" kits that would he a total waist of time and money in listing and selling fees to place on ebay... To me many are in a non-collectible era... Not worth selling and not worth keeping.. Ive tried justifying many for parts kits but I think it's just way for me to reconcile keeping them.. I know this story must sound insane to someone just starting out with10-15 kits in their stash... I'm thinking about placing 5-6 kits in a lot and selling them instead of one-zies and two-zies...

[70spop]

I hear ya. I was havingvthat discussion yesterday with someone who does a lot of eBay selling. The kits that have been out in the last twenty years are often times so common (because of constant reissues) that it's hard to unload them, and at a decent price (and I'm just talking about breaking even, or even 2/3).

In my case, a lot (not all) of what I want to keep is also the stuff that I could sell the easiest. :/

Brian

[70spop]

John (RatRod), in Facebook parlance, LOL! and I "like" your post.

Brian

[AL]

... i must kinda go opposite here, and say ?why would you abso have to ?? -for me, i've had three large collections stolen from me, so i'm always try'n to rebuild my collection. the one thing i always say about my model pile is : "it's there for me when i feel like working on something" -otherwise that stuff can just sit there forever. -it's my thing, and everyone who lives in my house knows, that stuff stays there where i put it, and always will. case closed. -like it's part of the furniture. -now if you're running out of room to store it, that i can understand. i guess i'm kinda saying, i'm having a hard time relating to this prob. i would like to have a million unbuilts on my shelf ! ! ! ............ i gotta have stuff !

two cents, Chuck. ........ and yes i'll say it .. "just send those unwanted models over to me, your great friend ........... AL" ;D ;D

[RodBurNeR]

I have been there many times Chuck! I just did the same thing lastnight. I look at what I have and I know I would love to build every single one of them. The problem is, I know in the back of my mind I will not be able to do it. I can't toss models together and have 80 some builds each year like a few that I have seen do!
So, I have told myself to part with some of the stuff that is easier to replace...if I have a change of heart.
I have stuff for sale on this board right now and I really hope someone buys it all...it's less than I paid. I have a problem even selling the stuff to get my money back out of it though. Once I decide I want to part with anything, it's got to GO or it drives me nuts.

[old school modeler]

Hey Chuck, good topic!

Funny how many of us suffer from the dilemma you describe yet we keep bringing our finds home from the model shows and scouring Ebay every night for the rarities we still don't have. I know guys with 1000's of models and they are mainly focused on the few things they haven't got.

Take a step back and look at all the cool stuff you have aquired over decades of collecting, Lately I've been rearranging, and I'm finding my own stuff that I hadn't seen in so long I forgot I had it!

I think the mental change needed to reverse years of hunting and hoarding is almost like catch and release fishing. Once you get it the long hunted trophy, take a good look at it, check it all out, get some good pictures to document it, realize you won't ever do much with it, let it go and check it off the list.

On the value side, new kits at discounts are now moving to 17-19 bucks. I'll bet a lot of those common kits with many ressiues you have might have been purchased way below current price years ago so selling against reissues can still be profitable. The available market quantities depressing demand is another story.

The biggest looming problem is that we are all in the same demographic, all of us in the same boat, big pile of models, no real practcial need to have them, and as time goes on a declining market to sell them to. Right now the craziness continues with pricing on Ebay, probably all of us still selling to each other. I noticed some decline in pricing through the recession dip but it seems to have gone right back up. I'm also noticing a lot more rare and pristine stuff surfacing which I'd say is an indicator of more guys facing this same dilemma.

At toy shows in the late 70's cast iron and toys from the 20s dominated and were the big money thing, we were looking for models and didn't go for that old stuff. Now when that 20's stuff shows up, the few guys selling it take it all back home again without anyone being interested, no market. That demographic should be a lesson to us as we are repeating the same thing, future shows will probably be about pokemon, ninja turtles, original Play station games and vintage Beanie Babies that didn't get thrown out but not likely cast iron toys from the 20's or plastic models from the 60's.

For a lot of the showcar fans that are a bit younger, AMT 3 in 1 annuals were the gold standard of the hobby during the resurgence in the 70's and early 80's, at that time a lot of the showrods, and "weird" kits were nearly unsellable, so even the change in demand in this area is a product of the demographic between the oldest and youngest among us.

