Stash clearance help required

[Widow 65]

Good evening all,

I don't usually post much on here but I guess this is the correct forum for what I need advice on.

Sadly my brother passed away in the early stages of the pandemic last April, when it was still an unknown entity. He was a user of Britmodeller too (pinkycoffeeboat) and like myself was a keen collector and builder of models, which we used to do together as kids.

Anyway, fast forward a year and a half and a whole load of probate later, the time has come to clear out his house.  Having only visited him once at his house in Cornwall his passion for collecting and building models was still as strong as it was many years ago and a substantial amount of built, semi built and still boxed kits were present when I visited around 3 years ago. He has a variety of stashes dotted around my parents house and his former partners house too, but as his house is now on the market it is a priority to clear everything out before it sells.

To cut to the chase, do any of my fellow Britmodellers know of anyone or are interested in acquiring a great deal of still boxed kits? He was a keen builder of civil airliners and aircraft but I do not have a clue until I go down as to how many or what type are actually there.

He lived in the Helston area of Cornwall as he was serving at RNAS Culdrose at the time when he lost his life. I will be down at his house later this month, so if anyone can help me out with this It would be greatly appreciated. 

As a word to the wise, I am keen collector too and know when a kit is rare and worth some money, so there won't be a quick deal to clear the kits, I will take what I want and whatever is left will be sold at a realistic price.

If you are genuinely interested or know of a model shop that buys stashes then please get in touch, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Nick

 

 

[RNoAF Aerobatic Team]

A tip is Veteranus. 

Nikki does a fantastic job!!!

They have auctions on FB. 

Highly recommended!

[Troy Smith]

13 minutes ago, Widow 65 said:

or know of a model shop that buys stashes

Kingkit do, and I think collect as well.  

 

There are others.   But, they won't offer much as they are dealers.   

[Acky190]

Sorry to hear about your brother mate, it's always a knife to hear about the passing of a fellow serviceperson. The best way to clear the kits I reckon will be eBay/Facebook Marketplace/Gumtree etc. No doubt someone will be along shortly to rave about groups like Veteranus auctions which are in my opinion a toxic closed group or indeed the traders like Kingkit etc who tend to offer pretty silly amounts as they 'have to do all the legwork'. It's all a question of how near to the actual value of the kits you want to realise I think, whichever way you do it I hope you do well with it mate. 

[Pete in Lincs]

Nick, My sincere condolences on your loss. I remember the name pinkycoffeboat. I'm sure we exchanged model comments on here in the past.

King kit or models for sale are the only two I can think of that might buy the collection. 

As you probably know, selling like this will not pay what they are worth on the open market, but the buyer must recoup costs and make a profit.

I'd strip out what you want for yourself, and any you know are rare/valuable, and get what you can for the rest.

Obviously there will be paints/tools etc, I've no idea where you can offload them other than ebay.

Regards, Pete

[Widow 65]

See below.

Edited September 4, 2021 by Widow 65

[Widow 65]

Guys, thanks for the tips, I understand that I won't get what they are truly worth it's only plastic after all! I guess pints and stuff will go to the bin, there is an airbrush though, so I'll, keep that too.

Thanks again

Nick

[keefr22]

So sorry for your loss Nick, I remember your brother showing us some superb airliner models. 

 

As the others have said you won't get a whole lot for the kits from a dealer, but it is the easiest way to get rid of a whole lot of kits quickly. I fell out of love with aircraft modelling a good few years ago and sold all my aircraft stash to Kingkit, IIRC I got about 30% of what they were 'worth', but it was pretty painless to deal with them.

 

However I know it's a hassle, but it maybe worth checking what kits have the most percieved value and then sell them on here or (dare I say it) e-bay. You'll doubtless get far more for them. The rest could then go to a dealer? 

 

ATVB

 

Keith

[Troy Smith]

1 hour ago, Widow 65 said:

I guess pints and stuff will go to the bin,

Depends on the paint.    if there is a lot, and you use a courier, they would sell.   put them ebay as job lot,  99p start.   Same with tools.    Just depends if you can be bothered.   

