[Closed] Here's more to ponder. Have any of you guys recently though of selling your whole collection?

hee.... hee..... make me an offer.

Done for the same reasons. Kept only three...

...and have only the DM '54 Eldorado on order. When my friend Charlie Tobin died, the fun of Mint collecting went with him.

John

In 20 years of collecting, the thought of selling even one car, much less my whole collection, has NEVER entered my mind.

I look at it this way. If I'd never bought all my cars in the first place, I'd not have the cars or the money...because that money would have been spent on other things.

The same is true if I sold my collection. Sure I'd have the money for a brief spell, but then I'd spend the money...and not have it or my cars to boot.

Nope! Selling my collection is NOT an option.

yeah...thru my estate

Think whay my 725 cars and trucks would bring...

If we could get the prices that we paid that would be great. You might has well expect about 50% if you are lucky in selling them. But I am considering selling my First Gear and FM Semi's. But just considering at this point.

I felt the same way until excrement hit the fan!

50%! Lucky to get $20 for most.

I have found that the shipping is more than the car has sold for.

I used to have repeat customers from China, but no more. They used to pay premium plus $30 to $40 for shipping. Long time gone.

I am going away soon and this has been on my mind, I had my collection appraised, $55,000.00, I have kept a record on every car I have bought, over 1100 models at $117,000 in cost. Go Motor bids . com offered me $20,000.00. I have taken photos of all my cars so it will be easier for my son (who has no intrest) to sell off and at least the money will stay in the family. I love the stories here about leaving them in a trust and family is into it. Good luck, wish you the best on selling them but be prepared.

I have thought of doing this to pay major medical bills BUT the price that the cars are selling for and the lack of buyers are holding me back. Also the charges at FeeBay. 🙁

Yes, quite a bit as my health has gone downhill..

As much as I love the little cars, I really don't want my wife stuck with trying to disperse them, or anyone else for that matter. I'm going to need a bilateral lung transplant at some point in the not too distant future, and its a rocky medical road even if the surgery is successful. It buys you some time, hopefully, with far better "quality of life"....again, hopefully. Anyway, there will be expenses connected with this that insurance won't totally cover, there are a multitude of good uses for extra money. So, yes, I'll probably begin the laborious process fairly soon. I've got lots of neat models, some one offs that I did myself, interesting stuff for the right collectors.

Bob Calhoun...you said it best in your last sentence.

"For the right collectors".

Sadly with any collection, the right collectors (read that buyers) have to be found. Easier said than done, in most cases.

I wish you well with your pending bilateral lung transplant. My prayers will be with you for success with the surgery and recovery.

In 2003, I packed a collection...................

of about 200 cars, mostly DM, FM and rare 1/43 models that was on display cabinets because I sold the house and was set to move overseas but at the last minute the deal went bad.

When I realized how many big moving boxes I was stocked with for just this collection, I realized I was crazy to have so much money invested in just toys. I kept them in controlled temp storage and realized it was better to get rid of them not being able to display them anymore for a long period of time.

In 2005, I made the decision to sell the collection by bunch of fifty models mostly here on auction up to 2007. I just kept the Buicks and Caddies and bought back some model I regretted I sold but very few (4).

For sure you can sell some models for quite a good price but don't expect you will average a hundred bucks for your collection. Curiously, some models that fetched the most money have been my 1/43 collection I sold recently with several being sold for as much as a thousand bucks each (I am not kidding).

I would say ....yes, you would collect good money selling them by yourself on this auction here and/or Ebay. I spent the money in a more profitable way after realizing the pain and trouble of packing a collection for the purpose of moving and having to store it without displaying.

I don't regret my decision and I may still have about 30 that I keep and will not sell.

I am now extremely selective about what I buy which means one or two new models a year. I have only the DM 54 Eldo on order now because it fits my new collecting pattern and it will probably be the only one this year.

I still enjoy the hobby but in a much different way than before. For me, being more selective is more enjoyable and I don't fear anymore the bulk of the boxes in the event of an overseas moving because it may still happen.

PS.Just speaking of models here but think about all my wife's library and mine still in boxes and it is a LOT of OTHER KIND of boxes when they are professional related reference and collectible books you cannot discard or sell.

Phil, I think you need to re-evaluate the worth of your collection.

I've thought about selling my 330+ car collection. Some of the cars that I paid $120+ for are now worth about $40.00 or less. I think you are hoping against hope. I have some that are worth in excess of $500 each. When I add those into the mix, I will be nowhere near worth an average price of $120 each.

Don't forget that you paid for shipping on all of those cars too. Add that to your cost . . .

The economy isn't favorable to selling luxury items.

Sometimes we get answers we don't expect....Bob and Kevin seem to have issues way beyond car collection...i hope you guys are okay and come back with stories, pictures and good news....God Bless