Some of the things we are chasing now due to rarity actually were crummy when they were new, which is a large part of why they are rare now, because nobody saw any value in them. When these kits are reissued, scarcity is satisfied and the lack of true value comes right back into play. Another good reason for "catch and release", so you don't get stuck when a limited market draws way down from a niche reissue. Also a good reason to take a hard look at the difference in external scarcity driven value and the personal, actual model building value. I don't want to insult anybodys favorite kit here but there are a lot of examples of this effect in the showrod category.

Right behind us in age, the demand for this stuff drops off dramatically, the video game/computer game generation has little grounding in hand skill hobbies, and a completely different attitude toward cars from an emotional base. They will never connect to the hobby the same way. A friend of mine vends models at local hot rod shows and the avereage guy with his kids walking up is surprised to see models as he hasn't seen them in years in mainstream stores, the kids have never been inside a hobby shop, and they have no idea what is in the box or what you do with a model.

Another alternative and positive direction is pushing from just putting the box parts together to advancing higher levels of skills in scale modeling. Scratchbuilding, and skill development in realistic finishing and detailing are the original rewards of the hobby. Go back to the early kit roots and you got blueprints, a few detail parts and a bunch of wood blocks, people did make good looking models out of that! Not for everybody and no throwoff on anyone who builds casually but this can be just as absorbing as collecting and could be a good substitute shift for maitaining the same intensity and energy in the hobby.

A couple of bright spots are some resurgence in sales to the very young kids coming along primarily getting exposed throught the craft stores. This seems to be driven by the mindset shift coming out of the recession to a focus on more educational, tangible, longer lasting "wholesome" activities. This is bringing some real market growth and new attention to modeling. The other new growth is coming from retired guys who are catching up with their own hobby rediscovery now that they have more time for it. These things will help keep manufacturers in business and perhaps provide a bit of additional market for the vintage stuff.

Biggest thing is to enjoy both the collecting and building side, avoid speculation, buy what you need, buy what you like, build what you like how you like, work on advancing your skills from model assembler to scale modeler and you will always find reward in the hobby.

Good advice, now only if I can practice some of it!

[showrodjohn]

I have kept mine and when I am not on this earth any more my kids can build them or sell them.

[Brandon]

You can only work on one or two at a time...

I will share how I pare my stuff down when it starts to get out of hand.

Go to the pile, and pick something up. Ask yourself:

If the house was on fire or about to flood or a mudslide forced an evacuation would I save this one?

Make three piles: Yes. No. and Maybe if I could come back in or had time.

When you get through.... go back through the Maybe pile and really think about it... which ones really mean something, or are valuable and you want to build them, or are rare.

You'd be surprised at what you don't REALLY care about that is stacked up...

[stilljustharley]

And another hoarder/ "thinner" steps up to the mike!

Before I moved last year I threw out an invite to all the model builders I knew to come and trawl through the stash on the grounds that if you could see it, it was for sale (kits, built ups, parts whatever). That achieved two things (well, three if you count a very welcome influx of cash!), firstly it made me think really hard about the kits I just couldn't sell (they got hidden away) and, secondly, I knew that anything which did get sold was going to a good home.

I've also managed to keep a constant thinning going on by taking a stall every year or so with a couple of friends at one of the biggest model shows and just selling the sort of stuff that would be a total pain to get rid of via Ebay. Every time it's been a great weekend and, despite being at a model show, I've usually come home with a profit!

[Deleted]

I completely understand your dilemma. When I was off work last year, I did a lot of building, about 20 kits and pared down the stash. This past Christmas, I cleaned out my hobby room and re-stacked everything as I had kits and projects sitting on the floor with no shelf to hold them. I decided to sell off a few kits and reduce the mess. I have been selling a few kits at our club meetings because Ebay selling is hard due to the high cost of postage in Canada, about $15 to mail a standard AMT/Revell box. When the kit is only worth $5-10 and the postage is $15, no one buys. I am planning to sell a few more at a show in April just to clean out the room and reduce the stash.

I have someone who has over 10,000 kits and keeps saying, 'I plan to build every one', which I know can not happen. If he finishes 1 kit a day, he has over 27 years of building just to clear today's stash, not to mention what he will buy tomorrow and every week after that.

What I did was what some of the others did...I picked the kits that I was least likely to finish (starting is easy) and put them on the 'For Sale' pile and said goodbye to them.

How about your grand kids? Are they interested enough that you want to save them some special kits?

