Have you tried to REDUCE your RC collection?

[TokyoProf]

I have two problems. I have too much in my RC collection, and I haven't been winning those monthly competitions on RC10talk. Therefore, I need to downsize my RC collection to a smaller and more valuable/meaningful collection. Some of you are crazy (in a good way) because I can enjoy the hobby through your amazing collection. The thing is, I buy more than I sell, so things get out of a hand a bit. How many RC do you all have anyhow?

Much of what I have will collect dust, remains hidden, and takes up too much space. I want 80% shelf queens and a couple of runners for different surfaces. How did you decide to keep and what did you decide to let go? It would be nice to sell off some of my collection without regret. What is a good way to limit an RC collection to the basic good stuff?

[TravelinTravis]

Just my 2 cents...but I've found selling something you care a lot about to someone who loves/will love it just as much or even more than you always seems to bring me more joy than regret. For example, I had an old '78 280z I spent 4 years driving and fixing up years ago. Finally and with some regret, I decided to sell her on ebay. Kid who won the auction flew out from Texas to California to pick her up....and as I reached for the keys, that regret crept in again. Then he told me he'd enjoy the drive back to Texas before he had to hand the keys over to his father. When I asked why he said he bought the car as a retirement gift for his Dad because Dad had sold his own 280z to buy the kid a more practical pick up truck when he got his first drivers license bitd. Never regretted that sale again. I joined this group to recapture the love of vintage R/C and like others, I had one very special car I wanted to reconnect with...and thanks to a member here, I've been able to do that....and I like to think that seller knows that car couldn't have found a better home...just like I did when I sold that Z. I'd search the newbie posts...love some of them. You know...the ones that start out as, "Hello from wherever...I used to race back in the day...etc..etc." Some of those are interesting reads/history and they also mention their old dream R/C car they're looking to rebuild or reconnect with from time to time. I'd bet their happiness would help ease any regret.

Oh, for the record and to answer your other question...I've got two Composite Craft Predator/Lynx cars and I'll buy up any spares you have!

[Dadio]

I'm not sure about selling any of my cars but for each one after restoration I have a box of parts left , some in perfect condition as I had a broken part but they come in pairs or I bought a bundled lot of parts to get the one I wanted , most of my cars do get driven but some very lightly and rarely so it's unlikely I'll need a box of parts so I keep thinking of moving some of it on ..... I keep thinking .......

[juicedcoupe]

I moved my collection to a bigger room, no need to reduce the collection. I'm at full shelf capacity at the moment but that is easy enough to remedy.

[TRX-1-3]

Sometimes folks "outside the hobby" ask me something like, 'what are you gonna do with it, just put it on a shelf?" And I say something along the lines of, "well duh yeah. It pleases me to just look at something so pristine and hard to find and occasionally pick it up and work the diff, drop it from a safe height, watch the suspension settle, etc."

If I had to part with some stuff I'd be thinking about how rare is it, really? Does it please me or is it just an accumulated item? How long did I wait for that particular item or items that make up the whole? Easy come, easy go. Hard to come by, hard to go/not going.

[GoMachV]

I reduced my collection back in the early 2000’s and it was the dumbest thing I have done. Some of those cars I almost gave away and today I’d be paying crazy money for them. Early Cook 1/8 scale, early rc500, delta 1/8, a couple dogfighters one with delta conversion on it, bruiser, Wild Willy, couple tricked out SRB’s…. and the list goes on. I wish I could go back and get those vehicles back. I did have a fire about 10 years back now and if I had still owned those they would have been scorched so it makes me feel a little better to know they still exist somewhere.

[TokyoProf]

Early Cook 1/8 scale, early rc500, delta 1/8, a couple dogfighters one with delta conversion on it, bruiser, Wild Willy, couple tricked out SRB’s…. and the list goes on. I wish I could go back and get those vehicles back. I did have a fire about 10 years back now and if I had still owned those they would have been scorched so it makes me feel a little better to know they still exist somewhere.

That is impressive, mostly because it seems you were collecting super early in the RC golden era...at a time when collecting vintage wasn't a big thing. It would be hard to reduce a unique collection like yours. Good thing you took photos and sold some of your collection before the unfortunate fire. I have an easier job since my tastes focus mostly on electric buggy 80's and 90's, and offroad IFMAR winners (up to early 2000) from those decades. Now, I'm trying to focus on the important 5-7 models from Team Associated, Kyosho, Yokomo, and Tamiya manufacturers. It's a start.