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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...

Yes, supposedly I am an ordained elder in full connection of the United Methodist Church but I have learned that I am really something else. I am not sure what but I do know that for 12 out of 20 years under appointment, I have not received the benefit package that all are supposed to get.

Lift my heart? I'll have a few Estes Mosquitoes to sell for 1 Bitcoin apiece! Aside from that, pineapple upside-down cake does wonders as long as SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED does not catch me.

Mom says I showed the first signs of Alzheimer's around 1965 or so an my wife says it has only gotten worse. Neither can understand why I can give you Napoleon's order of battle at Austerlitz or Jena but I can't remember that the trash goes out on Thursdays...

Oops.

Anyway, mom says I was pretty normal through the "terrible twos" but then jumped straight to "grumpy old man".
 
If you have a list of the kits, please post it.

If you don't have a list of the individual kits, can you tell approximately what portion are low/mid/ or high power?
 
Welcome back!

Vintage/rare kits would be better sold on ebay for the higher prices you'll see. Common/non-vintage is a toss up for where is best. HPR kits would probably be best here unless its rare/vintage. I don't think you'd see nearly the same traffic for HPR on ebay as you would here.
 
Yes, supposedly I am an ordained elder in full connection of the United Methodist Church but I have learned that I am really something else. I am not sure what but I do know that for 12 out of 20 years under appointment, I have not received the benefit package that all are supposed to get.

Lift my heart? I'll have a few Estes Mosquitoes to sell for 1 Bitcoin apiece! Aside from that, pineapple upside-down cake does wonders as long as SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED does not catch me.

Mom says I showed the first signs of Alzheimer's around 1965 or so an my wife says it has only gotten worse. Neither can understand why I can give you Napoleon's order of battle at Austerlitz or Jena but I can't remember that the trash goes out on Thursdays...

Oops.

Anyway, mom says I was pretty normal through the "terrible twos" but then jumped straight to "grumpy old man".

You sound as self-deprecating as I am. As a certified dweeb, or perhaps nerd or geek, I have whackadoo "memory priorities" as well, and the trash ain't one of them! Your mom sounds like a character! I'm looking forward to seeing what's in your stash, though on my end SWMBO is no fan of a big build pile!
 
If you have a list of the kits, please post it.

If you don't have a list of the individual kits, can you tell approximately what portion are low/mid/ or high power?

I don't have a list yet. I intend to open the storage boxes one by one and compile a list for each. Most of what I have will be LPR. Perhaps 5% will be mid and 2-3 will qualify as HPR. I liked the high power stuff but had few opportunities to fly it so I didn't spend a lot of effort picking them up.
 
You sound as self-deprecating as I am. As a certified dweeb, or perhaps nerd or geek, I have whackadoo "memory priorities" as well, and the trash ain't one of them! Your mom sounds like a character! I'm looking forward to seeing what's in your stash, though on my end SWMBO is no fan of a big build pile!

Back when the pile was being gathered, I was in the fortunate situation of being the owner of a duplex. I let my nephew nephew live in one side for trivial rent on the condition that I had the garage as a workshop and stash storage. When I got transferred in 2015, I knew the jig was up. I actually took all the boxes with me on my moves and kept them in unused bedrooms. I knew that if I left them at my house where SWMBO resides, they would quickly find their way into the local landfill. That would have hurt too much.

FWIW, her work is in the local Korean community so she stayed in San Antonio while I was appointed elsewhere.
 
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...

I would have sent it back when the wind was blowing the other way!
 
If you plan to sell stuff on ebay, set up an ebay STORE account. Having a store significantly reduces your listing and final sale costs.
 
If you plan to sell stuff on ebay, set up an ebay STORE account. Having a store significantly reduces your listing and final sale costs.
This is another something I know absolutely nothing about. To tell the truth, I don't even want to know. I just know I have to get things done anyway.

I'd think that after this long on hiatus, the rockets should have figured out how to sell themselves!!!!!!!!
 
For ebay listings that involve collectible items, get good pictures to show condition accurately. Disclosing shelf wear, marks, packaging condition, will encourage a buyer's trust.

They allow up to 12 pictures per item, use them all to show what you're selling.

Sellers no longer need PayPal.

Ebay no longer sends payments to a seller's PayPal account, payments are now sent to your bank account. There is no other option. Buyers can still pay for their purchases with PayPal.