Another idea...depending on the $, find a local children's group and offer them some model kits for a low price or for free or perhaps in exchange for a tax credit.

Try this...take a photo of every special kit you have and make a photo album, so even after you sell the kit, you can still look at the box and enjoy it.

Don't get an ulcer over this...it's a hobby

[badroadahead]

I'm sure many of you may not agree with me on this, but to me they are just boxes of parts......

I don't look at them as investments or prized collections....just parts to be creative with.

I guess I've never been sentimental.

But for what it's worth I would tend to agree with Bill and sell a small lot and then take it from there.

Dave

[fredmellini]

Well Chuck............I tell you what worked for me and you can take it from there. This may not work for you, but here it is anyways!! ;D

I have on three different occassions amassed large collections of built and unbuilt models......easily having over 400 unbuilt kits at a time. It got to the point that I was never going to build them all, and I couldn't even display the unbuilts as they were in boxes in the attic. I then ran outof display room for my built ups.

Each time I would call my local model collector/seller (vender) of vintage kits and he would come over and we would make a deal and he would buy the whole lots..............I did this three times over many years!!!

Finally I came to the realization.............it was just easier for me to build them, take them to model shows or display them for awhile , take pictures and put them in my phototbucket and save them to disc. I would them sell them on ebay. It has worked for me as it allows me to build the model, have it for a while, then sell and make some money at the same time, It also funds my hobby. I know that I am not a big unbuilt mint in the box collector......I know I am a builder, so that is one big hurdle to get over!!!! ;D ;D I did sorta get into that a while back, but I got into it at the absolute worst time (or good time) depending on how you view that.....as all the reissues have been popping up latlely and killing the market on old vintage kits. I just saw an original 1969 rommels rod unbuilt in the box sell on ebay last week for under $25!!!!!! I bought my originol unbuilt about a year before the reissues came out for $250!!!!!............and I still built it!!!

So for me anyways......I am always going to build first, collect later if at all......so this way I do not have to worry about displaying or storagee, and by selling my builts...it gives me the incentive to build and not just stock pile kits Iam never going to build. I thik that is what you really need to look at. I know I did. I had 400 kits and I was always adding faster than I was building......just do the math. Figure out the average hours it takes for you to build a kit.....now multiply that by the amount of kits you have (400 for me) and then factor in your daily life, obligations, work, sleep, etc . etc......and you will most likely never be able to finish them all inyour lifetime and that doesn't even include the ones you keep buying and adding to the growing pile!!!! ;D ;D

I also find it less stressful if you are only looking at 10 or 12 unbuilts in the box, that is a more realistic goal to finsh than 400!!!! ;D ;D

Oh yeah, I also do not get attached to my builds, I can easily let them go.....All my builds I have posted here on the corner and in the gallery are all gone, sold to someone else to enjoy!!! ;D....I know that is not easy for everybody so that is why I say this works for me and I am ok with that. It really is what makes the person happiest with their hobby.

[noodles]

Any local Model Shows with a swap area you could sell kits at? At least that way you are selling to fellow Builders who will appreciate these kits and pay a reasonable price. I have sold common kits in bulk through Craigslist, just to create room. The buyer got a good deal, and i got the space i needed... for more kits of course! Good luck chuck!

Rick.

[Phil Patterson]

I've been paring my collection down somewhat myself. You should ask yourself is, am I ever going to build this? If the answer is no, then ask yourself if you have a reason to keep it either, parts, or nostalgia. I've got a few kits I plan on never building, I enjoy them as they are and they're worth more unmolested! If the answer to both is no, sell them or give them to a kid or fellow modeler who is more prone to do something with them than you!

[Tim Nolan]

These guys all have good points Chuck. As a lifetime packrat, I have literally been thinning down all of my collections for the last 10 years! (Yes, it's taken a while) Ebay WAS a good outlet, and still is on rarer items to maximize profit. But, if it's just an off-the-shelf ho-hum kit, take em' to car or toy shows and make some deals to move them! I took about 50 kits up to the Garlits show last fall, one guy bought probably 30 of them, and yes I cut him a good deal to move them out! (I still got a good chunk of $$$). I know you have a lot of desirable kits, keep what you REALLY want to build, sell the rest. When I first started seling off my collections, I greived a bit, but after a while, it gets easy and you like having the pocket money for other things as well!

