I'm back... kind of

[JAL3]

Greetings to all!

I don't think I have been on TRF since 2015. In the interim, I had a first row seat for Hurricane Harvey and then spent 2 years out in far west Texas, 40 miles from the nearest grocery store or restaurant. All I had available was dial up service that was seldom worth the effort.

I finally moved back home to San Antonio two days ago. Life is much different now than it used to be. I have promised SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED that I will be liquidating my kit inventory. Have not kept up for several years, I want to ask, is EBay the most efficient way of doing this? I know that it is going to take a while. There are about 1000 total and some date back to the 60s. Many are from companies that have not been around for a long time. In any event, I am very out of touch and any advice would be welcome.

Thank you,

 

[Funkworks]

Well hi! Umm, I haven't sold many rockets, but at some point in the past I sold a few hundred collectibles of another kind and what I liked about eBay is that I could set a very low starting price, and in my case, the price would always rise by itself to a reasonable final price or better. I was hooked on watching the final bidding wars and communicating with people around the world because it was all so new.

Not sure if it's the same with rockets, but if you have many rare ones and you don't saturate the market (I wouldn't try selling 10 units of the same rocket at the same time), it would seem to me like the way to go.

It can be time consuming though, with finding packaging suplies, and wrapping everything, and trips to the post office, and the odd idiot at the other end. But also enjoyable and profitable.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[JAL3]

Well hi! Umm, I haven't sold many rockets, but at some point in the past I sold a few hundred collectibles of another kind and what I liked about eBay is that I could set a very low starting price, and in my case, the price would always rise by itself to a reasonable final price or better. I was hooked on watching the final bidding wars and communicating with people around the world because it was all so new.

Not sure if it's the same with rockets, but if you have many rare ones and you don't saturate the market (I wouldn't try selling 10 units of the same rocket at the same time), it would seem to me like the way to go.

It can be time consuming though, with finding packaging suplies, and wrapping everything, and trips to the post office, and the odd idiot at the other end. But also enjoyable and profitable.

Just my 2 cents.

I appreciate the input. Most if what I have are one offs; there are few duplicates. My intention, though impossible, was to get one of everything from everyone, big names to obscure names. I never expected to succeed but I did enjoy it, learned a lot and manage to actually improve my building skills. A big part of my rational was scanning parts, instructions and decals for a project I was working on. Life changed dramatically.

I was too foolish in my part of the bidding wars to ever hope to turn a profit but I hope to recoup as much as I am able.

 

[Sandy H.]

You might as well post the list and starting prices here and on YORF before going to ebay. Even if you only sell a portion of them on here, you most likely will not have people trying to scam you and you wouldn't have the auction fees.

Just a thought.

Sandy.

 

[K'Tesh]

I'd love to see them listed here... and I'm calling dibs on any Omega kits you might have.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Greetings to all!

I don't think I have been on TRF since 2015. In the interim, I had a first row seat for Hurricane Harvey and then spent 2 years out in far west Texas, 40 miles from the nearest grocery store or restaurant. All I had available was dial up service that was seldom worth the effort.

I finally moved back home to San Antonio two days ago. Life is much different now than it used to be. I have promised SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED that I will be liquidating my kit inventory. Have not kept up for several years, I want to ask, is EBay the most efficient way of doing this? I know that it is going to take a while. There are about 1000 total and some date back to the 60s. Many are from companies that have not been around for a long time. In any event, I am very out of touch and any advice would be welcome.

Thank you,

Good to see you back, John. I was hoping you had come back to complete one of your very creative builds!

 

[les]

Ebay - fees, some bad buyers, but probably get the highest price

TRF/YORF - no fees, fewer issues (typically), but may not get as much

 

[JAL3]

You might as well post the list and starting prices here and on YORF before going to ebay. Even if you only sell a portion of them on here, you most likely will not have people trying to scam you and you wouldn't have the auction fees.

Just a thought.

Sandy.

That's what I get for not looking around too much!

I didn't even know sales were being done on TRF. I always had high hopes for YORF but my memory is that it was always pretty dead in the sales dept. The section existed but was not often used. I'll check it out.

