Liquidate? Or hold onto them for a few more years?

[DSM-Mark]

Would appreciate some of your guys thoughts on this. I've collected a pretty good collection of car models in my early 20s... I'm now in my late 20s (ok, almost 30) and in the last 5 years I have been unable to take out the kits and work on anything. It's not the only hobby I have either... video games and reading books have both been seriously on the decline as well.
I've been thinking about selling everything and not looking back. Problem is, I love building models when I have the time to do it. But it's been harder and harder for the last bunch of years and now I have 2 little kids as well, so finding time AND keeping the hobby out of the kid's reach is going to be even harder.
Have any of you guys boxed up your models for several (or 10) years and then come back to do them? Or should I just sell it all except for maybe 2 or 3 that I really want to do?
Problem is, of about 30-40 models, there's only 2 or 3 I'm currently willing to part with...
All the kits are Tamiya / Hasegawa / Aoshima plus a few Revells and such, but they're not the treasured ones anyway. Most are opened, unstarted, and complete.

[360spider]

What is your motivation to sell? Just to free up some room, or free up some cash? If you need cash - I can't really give you an advice here, if room is a problem - then pack it up, and store it. You'll be glad you did when the time comes.

[rallymaster]

Selling everything has no sens to me if you lose money... If you can't recover most of your purchases, then keep them !! or at least wait a bit and make your decision later...
I've collected around 900 models all included, from kits to die cast etc and should have more than 600 to build or modify. I could live 10 times building night and day I wouldn't be able to build even an half. I sometimes sell back some of them, but always keep the main part not being able to decide to sell most of them (selling 1/43 to keep 1/24 for example) because there is always one model I don't want to sell in the choice...
So I keep them and only sell them back one by one, or by serie depending on interest for such version or livery or pilot etc. I still go on to buy, that's the real problem...
I don't want to feel being a box collector but it's mostly that when getting too many kits through the years. I buy more than I build and/or sell back.
I already changed things and choices, but I still have too many models comparing what I really can build.
But I'm not ready to sell most of them. I sometimes would like to though !!
But as long as I'm not feeling ready to sell back the main part, I prefer keeping them.

[DSM-Mark]

I don't need the money or the space... I've just been watching them collect dust for a long time.
Do you guys with big collections do anything special with decal sheets or do you figure having the model box in a cool dry place is good enough that the decals will be ok for 10 years?
Value wise... some I would lose some money on for sure but others I picked up cheap and are probably now worth more than I paid... but I'd have to look around to confirm.

[corvettekid_7684]

If it were me, I'd keep them. I had a bunch in my closet for years and I never thought I'd start modeling again. I really only built 3 as a kid anyhow. I ended up tossing them out, and now now I wish I still had them!! You never know when you might get back into it, and I'm sure you aquired them to build in the first place

[360spider]

Value is irrelevant. You are not keeping them to re-sell at a profit later on, right?
Throw in a bag of moisture absorbent (the kind that comes in the boxes with shoes and electronics) into each box, and decals should be fine.

[DSM-Mark]

Originally Posted by 360spider

Value is irrelevant. You are not keeping them to re-sell at a profit later on, right?
Throw in a bag of moisture absorbent (the kind that comes in the boxes with shoes and electronics) into each box, and decals should be fine.

Bag of dessicant is an excellent idea! Now I have go go out and buy lots of shoes and electronics

Bought them all to build them... none for profit, although the last two I decided to keep shrink wrapped until I started building again just in case (Calsonic R34 GT-R and Ferrari 360 Modena).

[stevetriumph]

It is a difficult question to answer because so much changes as you get older.
I have been modelling for 40 years across almost every genre. Started out with Airfix aircraft, moved into military and AFV then into cars (American and custom) then into race cars (anything that raced including rally,etc)
My collection of unbuilts has regularly changed and I have sold off unbuilts from one genre to buy in another. Lost money on some and gained on others.
I am 50 this year and have the maturity and resolve to model in two main genres, classic road and racing cars in 1/24 and classic British jets and Naval aircraft in 1/48 and 1/32.
I have had times when I haven't built for a few years but always come back to modelling after these short breaks.
If I knew what I know now back then, I could have saved myself a lot of money and time.
Thing is we just don't know how our tastes will change.
If you sell your stash and come back to it later, I have no doubt that you will have probably sold something you want to build at a later date.
If you can keep them all and do get back into the hobby at a later date, you can sell the stuff that no longer enthuses you and maybe at a profit (especially if you have any resin kits)
My experience tells me to recommend that you store them.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Steve.

[CrateCruncher]

I faced the same choices a few years ago. I was knee-deep in models (300+), books, games and cars/motorcycles. I had so many toys and distractions I couldn't stay focused. I decided to liquidate some crap.

