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Old 08-14-2010, 08:59 AM
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chanstevens chanstevens is offline
Rocket buildin' machine
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Cincinnati OH
Posts: 543
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
I just received an order from Semroc today containing Start #7, mini Aero Dart #12 and mini Hustler #17. I didn't order them to collect but to build.... is there a compelling reason not to build 'em and order others?

Just curious.

FWIW, Odd'l Rockets Squatty Body #20 is built and will likely fly for the first time in the morning.


Hey, I finally get to use my economics degree for something !

What a low number is worth depends on supply and demand. The supply is pretty fixed/limited by the numbers. In fact, if you truly have a #7 (I kind of doubt it based upon having ordered it during/after NARAM), duplicated with Crocodile's #7, then you've got a really rare beast--a Semroc goof!

On the demand side, I'm not aware of much evidence of anyone actually trying to sell, so it's very hard to say. There are numerous cases where a Flis #1 will sell for 3x-6x retail, but a #1 is very different than a low number. With Semroc, the only market evidence I've seen is with the Tau Zero, where Semroc sold starting with higher numbers (26 and up) and the designer got to sell the lower numbers directly, starting out at about 2x the price but quickly dropping to 1.25-1.5x the price for lack of sales.

As a collector myself, I say go ahead and build it , cutting one out of the supply side of the market.

Seriously, though, I don't think there's ANY chance of a quick buck in the rocketry collectibles market, though if you have issues with getting around to building like many of us in the forum, at least with a low number there's a better chance if you want to sell it in 5 years you'll at least get full price for it as opposed to dumping at 25-50% off retail. About the only short term profit you could eke out would be to trade with another collector, maybe swapping a single digit version for a regular kit plus a 10-20% premium, in which case shipping and transaction costs probably wipe out the profit.

I'll put my theory to test in a few weeks, though. At NARAM, I picked up a numbered edition of Estes Saturn V. Had to pay full retail at $99, versus buying online at about $70, but it's #11 of 50. I'm hoping to sell that for at least a smidgen of profit, which I'd already spent on a couple of their special NARAM-edition Satellite Interceptors.

--Chan Stevens
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