[flaps]

I am sorry, I may have written that poorly, I understand where you are coming from now. I sometimes click on here and you see someone looking at the hobby from the vantage point of what can I make on these in the future and not, I am buying these because I like them.

I also cant aggree on the prices thing someone else brought up, I am paying less or the same now for better models than I was 2 to 3 years ago.

Flaps

Originally Posted by DADoser

?????????????

I've just been making some observations and thought I'd ask some questions for discussion regarding our hobby.

Personally, I got into this hobby too late to pick up a Kepford Corsair around list price and I don't have the cash to spend upwards of $50 for ANY single engined fighter.

I've had a member here offer me a Kepford for $46 and shipping (what he said he paid for it on Ebay). Thanksgiving weekend a dealer in Houston had one and he was asking $50. I was shocked to pick this one up on ebay for $26. The models noted in the original question (as well as some others I've seen lately), I thought were going cheap.

I personally like the hobby for the aircraft/history represented - if this was about speculative investment, I'd have gone with Halliburton at about the same time I got into this hobby

I'm not sure what you read into my post that led you to come up with those accusations/conclusions, but that is not where I'm coming from.

I was just asking the questions - seeking others perspective/opinion. I did not post: "Corgi resale prices are dropping like the stock market in '29. The hobby is dead. Dead I say!...."

(Also, I don't see anything wrong with "speculation" or collecting for profit - if that is what one does with this hobby - that is his/her right. We do live in a capitalistic/free market society. No judgement here, from me.)

[timbo]

Originally Posted by flaps

I am sorry, I may have written that poorly, I understand where you are coming from now. I sometimes click on here and you see someone looking at the hobby from the vantage point of what can I make on these in the future and not, I am buying these because I like them.

I also cant aggree on the prices thing someone else brought up, I am paying less or the same now for better models than I was 2 to 3 years ago.

Flaps

Flaps - I agree with you - These are not investment grade assets, and primary reason should be that you like it for is astetics, etc. But it's also a good feeling when that one you paid $25 is now selling for $200 (Not that I'd get rid of it though)

[DADoser]

Originally Posted by flaps

I am sorry, I may have written that poorly, I understand where you are coming from now. I sometimes click on here and you see someone looking at the hobby from the vantage point of what can I make on these in the future and not, I am buying these because I like them.


Flaps

No problem - I appreciate the added reply. Thanks.

[Berkut76]

Originally Posted by DADoser

I've been watching ebay a little lately. A couple observations:

3 plane set - Boyington Corsair; Malan Spit; Pearl Harbor Zero - NIB $22.50 for the set.

a couple of Fw 190s - first white Nowotny (2003) going for the mid $20's.

Eastern Front Stuka AA32503 winning bid - $16.50

Last night I won a Kepford Corsair for $26.01 (and shipping)

MH Exchange - Boyington Corsair - $6.01 ?!?!?!?! Cupp Corsair - $5.01?!?!?!


These are all models I thought would at least have held their list price value over time. Is the resale value of Corgi falling? Is it just because its Christmas time and people have other spending priorities right now? Are these auctions I'm watching just anomalies?

or

Is this an indication of something bigger. Has our hobby plateaued? Are we loosing more people than we are gaining? What (if any) conclusions can be made about demand/price for these "older" Corgi models?


What do the rest of you all think? Are you all seeing the same thing I'm seeing regarding dropping values on Corgi on Ebay?? Any conclusions?


(Thanks in advance for any perspective/discussion.)

I have to admit that most of the bargains that you've mentioned were my eBay sales. Ironically, I was the guy who bought the three plane set you've mentioned first.

While I'm going to be the first to admit that I'm less than thrilled with the final prices that my models brought, and I did lose a lot of money in the end (it was much worse when I was running $.99 auctions with some models failing to break $5.00US barrier), I think that the primary reasons for underwhelming final prices are increase in competition to Corgi models AND the fact that this hobby doesn't have a lot of following outside North America, Canada, Australia, new Zealand, and, of course the UK.

At the same time, when I was selling model planes, I was also selling 1:18 model cars. Let me tell you this, 1:18 models ended up across the globe at very good prices (I haven't lost money on any 1:18 model and made a nifty profit on quite a few) while I've had very few questions regarding 1:72 model planes that I've put for auction outside the countries that I've mentioned above. To make matters worse, the primary 1:72 CORGI market, which is the UK has enough of internal variety of models at good prices, which dissuades perspective buyers from purchasing their models overseas.

While I don't collect models for profit, I can't afford to take a $10 - $15 hit on a model that I'm re-selling either. The poor results of my auctions have definitely made me re-think my purchasing decisions. Unfortunately because of the above, I'll have to restrict myself to buying only a few sure hit models if at all, with the rest being sourced from various sales, where I can buy in bulk to save on shipping to boot. Given the fact that CORGI continues to raise its prices without paying any attention to its merchandise re-sale value, I might give up on this hobby or at least on CORGI brand altogether.

