were any of you guys involved in this bid?

bay bid item (http://www.qksrv.net/click-1606754-5463217?loc=http%3A//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D2301613325)

I happened to notice it about 30 minutes before closing. I grabbed a beer and my Beers, and just wanted to see if I could find each car in the book. With 11 minutes to go, and high bid at $140, I started going through the book and making notes. It took me about 15 minutes to find (I think) all the cars in the book, and by that time, bid was closed, with winning bid at $224.00

So collectors: was this a good deal?

My Beers scorecard had the package consisting of (qty then rating)
1-1
7-3
2-4
1-5

With a Ferrari in the group, I'm thinking maybe Mayhem tossed in a bid...

It was interesting for me, just to use my Beers book to see what the heck the package consisted of.

Welcome to the roulette table Scaf.

Condition is everything! This looks like a pretty clean bunch of players.

Notes: First and foremost pretty good pic resolution. Not all scratched and roof rashed. Still that could be camera angle, but for their age they look like they've had some love and care at some point.

I also note that other than potentially butched wells the 'stang is the only one that out right appears to have shaved wells... Which is not to say that there are not others as we have no side views. I would be suspicious of the hardtop Benzo as you can just see some big rims peaking out. Is it on a vibe chassis? or crammed on a t-jet with the later spacer trick? Cant tell.

Again note that they are fairly complete with most of the brick a brack present. From what we can see the Vibe bodies dont appear to be all goober schlobbered in a feeble attempt to reattach a busted roof. Fubared vibe glass is labor intensive to fix and good original stuff gets harder to come by every day.

Factor in some T-jet chassis cores and maybe a solid Vibe core and this doesnt look like a bad lot at all based on the one pic.

The Beers Bible is an awesome tool, but as Bob prefaced ya cant predict the ebb and flow of price/value so the book is based on current availability, production numbers, and the considerations of desiriability as it relates to the aforemetioned criteria. Naturally the Cool factor has a big hand in the whole equation.

Remember that the BB was printed some time ago. It is an awesome reference manual. The current and huge jump in Aurora prices is a direct reflection of the overall desireability of the line.

The end price is always indicative of the buyers need/wants. A Vibe guy would see potential here, a Ford guy could easily flesh out his collection as well. Just the decent yellow indy car has brought good coin lately. Might be a good start for the beginner as well. The target car syndrome could be at play too. Some one might just need that nice red 'Bird, the straight lookin' pick up, or the cherry Wagon! Who knows what lurks in the heart of the slot head and how much disposable income they're willing to part with.

I always look at the individual cars, assess the damage, think about any parts value. Then I look at the group as a whole and how it fits my collection. Unfortunately I'm not much of a speculator. I love little cars period! I shop from the heart.

After reviewing my post, I don't think my prior link went anywhere other then to 'bay home page.

Trying this new link:

Link (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230161332577&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:11)

I think I hit it once (or at least it was on my list)
the tan indy car in the back row with the white bubble is probably the money car in the group. the station wagons always bring good bucks too. the red/red top tbird and pickup truck in the back are nice. and all the others look in great shape.

I choose all the other auctions to win tonight. I got in a pissy "YOUR NOT GONNA OUTBID ME AGAIN" attitude and spent another 500.00. thanks for mastercard being there to back me spending all the money I don't have, lol.

I didn't bid. I looked at that one but saw nothing of interest to me. Yeah, there was a Ferrari, but I have three Dinos already (actually four counting the one Bill sent me) and the one in the aution was the wrong color. (yeah, I know, I have paint. :D ) The Ford Pick up I would have liked but I knew it would have driven the bids way up and that is likely why it finished as high as it did.

That seller did have quite a few auctions closing tonight. I quickie calcaulated it at about $3K.

Someday maybe I will know enough about these cars to be able to place a bid I am comfortable with.

BTW: My ebay ID is mayhem7778. Theres no a lot of Aurora/AFX stuff I bid on anymore, I have most of it that I'm interested in. What I look for now is the foriegn brands like Bauer, Faller, Micro Scalextric, etc. I also by a lot of resin casts.

Thanks for the whole picture Scaf.

A great lot for sure. If I had that kind of cabbage to throw around I surely would have played along.

A few parts, a little tinkering, and you've got a fine lot of reasonably unmolested beauties.

That seller did have quite a few auctions closing tonight. I quickie calcaulated it at about $3K.

Someday maybe I will know enough about these cars to be able to place a bid I am comfortable with.

What drives my bids is a pretty simple formula:

How much can I afford to spend vs. How bad do I want it. Collecter or percieved value has little to do with it.

I've recalculated and upped my bid a few times but I have set limits on what I'm willing to spend on ebay.