 

[JAL3]

Good to see you back, John. I was hoping you had come back to complete one of your very creative builds!

Thanks for the kind words. I kind of fantasized a little bit about my last, uncompleted project. I think I called it the Rube Goldberg lander or some such. All of the pieces are long gone.

The truth is, my health is not great and I really don't feel up to the building or flying any more. I would like to go to some launches with my old club but that would be to sit on my butt as the senile spectator responsible for sarcastic remarks. It's doubtful I'll even have time for that, though. Contrary to the rules, I'm starting a new position as a PRN and that means that if I do not work, I don't get paid. No insurance, no retirement, no vacation and, most likely, even days off will be spent on call.

This is not supposed to happen but seems to have been the case for me for most of my years under appointment. I was willing to "take one for the team" but I'm tired of being the designated rube.

 

[K'Tesh]

I should have added "Welcome Back" to my first post in this... One of my autistic traits is to sometimes forget the social niceties. It really is good to see you back. I'm sorry to hear that you're having health issues.

If you do manage got get out there and see some flights, please don't forget to take some photos.

In the mean time...

Pointy Side Up!
Jim

 

[cwbullet]

Welcome back. Definitely sell the kits slowly.

 

[JAL3]

I should have added "Welcome Back" to my first post in this... One of my autistic traits is to sometimes forget the social niceties. It really is good to see you back. I'm sorry to hear that you're having health issues.

If you do manage got get out there and see some flights, please don't forget to take some photos.

In the mean time...

Pointy Side Up!
Jim

You're fine. I am told that my understanding of the social niceties leaves something to be desired.

I would like to take pics at a launch but....

The parsonage and church in Aransas Pass stood up really well to Hurricane Harvey. It was the looters who stole most of what I own including my video and photo equipment that really got me.

 

[JAL3]

Welcome back. Definitely sell the kits slowly.

Howdy,

Do I surmise correctly that you are running the sales part of the forum? If so, I have a few questions.

The first is what exactly is meant by slowly? I am certainly going to be limited in what I can handle at one time. I plan on committing to shipping at least twice per week, hopefully more. The big issue is that the guest room my wife save's for her sister is now unusable. There is a limit to what she will tolerate. Boxes are taking up most of the room volume.

A second question is on pricing. Is a price just set of does the auction model take place some times? What are the benefits/pitfalls of each?

I guess I will have to resurrect my hated PayPal account unless there is some other method of doing things. Is there?

What is my best hope in terms of "Ye Olde Pricing Guide?"

Are the free priority mail boxes with peanut fulling sufficient to protect kits? What is people's experience?

Some kits are never been opened and are in great shape. Some have never been open but the plastic bags have deteriorated. I have tried to do inventories from parts lists and then seal them up with tape. Is there a best procedure?


I am sure that other questions will occur over time.

 

[BABAR]

Welcome back.

I have decided to forgive you for leaving the Rube Goldberg Lander unfinished !

hope for the best in your new digs and situation (my wife and I will soon be relocating as well.)

I’d be interested in any Edmonds kits you might have.

for the record, even with your cease and desist in 2015, you still remain a pillar on this forum, the Gallery is largely (if not almost completely) based on your work!

straight trails, rocketry or otherwise!

 

[BABAR]

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/rube-goldberg-lander.54989/
30 pages long!

 

[JAL3]

Welcome back.

I have decided to forgive you for leaving the Rube Goldberg Lander unfinished !

hope for the best in your new digs and situation (my wife and I will soon be relocating as well.)

I’d be interested in any Edmonds kits you might have.

for the record, even with your cease and desist in 2015, you still remain a pillar on this forum, the Gallery is largely (if not almost completely) based on your work!

straight trails, rocketry or otherwise!

Again, I do appreciate the kind words.

The gallery was a labor of love for me. I really enjoyed doing



Got to go.

