ENTIRE TAMIYA 1/12 MOYORCYCLE COLLECTION

[acer709]

Hello gentlemen,

I have a friend who has the entire collection of Tamiya 1/12 scale motorcycles, kit numbers 1 through 133.
He's considering selling it and asked me what I thought the value might be, considering he as every motorcycle they've ever made in unbuilt kits.

Just wondering if you guys had any idea what that might be worth ?

Best,
Steve

Hi Steve,
Read with interest your article my friend at the model club bought all the Tamiya bikes over the years and built just a few and they are still stored in his loft.
Someone will only pay what it is worth to them and saying this it's quite strange as everyone has different tastes!
I think the best way to value this collection is an average per kit.
If you have 133 motorcycle complete kits sealed that is a very nice collection and I would think there may be a few wealthy motorcycle collectors and modellers out there that would be interested albeit for a good deal!
My calculations are based on an average of £20 per kit now some kits may be considered worth more but some may be less.
Originally in the nineties I found out the trade prices for motorcycle kits and they were approx £6-10 but you had to make a minimum order from Tamiya!
If you consider the new motorcycle kits are alot more now some £40-60.
The total of £2660 seems high but if I were selling I would want close to this figure!
Maybe to attract interest I agree with Icon £1500-£2000 and see response etc.
It maybe worth considering which way to go selling the whole amount or individually obviously time factors with individual sales depending on if you need funds quickly or not to bothered!
Good luck

[stubeck]

So nobody thinks that the collection as a whole would be worth more than the kits separately ? It was my thought that somebody, just one person out there, might be interested in the entire collection.

Best,
Steve Mohlenkamp

There is always the chance that someone somewhere would be interested, but if you're mostly interested in selling quickly then doing it individually is the best bet. Its also more likely that you'd sell them for less as a whole than individually. People typically don't buy kits as collectibles, and its also unlikely that someone who would want to do this wouldn't already have a few in their stash too. The other thing to remember is that the number of people who would simply have the spare cash for a large number of kits is much less than those who have money for a few kits at once.

[PeteJ]

Got to agree with Derek on this one. There are a few bikes that have some value. The best of the group are the Dakar bikes especially if they have a rider. Those can fetch in the $100+ range depending on the bike. Next is the Valencia and the Kenny Roberts bikes, again the ones with riders fetch a premium. Also the RC 166 Honda will bring some nice money especially if you have the upgrades sets, but frankly it was an expensive kit to begin with. For the most part the common kits will only bring $10 or $20 each if sold individually. Anyone buying a large group is going to want a significant discount to "take them off you hands".
In the real world of collectors, complete collections can fetch a premium, but plastic models have never achieved that status. They are viewed as Toys and the pleasure of having a complete collection comes from acquiring it not buying someone else's. Finding that rare kit is what drives the price up.
There are a number of "Collection" buyers but they are in it to make money themselves. You could dispose of the collection that way but you would be lucky to net a couple of grand that way, but it would be quick.

[plastiksurgeon]

Interesting replies gentleman, my friend isn't even really serious about selling, we've just had many discussions about what it might be worth as a perfect collection...and I wondered what your opinions were. Thanks !

Best,
Steve Mohlenkamp

[SteveNoble]

You'd be surprised that some of them are worth a lot to some people. For example the Barry Sheene Akai Yamaha YZR500. I've sold two of those on Ebay and got almost £80 for each of them...

[Orso]

Another thig, when looking at prices on Ebay. Look at the finished sales, not at the prices some dreamers hope for. I often see things like "look there is a kit for $100" but it seldom sells for that price. When one look at finished sales it is mostly much lower.