Old 1/35 plastic kits- Are they rare and collectible yet? (1 Viewer)

[Hazebrouck]

I recently picked up an old kit off E-bay- the Ertl British Camp- Rest Area. This kit was originally produced by ESCI in the 1980’s. It has some interesting poses including a figure shaving (including brush and razor), a figure cooking on a camp stove, one with bagpipes, and another two with mail.

Anyway getting to the point of the post. The kit was described as rare and to be honest I hadn’t seen it for many years so I can see why it could be considered rare. But are we at the stage where we can call old 1/35 kits collectable? Which leads to the next point- if they are now rare and collectable should I actually remove the figures from the sprues at all?

My personal opinion is that the interest in the kit is the figures themselves. I want to mount them into two small groups. In doing so are the figures still collectable? Is the box important?

I have quite a few old 54mm metal figure kits that I would call collectable, but I’m not sure that I feel that way about plastic in general. Historex may be the exception.

I would be interested in what others think of old kits (figures and AFV’s in particular) and do they consider any rare and collectable? And why?

Or are they just old kits?


Scott

 

[johnnybach]

Hi Scott.

Has to be a personal answer from me - though I suppose you will get several opinions. Kits were made to be made up, so that's what I would do with it. Make them up and paint them. As to value - I value every piece that I paint exactly the same. (Incidentally, I always put plastic figures on a metal base - gives them a bit more weight at the base - and helps keep them upright). I paint and keep them all - because I like doing that and keeping them. I have never sold any - and wouldn't. When I give any away as presents to very close friends - I always buy two - and keep the other.

I do have the odd pieces that I have found in Boot Sales/ Flea markets etcetera - which have turned out to be rare or valuable - but I treat them the same as all of my others, (though some I don't re-paint - unless they are too far gone). I do however, keep records (at my daughter's request) - as no-one lasts for ever, and as no-one in my family has any real interest, they will eventually be sold off ( with my blessing) - for others to enjoy after I'm gone. I'll let them worry over "What's it worth", as I'm not bothered in the slightest.

Hope it's not the same bloke shaving/cooking and playing the bag-pipes though - could get messy! johnnybach

 

[Hazebrouck]

Has to be a personal answer from me - though I suppose you will get several opinions. Kits were made to be made up, so that's what I would do with it. Make them up and paint them. As to value - I value every piece that I paint exactly the same. (Incidentally, I always put plastic figures on a metal base - gives them a bit more weight at the base - and helps keep them upright). I paint and keep them all - because I like doing that and keeping them. I have never sold any - and wouldn't. When I give any away as presents to very close friends - I always buy two - and keep the other.

Couldn't agree more Johnny regards making them and valuing them. You'll also be pleased to know that as the figures are taking shape they are looking more and more likely to be painted as Gordon Highlanders, which has to be a good thing!

I think that some kits are gaining some slight monetary value due to rarity though and am curious as to what kits modellers believe will become collectable due to them no longer being produced. An example I believe may become collectable is the Dragon 1/35 Union infantry kit- I'm not sure if it is still in production but you don't see it often and it is worth putting away. Another example is the Airfix 54mm 95th rifleman kit- it usually is sought after and attracts good money.

You could argue that Tamiya 1/35 kits are not likely to become rare as they just keep on producing them. There was an 88mm German Gun posted on here a short while back that showed what a great kit this was for its time and still today. That kit I suggest would be collectable if out of production.

What kits do others believe could become rare and collectable? What kits are the modellers on the forum putting away for the future? If any?

Scott

 

[johnnybach]

Funny that you should mention that 88 - as it's one of the few that I kept from years ago - that I made up and painted - straight out of the box - following the instructions word for word! Must be about 30 years old now. Don't get instructions anymore - or if I do - I do an MFI on them - and ignore them^&grin jb

 

[Hazebrouck]

Thanks for that pic Johnny- the crew figures for that 88mm have a charm and patina about them. They also show how far poses have come over the years.

Mike,

I remember the ESCI partisan set very well and used some of the figures for a conversion many years ago. There was also a German Rest Camp.

I haven't seen Wingnut Wings stuff in the flesh but have a vigil on their site awaiting the resin figure kits they are planning on releasing. They also have a R.E 8 'Harry Tate" kit which I have been considering for a while as there is an A.F.C version. They look like very involved and detailed kits.

Anyone made one?

Scott

 

[theBaron]

Hi, Scott, there are just enough kit collectors out there to skew auctions for older kits for those of us who want them for building.

For kits from the 80's, there aren't quite as many that are so rare as kits from the early days of plastic models, but there are some, especially when you look at manufacturers who have come and gone. For example, there was an outfit in the Czech Republic called Classic Airframes. They've gone into hiatus a couple of years ago, not closing up shop, but not producing any new kits. They made some kits of aircraft subjects that no one else did or very few, in 1/48. For example, they kitted the Republic P-43 Lancer, which was the "father" of the Thunderbolt. There are some relatively easy-to-find kits of that aircraft in 1/72, but no one had ever done it in 1/48. CA's run was limited, and that kit was hard to find even before CA stopped producing. After losing every auction for it on eBay--and they were few and far between-I took advantage of a "buy it now" offer, for $100. Same goes for CA's Curtiss SBC Helldiver--it's truly rare, being a limited run kit, and there is only one other kit of that bird, in 1/48, the old Aurora kit. Both of those are snapped up as soon as they come up for auction.

I agree with Mike's points about kit collectors--many collect for the box art, as well as to have a rare kit. But the really rare kits, "rare" meaning that there is a very small number thought to exist, is itself a small number.

As with anything else, you need to do the research and educate yourself. For example, I just recently picked up an Italeri 1/35 kit of a European village/city fountain. I had never seen it before, because I never really paid attention to any but Monogram and Revell when I was a kid. So I went to Italeri's website and found that the kit is still in production. And an eBay search revealed that there are about a dozen up for auction at any time. So, I dropped my plan to make a mold of it and cast it in resin, because it's easier to buy a new one, when I need another one.

One more thing: "Kit collector" is also a name we modellers use for one another, when we talk about this or that kit we've just bought, but which will sit in our stash for years before we build it, if ever

Prost!
Brad

 

[Hazebrouck]

One more thing: "Kit collector" is also a name we modellers use for one another, when we talk about this or that kit we've just bought, but which will sit in our stash for years before we build it, if ever

Its not just confined to this hobby Brad. I know plenty of car and motorcycle guys with a bunch of "projects" awaiting attention.

Thats interesting about the Classic Airframes kits and demand making them rare. I've noticed a similar thing happening with some of the older Airfix 1/32 vintage car kits. They can escalate in price a fair bit on e-bay.

Scott

 

[Denver]

I am bringing a box of unmade models
to the West Coaster.
A few are ESCI.