If I can add my two penneth, as I think most know I simply build or convert models for other collectors, I am not intelligent enough to produce models myself, I leave that to the experts.
We are in very strange times where man are re-evaluating many aspects of their lives, and while we all do what we can to avoid the virus, a pattern has become obvious to all...The cost of everything is sky rocketting ...So be it, us mortals can not do anything about it..
I recently was forced to re-evaluate what I charge for doing model conversions, because due to situations beyond my control, outside costings meant I nearly began losing money when trying to help a collector get a converted model they really wanted...i had to make a decision, increase my pricing or just give up, I had no choice..
Unless a person earns around £10 an hour there is ( these days) no point , I can go price groceries and earn more. I had to increase my prices and had only one complaint,but I explained the situation and they realised the position I was in, problem is there are other issues coming into this also, currency conversion rates and Brexit have very much slowed things down...
What though bothers me are some of the prices seen for second hand models, the amount of times i have looked at Ebay and found myself cringing at "buy it now" prices , that model was only £30.00 a few years back, now they WANT £80????? I wish there was a hysterical laughter icon on ebay.... And we wonder why most youngsters couldnt give a shit about collecting these models???? (Might as well be blunt sorry)
And a few "new" models get sent to me, with people asking"Can you please tidy this up?"
I ask "how much did you pay for this?"
"£60"
And I ask, why support buying a model like that when you decide to ask me to tidy it up?
"Because its the only one one out there"...
Mind boggles....
Its a self healing lie, interest in ships does not always equate to high prices and people are getting wiser, Shapeways are offering more models that are improving (all be it slowly)....there are some stunning 1/700 scale napoleonics available, it is only a matter of time before that standard filters to 1/1250 scale... As long as the demand IS there and a void does not develop between elder collectors and a new generation that is basically not interested unless it is on their smart phone, easy to download and does not insult the snowflake outlook on this.......
