To the uninitiated entering the space of a modeler with Advanced Modelers Syndrome one is often awestruck by what they find. Many a time I have heard these words…”WOW! You got a lot of models.” It depends to whose stash you are comparing mine with. There are some out there who have more on their in-progress pile than I do in my entire collection. These particular individuals have a unique and incurable case of AMS.
From time to time I hear another question. “How much would you take for all of this stuff?” My answer varies, but in reality no one has ever stepped up to make me a serious offer. Well, in years past I wouldn’t have sold any of it. Then there was the time when I sold a good portion of my stash off because I was “leaving the hobby” only later to return once again. I looked back with 20/20 vision and found that I had regretted doing so.
The circle continues round, now I’d have to say again…”Make me an offer, but only if you’re serious!” Forty some years of collecting spare parts, kits, tools and decals is of little value to some. Then again there are others who’d give their left _____ for such a stash.
Tough Times Tough Decisions
During these economic times, we hear of many who are liquidating their stashes for cash. Some just lost interest in the hobby so it is considered a waste of real estate best sold and removed. For some it is a practical means to thin the oversize stash to a more manageable level to remain within the allocated resources afforded to it. For some, the sudden arrival of a newborn, returning young adult or becoming the care giver for a parent or grandparent forces one to reassess their priorities and space the stash is allocated.
The cash for stash option for some is a painful venture. Some find themselves also needing to liquidate it to pay bills as their foreseeable economic forecast is gloomy. What makes it difficult is to see all those years of collecting return only a fraction given in return when sold. For the estate of those with a modeling stash, putting a price on it can be emotionally challenging too.
For those who really need the money their stash will provide…before you start to sell it off do your homework! Find the market value of the items and the expenses associated with such an undertaking. I’ve heard from a few that when they started liquidating the fees and costs associated with shipping and auctioning really reduced their overall gains. The time and effort expended did little to fill their wallets and help with the financial crisis they are/were in.
Planning Ahead
Would I sell my stash? Yes! I would if the price offered was what I considered a fair one. I know there is more in the stash than I’d ever use or build in my lifetime. I’d keep the bare necessities, maybe its what I need to do to actually build more and stash less. My interests in certain subjects has changed, so there are some subjects that will just sit. Don’t tell anyone though!
I’m also going to make provisions ahead of time as to answer questions about the disposition of where my stash goes if its still around after I leave this mortal world. So whether you have a dozen kits, a hundred or several thousand make sure those who know you and are going to be responsible for their disposition know what to do with them. Are you going to donate them? Be buried with them? Or when you’re gone, what happens to the stash happens. Provide some resources and guidance…who to call and where the proceeds go.
August 26, 2010:
Hi, Hawkeye: Very good article indeed, one we ALL need to think about. My atash is not too bad…yet. However, I do need to move some kits for some storage purposes. My attic is not hesated in the winter, nor cooled in the summer (just open some windows.) I live in Georgia U.S.A. with high summer heat indexes; 102+ last week. Winters, with chill factor, can get down to the teens. How would this affect stored kits? Should I remove the decals from them. I keep my regular decals in a sealed plastic box, with each individual sheet in its envelope. Any suggestions? Horton
Hortin,
I would not store your kits in your attic with those temperatures. I live in Pennsylvania and when my kids were young I had an enclosed back porch, on more than one occasion I woud go out on the porch after a hot summer day and there would be melted plastic toys. I can only imagine what a heat index of 102+degrees, and probably higher in the attic would do to a plastic kit. I think the decals might be the least of the problem, that blob of melted plastic most likely will not be flat enough to apply a decal to any way. Good luck finding a place to store your kits.
Horton,
If you watched my recent video where I met up with Darren Roberts of Steel Beach at the Sprue Brothers facility we commented on the temperature inside of the warehouse. 95-100 degrees inside the building that day!
The containers that carry our models from port to port and the trucks which carry them from warehouse to store or to our door are NOT CLIMATE CONTROLLED! Temperatures in those can see severe extremes.
