Randy Ayers Nascar Modeling Forums

Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

do any of the Monogram/Revell kits have much in the way of resale value. I'm talking after the Lord art work and prior to 2001? The Monte Carlos and the Luminas.

and do I remember there being an issue with the later versions of the T-Birds?

Is there any value at all in the Taurus kits?

I know that's a lot to digest, but I'm curious if they are just better off going to recycle? Laughing

Kidding about that of course, but I have so many of them that it's ridiculous to not sale them. Is the Trading Post the best place to sale them?

Thanks

DaveVan · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 1578

Many years ago I found 3 cases of Elliott Melling TB kits at a Medical wholesaler. I paid $1 each kit is I bought all 3 cases. When NASCAR was super hot I sold them on ebay for $75 each. Today that same kit, mint sealed, MIGHT bring $20 on a good day. At a model show 2 weeks ago I sold 89 Thunderbird and 90's Monte Carlos for $5 to 8 each.....and sold only a few.
I do not know of any of the vintage kits that still bring the same money as a current kits MSRP. Not sure what I will do with the MANY kits I still have!!!

18degrees · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 3:52 pm Post subject:

Regarding T-Bird issues, every kit that i have bought of the “mail slot” Birds have a warped body. Every. Last. One.
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Matt T. · Joined: 03 Feb 2018 Posts: 114 Location: Albany, NY

I think the Matt Kenseth DeWalt Taurus (2004?) is the Taurus that's worth the most.

It's tough getting rid of kits, especially in bulk. It's a problem I think will only get worse as many of us age off the planet and leave behind hundreds of kits each!

I have had good results using the Trading Post here, pricing kits to move. But I haven't tried Revellogram Nascar kits. I think those are a tough sell anywhere (except for the DeWalt Taurus I mentioned).

18degrees · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 4:25 pm Post subject:

Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

Was the Newman Dodge different than the others?

Also I seem to remember there was a Ford/Dodge front end swap....was it the Dodge to the Ford or the Ford to the Dodge? And what was the reason? I think I did one, but I can't remember which way it was or even why I did it...Guess I'm just part of the herd!

So builders were swapping the "Mailbox" front ends to the older bodies? Do I have that right?

18degrees · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 6:15 pm Post subject:

jh63fan · Joined: 10 Sep 2021 Posts: 352 Location: Tarheel State

And i did see a Davey Allison build that swapped the Bird front ends, can’t remember if it was new nose to old body or vice versa. Think it was the 89-93 front end on a mail slot body.[/quote]

Joe Oteri cut a mailbox slot T-Bird half way down the fender at the cowl, then forward into the wheel well. Then he grafted the early 90's front end to it. Looked real good, plan on doing one myself.

Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

yeah the Joe Oteri conversion was the one, so, with out me going out to the toy box to look at old kits, what's the difference besides the nose?

18degrees · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 7:06 pm Post subject:

Gary66 · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 7:43 pm Post subject:

My problem is my building interests changed. What I was into 20 years ago is not what I'm building these days. The last two times I thinned out my stash I donated them to the local VA Hospital.

DaveVan · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 1578

I'll not say who, Gary may know, but not long ago at the Salisbury model show I was offered an entire AMT 90's era collection for $1 each if I took all 500. I passed on the deal. Laughing

Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

I had success renting table space at an IPMS show in Huntsville one year, I treated it like a garage sale totally underselling the other vendors, which didn't exactly go over all that well. I had sold the whole inventory in about 2 hours time. I did OK, My wife helped me and acted as the cashier, which prevented me from buying more stuff. None of it was collectors stuff, just common kits I was never going to build or had lost interest in. I sold nearly half the kits to one buyer and accepted an offer on the last 15 or 20 kits.

BVAUGHN · Joined: 29 Jan 2018 Posts: 504

I donated 150 of these kits several years ago to our SC School for Deaf and Blind. At least that way I could take the price I bought them for as a charitable donation on my taxes. A lot better than $3-8 a kit they were selling for at shows.
Bill

Papadoc · Joined: 30 Apr 2018 Posts: 95

TonyK · Joined: 21 Feb 2018 Posts: 115

I've come across this subject before and think one problem with the lack of value is that all of us that are into these kits already have a big stash and no one else has any interest. You might get someone who will come along and want a NASCAR model for a change of pace but they aren't going to pay much for it.

