Inflation and model kits

[notime4me]

Everybody has noticed the prices at the supermarket getting higher every week but it seems this is happening in our hobby too. I have never seen so many $200-300 asking prices for old 1/12 Tamiya (and others) kits on ebay. I don't think it has quite affected supplies like paint and tools yet but I guess that will just be a matter of time.

Maybe our collections will be worth something if indeed people are buying them at those prices!

[pstager]

I feel like this has been happening for a while, but it makes sense when you factor in the smaller amount of new-tool releases compared to 20 or 30 years ago. I bought a Tamiya Jordan 191 in 2016 or 2017 for $25. A quick browse through eBay shows these going for $90-100!

[BMW]

Yeah the second hand market is absolutely bonkers at times.
People are demanding three to four times what the models aught to be worth.

Mind you, I do wonder if any of these are actually sold at those prices. I think not.

[cbk57]

I check the advanced settings on ebay regularly, if you look up a specific kit you can see what the auction prices are actually going for, you can also see that someone accepted a best offer but not what the actual sale was. Once in a while someone pays the end of the world price, but most people won:t, that is why you see those high end prices though is the seller is waiting for the end of the rainbow buyer. Also I think sale prices are being pushed up because selling costs have went up. Ebay takes 13% of the gross, this includes purchase price, shipping and sales tax. So ebay actually charges you commission on the sales tax too. I guesstimate shipping when I sell, so sometimes I make a few bucks sometimes I loose a few bucks and it kind of averages out in the end, but shipping ends up costing me money no matter what because I am paying commission on the shipping.

I was looking at someone on facebook the other day showing their stash and they had in excess of 100, 1/20 f-1 kits and in many cases had multiples of each. So for someone in those position right now you should be selling anything you have multiples of. I can:t build my own stash and I have a fraction of the kits, if you have a lot of kits on the shelf and bought multiples you may want to think about getting some money while prices are high.

[BMW]

It seems to a theme of today's world.
Books that are out of print are priced at four times or more as well.
I wanted to buy a book about Alfa Romeo, and as it is out of print, it is now sold for 200 EUR whereas the publishing price was about 30 pounds (40 EUR)

I really doubt that these scalpers are raking it in. Some might buy in a fit of desperation, but as cbk57 states most wont, and the sellers just sit with inventory they cannot shift.

I don't play their game

[SBEST]

Yes. I have taken advantage of selling duplicates and high-priced items. As far as high prices goes. I won't do it. I was looking at a Protar 312T2 and it went for $383.00 USD. Crazy, when you consider it may be re-released by Italeri.

So, I settled on a 1/12th Wolf for $40.00. Pretty close to the price I paid in the 70's which was $28.00 usd. Debating whether to put extra items into it such as Scale Motorsports Photo-etch.

Steve

[gp-models]

Some of these ebay prices are simply fantasy, not realistic.
Seen a F2000 kit that started from 1 Euro and it ended with only 19,50€! You also find the same kit for 80 or 90€, think for yourself if this is a real price.
Ok, everyday someone stupid is waking up and might pay it, that`s what those sellers might think, but it`s far from reality.
Inflation is countable on everything actually, paints, tools, kits and so on, no doubt about that. Ebay is another thing, it`s not a reflection of what a kit is realy worth.
I would never buy a kit at such a price, even it is the last one on earth. I think that some sellers on evilbay think that way, oh i have the last one in earth, i can ask whatever i want.......

[indycals]

Some of these ebay prices are simply fantasy, not realistic.
Seen a F2000 kit that started from 1 Euro and it ended with only 19,50€! You also find the same kit for 80 or 90€, think for yourself if this is a real price.
Ok, everyday someone stupid is waking up and might pay it, that`s what those sellers might think, but it`s far from reality.
Inflation is countable on everything actually, paints, tools, kits and so on, no doubt about that. Ebay is another thing, it`s not a reflection of what a kit is realy worth.
I would never buy a kit at such a price, even it is the last one on earth. I think that some sellers on evilbay think that way, oh i have the last one in earth, i can ask whatever i want.......

eBay is a nightmare for sellers. I walked away from five-figures a year in sales on eBay because their bullshit wasn't worth it (and I don't miss it). When I did sell on eBay I marked up my prices about 20-40% just to maintain my profit margins and I would encourage new customers to buy direct where they could save money and find a bigger selection, but most kept coming back through eBay and paying higher prices - so from THAT perspective there's not much incentive for ebay sellers to offer bargains, because people DO pay good money for convenience. My MONTHLY ebay fees were in the $400-$500 range - far and away my biggest monthly expense outside of shipping. I still buy a lot of kits on eBay but if I find a seller I like, and see they have something on eBay I will go to them direct. I still maintain an eBay store but all my inventory is listed at 0 - purpose of this is to generate google hits and hopefully some people are smart enough that if they find my product on eBay they can find their way to my website.

[Sennafan]

I still buy on EBay

when I search I do US only first then expand to international if I have to

I run the list high price plus shipping in descending

Fir 1/12 I skip down to listings below $1000 period every time

Again, like everything in life, it is not what people are selling for it is what people are willing to pay, so for every kit there is a high and low, and detail sets, etc

The other game is companies lowering the price and putting ridiculous shipping, but the search criteria fixes this

This is how I have avoided the ridiculous pricing

Fir MFH I’m down to BNA for existing older kits, and Stradasports and RCS for new

I have almost given up on Hlj as their in stock has dwindled

I use TS paints and Splash, splash delivery is super quick