Or, on here, in 'free to a good home'  , if someone is local they could pick up.

Any local model clubs?  You could donate them to anyone who wants them.    I think @rossm was/is in Cornwall, or nearby.   Did not 'Help For Heroes'  use thing like this.   Most of the country has Freecycle/Freegle type groups,  I got a vast stack of model mags from lady whose husband died, she'd been selling off kits and books, later in the sort out I some plastic card, brass tube/rod and a few kits,  but i did also advise her on some items she was about to ebay, like early 80's Airfix Star Wars kits were collectable.  

 

Just not a fan of waste,  hence all the suggestions.     

 

2 hours ago, Acky190 said:

No doubt someone will be along shortly to rave about groups like Veteranus auctions which are in my opinion a toxic closed group

Interesting?  Toxic?  Seen you post on there, I look at a few Farcebook selling pages,  some pretty unrealistic sellers IMO...  but some seem OK.   

[Widow 65]

8 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

Depends on the paint.    if there is a lot, and you use a courier, they would sell.   put them ebay as job lot,  99p start.   Same with tools.    Just depends if you can be bothered.   

Or, on here, in 'free to a good home'  , if someone is local they could pick up.

Any local model clubs?  You could donate them to anyone who wants them.    I think @rossm was/is in Cornwall, or nearby.   Did not 'Help For Heroes'  use thing like this.   Most of the country has Freecycle/Freegle type groups,  I got a vast stack of model mags from lady whose husband died, she'd been selling off kits and books, later in the sort out I some plastic card, brass tube/rod and a few kits,  but i did also advise her on some items she was about to ebay, like early 80's Airfix Star Wars kits were collectable.  

 

Just not a fan of waste,  hence all the suggestions.     

 

Interesting?  Toxic?  Seen you post on there, I look at a few Farcebook selling pages,  some pretty unrealistic sellers IMO...  but some seem OK.   

Troy, thanks for the advice, I'm reluctant to throw things  away too, so I'll definitely look into what you have suggested, thanks.

[Widow 65]

9 hours ago, keefr22 said:

So sorry for your loss Nick, I remember your brother showing us some superb airliner models. 

 

As the others have said you won't get a whole lot for the kits from a dealer, but it is the easiest way to get rid of a whole lot of kits quickly. I fell out of love with aircraft modelling a good few years ago and sold all my aircraft stash to Kingkit, IIRC I got about 30% of what they were 'worth', but it was pretty painless to deal with them.

 

However I know it's a hassle, but it maybe worth checking what kits have the most percieved value and then sell them on here or (dare I say it) e-bay. You'll doubtless get far more for them. The rest could then go to a dealer? 

 

ATVB

 

Keith

Keefr22,  Yep he has some amazing examples on display, they even feature in the pics of his house on the estate agents website!!! Again thanks for the tips.

Let's see what happens, perhaps there will a bunch on here soon, altnough I've always defaulted to ebay to sell and buy.. 🤔🤔🤔

[Acky190]

8 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

Depends on the paint.    if there is a lot, and you use a courier, they would sell.   put them ebay as job lot,  99p start.   Same with tools.    Just depends if you can be bothered.   

Or, on here, in 'free to a good home'  , if someone is local they could pick up.

Any local model clubs?  You could donate them to anyone who wants them.    I think @rossm was/is in Cornwall, or nearby.   Did not 'Help For Heroes'  use thing like this.   Most of the country has Freecycle/Freegle type groups,  I got a vast stack of model mags from lady whose husband died, she'd been selling off kits and books, later in the sort out I some plastic card, brass tube/rod and a few kits,  but i did also advise her on some items she was about to ebay, like early 80's Airfix Star Wars kits were collectable.  

 

Just not a fan of waste,  hence all the suggestions.     

 

Interesting?  Toxic?  Seen you post on there, I look at a few Farcebook selling pages,  some pretty unrealistic sellers IMO...  but some seem OK.   

