Well, I've been collecting slots for several years. Even with all of the selling off that I've done over the years, I've still managed to accumulate over 400 HO slot cars, trucks & motorcycles. I know that there have been a few people that have sold off their collections lately. I'm debating on how to go about it myself. I've already organized them by brands, with some attention to body types and features like working headlights. Probably a little less than half of it is Tyco. There are quite a few NASCARs, both Tyco & LL. There are a handful of vintage Auroras, some unusual Marchons, quite a few Tomy AFX, some with JL bodies, several F-1s of different brands and several JLTOs & XTs with over a dozen WLs. There is nothing ultra rare, except maybe a few of the customs, but there are a few NASCAR & beer sponsor cars that have gone for quite a bit on Epay. I don't know whether I should just advertise the whole collection all at once or break it up into smaller lots, selling a few of the best ones individually. There are several that are brand new, still in their packages and some loose that have hardly ever been run. I also have a pretty good size junkyard of misc. parts & chassis of different brands.

I guess I wanted to see if there would be anyone interested in the whole collection, or if any of you might have some suggestions on what might be the best way to get a fair price for them. I just got a new digital camera today. I don't know if I'll have time to play with it & post any pictures tonight. I have a business trip to get ready for and I'm going out to dinner for my birthday today, so maybe I'll get some pics posted sometime later this week, if anyone is interested.

I've been taking mine to the Bob Beers show in Long Island NY, every three months. Its much fun that way. I like talking with everyone and going home with a wad of cash.

Hello Fred-

First off-
A very Happy Birthday to you sir! :hat:

I understand your dilemma—

I have thought the same thing at times. I think I have better than four times the amount you are looking to sell. Maybe I will plan on something with the wife in the future.

Your collection doesn’t seem to be out of reach to many collectors—by your own admission you say you don’t have too many collectibles. This could be a plus to get the value you seek.

I recall seeing a post on another board for a (1/1) car that was for sale. It was in such bad a shape that the board members feared a clone or repro- might come of it.
The board members got together and pooled their cash and bought it.
Everybody was happy as the car was divided up amongst the new owners and the parts distributed evenly to those who needed them most.

This was accomplished by establishing a base price and allowing those who needed most- to contribute the most.

In your collection’s sense—it would be the same.

If you establish a base price, then, allowing only the Hobby-Talk members (at first) to discuss the price-attaining actions (possibly on “Chat”), maybe enough of us could come to an agreement of purchase and buy the whole lot in one fell swoop. Of course, this would be within a reasonable time frame that you decide. That would also make it quick and sure for you.

This could still be fair towards you and also allow some of the mems’ to get something they might be missing to add to their collections, without fighting the Bay crowd.

I personally don’t think it would take too many members here to reach your goal.

If this is an option, let us know and we can go over it on Chat (or shoot me off a Pm).



I’m interested and willing to put in—:)

Anyone else have a care?





Good luck in whatever you decide Fred-:thumbsup:


Cheers..

Fred - I find it sad when members on Hobby Talk have to sell their collections. I would hate to be in that position. In order to make the most money, you should list each item individually on Epay. This comes with the headaches of 400 auctions. If you want to see your collection "passed on" to the buds on the Board, but still get the money you are looking for, then offer them up on your terms on HT. Maybe the mint in box stuff you auction and all others go to the HT Board. I would consider participating in what Bossman suggested.
Jim

I find it difficult to auction off common stuff one at a time on ebay. If you sell something for $10.00 and subtract listing fee, final value fee, paypal fee, there's not much left. Then on top of that now you have all these cars to ship to different people, and you have to keep track of who paid and who didn't. Then when someone takes too long to pay you start to think you missed it somewhere. Its not bad for one or two weeks, but when you get to the third week and some of the first week stuff didn't ship yet, and buyers start asking you to hold their first winnings to combine with something they are now bidding on, it can become a big hassle. Its not impossible, but I got tired of it.