How much can I afford to spend vs. How bad do I want it. Collecter or percieved value has little to do with it.

I agree to a large extent, but I imagine with your experience you have a fairly good idea on on the value of the cars. For example, you might decide you have $50 you can afford to spend, and you see a car for $50 that you really want. Your experience may tell you that for $50 you shouldn't pass it up....or....it may tell you that the particular car commonly goes for $15.

I'm still just trying to build up that mental database of values, so I don't overspend because I really want something.

The Beers guide is supposed to be based on availability, and not based on subjectivity or trends. And while niche collecting ("I like Camaros") is a factor with many collectors, even those collectors will be hard-pressed to pass up on rare item, especially if it is also in their niche.

This particular bid had mostly 3's, and the package went for about $20 per car. Of course, maybe one of the cars is a $150 car, and the rest are $5 cars. That's what I am trying to learn.

I did notice that the winner bidder has a few cars listed for sale himself, some in the $300 ea. range. Maybe one of these cars will be paired with an original box, and find it's way back onto the 'bay at a higher price then the whole package.

Sure i set my own price, but I also look to what I could sell/trade stuff for. $20 per car is not bad at all for most any original t jet in good condition.
You can quibble about a few that may be more in the $15 range, but to me anyway, a $5 Aurora t jet means niether chassis nor body are worth more than a few parts, or frankencar material. A good solid rivit chassis under an awful chopped up runner body is still worth that $5 easy. Darn, not bidding on this one now lol, but I am looking for a vibe wagon and truck (sigh). I am attempting not to spend money I don't have, as the TM has done very well in that category lately.

I love to buy lots like that one. Problem is I buy for a car or two and never sell the rest as I am supposed to...... Am in the process of doing the same thing with 4 boxes of old mostly Lionel train stuff, came in a lot bought by an antique furniture restorer/dealer. They said they'd hold it for me when they got it all together, they don't do trains and offered me a package price, and I couldn't turn it down. One early 70's set is supposed to go, easily worth 1/2 of what I spent for the lot..... but I like it, only needs a couple little things to be excellent..... oh well, I'll find some room on the shelf..... got them looking for slot cars now!

I agree to a large extent, but I imagine with your experience you have a fairly good idea on on the value of the cars. For example, you might decide you have $50 you can afford to spend, and you see a car for $50 that you really want. Your experience may tell you that for $50 you shouldn't pass it up....or....it may tell you that the particular car commonly goes for $15.

I'm still just trying to build up that mental database of values, so I don't overspend because I really want something.

The Beers guide is supposed to be based on availability, and not based on subjectivity or trends. And while niche collecting ("I like Camaros") is a factor with many collectors, even those collectors will be hard-pressed to pass up on rare item, especially if it is also in their niche.

This particular bid had mostly 3's, and the package went for about $20 per car. Of course, maybe one of the cars is a $150 car, and the rest are $5 cars. That's what I am trying to learn.

I did notice that the winner bidder has a few cars listed for sale himself, some in the $300 ea. range. Maybe one of these cars will be paired with an original box, and find it's way back onto the 'bay at a higher price then the whole package.

Well, the Ford pick-up would be the $150 car there. The Thunderbird might be worth a few more dollars than average and the rest are fairly easy to come by, but that's all I could really tell you. Yeah, I been into slots for a long time but I'm clueless when it comes to value except on a few rarities that I really want to get my hands on.

Even then, the value today may be more or less than it will be next month. For instance; About a year ago I stopped in a slot shop in Akron. The guy had a bunch of boxes of slots that he was selling for a friend. I poked through it and found a few interesting items and then I saw a small cardboard box that looked like it came from a set. I opened it up and found a pair of Tyco F1 cars that are fairly uncommon. A Ferrari 312T with the double 27 0n the nose and a Black and gold JPS livery Lotus. I got them both for $50. I had been seeing them both on ebay selling for over $100 each. Easy money, I thought. Put them up as a pair, box tissue paper wrapping and the maint./intruction sheet that came with them. I put a reserve on them at $100 thinking the pair would sell for WAY more than that as both were practily unrun and flawless. Didn't even meet half my reserve. From that day on I have yet to see either car sell for much more than $50. (BTW: I already had flawless examples of both)

That was the last time I tried to sell a slot car for a profit and the last time I will buy one on the basis of how much I can make off it.

I've prob'ly got some real bargains over the years and I've no doubt over paid for some. But it's still a matter of what's it worth to me that determines what I'm willing to pay. Thunderbike? I wouldn't give you two cants for one, just not interested. Same with the snow mobile and a host of others. But that's just me.


BTW: The winner of that auction ain't selling that pick up. He bought the whole lot for the pickup and figures he can sell the rest to make back some of the cost of the truck.