Troy,

 

unfortunately the Veteranus group seems to have a hardcore of groupies that can be outright bullies if anyone has an opinion that even slightly differs from that of the Admin and I would go so far as to say it's almost encouraged, I've watched the group several times and it's a reoccurring theme I'm afraid. I'm sure that there will be some that will leap to defend but I'm just reporting what I have personally seen. I definitely agree with your sentiment regarding finding homes for the paints and tools etc, I believe there was a group set up called Models for Heroes that would be greatful for any donations. 

[Skodadriver]

Sorry to learn of your brother's death @Widow 65. I'm pretty sure pinkycoffeeboat was a member of Airliner Cafe as well as Britmodeller. He was always interested in and supportive of airliner modelling.

 

For the kits I would also suggest contacting Kingkit. About five years ago I offloaded a large quantity of 1/48 military aircraft kits to them. I was more interested in making space than making money and they offered what I considered a reasonable price. The courier collection arrangements also worked well. All I needed to do was compile an inventory and package the kits ready for collection. The guy who used to run Kingkit (Malcolm?) could be a bit abrupt but I think most of the business is now done by his son.

 

Dave G

[Stalker6Recon]

Hello, as others have already stated, I am also sorry for your loss as well. I am an American veteran and see veterans around the world as my brothers and sisters. 
 

I am not sure what options you may have, but sadly in todays world, a moment like this seems to be like chum in the water, and the sharks appear. Maybe you will have a better result if you contact local veterans groups and consider a donation to wounded/disabled vets, especially the tools. While this may not put money in your pocket, it would likely help you avoid the sharks and the frustration that comes with it. 
 

Just a thought, and again, so sorry for your loss, these are definitely trying times for everyone globally. I have been fortunate that my immediate family has been able to avoid this plague, but I know many people that have lost loved ones because of the china virus. I think that in the end, everyone will be touched by this pandemic, one way or another.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Anthony 

[RNoAF Aerobatic Team]

4 hours ago, Acky190 said:

Troy,

 

unfortunately the Veteranus group seems to have a hardcore of groupies that can be outright bullies if anyone has an opinion that even slightly differs from that of the Admin and I would go so far as to say it's almost encouraged, I've watched the group several times and it's a reoccurring theme I'm afraid. I'm sure that there will be some that will leap to defend but I'm just reporting what I have personally seen. I definitely agree with your sentiment regarding finding homes for the paints and tools etc, I believe there was a group set up called Models for Heroes that would be greatful for any donations. 

Apparently you have something against Veteranus....... "my observations"!!

 

I've been using them for a couple of years now both on selling and buying.  I live in Norway and cannot do anything but praise Nikki and her team. Excellent service, shipping and communication. Admin team there are working almost 24/7 to keep the system going. It's the members/bidders who make the troubles on those groups.... not the owners/admins....

They do pickups and make it easy for you to offload your stash if you need too!

Cheers

Ørjan Utne 

Bryne, Norway. 

 

 

[Stephen]

3 hours ago, Skodadriver said:

Sorry to learn of your brother's death @Widow 65. I'm pretty sure pinkycoffeeboat was a member of Airliner Cafe as well as Britmodeller. He was always interested in and supportive of airliner modelling.

 

For the kits I would also suggest contacting Kingkit. About five years ago I offloaded a large quantity of 1/48 military aircraft kits to them. I was more interested in making space than making money and they offered what I considered a reasonable price. The courier collection arrangements also worked well. All I needed to do was compile an inventory and package the kits ready for collection. The guy who used to run Kingkit (Malcolm?) could be a bit abrupt but I think most of the business is now done by his son.

 

Dave G

My condolences on your loss.

 

I second this,  I offloaded a quantity of kits to Kingkit last year and it was a very smooth process, I sent a list of what i had, we agreed a price and I boxed them up  (the hard part entailing purchasing large boxes from Staples) , a DPD courier arrived at my home and collected them. It was very straightforward.

Edited September 5, 2021 by Stephen

[Acky190]

23 minutes ago, RNoAF Aerobatic Team said:

Apparently you have something against Veteranus....... "my observations"!!