I find it difficult to auction off common stuff one at a time on eBay! (http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-1606754-2202639)http://www.awltovhc.com/image-1606754-2202639. If you sell something for $10.00 and subtract listing fee, final value fee, paypal fee, there's not much left. Then on top of that now you have all these cars to ship to different people, and you have to keep track of who paid and who didn't. Then when someone takes too long to pay you start to think you missed it somewhere. Its not bad for one or two weeks, but when you get to the third week and some of the first week stuff didn't ship yet, and buyers start asking you to hold their first winnings to combine with something they are now bidding on, it can become a big hassle. Its not impossible, but I got tired of it.

Know exactly what you mean. I cut back on the amount of listings I would post so that I only had five to ten listings going at the same time. Even then you still have that chance of encountering that buyer who wants to combine shipping, pay you with a check and sends emails every other day wanting to know if you've shipped his stuff yet. :freak: rr

man when i buy on ebay i at least have the common curtosy to go get a money order so when he gets it he knows he has cash in hand or if he does use paypal i use that also

Hello Captain Fred,

Please contact me regarding your entire slot car collection.

http://www.mrconey.com/slotcars/wanted/19731

Thank you.

Mister Coney

Sad to see...

I'm not getting completely out of slotcars. I'm keeping my track and a box of runners. I'll probably buy some of the new Round 2 stuff. I can hardly find anyone else around here who is into slots anyway. I'm gonna liquidate most of my "collectibles" and start living a more active lifestyle. More experiences, less stuff.

:)

Hey Captain,
I can empathize with your feelings of getting out of slots. I too have those feelings with regards to my tjets. All the really stupid money tjets were sold off awhile ago. I still have a bunch left. I seem to have more fun running a resin body on a 10$ nos tjet chassis. The bodies can go and I won't miss em. Theres fun time to be had playing with my 4 kids while I am still young enough to enjoy them and while they still want to be around me. And in my eyes owning slots that I had as a kid is useless. Gotta look at the gifts in my life now and stop looking back to the past.
RAy

I don't have anything worth a fortune, although I do have several nice ones that I wouldn't want to mess up because they do go for $20-$30-$40 each, maybe one or two that might sell for more. Most of my collection is pretty common stuff. I would like to sell most of them off for at least somwhere between 2K-4K.
No one around here, including my kids, wants to race slotcars. I still like them, but they aren't doing me any good sitting around in boxes. Why keep them if I don't use them. I can use the money to do something fun that will get me out of the house and away from this computer desk. A Motorcycle or a cooler 1:1 car are toys that I could drive on any day. There are lots of other people who ride bikes around here. I've always wanted to do a road trip on a bike......who knows what I might do!

I always wanted a 4 wheeler or go cart (a good ass kicking go gart, no a pep boys 800.00 one). now that I got the yard and woods to ride I considered selling of a big hunk too, I'm just so sick of fleabay/paypal and the retards who are on it (well ok, not everyones a retard, but ask anyone who ever dealt with fleabay, either selling or buying, and they'll have at least one horror story)
and I can't sell privately, very rarely is someone going to pay 8-10 dollars per car when you have 6-7 hundred your trying to unload.

realistically, I might expect $5-$7 apiece for much of the common stuff. maybe less for some. More for others like a few the F1s, NASCARS and specialty cars. Even though there are lots of Tyco Vettes and Lamborghinis and such, some of the loose ones are still like brand new. A few are even still sealed in their original bags and blisters. Shoot, the chassis alone should go for at least $5 each. I'm leaning towards selling off some of the more desireable cars that are still new in their packages, individually. I've also seen some loose ones sell for a little more in small lots, maybe have a more desireable car together with a few of the more common ones. I've seen some of the regular common JLTOs sell for $5-$10 each. I know it just depends on who's online & wants it at the time. I don't really want to run hundreds of auctions. The fees would eat me up.

Once I get a complete inventory, which will take me a little while yet, I will have an idea of what kind of range I would accept for the whole lot. I will then entertain some reasonable offers.

I'm not desparate for cash or in a big hurry. I won't be cutting any super blowout deals to investors/resellers. I'm just looking for a way to help raise a little additional funding for a new (to me) 1:1 toy or a different hobby. But, these aren't doing me any good being stored in boxes.

I wouldn't settle for 1 penny less than what you want out of your collection.

Let me explain....