The greatest danger to kits is moisture, mold and mildew. Proper air circulation around the boxes is a must to prevent it. Decals due to the material they are made will dry and decompose if temperatures are too hot for prolonged periods. Storing decals in a binder or flat box in a climate that doesn’t see extremes is always a prudent thing to do.
Its a toss up which is better, basement or attic. I guess it depends where you are and what each yields as far as potential moisture and temperature ranges. Sure too much heat will affect the plastic, but both affect the boxes and decals. Damp decals don’t last! Crispy ones shatter when placed in water. A little common sense and planning go a long ways to keeping the stash safe from the elements…lets not forget to about the critters that might find those boxes both a ideal living suite and the contents a tasty snack. Nothing as appealing as opening a prized model from the collection to find it full of mouse poop!
Like windchill, heat index has no effect on materials, just us humans and animals. Decals are the most fragile as they are subject to damage from heat and humidity. A closed box offers some degree of protection, even as the outside environment changes the inside of the container is insulated and changes slower. A metal shed is cool in the early morning hours, but remains hot long after the sun has set because it is slow to cool because it is holding the warmth. The perfect answer is an environment which maintains as near a constant as possible. My finished basement ranges between 59-69 degrees year round. Humidity varies by time of the year…we try to keep it as close to 50% year round, but can see a swing in either direction.
Hawkeye:
With a basement full of models (I do run a dehumidifier down there during the summer months) I finally decided to get a handle on a 35 year collection myself. I’ve been inventorying my collection since the first of the year and will probably need the rest of this year just to get through the rest of the models. Realizing that I will never live long enough to build them all, I still continue to add to the “collection” knowing that when the day comes when I can finally retire, I won’t have to shell out a lot of money in order to find something to do. It also makes sense to record what I paid for things and what the replacement cost would be if the items needed to be replaced. If the family should have to liquidate the collection due to something happening to me, at least they would have an idea what I paid for my kits and not unknowingly sell a $50.00 kit for 50 cents at a garage sale. As for the bad economy, I usually purchase my kits at discounted prices and approach the hobby with the idea that in most cases, I can recoup what I’ve got into it given time and patience. I’ve sold models at club contests and while I’ve sold some for less than I paid, I also sold some for more than I’ve paid with the end result of breaking even and rotating in new inventory. I feel for those who have to sell their models to make ends meet. I’ve been in shops and seen the disappointment on the faces of those selling their models back for pennies on the dollars. I guess the only other thing I can add is 1.) It’s just a hobby so don’t depend on it to bail you out in hard times. 2.) Know what you’ve got and have a good record of it. 3.) Make your wishes known for the disposal and set it up to make it easier for your family to liquidate your collection in the event something should happen to you. 4.) Finally, have a good monitored home burglary and fire detection system.
Your article was a very timely one. When you are working and making money, and have an interest in modeling whether military,modeling railroading,or whatever the tendency to over extend yourself in what is purchased becomes all to real. I’m young, energic, and will have the time to build everything. However, due to circumstances situations may change, and as we become older and eventually face rertirement we find that we didn’t get as much modeling done as we would have liked. Consequently we find ourselves with an large inventory of unbuild models. The interest in the hobby is still very much alive, but how do we put what we have into some kind of prospective. Maybe we focus our interest in what we really would like to build and develop, and investigate the worth of what we would consider selling. You may have some really hot items in the collections that you don’t care for, but would be a real find for others. I have has some good success on e-bay, but in some cases I have not been as successful as I would have hoped. Again, it’s like gambling–play the game,take your chances,and hope things work. There are some really great state of the art models out there today, along with many items available to enhance older models, and if you are still building,the money you make on what you sell may be used to improve what you are currently interested in. Remember,as you continue to move into the twilight of this life take stock of what you have,and make sure someone knows about the value of what we have been collecting.
Great timing for that article Gerry! I’ve been way too busy this summer to do any modeling and have been using the spare time I do have to reassess my status in modeling and my collection in particular and have been in the process of selling off approximately 20-25% of my collection. Thinning down areas that I have lost interest in and getting rid of multiples has been a good thing. I’ve not been making big bucks but I’ve at least been getting a fair return on my original investments. It is nice to make some more room in the basement though!