 

I've been using them for a couple of years now both on selling and buying.  I live in Norway and cannot do anything but praise Nikki and her team. Excellent service, shipping and communication. Admin team there are working almost 24/7 to keep the system going. It's the members/bidders who make the troubles on those groups.... not the owners/admins....

They do pickups and make it easy for you to offload your stash if you need too!

Cheers

Ørjan Utne 

Bryne, Norway. 

 

 

As said I'm just relaying what I have seen myself. And to be honest I'm not surprised that as said people have lept to their defense. Unfortunately the keyboard commandos that happen to frequent the groups seem to delight in the bullying of others and in this day and age where mental health issues are at the forefront I personally find such behaviour abhorrent. I'm not sure how this has ended up almost hijacking this thread but I'm sure that this isn't the place to continue it. 

[rossm]

On 9/4/2021 at 11:41 PM, Troy Smith said:

I think @rossm was/is in Cornwall, or nearby.  

 

 

Sorry to hear of this. I was in Cornwall, now in Devon. There was a trader - T7 models - in Truro but he closed down a couple of years back. There used to be someone trading secondhand kits in Plymouth market on Fridays & Saturdays but I haven't looked in since the pandemic hit. Even so, that's not particularly handy for Helston. There is a club in West Cornwall https://sites.google.com/site/cornishscalemodellers/home

 

I guess you'll be travelling down the A30 but if you prefer the A38 then I can let you have some packing boxes left over from my move if you need them.

 

There are traders other than Kingkit who deal in secondhand kits, I can recommend them and https://www.modelsforsale.com/  based on purchases, I've not used either of them for selling off kits. There are others like Plastic Pastimes, Kit Krazy............and others who usually advertise in modelling magazines and Aeroplane  etc. who might be worth contacting if they happen to be in a convenient location for you.

[tempestfan]

I cannot offer much more than what has been said already, apart from also offering my condolences. I clearly remember your brothers name (well it was made to stuck, was it), though I can't say really whether we actually exchanged thoughts on something.

 

The best way forward depends on what you require/desire - a quick shift of the stuff or getting the most value out of it. For the former your prime option indeed is a trader. And I think some 25% to 30% of RRP is realistic; you may get a tad more if you are lucky and there is a good portion of sealed kits - they cause much less work. I know - I am not a trader but I bought the remaining stash off the widow of a former mag editor five years ago. As most of the kits were review samples, they had been opened to take pics, often of the sprues as well. And he loved to have a little cutting & cleaning here and a little paintwork there. As started kits - however minimal - are worth a fraction, any taker of the lot will deduct the risk and the work to check from the price you get.

If you do the work and auction them off one by one, you will be in for quite a bit of work, and it will take some time. 

 

For the started/semi-built kits: Try to check whether there is aftermarket for them, and have a thought of bundling the kit with the accessories. Some years ago, a collection including a LOT of started kits with detail stuff came on --y.de. I usually don't go for started stuff, but there were some ultimate gems. Would you say "no" to two Aeroclub 1/48 Lightnings, a CMK cockpit and an oooooze of other stuff - at EUR 1.50 for the whole lot? I admit it would probably be cheaper to not bother and bin it, but you get my point. The seller (who was an agent) had no idea that in many lots the aftermarket was the interesting stuff and did not describe it, but it was visible on the pics - so I took some gambles. If you clearly describe what's in there, people know what they bid on. If the AM stuff is untouched, it would of course probably make more sense to sell it separately.

I really hope you have the space to save your brother's builds from ending as landfill, and possibly find time and inclination to complete a couple of his "started's" as a tribute. All the best!

[sinnerboy]

Sorry for your loss Nick.

Have you tried a LMS? some will buy 2nd hand kits.

When I moved a few years ago I needed to offload about 100 kits that I was never going to make. My LMS sold them on commision, He took 20% and I got 80% (thanks Sebastion ) they all sold within 12-18 months. Win win situation, he got lots of kits to fill his shelves at no cost and I got a good price. Just a thought.