The intrinsic value of having everything accumulated in 1 spot for 1 lump sum especially when gas costs for traveling even short hops to obtain items, and shipping to obtain items over time is at a premium, must factor in to the equation.

I have sold several collections of items and there will always be the bottom feeders who will attempt to break your resolve and get you to sell cheap, but I simply remind them of the facts....You can't assemble what is here for any where near the costs even if you assume your time is worth less than an illegal alien laborer. Not to even begin to mention fuel costs these days traveling to follow up on leads of even to acquire pre arranged purchases.


Sooner of later, with patience you will run accross someone who understands this fact and they will buy. Have fun beating on the rest of them that can't afford it, or can afford it, but prefer to be cheap in the hopes of taking advantage of someone.

Otherwise go through an item by item sale on ebay if you have the time to put in and can sweat then effort. Why would you put all that effort into something and not realize a dollar figure for it in the end that would represent your efforts?

Fred, I hear you. Everything in moderation. I know people who bounce from hobby to hobby, but while they're in one they are very intense and tend to spend a ton of time and money on the hobby. Then they sell it all off and move on. One other approach is to have far fewer hobbies, but let your involvement ebb and flow and sometimes even stop for a while. There's nothing wrong with taking some time off to do other things.

Whether you race, collect, model, or do a bit of everything taking time off every now and then is a good thing. It's a conscious decision. Another approach is to always stay involved, but at a lower level of intensity. Spend a couple hours every now and then involved in the hobby. If you race don't worry about running with the pros. If you collect, don't worry about having one of everything or the holy grail cars. Pick a playing level in the hobby that you are satisfied with for the long haul and do it for your own enjoyment. It's easy to get burned out in a hobby. If you take it too far it becomes an obsession or addiction. E-Bay is like crack to some collectors just like $40 magnets and $50 arms are to some racers.

I think it's a good idea to branch out into other interests, esecially ones that are physically interactive. But if I were you I'd keep at least a small collection of cars that are most meaningful to me, say 12, 24, 48 or whatever, and mount them in a display case on the wall. That takes up very little space and is a memento and reminder of a hobby that is meaningful to you. Keep some runners and track around, maybe stored in a box to break out if so desired. After that, if you have stuff laying around that you get no pleasure from having, sell it off. Trust me, at some point you will be glad that you've kept those few meaningful cars around.

You will find that all hobbies suffer from the same issues that you are now experiencing with slot cars. I've seen many a garage piled high with "hobby projects" in various stages of completion, thousands of dollars of pro grade woodworking tools collecting dust in basements, and expensive motorcycles that serve as little more than garage ornaments.

The best hobbies, the ones that will last a lifetime, the ones that you keep coming back to, but they are also the ones that you don't feel like you "have to" engage in at any given time. When you see that big dollar motorcycle sitting in the corner of the garage or a pile of parts laying on the garage floor it'll be a constant reminder of something that you've "got to finish" up, and real soon. If you don't feel that pressure, believe me, your spouse will make sure you do.

Slot cars, especially HO size, are a nice little hobby that you can indulge in strictly for your own enjoyment. If the kids or your buddies are not interested in them, so what. It's your own little hobby, a compact size diversion and escape from the day to day routine when you are in the mood and have a little spare time.

If you do it right, HO slot cars can be a hobby that you never have to worry about completing or finishing up like a chore or a task. If you feel your current involvement in HO has made it a chore, it's time to cut it back down to size. It should be a zero-pressure hobby. Maybe it's time to let a little air out of the balloon before it pops. But don't throw it all away if it's something you enjoy, even if you are the only one getting anything out of it.

Finally, I see it's your birthday so you're probably being reflective and feeling the pangs of midlife crisis setting in. The sports car, the motorcycle, the desire to get out on the open road and see what you've been missing. At least you didn't mention a hot young blonde. All very normal, but definately in line with time to let a little air out of the hobby and let it simmer for a while. You'll be back, so save some of your good stuff.

