Mark Aldrich Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 I have been selling off a collection of automobile kits over the past six month. I always thought NASCAR was big (since there are so many models out there). However, I can't seem to sell these to save my life. This does help the SUPPORT THE TROOPS program as all the undsolds are being donated and shipped to the program. Any thoughts???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmitz Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 I have been selling off a collection of automobile kits over the past six month. I always thought NASCAR was big (since there are so many models out there). However, I can't seem to sell these to save my life. This does help the SUPPORT THE TROOPS program as all the undsolds are being donated and shipped to the program. Any thoughts???? Car models tend to go through cycles. 10 years ago NASCAR was really hot among modelers; the markings were cool and the racing teams were constantly coming up with special schemes for big races so they could sell the same diecasts and model kits (and T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc) multiple times by just changing the decals. Modelers bought way more kits than they could build just to have all the decals, and then reality set in and suddenly guys were bored of building essentially the same car over and over. At the same time NASCAR and the car manufacturers and advertisers tried to squeeze royalties from the kit-makers, pushing up the prices and discouraging truly new kits from being produced. And then Revell and whatever is left of AMT/MPC started reissuing kits of hot rods and vintage drag racers from the 60s and 70s - kits with nostalgia value that modelers had been chasing for years. Combine those and you get a glut of NASCAR kits filling up closets... Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kptucker Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Mark, More than a few reasons and Don touched on a couple already. The tooling for a current Sprint Cup car is different than the Nationwide car. Back in the '90s, the car was basically the same in Winston Cup and Busch Grand National. Minor aero differences and smaller engine but basically the same skin on the chassis. Licensing fees are very high. Driver, Team, Manufacturer, Associate Sponsors, Main Sponsor, Goodyear, etc... everyone needs a check ($). NASCAR has been changing the car constantly since the CoT was introducing in 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_of_Tomorrow There is only one company that I am aware of making high-end waterslide decals. Slixx Decals couldn't afford the costs and bailed out in the mid-2000s. Fewer and fewer people are attending races. NASCAR doesn't even supply attendance figures anymore to the press. Many of the older kits are being re-popped but the runs are minimal. Decal makers are making short runs of obscure or 'correct' decals to fill the need but that adds even more cost to a $20 kit. There was some talk about a Gen 6 Cup car being produced in 2014. Only Ford and Chevy were going to be done. Nothing on the Toyota front. From what I have read, Revell wasn't at the iHobby event. RC2 was there but no NASCAR was announced. Sorry the kits don't move for you but you're to be commended for sending the remaining kits to the troops. I'm sure that they are appreciated. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aldrich Posted October 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 It's a win/lose situation. The kits aren't mine so I have no "horse in the race" but over half the the collection has been NASCAR. Some of the older Monograms have sold but few and far between on the newer Revell/Monogram releases. I thought it might have been the redesign of cars (where they all LOOK the same). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGronovius Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I've noticed that NASCARS seem very dated; that is, the hot car/logo today is not hot next year. I've also noticed some kits being sold "plain jane" without any markings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kptucker Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 (edited) Rob, The new crop of race car models, for the most part, are dated. The only kits that seem to make it out during the current racing season is a select group of Formula One cars. Those kits are high-end, high-dollar multimedia kits made in very small runs. The "plain jane" kits you referred to is an example of the kit manufacturer trying to maximize the investment in the mold without paying all of the licensing fees. I believe the kit you saw was an Round 2 NASCAR CoT kit molded in white. That was done so there would be no licensing costs to a specific sponsor, driver or team. This has been done with drag racing kits as well. Round 2 is also looking to get more money from the mold by releasing kits like this: http://www.round2models.com/models/amt/iron-man-impala The car never ran in real life. Notice the art is from the comic book, not the movie. The costs would be too great for a full movie license even though Round 2 already has the mold. If this kit is somewhat successful, you will probably see a Captain America and maybe even an Incredible Hulk. Spiderman will be on a VW... go figure. http://www.round2models.com/models/polar-lights/spiderman Look at it this way... If it gets a couple of kids interested in building models, any models, then I'm all for it... Edited October 12, 2013 by kptucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aldrich Posted October 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 Look at it this way... If it gets a couple of kids interested in building models, any models, then I'm all for it... Agreed!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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