[davea]

Well Chuck, I don't think I can help you on this, because we're not thinking in the same direction. You know I have thousands of kits, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest that I won't be able to build them all. I'll build what I can. I've never sold my collection, I've had it for decades, growing bit by bit. They are part of what makes me happy, like someone who has money tied up in a boat they only get to use 2-3 times a year, or something else that only gets occasional use. Some guys are hunters or fishers, and have a ton of equipment, boats, and trucks. My son-in-law is big into offroading- quads and trucks, etc. I used to race cars, I haven't for a long time now. I still have my model collection, I don't spend that much now, I already have it. I buy a few in a year's time, not much. It's nostalgia, being able to immerse myself in the good times of my life. I've never cared for how much they cost or are worth; I have many old originals, MIB, that have been since reissued. They are worth less now but I don't care, I didn't buy/keep them for how much they were worth, but rather what they meant to me. Even if I'm 90 and can only look at them, I'll keep them until I'm gone (at which point I won't care, obviously) and then my kids can sell them and other things I have, and be their inheritance. There are people I know who've basically just spent their lives smoking and drinking, or gambling, or even just watching TV! I don't smoke, don't gamble, take care of the wife, kids, and house and all the bills, so I figure I can damn well enjoy what I enjoy! Having "too many kits that I won't be able to build" doesn't make me anxious at all; I figure I have enough of my favorite things to play with, the rest of my life, however long or short that may be.

[francis]

well chuck all l can say is from my own experience
l had way too many kits like a lot of the guys hear
l really needed to to rid of alot of kits that l was never going to build
so l figured l could justify
by selling them to finances other projects and that's what l did
l sold a heap of kits to get parts for my triumph chopper project
and at the end of the day it's just a hobby and it can get a bit overwhelming
just sell the dam things and spend the money one of your real cars or go and by your wife something nice

[jim]

I feel ya brother!!! I only wish I had the answer now that the move is over and the new garage has 30 boxes of kits stacked in the corner it doesn't seem as cool as it did before. When you figure it out let me know, BTW lets not all flood the market at once>>>>>

[barten]

Or find a local boys club, boy scouts, church group, school group youth somewhere? . . . something where you can go in and maybe teach a little class to a local youth group and give your extra kits (donate for a tax write off) and watch the kids build. . . .some will love it some will hate it. . but you might teach another generation to love this stuff!

and if they don't like their builds. . . you can teach them to shoot a BB gun! hehehe

I'm in the same boat. . . looking at boxes . . .and moving boxes. . . as I try to put our house back to normal after the damage.

I do like them and will keep some but will be getting rid of some too. (there are about 5 I would like to still get)

It is a creative outlet. . .and that is a good thing.

Good luck to all. . . and as we all dump parts of the collection. . . the market will be swamped? yikes?

Dios te bendiga,

God Bless
Dan

[Dr. Kerry]

Don't feel bad, I do it all the time!!!!!!

[Bert]

I'm with you Chuck! I can say this, don't send them to me. I have more than I can build in a life time. Like Joe D, I have sold many of my collector kits to finance other hobby projects. I've gotten rid of duplicates and just made myself quit buying kits. It's very hard to do. Hang in there buddy. Maybe we should all build some of our crappy kits using red tube testors and no paint, then video blowing them up with fireworks. We could watch the videos and have a laugh! ;D

[Psychotic Hillbilly]

Here you go Chuck. I did the same thing a few years ago. I had almost 800 kits and knew for a fact I would never build them all. It is a hard thing to do. I sold 90% of my stuff on ebay (to get the most cash). When you start getting all the cash for them it will ease some of the burn but not all of it. I know there is something you have been wanting or have been wanting to do. Save all the cash for that. I now only own about 10 kits. You know what I had in my stash. Heck you sold me part of it. I am still dropping things for sell just to clear it out. I think I will hold on to the 10 sealed kits I have and some of my 1/8 resin parts just to sit down and build latter. Sit down and make a list of the "cant do withouts" and sell off the rest. Not easy I know. I know where you stand old buddy.


Ken...

[duane]

Chuck,
the best approach is determination !!!!!
decide how many and what you want
to build...then indesriminately, sell or
give away the rest !!!!!...very sinple concept !!!!!!

[Steve-o]

Just think Chuck There are guys out there like myself don"t even come close to having all those kits !! I still have a stiff list of grail kits i would like to have . So knock it off already and post up some kits !! "LOL"