Someone asked me a question regarding selling models that have been worked on. I gave him my opinion but wanted to shoot the question out to the masses to get a feel of what other folks think.

The main question centered around taking parts off the sprue. Obviously, if any parts are attached to one another or glued together, then the kit is started.

He had several kits that had the hull pieces removed for dry fitting (no gluing). He had other kits that had the road wheels cut off of the sprue and cleaned up, again no assembly.

I told him that he should advertise these kits as unbuilt/unassembled, but that he should make sure he states, "some parts removed for dry fitting" or "some parts off of sprues". I also advised him to bag the loose parts in a zip lock bag and to double check to insure all parts are there.

The kits are not MIB, but are still unbuilt in my opinion. Any thoughts?

Had seen many of those. Usually, they give out a complete info when selling kits - they don't stick to the usual unopened/opened info, but also shares other stuffs like, missing part C1, dryfitted the upper and lower hull and such. Sometimes they even give pictures of the current state of the model.

For every part that is removed from the spure, the value of the kit becomes less and less (from what I've been through). I remember getting a Italeri fuel truck for half it's price. The only thing that the modeler had done previously to the kit was to work on the frame of the kit. That wasn't even 10% of the overall work on the whole truck

Hi Robin,

I think that provided your honest then there should be no problem.

I swapped some completed kits and figures recently for an unbuilt model. I gave more than I'm getting but I wasn't using the kits any longer and I think it was a very fair exchange. I included all instrcutions and any unused spurs I could find and added a couple of mistry kits that had been started but not completed. The packages haven't arrived with either party yet but I hope the recipient will be very pleased with what he gets.

He can rebuild/repaint as he thinks necessary and I get a kit I need for a new project.

I'd rather do that than keep things sitting around in boxes that aren't be going to be used and I think the deal suited the needs of both parties.

I think honesty is the key here. At least that's my opinion.

Al

From a selling standpoint I would qualify the kits as Complete, Unstarted, Some Parts Removed. The more you can explain in the description the better. If I know its from a model builder I will at least read the description and if it's a kit I 'need' then I consider it. If it's a kit I 'want' then I stay away from it if there is any glue involved and heavily consider staying away if parts are removed.

If there are no parts cemented together, then it is unstarted in my book. Loose pieces, no big deal.


To clarify... if it a few roadwheels assembled - fine. If you have major assemblies done - then it is worthless. Why try to sell it? Finish it or give it away.

Honesty's the best policy. I've bought and sold started models, so if parts are just removed from the sprue, it shouldn't be a big deal, so ling as the "remover" didn't snip a chunk out of the part at the same time,
I advertised a started Life Like AA gun on ebay once as "The hardest part's been done for you-barrel competently assembled," and it went for about the same as unstarted ones. I've even seen built Atomic Annies go for well over $100.
Whether it's a builder or collector, folks just want to know what they're getting up front.

I'm sure I was sent the question since I'm the moderator for the Buy/Sell/Trade forum. Everyone so far seems to have the same philosophy as myself. I told him to let folks know what they are getting up front and he should have no problems selling his kits.

I guess he may be a little gun shy after the recent bad seller incidents.

Regarding the more vintage kits, I would imagine that most of those old kits of the 50s, 60s and 70s would have quite a few loose parts. The sprues weren't self contained back then and were only "trees" with parts hanging off like leaves.