MODEL KIT CONDITION and GRADING (a Priority of Qualifications)

As a long time model collector I see all manor of condition descriptions and rarely see accurately described model kits. The terms 'mint', C-9 etc are terms borrowed from coin collecting and stamp collecting and are used very subjectively by most sellers. I'll use the term 'mint' for now.....but a 'mint' does not make plastic models and should be left to the stamp or coin collectors.

When we use these terms we are trying to describe an item accurately. Whatever term or words you use, try to be forthcoming and accurate.

The best system for grading is an accurate description!  There should be a balanced representation of the good and the bad. Many kits I have purchased on Ebay have been disappointing to some degree: (Problems not disclosed, major omissions et al).....In good faith, some folks can't describe a kit! There are good experiences and great sellers too! As a collector I have found we are, generally, a pretty honest breed.

I would compare kit sales to used car sales!

My grading suggests that being complete is very important. Condition is the collectors' mantra. Rarity is not part of the description of the kit, however, it surely can drive it's value. I can be more forgiving of faults when the kit is really rare but, please, no surprizes.

The following guide offers a priority of qualifications for the entire kit. (Box and contents). There are many collectible kits that have near mint contents but much fewer have near mint contents and box. A near perfect (mint) kit is nearly perfect inside and out.

****I am now editing Secret Monkey's Model Kit Grading Guide. In the NEW GUIDE, the system I am using shows a condition for the BOX and a condition for the CONTENTS. The box or contents will be followed with a number/grade from 10-0. FOR EXAMPLE: B10-C10 would be a perfect box with perfect contents. B8-C10 would indicate an excellent box with mint contents. The use of decimals, such as 9.9 may be used to indicate an example that is almost mint etc. This is not finished. I believe a rewrite which lists the box and contents separately will be the most practical.********

My grading is a starting point. It offers a priority of qualifications that I use in ranking a kit's quality or deviation from perfection.

B10-C10 MINT or MINT SEALED - Perfect kit. The kit is exactly the same as the day it was manufactured. No fading, no wear, no creases at all, no tears and sealed if originally sealed. The kit is 100 pct complete in every way. Absolutely no assembly. Decals and paper would have no yellowing. Parts should mostly remain on sprues if applicable.* It is very rare to find any kit that would truly qualify as 'mint'. There is NO concession for the age of the kit. (i.e. There is no such thing as 'mint for a 40 year old kit'. This is the same standard as applies to grading paper money, stamps, coins, comic books and so on.)  *While it is normal for a few parts to come loose from the trees/sprues, a kit with most of it's parts attached to the sprue(s) is superior to a kit with most parts loose.

B9.5-C9.5 NEAR MINT - 100 pct complete kit without any problems. Absolutely no assembly. Cellophane* could be removed, box is without problems and no creasing. Having the original cellophane on a kit does not improve grading unless cellophane is non-evasive. Decals and paper show normal** aging or tanning. There is absolutely no damage of any kind. *(If a kit has the original cellophane wrap, a higher premium is appropriate; However, if the cellophane is damaging/warping the box, you are better off without it. If the box within the cellophane is not near mint, the kit can't be described as near mint sealed.  If the box is only fair, the kit should be described as sealed in fair condition. Simply said; It is the box within that determines the grading. **(Normal paper browning or tanning does not include foxing, insect bites, tears or stains other than the effect of oxygen on paper and paper products).

B9-C9 EXCELLENT - If there are ANY creases or any problems the kit can not be mint or near mint. An Excellent kit would still be 100 pct complete, unassembled and in overall very nice cosmetic condition. An excellent kit's box  may have light wear, light crease/creasing, plastic inner bag opened etc. Decals and/or paperwork could show more tanning. Instructions may have 'decal shadows'. The box will have no TEARS, HOLES, WRITING or 'TAPE THIN'.* *(A 'tape thin' is when the paper lithography or cardboard has been torn by tape.)

B8.5-C9 NEAR EXCELLENT - A kit that is 100 pct complete and without any assembly but having slightly more shelf wear. The kit, including the box and contents, has no damage of any kind.

B8-C9 SUPERIOR - Highest grade that has any damage. (A very light tape thin,  box top with minor fading, light writing, are some examples). 100 pct complete with contents being crisp with little fatigue.

B7-C9 VERY GOOD - A kit that is 100 pct complete and without assembly but having cosmetic problems such as a box with a split corner, tape thin, writing, boxed corner etc. Box is generally attractive and the 'overall' condition is presentable.

