Thread: They're all sold

Well done, some quality work there. Can I be rude and ask how much you got for them?

Not nearly as much as they're worth. But then they're only ever worth what someone is willing to pay for them.

Anyone who thinks that you can recoup the true value of your work on Ebay - just forget it. Even overseas, there is intense competition, pricewise, from cheap (and nasty) work done in South-East Asia. If you think it may take a whole day to produce a set of wheels, then that sort of time will never be reflected in a final price, unless you're working for 20c an hour like they often do in SE Asia.

We look upon the sales as just a way of recouping some money towards buying materials for the future projects. David does the work for the love of it (thank goodness) and doesn't aspire to the high prices people get at Woodworking shows. This is a hobby for him - and he loves the challenges offered by the projects as well as the pleasure attained by succeeding.

We get hundreds rather than thousands for his work. As for me, rather than live in clutter, I'm glad when some things sell, and I get some of my space back.

You'll be sad to see them go Lili,
They represent some very nice craftsmanship by David.
But then, the funds will help the coppers for the next projects.
Cheers, crowie

PS _ I hope David is enjoying his retirement and finding enough to keep busy....lol

Man I wouldn't let those out of my sight. It is a lucky mate who got those!

Bret

Hi Crowie
Sometimes it seems like he hasn't left work at all. I sometimes only see him at mealtimes. And of course, now that workshop full of his boy's toys is getting plenty of work. He's really getting to enjoy his retirement, trying his hand at new things on the scroll saw.

He's had a crack at making chessmen, and they worked out well, and he's into boxes at the moment. I bought him a lovely book of fretwork boxes, highly time consuming, but incredibly beautiful and delicate. So the cars are on the back burner at the moment.

There's a plan coming for a 1920s fire engine that should be very cool, and I'm sure he'll want to make it as soon as he sees the plan. So watch this space !!!


Cheers
Lili

Hi Bret

I guess lots of people might have trouble letting go of their treasured art and craft work, but you get to a point where every corner of your house might be cluttered. And I'm reminded often, that what one is one person's treasure, is junk to others. Grandma's delicate crocheted doileys, dad's coin collection, mother's recipe collection.

There was a case in the last few years when the heirs to a home emptied out dad's stuff and threw away uncut sapphires that the old boy had probably spent years accumulating the hard way, in the sand, dust and flies of western Queensland. (I know, I've done it When they found out later what they'd done, they unsuccessfully trawled a little country rubbish dump for the stones, naturally without success.

Our heirs might well send the model collection to the local charity shop where it might be sold for $20 each. So we're both pleased when David's creations go to a good home. As I said, David gets tremendous pleasure out of the creation process, so that's what it's all about for us.

But I've seen stunning work at woodworking exhibitions that is genius as well as art and craftsmanship. Those few pieces would be extremely hard to let go of. I'll never forget an incredibly delicate spider web made of wood with the spider in the centre - technically brilliant and totally unique. I'd probably fight to keep that kind of thing if it were David's work.

Well someone has bought a great collection of beautiful models.

I offen find that enjoyment comes from the making not the keeping.

I used to build those plastic models and the fun in the building so once built these seems to find new homes.

Firstly, Happy New Year to you both and congrat's on the sale.

Originally Posted by LiliB

And then it looks like he'll try his hand at a U Build Model A. The U Build plans are more like blueprints and this little fellow will usable steering and lots of other little details. So they're more complex than the Toys and Joys ones.

I did a quick search for these "U Build" models and could only find this Australian site selling Armor Crafts, Toys and Joys and Gatto plans, at fairly inflated prices. This is the link to the Gatto Model A, which I'm prettty sure you'll find is the same. In fact, their own part number prefix tells you whos plans they are; AR###, GA### & TJ###.

Hi All
Here is the address for all the model plans u build has been bought out.
I have spoken to the people there. happy for us to go and have a look
Contact Us

colbra

Originally Posted by colbra

Hi All
Here is the address for all the model plans u build has been bought out.
I have spoken to the people there. happy for us to go and have a look
Contact Us

colbra

I've been to the Skill Publication shop at Lawson to purchase the Toymakers Annual,
but they didn't do one last you and they haven't contacted me to say they are available [I did register on there mailing list].
I've seen the UBuild website reference on the Toymaking side of the forum and thought that they were expensive,
but WOW after seeing the reference which Yonnee put up they are three [3] times the price & that's awful.
I don't see how that they can justify that sort of markup as a reseller who'd surely get a discount on the buy price over the RRP???!!!!.
It'd be nice to think that we might have some sway on they pricing so woodworkers & toymakers could purchase locally [Australia].
Cheers, crowie

Hi Pete they certainly are expensive check out Toys & Joys prices against
Skill Publications 70 - Road Grader I am not sure what the postage is from the States
Skill Publishing is $30
colbra

Hi everyone

I recently looked at the Skills Publishing site and was appalled at the pricing. This trend of charging highly inflated prices for things that sell for 'pennies' in the US is rampant in Australia.

Books are a prime example, however, the postage from the US is so ridiculous that we are stuck between a rock and a hard price. For example I purchased 3 books through Amazon for about $12 each, and had to pay $57 for postage. What a rip off. This brought th product to about the same as we pay here. So the only time I would consider that in future, is if the product is unavailable in Australia.

I collect perfumes and the rarer ones here are double what they are in the US. Small wonder I tend to use the internet for my purchasing. However, to counter this, lots of companies don't sell their rarer things on the net, so you're stuck with buying them from retail outlets which make a fortune reselling.

I can't see how anyone could justify charging $30-$38 for a plan, the U Builds not even having the actual pieces in full size. You have to scale them up yourself. Kind of takes the gloss off the whole process.

What may well be the case, in the defence of Skills Publishing, however, is that their deal to distribute may well involve some hefty payments to the owner of the copyright with each sale. This is again, typical of American commercial arrangements.

Hi LiliB
I have been buying my books from Fishpond.com Online Book Store | Buy Books Online in Australia - Fishpond.com.au
its free post in Australia even though the books are coming from a UK supplier
And the prices seem too be compatible with other online bookstores I have just bought 2 books
1x Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Box Making
Estimated delivery date: 14th Jan - 26th Jan from UK supplier $22.81
1x Basic Box Making
Estimated delivery date: 14th Jan - 26th Jan from UK supplier $17.44
Sub-Total: $40.20
colbra
PS David does a great job of the models was he a toolmaker or paten maker in his working life if not I think he missed his mark.