About ten years ago, maybe more, Bar Mills issued a limited run kit, the Schmidtchen's Rifle and Firearms factory. I bought one as soon as it became available, knowing it would be sometime before I would be using it. It's been sitting on the shelf since but I am now working on the section of the layout for which I bought it and have begun looking at what it will take to assemble the kit.
On the front of the box it says 1 of 500 indicating the number of kits issued. I just noticed something else. Right below it in smaller letters, it says Kit #1. I'm guessing I got the first kit in this run. From watching Pawn Stars I've learned that with numbered limited run collectibles, the lower the number, the more valueable an item will be. I think it would be a stretch to call this kit a collectible. The low number might make it a little more valueable, but I doubt it would be significant given how little demand there would be for such an item. On top of that the box suffered some minor water damage when a water softener hose leaked. The contents were in plastic bags so they were not damaged, but I'm sure that would affect the value if I were to sell the kit.
Bar Mills is still offering this kit on their website for the price of $154.95. I don't know if that means they reissued it or never sold all of the initial run.
Schmidtchen's Rifle and Fire Arms (HO Scale) - barmillsmodels.com
There is one listing on ebay for this kit with a Buy It Now asking price of $119.37 plus shipping. Unless this kit would be significantly more valueable than that, I'm going to go ahead and build it as I had intended all along. Is there any chance this kit might actually be worth more than what I think it is.
Well, if you think that your kit #1 may be more valuable than the one that's on-offer for $119.37, I'd suggest that you buy the one offered and build it, then put your #1 kit up for sale, on the chance that you might make a considerably larger profit.
Wayne
This thread made me go look to see if any of my unbuilt Revell kits from the 1960s had any value. Imagine my surprise when the first one that came up was being offered at $169.00! I started to scroll and the price soon dropped to a whopping $7.00 I have a few and will sell them as a lot at some point or give them away to some kid that would actually build them.
I really doubt your #1 kit is worth any more than any of the others. I would just start construction.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
doctorwayne Well, if you think that your kit #1 may be more valuable than the one that's on-offer for $119.37, I'd suggest that you buy the one offered and build it, then put your #1 kit up for sale, on the chance that you might make a considerably larger profit. Wayne
I really doubt that it is. If there was more demand for this kit, it might make sense. If the ones being offered by Bar Mills are still part of that initial limited 500 kit run, which I think is at least ten years old, I doubt it has much demand or added value. Probably not even enough to make paying postage worthwhile. Now if this was some rare Beanie Baby with a #1 on it, I might be sitting on a gold mine.
I'll probably just build the kit as planned and save the box as my own little collector's item.
BATMAN This thread made me go look to see if any of my unbuilt Revell kits from the 1960s had any value. Imagine my surprise when the first one that came up was being offered at $169.00! I started to scroll and the price soon dropped to a whopping $7.00 I have a few and will sell them as a lot at some point or give them away to some kid that would actually build them. I really doubt your #1 kit is worth any more than any of the others. I would just start construction.
Too often people think something has great value if it is old and/or rare. The really key is if it is rare AND in demand. Just being old doesn't make it valueable.
I would build away. It would appear that the limited run is still available so not too many takers.
This one guy at work said he had a train set still in the box from when he was a kid. He brought in an old Tyko set with brass track, two cars, caboose, and SF diesel with one powered truck. I said it wasn't worth much and he was quite upset and claimed I don't know what I was talking about. It was worth something to him in his mind. I wouldn't give him $2 for it.
Pete.
Yeah, a friend found an old Lionel HO train set in its original box. It had a giraffe car, a nuclear waste car and a helicopter car. He thought it was a gold mine. I took it to a train show and got $20 for it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Bar Mills states this this is one of their Limited Run Collector Edition models and offers "more of everything".
See: https://barmillsmodels.com/product-category/limited-run-collectors-editions/
maxman Bar Mills states this this is one of their Limited Run Collector Edition models and offers "more of everything". See: https://barmillsmodels.com/product-category/limited-run-collectors-editions/
IOW, it didn't sell. 500 kits is not a lot for it not to have sold out by now. It's a nice looking kit but construction looks fairly involved. I'm going to take great care because I want this to be the show piece in the last town I am building on my layout. I have a spot on an inside corner where it will be close enough to view but not where it is likely to get damaged by clumsy elbows.
wrench567 I would build away. It would appear that the limited run is still available so not too many takers. This one guy at work said he had a train set still in the box from when he was a kid. He brought in an old Tyko set with brass track, two cars, caboose, and SF diesel with one powered truck. I said it wasn't worth much and he was quite upset and claimed I don't know what I was talking about. It was worth something to him in his mind. I wouldn't give him $2 for it. Pete.
This is the American Flyer set I had when I was very young.
American-Flyer-20123-Train-Set-w-Original-Box | eBay
I've read some of these are in great demand. Looks like this one is missing the boxcar. If it was a complete set, I think it would be worth more. As is, I think he is asking too much.
The prices on these old American Flyer sets on ebay vary greatly. It looks like there is one particular passenger car set with a very high price tag. One guy is asking $2500 for his. I wish him well.
American Flyer No. 20535 Union Pacific Alco PA Train Set w/ Original Box | eBay
I would make sure, first, that the ones Bar Mills is still selling are the original run. Then, I'd build the thing and enjoy building it and enjoy looking at it in the layout. It's really a beautiful kit. I wouldn't even keep the box, since it's water damaged. I'd toss the box and keep the story. The story is everything. "John got the very first numbered kit in the run!" That's the story. And it will always be true, long after your grand-nephew's pet ferret gets loose in the train room and knocks the structure onto the floor. (If that happens now that I've warned you, you can't blame anyone else.)
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you google this kit
https://www.google.com/search?lr=&as_qdr=all&sxsrf=ALiCzsZ7ccwbaSy_c57ihMaYQrBomvER8w:1670026722189&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=Schmidtchen+Rifle+and+Firearms&safe=images&fir=9Mhv5J41wnnGYM%252C4eVKR0FfCcniNM%252C_%253BIUO2SGt2tvNLjM%252C4eVKR0FfCcniNM%252C_%253BMz3W0lFwRUvw1M%252CBqozh3XFLypuwM%252C_%253Bk8ObEKyysqIXwM%252C3JYGtBGpT2CF6M%252C_%253B3EUDti_ZvLFNmM%252CBefIzExZz3hPCM%252C_%253BuJ2V1Fzvh1z3-M%252CBefIzExZz3hPCM%252C_%253BYHuu_aVx-QST8M%252C3JYGtBGpT2CF6M%252C_%253B8rHT3-fxp11gwM%252Cas3GHI86vlScvM%252C_%253ByrBRkI-KUodHLM%252CKyzHdPo31PrDlM%252C_%253BV20XRTc572KZcM%252CZn_2jZnvMlU6SM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kRKxGUK5oEmd7_Dbmjr79kgWkQalw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjT_amsltz7AhU5nWoFHWRGD0YQ7Al6BAgMEFQ&biw=1920&bih=910&dpr=1#imgrc=Mz3W0lFwRUvw1M
and look at the pictures, there are several pics of the box from different sources, all stating "kit #1".
Sorry
JW
Oh, well. It's not as if I thought I had a winning lottery ticket. I was just curious when I noticed the #1 on the box. Are they saying this was the #1 limited run kit? Does that mean there are kits #2, #3, #4, etc.?
I beleive this was their first run of limited # kits, they have done others since. I guess they were trying to do the FSM thing but these days even those kits are fairly common.