Well, a thread here about workshops shows a couple of pics with what appears to be a model rocket kit display in a hobby shop hanging off their pegboards. Probably easier to store that way... after all, how many 3-or-4FNCs can one want laying around?

BTW: What does BAR mean?

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-Brain
SKY AYE ROCKETRY
Follow Your Impulse!

Jimi, thanks for your response. Yes, this appears to be a VERY early package style, and if one looks at the kit contents, it appears to contain a very simple four sided parachute. One of the pieces of paperwork, from best I can read in the photos, seems to indicate a recent change (improvement, they call it) which states that the builder should ignore the fin 'pattern' in the instructions, since the fin designs are now already 'pre-printed' on the balsa sheet! Wow, how advanced!

So, it may not be version 1.0 for the ol' Arcon kit, but fairly close it would seem.

Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Such language! Save that kinda talk for the 'other' forum, please.

Born Again Rocketeer

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Actually, she did all the builders a favor by opening it and driving down the value. Now it may well be affordable. The best eBay values -- from a builder's perspective -- are kits that have been opened, have parts missing, or have been started. Collectors don't bid on them, making them available at low cost to builders.

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Tim Wilson

It doesn't lose value as a rocket but it loses its collector value because when you open the bag the "magic dust" falls out

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Dale Greene

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" Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act. " George Orwell

Sorry, forgot to add that word to my Censor list. Fixed now.

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Or that magic Penrose or Phoenix air escapes.


Bill

I purchase kits for both building and collecting. I'm just finishing up a vintage Long Tom that was pristine in the package when I opened it, and in the near-lineup, I've got a Centuri Vector V that I just opened to build and a Centuri Taurus I just opened to build. And there sits two Centuri 1/45th Little Joe II's, one of which will be built. In the pile (when I can get to them, which will be a long time from now...) are about 25 other examples.

But, as Der Red Max pointed out (well, two items he pointed out), the primary point of my post was missed to some degree.

I really was commenting on the, shall I say 'ignorance', of the eBay lister (assuming their comments in their listing are true, which Der Red Max, probably correctly, points out should be suspect in their validity) that the kit was "only opened to make photos". My point was, "Who, as a SELLER, would be so stupid as to basically lop off over 50% of the value of the item, just to make photos of it?". As Der Red Max said, probably nobody is that stupid; the kit was, more than likely, already opened when the eBayer found it/listed it, and that is just a comment by them to make the item seem more collectible.

THAT was the major point of my post.

Now, as I stated above, I buy kits to build, either opened or sealed kits, and kits to collect. Basically, I buy one copy to build, preferably -- as several have stated -- 'opened' kits which are generally cheaper, and a sealed version (if I can find one) to keep for the future or as a replacement should I loose or crash my built version.

However, throwing 'cost' considerations to the wind for a moment (and I admit that's a big one to toss out), there are some considerations about 'collectors' in general of which you make some pretty negative assumptions, without really knowing what their true motives might be.

In many cases, I DO prefer to buy un-opened kits, even if I'm gonna build them, for several reasons: (1) There is a better assurance (though not a guarantee) that all the parts will be there for the build when it comes time to do that. With an opened kit (even ones that have been offered as "all parts there and accounted for"), you still sometimes get stuff that is not complete; (2) Sometimes I like to buy sealed vintage kits to give as gifts to friends for Christmas, birthdays, etc. As stated in (1) above, I have a better feeling about giving someone a 'new, unopened' vintage kit, as compared to one that might be opened and/or damaged (and may be missing parts).

And (3), in general, when you go to the store to buy something (anything...) and you have a choice between an 'open' package on the shelf and one that is in perfect condition and sealed, which one are you typically gonna get? Yes, I know sometimes stores have sales on 'opened' merchandise and that is fine. But in general, we 'typically' like to plunk down our cash on 'un-opened, undamaged' merchandise when we can.

Finally, the comment about 'buying then reselling for a profit'. Well, that's the entire basis of capitalism, and regardless of what the current adminstration (that's Presidental adminstration, as in Barack "I'm A Lost Little Boy" Obama) states or believes, capitalism -- NOT big government -- is what has established this nation as THE source of opportunity and freedom that it is. And that is what has offered a much better life for many, many people for over two centuries. Government NEVER has and NEVER will be the creator of wealth....only the taker thereof.

So, if you're gonna kick those who are in business to make a profit, then you have a good chance of getting a job within said Administration, but you are probably also kicking the very concept that keeps food on your table and a roof over your head (regardless of what 'they' say about 'evil' big business and their obscene profits).

Of course, you are free to believe, ridicule, hate, or support whatever you like. That's another great freedom about this country, and is one I'm glad we can exercise (for the most part) in this forum.

Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Political ramifications aside, I, too, don't understand the enjoyment of buying a bunch of <whatever 'collectible' item>, holding on to it in hopes it will increase in value, then selling it.

There are far better ways to (generally) make a buck than speculating on the collectables market. Many collectibles actually go DOWN in value (my wife has a small Precious Moments collection, which she collects because she likes them - but lots of folks bought them because they were "rare limited editions" and would surely soar in value -- WRONG! Heck I've bought here several pieces on eBay for maybe 20% of their original price)

I personally have a small collection of John Deere Precision Classics model tractors. Everyone told me to never take them out of the box or they'd "lose value". What the heck? I bought them because I wanted to enjoy them. I wouldn't enjoy them sitting in the box, where you couldn't even see anything but a picture of the item. If I wanted a picture of the item I could print one off the internet for free... So yes, I've 'ruined' the value of my collection. But unless I find myself totally destitute someday, or totally lose interest, I'm never planning on selling it anyway. There for me to enjoy.

Now with a model kit, it totally baffles me why someone would want to collect them and not build them, but hey, everyone's different. Frankly I'd be afraid to build them because I don't think my modeling skills would do it justice, but if I had great skills, I'd build it, then display it, next to the original packaging. I do agree that flying a 50-year-old rocket, only to have it CATO or get lost in a tree, is a shame, so I don't think I'd fly a very old kit...

It's very possible that the seller assumed someone would want to build the kit, and opened it to show that everything was complete. It's also possible they're lying, but I hate to accuse people when I have no grounds to do so.