When it came to models I used two criteria: "How fun will this be to build?", and "How hard will this be to replace later?". I started pulling extra's off the pile for sale first. Next I pulled out the expensive stuff I wasn't that crazy about. That got me down to a core of stuff I really wanted to build someday. I decided that based on history, most injection molds get repopped periodically. So I started selling my injected kits when auction prices got high. For example I sold my 1/12 Tamy 935 kit for $250. Street on that kit right now is $150 w/photoetch and fresh cartograph decals. I eventually sold most of my Japanese injection stuff because I know I can buy it later if I want it. Resin kits are a gamble too. What seems like a great investment can drop like a rock if some manufacturer comes out with a better kit. Ebay is loaded with overpriced Joker and Feeling kits. Of coarse, every round got a little harder to let go. But the truth is I haven't regretted selling any of them.

There were some things I did not sell. I still have my classic Fujimi EM kits in the original issue boxes. Not because they are rare or anything. I just like the old boxes! I still have a Tamiya Mazda 787B I'll never part with(..it's a rotary thing...). I won't sell my Hiro kits even though I'll probably lose my shirt someday. I still have a Protar Fiat 810, a Mefistofeles, and a couple of the Pocher kits I'll probably never sell because their so bleep'n hard to replace if I get a wild hair to build one. I've still got too many 1/6 Tamy and 1/12 Gunze bikes but I still enjoy looking at them now and then and the market's soft.

I'm now down to about a third of what I had (100). I'm sure everyone's criteria for saving/selling is different but this is what has worked well for me.

[BVC500]

I'm facing the same questions now. My last completed model was in 2006, and I have five or six that are nearly finished, but I don't have the motivation to finish them. Recently, I've thinned out my collection a bit, yet I still keep buying new models! Errgh.

[willimo]

When you're in a position where most of your kits are open and started, you won't really get much in anything for them if you try to sell them. That's what position I'm in. My fiancee keeps trying to get me to sell them off but it's futile. I'd rather store them. You never know when you'll get the wild hair and HAVE to build something - and it'll suck when the one kit you really want to build is the one you just sold.

[DSM-Mark]

I stopped buying a while ago. Although there have definitely been some that have caught my eye.
Maybe I'll clean up and thin some out. Take my 'parts' models and amalgamate them into one big parts box. And sell a few of the less desirable to me models... although they probably won't fetch much.
Lots of good advice here though... and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one! Last model I finished was in 2003 or so... and I half built one in 2006 or so... since then... nothing!

[CrateCruncher]

Another strategy is what might be described as constant value. When you see something you must have make a rule that you must sell models to buy it. Your collection will concentrate over time and you won't be spending new money. I can imagine this one would be popular with the spouse too!

[360spider]

Originally Posted by CrateCruncher

I faced the same choices a few years ago. I was knee-deep in models (300+), books, games and cars/motorcycles. I had so many toys and distractions I couldn't stay focused. I decided to liquidate some crap.

When it came to models I used two criteria: "How fun will this be to build?", and "How hard will this be to replace later?". I started pulling extra's off the pile for sale first. Next I pulled out the expensive stuff I wasn't that crazy about. That got me down to a core of stuff I really wanted to build someday. I decided that based on history, most injection molds get repopped periodically. So I started selling my injected kits when auction prices got high. For example I sold my 1/12 Tamy 935 kit for $250. Street on that kit right now is $150 w/photoetch and fresh cartograph decals. I eventually sold most of my Japanese injection stuff because I know I can buy it later if I want it. Resin kits are a gamble too. What seems like a great investment can drop like a rock if some manufacturer comes out with a better kit. Ebay is loaded with overpriced Joker and Feeling kits. Of coarse, every round got a little harder to let go. But the truth is I haven't regretted selling any of them.

There were some things I did not sell. I still have my classic Fujimi EM kits in the original issue boxes. Not because they are rare or anything. I just like the old boxes! I still have a Tamiya Mazda 787B I'll never part with(..it's a rotary thing...). I won't sell my Hiro kits even though I'll probably lose my shirt someday. I still have a Protar Fiat 810, a Mefistofeles, and a couple of the Pocher kits I'll probably never sell because their so bleep'n hard to replace if I get a wild hair to build one. I've still got too many 1/6 Tamy and 1/12 Gunze bikes but I still enjoy looking at them now and then and the market's soft.

I'm now down to about a third of what I had (100). I'm sure everyone's criteria for saving/selling is different but this is what has worked well for me.

Exactly the strategy I've used few years ago. I was up to 1000+ kits, and now I'm around 150 I think. Mostly resin and plastic Ferraris.... I have limited my buying to maybe one or two new kits per year - only kits that I know 100% that I will get to one day, or things that I know I won't be able to find later, like rare resins, or aftermarket.

[leafs004]

If you choose to put them into storage, make sure you don't pay for that storage. I was about to get a storage unit several years ago when a friend suggest I crunch the numbers. As even a small storage space runs about $50 a month, it can add up pretty quickly to more than the models are worth. I decided a few years ago to trim down and sold about 50 kits that in the end, I knew I wasn't going to build. Bought a new living room set from the proceeds.