Looking for information on a kit

[chromdome35]

So about 6 years ago, I picked up this model kit at a garage sale. The box was in terrible shape but the kit appeared to be unstarted.

It's a Vintage Porcher Alfa Romeo in 1/8

I looked the kit up on Ebay tonight and some of the listings were as high as $3000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do any of you guys know anything about these kits and what makes them worth so much?

[dierk]

When Pocher kits (Italian company BTW) were still available new, they were eye-wateringly expensive - I remember drooling over them when I was a kid, many moons ago. For that reason the kits never sold in large numbers - the company has long since closed its doors, so collectors are prepared to pay stupid money for any that are still around.
Just as a matter of interest: how much did you pay for yours?

[wing_nut]

Don't take this the wrong way CD, but if there is something I bought at a garage sale I can sell 3 grand I am sure as hell not asking "why", I am asking "Who wants it most?"

That's 28 Tamiya 1/32 Corsairs... a vacation... 75 bottles of good bourbon... several years of modeling budget.. and, (to quote the King of Siam)... "Etcetera, Etcetera, Etcetera!"

Another appropriate movie quote, "SELL! SELL!"
Randolph Duke, "Trading Places"

[dupes]

Ditto Wingy's comments. If you can't turn it into a museum piece...Totally a "sell"!

[mustang1989]

Feb 3, 2017 7:47:47 GMT -5 dupes said:

Ditto Wingy's comments. If you can't turn it into a museum piece...Totally a "sell"!

But first................ya gotta take it to a couple of shows.

[James Duff]

The reason Pocher kits are so expensive is because of the reason they went out of business in the first place. They suffered a massive fire at their warehouse/production facility and all of the tooling to make all of their multi-billion piece 1/8 kits was lost forever. They never could recover from the loss and declared bankruptcy shortly thereafter.

The Pocher name is now owned by Hornsby and they've released a couple of big scale Lamborghini Aventadors and at least one motorcycle, but they can't recreate the original Pocher "Masterpiece" kits like the one you have.

So there's a dwindling finite supply of what was a limited number of expensive large scale classic car kits to begin with at this point some 30+ years later.

[chromdome35]

Feb 3, 2017 6:12:33 GMT -5 dierk said:

When Pocher kits (Italian company BTW) were still available new, they were eye-wateringly expensive - I remember drooling over them when I was a kid, many moons ago. For that reason the kits never sold in large numbers - the company has long since closed its doors, so collectors are prepared to pay stupid money for any that are still around.
Just as a matter of interest: how much did you pay for yours?

I just went back through our records and I paid $10 for it. The wife and I ran an ebay business for a while where we purchased antiques and unique items (garage sales, auctions and estate sales) and sold them on Ebay. We kept detailed records of what we bought and sold.

I harbor no hopes that I could get $3K for it as the box is open, damaged and there is no way to confirm all the parts are there. From researching EBay, I might be able to pull a couple of hundred for it though.

A small part of me wants to build it, but I've never really been into scale automotive modeling. Decisions, decisions.

[chromdome35]

Feb 3, 2017 9:23:33 GMT -5 James Duff said:

The reason Pocher kits are so expensive is because of the reason they went out of business in the first place. They suffered a massive fire at their warehouse/production facility and all of the tooling to make all of their multi-billion piece 1/8 kits was lost forever. They never could recover from the loss and declared bankruptcy shortly thereafter.

The Pocher name is now owned by Hornsby and they've released a couple of big scale Lamborghini Aventadors and at least one motorcycle, but they can't recreate the original Pocher "Masterpiece" kits like the one you have.

So there's a dwindling finite supply of what was a limited number of expensive large scale classic car kits to begin with at this point some 30+ years later.

Great info, thank you!

[mustang1989]

Feb 3, 2017 10:10:40 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Feb 3, 2017 6:12:33 GMT -5 dierk said:

When Pocher kits (Italian company BTW) were still available new, they were eye-wateringly expensive - I remember drooling over them when I was a kid, many moons ago. For that reason the kits never sold in large numbers - the company has long since closed its doors, so collectors are prepared to pay stupid money for any that are still around.
Just as a matter of interest: how much did you pay for yours?

A small part of me wants to build it, but I've never really been into scale automotive modeling. Decisions, decisions.

Two words.............................DO IT!

[afvfan]

First, you need to look at the ones that actually sold on Ebay. Doing that will show you that $600 is about the top price for your kit, with $200 being the low end of the scale.

[James Duff]

Yes...build it. I think we will all enjoy you having to hand-wrap all of those wire spoke wheels

[deafpanzer]

WOW! Sell it... get yourself ten or twenty nice kits. You have my support whatever you decide... it was a real cool find and I am glad you shared with us!

[mustang1989]

Feb 3, 2017 1:53:56 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

So about 6 years ago, I picked up this model kit at a garage sale. The box was in terrible shape but the kit appeared to be unstarted.

It's a Vintage Porcher Alfa Romeo in 1/8

I looked the kit up on Ebay tonight and some of the listings were as high as $3000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do any of you guys know anything about these kits and what makes them worth so much?

What ever happened to this one Brian? 

[tcoat]

Apr 3, 2023 9:00:03 GMT -5 mustang1989 said:

Feb 3, 2017 1:53:56 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

So about 6 years ago, I picked up this model kit at a garage sale. The box was in terrible shape but the kit appeared to be unstarted.

It's a Vintage Porcher Alfa Romeo in 1/8

I looked the kit up on Ebay tonight and some of the listings were as high as $3000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do any of you guys know anything about these kits and what makes them worth so much?

What ever happened to this one Brian? 

I don't know but I will double his money and give him $20 right this minute!

[armornutii]

I would give ya my right butt cheek...however I have no idea what you would do with it.
I built a Pocher Testarise kit along time ago....without instructions...goofed the body up by sand blasting it. Still turned out pretty cool.
The engine waa "simple" IMO for scale, but it did come with door and ignition keys.
I woukd love to build another, with instructions but the price has to be right.
BUILD IT! it's part of modeling history.

[chromdome35]

Honestly, I don't remember if I sold it or not. I need to go look down in our storage building to see if it's still down there. If it's there, then I still have it exactly as described in this post.

[tcoat]

Apr 3, 2023 16:54:28 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Honestly, I don't remember if I sold it or not. I need to go look down in our storage building to see if it's still down there. If it's there, then I still have it exactly as described in this post.

My offer of $20 still stands!

[Joe Rix]

My take on this Brian is....BUILD IT!! Seems to me that if you have any trepidations, you have a car modeling brain trust here that's bigger than Milwaukee to tap into.

[maverick]

Build it. You wont be disappointed...Or sell it to me! I'll give you 40.00 for it!

[tcoat]

Apr 5, 2023 17:54:32 GMT -5 maverick said:

Build it. You wont be disappointed...Or sell it to me! I'll give you 40.00 for it!

But my offer is in Canadian funds!

Oh wait...

[maverick]

But that's like 14 dolers American!! eh...LOL