B7-C7 GOOD - A kit that is 100 pct complete but may have minor, clean partial assembly. Kit contents are degraded due to partial assembly, broken parts, creased or misprinted decals, shelf-worn plastic/clear parts and more handling wear of contents. Box may have problems such as 'VERY GOOD' grade.

B7-C6 FAIR  - More assembly and general fatigue than 'Good' but kit is still complete.

MIXED GRADE - Contents could be perfect with poor box or any combination. Many kits will have a mixed grade condition. Excellent box with Near Mint contents for example.

INCOMPLETE  - A kit that is missing ANY PART. It may have partial assembly, box may be damaged or near mint etc. It is best to describe the kit as "INCOMPLETE" and what is known to be missing and the condition of all the components. You may have excellent decals, near mint paperwork, a poor box and so on. ( I have had some wonderful problem kits that I was able to complete and I have also had five identical kits all missing the same parts!!)

ASSEMBLED - (From assembled excellent to assembled fair, assembled incomplete, child assembled etc.

FACTORY DISPLAY - A kit usually assembled by the manufactuer for display at the point of sale. (Near Mint Factory Display, Very Good Factory Display, Incomplete Factory Display etc.)

POOR / RELIC - An example would be a ratty box with a kid-assembled model inside. Generally, the box and all parts would be better described as, relics.

PARTS KIT - An incomplete kit. May have many problems. Sold for the remaining parts, box etc.

MARRIAGE KIT - A kit is completed using parts from another kit. The parts may be of another issue (earlier or later). Some kits' colored plastic is very uniform from kit to kit. Usually you will see different shades of plastic from kit to kit 'batch'. When reviewing a kit's contents, you should be aware of color differences. If that Revell Army olive drab does not match from part to part, you have a marriage. Is the kit complete? No. It is a marriage. What about when the replacement parts are exactly the same?? You probably have a complete kit! The same applies to BOXES. While I can take an Aurora H-21 helicopter and put the kit in any Aurora H-21 box, the instructions, the inner bag (or none), tissue etc vary from issue to issue. The DECALS are often different from earlier to later issues. (The decals may be identical but the serial number/kit number info on the back often changes with successive issues.) A 'rub' here is that companies may use up the old 'stock' with new issues or vice versa!

REPAIRED - Box or part has been repaired. Box may have been restored/taped/repaired etc.

I am amazed at how many people can not determine if a kit is complete or not. While this may be an overwhelming task for a kit with 1000's of parts.....the vast majority of collectible kits have 20-40 parts total and most children can determine if a kit is complete in about 30 seconds. Assembly, painting, breakage and so on should always be disclosed. If I am spending a hundred and up for a model kit, I think the seller should spend a minute or two in providing an accurate description, don't you? When I see a kit photo without a courtesy photo of the contents, I assume it has problems. The less a seller shows you or tells you, the more questions you should have. If the seller can not accurately describe the kit or is unwilling to verify if the kit is complete, it may have problems. On Ebay, for example, if you do not ask about specifics, you may get a dead rat in a model box with the seller's excuse, "I don't know anything about model kits....!" Some sellers describe items as being in "'Great condition!", "A super example!","Fantastic find!"etc......If a seller is using superlatives without detail, beware! These terms are the most misused and misleading. (And 9 times out of 10 the item is "As is" or "Full refund...you pay the postage both ways....maybe even a 'restocking fee' in addition to the "handling charges".)  I find that you must question every single detail. When you resell (or your estate), a collection with many 'problems' will have a very disappointing value. I always try to check each kit I purchase and put a dated, signed note inside stating when inventoried and condition (complete, problems etc).  SELLERS: You are ALWAYS better offering an accurate description, even if it means disclosing that the kit has damage or is missing something etc. I, honestly, look very closely for problems when I sell. People seem to be happy when they receive exactly what they expect! Imagine that.

I am currently creating a grading system guide which will have more detailed indicators. It will be along the above guidelines but will offer more precise grading similar to the manner comic books, coins, collectible paper etc is graded. If model collecting was as popular as comic book collecting or stamp collecting, some kits' values should be in the 10's of thousands of dollars. There are many kits much more rare in number than high value comic books and stamps! During the next phase of kit collecting, the condition will start meaning more than it ever had. There are only a handful of the best examples of the best kits!

The last couple of generations of kids don't generally build models or play with toys. Studies have shown that today's youth have very little interest in physical toys, model kits or crafts. Today kids prefer video games to the tangible toys of their fathers' generations. If this continues, many model kits, in the near-term, could continue to devalue as fewer and fewer collectors remain. Will the next generation(s) collect "what dad collected" or "grand-dad"? Maybe they will because it reminds them of dad.

c 2006, c 2007 c 2008 SecretMonkey