As for price research, click the "advanced" button to the right of the search bar before typing in the item you want to research. Then look in the next section down and check the sold button. This will show you what has actually sold recently and you can use that to determine a current value.


I haven't sold much in the last couple of years, but I haven't paid for a listing in many years with just an individual account. Upgrades like bold titles cost extra, just don't add those on an listings should be free. Get your feet good and wet, then look into converting to an ebay store.
 
John, welcome back, mate! It's been a while, but some of the old dogs are still here! I mostly just check in every once in a while. I, too, am getting to the "stay on the porch" stage and will be watching your journey with interest. I confess I've buggered more than my fair share of kits as scratch building was my forte rather than pre-engineered birds. I have considered selling totes full of LPR parts by the pound, as I have more I won't live long enough to use. Good luck and again, welcome back to the fun and insanity of the TRF asylum!
 
Hello John, very good to hear from you. I’ll add a vote for eBay to liquidate the bulk. I suggest a starting price of $9.99 with a standard auction and let the market do it’s thing. Any special kit you might want to hold for the cognoscenti here or on YORF. All the best to you and yours.
 
For ebay listings that involve collectible items, get good pictures to show condition accurately. Disclosing shelf wear, marks, packaging condition, will encourage a buyer's trust.

They allow up to 12 pictures per item, use them all to show what you're selling.

Sellers no longer need PayPal.

Ebay no longer sends payments to a seller's PayPal account, payments are now sent to your bank account. There is no other option. Buyers can still pay for their purchases with PayPal.

As for price research, click the "advanced" button to the right of the search bar before typing in the item you want to research. Then look in the next section down and check the sold button. This will show you what has actually sold recently and you can use that to determine a current value.


I haven't sold much in the last couple of years, but I haven't paid for a listing in many years with just an individual account. Upgrades like bold titles cost extra, just don't add those on an listings should be free. Get your feet good and wet, then look into converting to an ebay store.

I appreciate the information and advice. I'm trying to get my proverbial ducks in a row. I ordered tubes and boxes from USPS a scale and some packing peanuts.

I am going to disclose everything about each model. I want to present things accurately. My name is still worth something, at least to me.
 
John, welcome back, mate! It's been a while, but some of the old dogs are still here! I mostly just check in every once in a while. I, too, am getting to the "stay on the porch" stage and will be watching your journey with interest. I confess I've buggered more than my fair share of kits as scratch building was my forte rather than pre-engineered birds. I have considered selling totes full of LPR parts by the pound, as I have more I won't live long enough to use. Good luck and again, welcome back to the fun and insanity of the TRF asylum!

Ouch!

"Insanity" and "asylum" are loaded words for me. I still haven't found out if the psych unit is going to be a part of my responsibility.

My very first day as a chaplain in 1998, the head guy gave me a tour of Metropolitan. The last place we visited was the psych ward. He introduced me to the staff and then left me alone to do a devotional there followed by a service. I had been warned about that ahead of time. When I was done, I went to the unit clerk to buzz me out. She asked for my ID and I explained that it was my first day and I didn't have it yet. Her reply was, "nice try. Now go back to your room and stop causing trouble or I will call the orderlies."

The shift had changed while I was doing my thing. Nobody knew me. Those orderlies looked like they came straight out of an NFL draft and I spent the next 2 and a half hours avoiding them until the head chaplain finally tracked me down and got me out of there. Now IDs are instant.
 
Hello John, very good to hear from you. I’ll add a vote for eBay to liquidate the bulk. I suggest a starting price of $9.99 with a standard auction and let the market do it’s thing. Any special kit you might want to hold for the cognoscenti here or on YORF. All the best to you and yours.


THANKS!!!
 
LOL! BTW, youngest STILL in Shanghai! Where are you now?

I'm back in San Antonio, Texas.

I never did learn any of the Wu dialects. My Mandarin is bad enough. I spent two years at the Chinese UMC. There I dealt with a random mixture of the traditional script and the Maoist reformed script. I had members from PRC and Taiwan but I think what controlled was whatever was the easiest figure to find on the keyboard at the moment. It was brutal for me. I had only studied the writing and had not paid much attention to the language itself. My congregation always gave me a hard time about it!


I had lots of fun there!
 
When I sell my pile, I will be using eBay, so that would be my vote also.
 
The Man and his saucer at the DARS Fall Classic in 2012. Photo taken by Gary Briggs.

Happy days.

.View attachment 470214

That sure brings back memories!

