A NIGHT AT THE AUCTION

Just to keep club members informed as to what went on at the auction selling modelling items about which the club was informed by email recently.

I finished my work early on Tuesday night so decided to go to the auction obviously hoping to pick up a bargain or two.  I have never been to an auction since buying a Ford Escort for £400 thirty odd years ago, so didn't really know what to expect.  As you enter the building you are asked if you require a bidders number which I did.  This cost a whole pound and attached to it was a list of the six hundred and seven items up for grabs.

It kicked off at six thirty and although they were getting through one hundred items every half an hour, it was over one and a half hours before the first plane was reached!   All the planes and kits were brand new and looked liked they had never been out of their boxes.  There was a 87" Thunder Tiger Cub, a Phoenix Comet, a Skymaster kit and a 200 mph, as the auctioneer said, Magnum.   There were also a few boats and tool boxes with various bit and pieces in them.

It was the Comet I was most interested in with the idea if I got if for around twenty pounds, then I could sell my rather sedate Bullet.

As the first plane was held up, and by the time I got my pen out and got the top off, three modelling items had been sold!  Going by memory, the Cub started off around £30 went like a flash to 40, then 50, 60, 70, 80 and finally went for £87.  That really surprised me.  A Ben Buckle (?) free flight thing went for £17. 

A Ferrari boat for £40 and the Comet which I had an interest in, went from £20 to 30 to 40 to 50 and was sold for £55.  Not by me I might add.

Added to this price is 15% commission PLUS 20% vat!!!  Not cheap.  The only other item I had  interest in was a plastic tool box c/w bits and pieces, most of which I would have no need for, but the tool box was quite sturdy.  Only go to a fiver I keep saying to myself.  £8 was the starting price then £12, 14, 16, 18, and it sold for £20 bleddin' quid!  Perhaps there was some 'buried treasure' in the bottom which I missed, but no way was it worth that amount of money.  (Yikes - hope nobody from our club bought it!)  There were another two modelling items.  A box of various modelling tools and another with an assortment of servos, but it would have been another one and a half hours before they came up.  So I headed home, my tail between my legs.

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So that was how I spent my Tuesday night, and I think the moral of this story is, if there is something that you really want, then yes it would save you money, but if you want a super cheap bargain, just forget it.

Dennis.