I still see kits at a swap meet where the guy thinks he's sitting on a gold mine yet the models never sell.

Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

I guess in 30 years every one will be trying to unload their Salvino kits for pennies on the dollar.

Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

from my experience, I'd guess the AMT T-Birds are little more than parts cars these days. Those seem to be the worst of the worse.

funny, in many ways I think the AMT kits were better than the Monogram kits, One piece bodies, and in the case of the Pontiac and the Lumina, they just looked better to my eye. But what do I know, I'm the one sitting on a bunch of worthless models! Laughing

DaveVan · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 1578

The AMT Pontiac was more correct, even Monogram said their Pontiac was wrong....made to fit the Buick chassis. I do wish we had a GOOD 1/24 Pontiac GP. But the AMT kit is SO MUCH smaller it look odd nect to a Mono 1/24.

Papadoc · Joined: 30 Apr 2018 Posts: 95

Dennis O · Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2023 9:51 am Post subject:

I use the AMT kits for building 60's and 70's late models. They provide a decent start for a chassis. I can get them at swap meets for $5-$10 a kit.
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Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

Crime Dog · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 332

DaveVan · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 1578

In support of the 1983 Monogram Thunderbird. The model is perfect!!!!
Saying that it is a perfect model of the PROTOTYPE car build LONG before a single street 83 Bird had been built. Built by Banjo Matthews from stampings FORD sent him that were pre-production. FORD pushed Monogram for a kit to be ready near the 83 Daytona race and thus we got a model of said prototype and not a CUP car.
Kit designer Bob Johnson wondered about some aspects of the 83 Bird, having done the design work n the Cup Buicks first, but FORD told him they'd get the flush headlights and other odd queues that ended up in the kit.
JR's could team up with someone and design a 83-86 Bird that is much closer to what was raced. Done right you could have at least 4 versions in the tooling. But.....I am just dreaming.

SOME fixes applied to the 83 Bird....

TN Vols fan · Joined: 18 Jan 2022 Posts: 274 Location: Crossett, AR

DaveVan, What are your thoughts about the chassis accuracy of these cars, both the Banjo Matthews rear steer and the Mike Laughlin front steer? I really enjoy those models no matter the accuracy. Just wanted the opinion of someone that was on the ground floor of design. Thank you
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DaveVan · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 1578

The original two chassis were pretty good. They were limited by budget. Monogram did not think the NASCAR kits would be much more than 4 kits that would sell OK. They did not see the explosion of sales to come. Thus the kits are simplified in some areas. No springs on the front of the Buick, cross over headers not used by many, etc. Bob was a Ford fan and it shows a little in the FORD chassis. Slightly more detailed but needs a little more work to sit correct.

All things considered both kits rate very well when you know Monogram just considered them a one time shot with OK sales.....and a tooling budget to match.

TN Vols fan · Joined: 18 Jan 2022 Posts: 274 Location: Crossett, AR

Thank you for your reply Dave, I really appreciate it. As popular as NASCAR racing was, it's crazy that Monogram didn't expect higher sales and a longer run.
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"Many men fish all their lives without knowing it is not the fish they are after." Henry David Thoreau

"I am, Sir, a brother of the angle" quote from The Compleat Angler, lzzak Walton 1654

DaveVan · Joined: 27 Jan 2018 Posts: 1578

In 1981 when the idea of doing all new tooling for NASCAR kits, NASCAR was just getting over the down sizing of the cars, manufactures were out of the sport. (Ford teams had to send off to AUS for blocks) Things were not so great. The NASCAR explosion was about to happen....but not yet.

When it did hit it was unreal. i was in the hobby biz at the time and we could not keep things in stock. Every Monday I'd order stock. And the first on the order sheet?? Monogram #2900........DE Sr #3 Monte Carlo.....we sold 6 cases a week.