Have you guys ever heard of this company ? Reason I’m asking is this guy on e-bay is selling a number of these kits in mint condition. Ok now the WTF is this guy thinking. He has these kits listed, some of them $2000 up to $7000 a piece. Rare wood craftsmen kits for $2000 , am I missing something here ?
Patrick
Beaufort,SC
DRSC
FSM’s sold for 50-60 bucks and were top grade. I built several and they all turned out great. BUT…
$2000, I think NOT
BB
FSM is VERY well known. Some of the out-of-stock kits have become collectors items. That is why the price is so high. George Sellios, the owner, is the builder of the Franklin and South Manchester HO scale model railroad. This is probably the most detailed medium to large sized model railroad anywhere. It is just awe inspiring.
Here is the layout: http://www.finescaleminiatures.com/fsmlayout
Here is the company: http://www.finescaleminiatures.com/index.php
Patrick,
Gotta link?
Tom
$500 and up isn’t unusual for FSM kits on ebay , however some of these seem very expensive . note that the $7000 item is many kits , not just one .
I keep track of every FSK kit sold on Ebay built & unbuilt. The most expensive kit is “205” WILFRID J. BRAMBELL CO. It will set you back at least $900.00 to $1300.00, more if the box is perfect. Email me and I will send you my list of the kits that sell on Ebay. It will give you a great idea of what these kits are selling for there. I have all the Jewel Series kits and also 15 of the regular ones. These kits are going for up to 10 times what they origionally cost. The thing about some of the kits are they are NOT for the average builder. Some of them require above average skills to complete. But by far they are the best kits out there. Far above BUILDERS IN SCALE, SOUTH RIVER MODELS, MASTER CREATIONS, SHEEPSCOT SCALE MODELS, SIERRA WEST. These are great lits and are easier to complete.
You can ask any price for anything on eBay, but that doesn’t mean you will attract bids. Probably more like $500-700 like others have mentioned. A while ago there was one fellow offering several dozen of them for $10K.
Bob Boudreau
These are some of the finest kits on the market! When you are through building them you will think you built the full size building. They are very time consuming and take a lot of patience to assemble. I bought several kits but then they went way out of my budget. The prices on E-Bay are for collectors I guess? I save my money toward building a new layout [soon I hope] and sound equiped locomotives. Jim
After my post above I did a search on eBay, and think I found the auction - it’s for 21 Fine Scale Miniatures kits, with a starting price of $7995.00. The auction lists all the prices similar kits have received on recent auctions, with the total being more than the starting price. So it may or may not be a good deal. Way too rich for me!
Bob Boudreau
Bob, wouldn’t it be nice to have them fall into your lap and {at least in my case} spend the rest of your life building them[angel]
FSM kits, as well as similar kits from certain other manufacturers, are today more than just simply collectors items, they are true investments! George Sellios has suggested that over half of all the kits he sells are never built but rather are purchased as investment for resale, particularly on eBay. I have personally seen a number of cases where his limited run kits sold out within just days of issue and ones started turning up…and quickly selling…on eBay within a week or two at double the original list price! Some of the larger, older FSM kits are going for 5, 10, or even more, times what they could originally be bought for and those hoarding the kits are only likely to see the prices go ever higher.
CNJ831
Fine Scale clutter kits are great. Buy one and build a great kit! After you’re done you you’ll have enough great detail castings left over for ten more buildings. But collecting kits that never get built or spending much more than the original cost on them rare or not…that’s just nuts. FSM kits are beautiful but if there were a severe depression for a prolonged period they wouldn’t be worth firewood. Bruce
Refer to the old fable of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, and the cult of George will begin to make more sense. [;)]
Cheers,
Mark.
Dabbling in the stock market (which has a lesser return on the dollar than investing in FSM kits) is being driven by the same sort of mentality. Are all those millions of folks missing something, too?
CNJ831
Is it? You’re saying all those millions of folks dabbling in the stock market also believe that George is the second greatest model railroader who ever lived? How extraordinary!
All the best,
Mark.
I also saw that same auction. In fact if you price each one for what they average on Ebay you are getting a hell of a deal for $8000.00. If you look again he is starting to sell them one at a time. It is the same guy who is selling WILFRED J BRAMBELL’S. The thing I hate is the people who buy 5 or so kits when the new one comes out each November. It takes away the people who only want one to build. They then sell them for big $$$ on Ebay. george only has about 60% of his kits on his own layout. He never thought to keep one of each kit till it was to late. I am sure he has the funds to get the ones he doesn’t have though if he wanted.
Yup! And much more profitable. By the way, George really isn’t all that far behind me as a modeler. [:D] [;)]
CNJ831
Thank you all for your coments, I had no idea these kits are such a collectible item. Far to rich for my blood, but great looking kits none the less. I guess if I had either the time or money to purchase these fine kits and build them, it would have been worth every red cent.
Patrick
Beaufort,SC
Dragon River Steel Corp {DRSC}
We have a small area train show 3 times a year. One vendor had 4 or 5 kits @ $200- $350. I thought he was out of his mind. Turns out it was me. I should probably snatch them up at the next show.
Hmm. I could start another slanging match by suggesting George isn’t all that far behind many other modellers, but I 'won’t… [;)]
Cheers,
Mark.