AFX Too- Well said, AFX. I find myself with actually 3-4 hobbies in one with my slot cars. I migrate between "projects" based on my mood.
1) Landscaping my track is a huge project and I do it in sections. I have decided to do each section very detailed a la model railroaders.
2) Body work - I will bring down my scrap pile and do restoration work or focus on new paint schemes. I look up cars on the internet and try to recreate them. Using Mike Vitale's tips, I try to bring some classics back to life. Lot's of satisfaction in this.
3) Tuning - Taking tips from this Board or others, I will bring down a group of cars and focus on tuning them up with my pit kit in front of the TV. This is further divided into "classes" of cars - T-jets, mag cars, etc.
4) Racing - I don't have any regular fellow slotters to compete against, just friends or kids of friends that think the layout is cool and want to race. So racing is usually against the clock. I have a goal of posting best lap times for each car so I can match cars up for visitors when they come race each other.
5) Ebay - Great past time. I love to purchase a "lot" of runners. Nothing is more fun than getting a good buy on cars and starting body work, or remedying the high pitch squeal of a neglected motor.
By spreading the Hobby out into 4-5 hobbies, I rarely tire of slot cars. There are times where I may not race for weeks, but I am actually "working" all of the time. Bringing projects downstairs, I can be part of the family after dinner when everyone is watching TV or in the past, doing their homework.
This has kept me busy for 40 years (give or take some down years) in the hobby.
Like I said earlier, I hate to see guys on this board selling off their collections. Good luck Fred on whatever you decide.
Jim

Jim, my involvement in the hobby is very similar. I've been doing it for more than 40 years and I'm into the same things. I have recently taken to painting my own lexan bodies. Even on a home track I'd much rather see a 71 Charger, Roadrunner, or Cyclone lexan body sitting on a magnet car than some of the ugly bodies that you sometimes see done in lexan. The Parma stock car and CanAm lexan bodies look nearly as good as plastic AFX bodies and at about a buck each they are basically expendable. You don't have to worry about the kids breaking your good stuff. I do race regularly too, and with some of the best in the country. I consciously keep everything at the simmer level. Next up, I'm going to try my hand at constructing some scenery elements like billboards, crash walls, and bleachers. I feel inspired by some recent posts on the board. There's often something about one or more aspects of the hobby that inspires me to keep going. If I'm not feeling inspired I back off for a while and just enjoy my track and cars as artwork. But the inspiration always comes back, at least it has so far, 40 years and counting.

AFX- If you are ever in FLA give me a ring. Sounds like we have lots to share. Reach Island Raceway is just itching to get some hot laps on it!
Jim

Thanks for the open invitation Jim. I've got family in Satellite Beach so it's only a matter of when...

Most of you who know me know that I am basically a modeler and customizer who also collects. I don't do any resin casting. Depending on what time of year it is I have a couple other loves (wife most of all), but I agree with what you all are concluding. For me, all slot cars and nothing else makes me a very dull boy. My collection is way small by comparison to most of you, but it is intentionally so. Don't have lots of room. Besides, I wanted this small part of my life to come alive, but not become boring as it did once many years ago. Too much time on it (for me) means I'll lose interest. I dabble and branch out as time permits. Well... I just got through saying I'm not a caster... that was up until yesterday. Got up real early and got four new ones by casting. What do y'all think? I'm gonna mount these four on a teflon "pan" chassis. :p

Now that's casting. I wonder though, how good will those take corners?

tjd- those babies look fast! Nice casts.
Jim

Now that's casting. I wonder though, how good will those take corners?

Like a fish out of water? :tongue:

I love the soft pink racing stripe down the center of each, nice touch.
Do they fishtail thru the corners well ?

Do they fishtail thru the corners well ?

Very slippery. <*)}}}}< .... tjd

What scale are they? :p

Fred,

I am always buying the Johnny Lightning WL's as I collect them. I have around 500 or so in my collection and if fact, Rich McMahon did a story on my collection last year in the Toy Cars and Models Magazine. If you want to sell them to a good home that will appreciate them, let me know. I will pay top dollar for them - email me list of cars that you have and I will email back prices I am paying. I am easy to deal with as most people know.

Thanks for your time and if you need any of the new Round 2 slot cars, I am selling them too!

Jeff Clemence
motorcitytoyz@aol.com