Finish later

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Welcome back! I hope life has improved to a more than satisfactory status for you.
It's hard to let go of a collection, I know. I am contemplating selling mine as well due to life issues.
I have spoken lately with people that use to sell on ebay and they say they hold their money for a while before releasing it, fees have went up and penalties costing fees to go up when someone doesn't give you 5 stars for what ever reason.
I say use to, because they no longer do, due to these changes.
No matter what selling platform you may end up using, there will be fees involved.
Listing them here may not get you above normal prices, but there is no fees, holding you funds, dealing with idiots that make false claims, etc.
You will have to weigh the difference and make a decision on which you can best live with.
I will say personally if I do decide to sell my collection, it will be here.
They will go to the community where they will be appreciated for what they are.
Not purchased to mark up and resell for a higher price, I would hope anyways.
Though I am thinking about selling my collection, I am still adding to it when I can afford to.
And there will be a few I will never part with, just because.
I think listing here, at least first, in 10 to 20 at a time with a price and pictures would be wise.
Anything that doesn't sell here, or has greater value to you than you can get here, can then be sold on a selling site.
And you can always negotiate price through private conversations on here.
Good Luck, and I hope to see some rockets for sale soon!

 

[Mushtang]

I guess I will have to resurrect my hated PayPal account unless there is some other method of doing things. Is there?

Most banking apps allow for an electronic transfer of some kind. Mine offers the ability to send money to someone's phone number or email address via Venmo. Look into that and see what you think.

I'd be willing to send you $1 so you can test it and see what it takes to get your money when someone does it that way. It's a lot easier and simpler than PayPal.

 

[JAL3]

Again, I do appreciate the kind words.

The gallery was a labor of love for me. I really enjoyed doing



Got to go.

Finish later

False alarm.

The gallery was a labor of love and I thought of it often over the last few years. I even thought about trying to continue on. Sadly, that too was hit by the hurricane. The looters that robbed the parsonage got the laptop that had all my files. That knocked the heart out of me.

Who knows. Maybe the galleries will be my only way of actually participating in rocketry in the future but, for now, I need to concentrate on unpacking, the new assignment at the hospital, appeasing the wife and selling off.

 

[Hobie1dog]

WOW, that's a lot of change in your life. Kits seem to sell quite well on here as there's lots of people with lots of money to spend on rockets.

 

[Cl(VII)]

Welcome back. Sorry to hear about the wild life ride. Selfishly, I'm sorry the RG Lander is gone, I remember that project as having the highest doo-dad to functionality ratio ever.

As for selling, if I were trying to balance the headache to return on investment for a large collection, I would sell the lower to medium value kits here and put the rare, super collectible stuff on eBay. You can see some wacky prices there, and you only need two people to generate the frenzy. For more common stuff this isn't going to happen. I also understand that people have mixed feelings about PayPal, but I have needed their dispute resolution twice on eBay purchases, and both times it was a good process. As I was the buyer in those cases it has given me a lot of trust in purchasing on eBay with PayPal, and it is my prefer method of payment when people buy from me directly or through Lab Rat as it makes shipping pretty easy. Note: the PayPal shipping rates are as good as you are going to do, and way better than going to the PO and paying the retail rate, so that is another reason to dust off your PayPal account.

 

[Fishhead]

Good to see you around again, John! I referred to your Semroc Cyber III review when I built mine. Haven't flown it yet, mostly because of not being able to decide on a color scheme, but it's RTF.

 

[neil_w]

Honestly I would think PayPal and Venmo are the two most common payment systems. I prefer to use PayPal when possible.

 

[aerostadt]

Welcome back, JAL3. I also enjoyed your Lander, however, life has its transitions. Good Luck on yours and God Bless!

 

[Blast it Tom!]

False alarm.

The gallery was a labor of love and I thought of it often over the last few years. I even thought about trying to continue on. Sadly, that too was hit by the hurricane. The looters that robbed the parsonage got the laptop that had all my files. That knocked the heart out of me.

Who knows. Maybe the galleries will be my only way of actually participating in rocketry in the future but, for now, I need to concentrate on unpacking, the new assignment at the hospital, appeasing the wife and selling off.

You're a pastor? I will add my welcome back, though I just joined myself last year as a BAR and know nothing of your storied history here. I'm very sorry to hear of such misfortune. What could we do, besides buy your excess kits, to lift your heart? And, prayers for you health... And you have to work as well...