Regards,

Sergey

[HotTrap429]

Like so many things in life, your point-of-view does effect your outlook. I'm into this hobby because I love certain WWII planes. Therefore I don't buy with resale value in mind. Like you Berkut, I've sold off my 1:18 car models and I made a fair amount back. Buying and selling 1/72 planes has become a hit-and-miss proposition. Sometimes I get something I like at a great price, other times, I'll buy a piece I really want and pay for it. Same with selling. I've made and lost money. I believe this will be the norm for a long time to come in this hobby.

[Tyler109]

I also was one who bought and sold several 1:18 cars (namely exoto and minichamps Formula 1 cars) and I've made some and lost some when I did that. It almost seems like what's happening to our market is similar to Nascar diecast...there's just so many out there the majority of them you can just wait out and get them for about half the price a year later on ebay.

[parsig9]

I used to spend all my hobby money on golf and skiing and never brought anything home but aches and bumps...and alot of great memories. Now with 2 little ones I tend to put hobby money into this. I'd spend it anyway for entertainment, now at least I own something. When the boys can go put and play with me I may not be in to this as much.

I don't buy for long term $$ and hate paying MSRP, but if I find a rare bird for a song I'll grab it and try to make a buck so I can get something I really want. There is always something and I constantly look over the collection and try to decide if I can live w/o something. Now, there are only a few I'd ditch but this is the wrong time to be selling anything in my view. Every once in a while I can almost break even for a month of buy/sell. I'd never be anything but down if I was out golfing. It's a win win.

[mikeb1958]

Originally Posted by DADoser

I've been watching ebay a little lately. A couple observations:

3 plane set - Boyington Corsair; Malan Spit; Pearl Harbor Zero - NIB $22.50 for the set.

a couple of Fw 190s - first white Nowotny (2003) going for the mid $20's.

Eastern Front Stuka AA32503 winning bid - $16.50

Last night I won a Kepford Corsair for $26.01 (and shipping)

MH Exchange - Boyington Corsair - $6.01 ?!?!?!?! Cupp Corsair - $5.01?!?!?!


These are all models I thought would at least have held their list price value over time. Is the resale value of Corgi falling? Is it just because its Christmas time and people have other spending priorities right now? Are these auctions I'm watching just anomolies?

or

Is this an indication of something bigger. Has our hobby plateaued? Are we loosing more people than we are gaining? What (if any) conclusions can be made about demand/price for these "older" Corgi models?


What do the rest of you all think? Are you all seeing the same thing I'm seeing regarding dropping values on Corgi on Ebay?? Any conclusions?


(Thanks in advance for any perspective/discussion.)

Hey, I listed my one and only ME-262 Galland Flying Mule Excusive (#039 out of 262) on eBay and only had one bid of only $99.95 and closed tonight for that price! Had over 100 looks and 12 watchers but only one bid! But, in the end I did pay $34.95 for it. So, it's all good.

[skysurfer808]

I've been in this hobby since 2003, and have been predominantly a buyer. I've listed on MH-1 at one point, and divested myself of most of my Franklin Mints, but have held on to my Corgi's and the bulk of my 1/72 collection. I have all brands, and do believe we are in the golden age of this hobby. The internet, the centenary of flight, and cheap Chinese labor, all came together at the right time. It's a great time to acquire airplanes, and these things are getting better and better quality wise. I collect based on pilot, theme and period, and my collection spans most of WW-2 right up to the present day.

Resale prices are a nice guage of what this hobby can be worth in a dollar sense, but these planes are my reward system, and something tangible that I can hold on to. I believe that over time they will appreciate in value. Looking at Corgi's present factory difficulties, I can forsee a time when Chinese goods will become more expensive, as they gain a monopoly on world manufacturing. Capital won't necessarily fly away from them, indeed, strategically, China is in a position similar to the USA in the 1930s. They have tremendous potential power in the form of their industrial economy, and will only get stronger. As they do, their currency will as well, and for investment purposes Gold and the Yuan are probably good bets.

The other pillar of my collection is manufacturer's models. These are mostly made in the USA, from the 1940s-50s onto the present day. Precise Manufacturers, the successor to Topping went out of business early this year. These days such models are made overseas, either in China or the Philippines. There will be a time when made in the USA will be a selling point, as everything else we have will be made in China. These are my "investment grade" assets, while my diecast is a detailed representation of the history of flight.

Skysurfer808

[Ted in DC]

I buy models on eBay and elsewhere for myself, without worrying too much about future resale value. I don't pay much attention to whether something is a limited edition, or an unlimited run, just keep an eye out for price. One of the good things about unlimited editions is that you generally can find something if you're looking for it. I also collect 1:1250 scale ships, and those are all pretty much limited, small production runs. As a result, there is never enough product on the market to meet demand of even very famous, noteworthy ships, and the prices are insanely high. Just check for good quality models of the Andrea Doria in 1:1250 scale on eBay, they fetch a high price compared to a similarly hefty airplane model. The fact that model copies are made of most aircraft models has actually lured me into the hobby, and helped grow it a little. In other words, I'm pretty optimistic about where things are headed, and look forward to collecting more aircraft models as my budget and space allow.
Best,
Ted