I worked on that aeroshell because I thought it had the best chance of accomplishing something but my real effort was in the rocket glider competition. ALL MY GLIDERS FAIL! My only goal was to have a qualified flight. I flew early in the day and got a qualified, mediocre flight. I didn't pay any attention to that competition the rest of the day and my jaw fell off when I won. The wind had picked up and everyone who flew longer was never recovered! I won by accident.

Thanks for the memories.
 
I have another opinion on Ebay, and it's not good. I've been selling stuff there since 1999 and have over 1350 transactions under my belt. I refuse to list anything for sale there anymore because of the abuses that now run rampant. Allow me to explain.

Back in the old days, when there were problems you could go through the resolution process and receive a fair result. Now, the resolution process is a joke. It happened 4 times in the last year I sold stuff there. The scam goes something like this. You accurately list your item with copious pictures and text which describes the condition. You sell the item and ship it. The buyer, who is typically a crook and knows how the game is played, immediately opens a case with Ebay and says the item was "not as described". Ebay immediately claws back the money you were paid while conducting it's investigation. They immediately start pressuring you to "make a deal" with the crook buyer so they don't have to deal with it. If you refuse, they side with the buyer which means that you get to pay for return shipping, suffer the negative feedback which is sure to come and may or may not get your item back.

Used to be that kind of BS happened only rarely. It's now a scam that happens quite often. The most egregious was when I sold a high end laptop. The buyer got it, said it worked great and was perfect. Then started to back peddle, and opened a case. The process I outlined above occurred and Ebay decided in his favor AND allowed him to keep the laptop AND took the money back from me as well. I took them to task and told them I would file a police report for theft, they can't allow the buyer to keep the item AND keep the money. They then directed the buyer to return the item which he refused to do, since there was nothing at all wrong with it in the first place. Finally, after 2 months of fighting with them, Ebay refunded my money and allowed the buyer to keep the laptop.

In my view, life is too short to fight with idiots on stuff like this. I can see a host of problems with you selling your kits there. A small crease or out of round tube, "item not as described", start a claim, deal with BS, grind yourself down and burn yourself out.

Ebay used to be a great place to sell collectibles and get full market value for them. Now, it's horrible and is designed to abuse sellers and reward various crooks who take advantage. It's a platform which is past it's prime.

FWIW.
 
I have another opinion on Ebay, and it's not good. I've been selling stuff there since 1999 and have over 1350 transactions under my belt. I refuse to list anything for sale there anymore because of the abuses that now run rampant. Allow me to explain.

Back in the old days, when there were problems you could go through the resolution process and receive a fair result. Now, the resolution process is a joke. It happened 4 times in the last year I sold stuff there. The scam goes something like this. You accurately list your item with copious pictures and text which describes the condition. You sell the item and ship it. The buyer, who is typically a crook and knows how the game is played, immediately opens a case with Ebay and says the item was "not as described". Ebay immediately claws back the money you were paid while conducting it's investigation. They immediately start pressuring you to "make a deal" with the crook buyer so they don't have to deal with it. If you refuse, they side with the buyer which means that you get to pay for return shipping, suffer the negative feedback which is sure to come and may or may not get your item back.

Used to be that kind of BS happened only rarely. It's now a scam that happens quite often. The most egregious was when I sold a high end laptop. The buyer got it, said it worked great and was perfect. Then started to back peddle, and opened a case. The process I outlined above occurred and Ebay decided in his favor AND allowed him to keep the laptop AND took the money back from me as well. I took them to task and told them I would file a police report for theft, they can't allow the buyer to keep the item AND keep the money. They then directed the buyer to return the item which he refused to do, since there was nothing at all wrong with it in the first place. Finally, after 2 months of fighting with them, Ebay refunded my money and allowed the buyer to keep the laptop.

In my view, life is too short to fight with idiots on stuff like this. I can see a host of problems with you selling your kits there. A small crease or out of round tube, "item not as described", start a claim, deal with BS, grind yourself down and burn yourself out.

Ebay used to be a great place to sell collectibles and get full market value for them. Now, it's horrible and is designed to abuse sellers and reward various crooks who take advantage. It's a platform which is past it's prime.

FWIW.
Once again, human corruption ruins what could be a very good and useful platform... as soon as there is a system, someone is out there figuring out how to swindle with it...
 