Golly, though, you retain your humor! I may have to borrow your wonderful self-appellation "senile spectator responsible for sarcastic remarks"! Though God forbid either of us actually become senile...

 

[cwbullet]

If you want top dollar, eBay is the way to go. You started a thread here. Just start posting them to eBay and then post a link to your profile here. You are just let people know were to look. The Yardsale section is a good place there, but you need to research the value of the kits prior to posting.

I would not post a list unless you are just wanting to get rid of them at any cost. People will flood you email with lowball prices.

 

[JAL3]

Welcome back. Sorry to hear about the wild life ride. Selfishly, I'm sorry the RG Lander is gone, I remember that project as having the highest doo-dad to functionality ratio ever.

As for selling, if I were trying to balance the headache to return on investment for a large collection, I would sell the lower to medium value kits here and put the rare, super collectible stuff on eBay. You can see some wacky prices there, and you only need two people to generate the frenzy. For more common stuff this isn't going to happen. I also understand that people have mixed feelings about PayPal, but I have needed their dispute resolution twice on eBay purchases, and both times it was a good process. As I was the buyer in those cases it has given me a lot of trust in purchasing on eBay with PayPal, and it is my prefer method of payment when people buy from me directly or through Lab Rat as it makes shipping pretty easy. Note: the PayPal shipping rates are as good as you are going to do, and way better than going to the PO and paying the retail rate, so that is another reason to dust off your PayPal account.

It seems I need to do some learning. I have no idea as to what some of your PalPal info means.

My memory is that back in the mid 2000s, they required me to use a bank account to verify my PayPal account, that being required for me to use a credit card. Things seemed to work fine for a year or so and then I would start getting unauthorized draws from the back account. Each time I reported it, PayPal apologized and made good but would never offer an explanation as to what was happening. It kept happening so I finally closed the account and opened another which I did not inform PayPal about. The same thing happened with that account. The only way to stop the problem was to change banks. My dad was a director of that bank and my family had used it since they moved to San Antonio in 1926. I never used or trusted Paypal again but I guess I need to learn what has changed.

 

[JAL3]

Good to see you around again, John! I referred to your Semroc Cyber III review when I built mine. Haven't flown it yet, mostly because of not being able to decide on a color scheme, but it's RTF.

I actually found the bottom and middle stages of my Cyber III yesterday. It was bent out of shape and warped but identifiable. It was not without some regret that it went into the trash and was hauled away this morning.

I stuck to using the lowest power motors I could just to get it back. It was light and liked to disappear like an Estes Mosquito. I think I settled on using B6-0/A8-0/.5A6-2.

Of course that might also be because I was too lazy to want to walk to Oklahoma to find it...

 

[JAL3]

Welcome back, JAL3. I also enjoyed your Lander, however, life has its transitions. Good Luck on yours and God Bless!

Thanks so much. IT was fun while it lasted. It certainly violated the KISS principles I learned in engineering school but part of the point was to make it as complicated as possible.

 

[cwbullet]

Howdy,
Do I surmise correctly that you are running the sales part of the forum? If so, I have a few questions.

Sort of. I am one of the folks that does it. I am primarily the key that keeps it clean.

The first is what exactly is meant by slowly?

I mean that if you have multiple copies of one kit. Do not post them all at once.

A second question is on pricing. Is a price just set of does the auction model take place some times? What are the benefits/pitfalls of each?

I am more than willing to assist with this. Send me a PM and we can doscuss it. At this time, I am not in the market for kits, so I will be unbiased and can give you a great ballpark price.

I guess I will have to resurrect my hated PayPal account unless there is some other method of doing things. Is there?

You could do checks and money orders or other pay accounts, but it will limit your interest. A lot fo folks like the protection of paypal.

What is my best hope in terms of "Ye Olde Pricing Guide?"

Yardsale and ebay searches. I have time so I am willing to help with this as a service to the hobby.

Are the free priority mail boxes with peanut fulling sufficient to protect kits? What is people's experience?

Yes.

Some kits are never been opened and are in great shape. Some have never been open but the plastic bags have deteriorated. I have tried to do inventories from parts lists and then seal them up with tape. Is there a best procedure?

Yes, unless you can visably see though the bag and then I would not open them.