Once again, human corruption ruins what could be a very good and useful platform... as soon as there is a system, someone is out there figuring out how to swindle with it...
Indeed. Fore warned is Fore armed. I honestly don't blame the end users though. Crooks have been around since the dawn of civilization. What I take exception with is the blind allegiance to ALWAYS side with the buyer and not give the seller a fair shake. Ebay only has themselves to blame for that.
 
I have another opinion on Ebay, and it's not good. I've been selling stuff there since 1999 and have over 1350 transactions under my belt. I refuse to list anything for sale there anymore because of the abuses that now run rampant. Allow me to explain.

Back in the old days, when there were problems you could go through the resolution process and receive a fair result. Now, the resolution process is a joke. It happened 4 times in the last year I sold stuff there. The scam goes something like this. You accurately list your item with copious pictures and text which describes the condition. You sell the item and ship it. The buyer, who is typically a crook and knows how the game is played, immediately opens a case with Ebay and says the item was "not as described". Ebay immediately claws back the money you were paid while conducting it's investigation. They immediately start pressuring you to "make a deal" with the crook buyer so they don't have to deal with it. If you refuse, they side with the buyer which means that you get to pay for return shipping, suffer the negative feedback which is sure to come and may or may not get your item back.

Used to be that kind of BS happened only rarely. It's now a scam that happens quite often. The most egregious was when I sold a high end laptop. The buyer got it, said it worked great and was perfect. Then started to back peddle, and opened a case. The process I outlined above occurred and Ebay decided in his favor AND allowed him to keep the laptop AND took the money back from me as well. I took them to task and told them I would file a police report for theft, they can't allow the buyer to keep the item AND keep the money. They then directed the buyer to return the item which he refused to do, since there was nothing at all wrong with it in the first place. Finally, after 2 months of fighting with them, Ebay refunded my money and allowed the buyer to keep the laptop.

In my view, life is too short to fight with idiots on stuff like this. I can see a host of problems with you selling your kits there. A small crease or out of round tube, "item not as described", start a claim, deal with BS, grind yourself down and burn yourself out.

Ebay used to be a great place to sell collectibles and get full market value for them. Now, it's horrible and is designed to abuse sellers and reward various crooks who take advantage. It's a platform which is past it's prime.

FWIW.

The scenario you describe has occured to me in broad outline, if not the details. It is what has given me pause and it is things like that that make me distrust the big online players. I deal with enough creeps in the real world and don't feel the need to invite more into my life. That said, my worry has not been with all the kits but with the "special ones', maybe a Centuri or FSI original or maybe something big like a Sherri's Sat V. I'm not out to squeeze anyone but neither do I want to show a 50 cent profit on a 200 dollar kit and I really do not know the market at this time.

My instinct at the moment is to sell most stuff, especially the stuff still in production here and on YORF. My instinct fails when looking at an expensive mid or high power kit or an LPR from the 60s or 70s.

In an ideal world, the guy across the street would offer me 100 bitcoins for the whole lot along with visitation rights and I would even help him to move them but I'm not counting on anything like that in the near future.

First mission is wife appeasement.
Second priority is to bribe her with the maximum payment possible.
Distant third priority is to enjoy some peace, quiet and free space.
 
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Once again, human corruption ruins what could be a very good and useful platform... as soon as there is a system, someone is out there figuring out how to swindle with it...

I'm sorry to recognize an uncomfortable amount of truth in that statement. People like that make it tougher for the ones in genuine need. I'm not nearly the pushover that I used to be.
 
Indeed. Fore warned is Fore armed. I honestly don't blame the end users though. Crooks have been around since the dawn of civilization. What I take exception with is the blind allegiance to ALWAYS side with the buyer and not give the seller a fair shake. Ebay only has themselves to blame for that.

Too true.

Before I married in 2006, I was one of Amazon's top reviewers. I posted very few since then but did try to post one last week.

I ordered some Prego spaghetti sauce. The closest store to my location was 45 minutes away and I ordered lots from Amazon. It took the seller 29 days to even ship the sauce and then it took longer that ordinary by USPS. I moved last Sunday and finally got a shipping notification. The seller says to late for a refund and if I want the sauce, it will be at least a 15 hour round trip to fetch it.

In anger, I wrote an Amazon review. I was sure the sauce was fine but complained about the shipping and lack of communication. Amazon contacted me a day later siding with the seller instead of investigating the case.

I'm done.

THe companies should try and dtermine what it right. They may fail some times but now most of the big names don't even make an effort. THey just take the path of least resistance.
 
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