Iron barque completed

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob you have a niche market with your miniatures, the value really relates to your reputation and skill involved where as we spend hundreds ££ on materials and motors and radio etc to make a working model which is fairly worthless at the end of the day good job we only do it for fun

As something is only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it !

Regards Ray

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 13/07/2018 21:48:42

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

After the episode with the Gulf Stream, I doubt if I have even a niche market any more!, because I am no longer prepared to send them out by courier. The pleasure of building them was always the most important part for me, although the money was welcome. The problem now is that I build so many, it would be impossible to store them, and local buyers are few and far between. At the moment, I am still considering what to do next to occupy my time. I would build R/C models if there was any water around, but going off to Fleetwood from Preston is too much hassle.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Assessment of damage by UPS. Outer packing case and display case undamaged. Damage to model confined to sails! They have no idea! I got a quote from a ship model firm to repair it, and they estmimated about £1,000! – Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Still silence from the insurers (24th July, 2018). Got another quote for repair today – £2,500! Maybe I am not selling them for enough in the first place! – Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

They are only worth what people will pay Bob and therein lies the problem.

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

That is not the problem with me! I am continually getting requests to build specific models from all over the world. Some of them even want to pay in full before I even start! (Can't think of anything worse) Very few can grasp the fact that I do not accept private commissions, and cannot be bought. I only build what I feel like building these days, and the prices for "off the peg" is really a lot less than the actual market value. The reason for what may be strange attitude to most folk is that after spending 31 years at sea, I no longer like working for people. I could make more per hour collecting trolleys at a supermarket, but as I said, I do not like working for anyone! The problem is not selling them, it is the worry of getting them there in one piece, and battling with the insurance company if they don't make it! I have been fortunate over the years and have only had a few damaged out of a total of 275 completed since October 1992, when I left the sea? Some time ago, I sold a model of Clan MacTaggart for £400 privately. It later turned up at Charles Miller Ltd nautical auction in London where it sold for £3,800! If someone asked me to build another model of Clan Mactaggart for say, £3,000, I would not take it on!

Bob

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Posted by Bob Wilson on 24/07/2018 21:49:17:

[…] Some time ago, I sold a model of Clan MacTaggart for £400 privately. It later turned up at Charles Miller Ltd nautical auction in London where it sold for £3,800! […]

Bob,

Have you ever considered selling them yourself through Charles Miller? Even if the difference between the price you ask and what a model would fetch at auction were but a third of the example you give, it would still provide an ample margin to cover the auctioneer's handling fees and commission, while the problem of having to send models out by courier could be circumvented by delivering them by hand to the auctioneers — going up to London a few times a year with a model or two would surely be doable?!

Mattias

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

After Christie's discontinued their maritime sales, and Charles Miller left to form Charles Miller Ltd, I did sell there for the first few sales, but it became non viable. Still had to get the models to London, and with rail fares and taxi fares, the only other option was couriers. But after deductions of commission, cataloguing and income tax, there was very little left. Now, there is a £150 non-returnable fee on just entering a model for sale. As I have said, the problem is not selling them, it is getting them there safely. It was Charles Miller Ltd that got £3,800 for the Clan MacTaggart. model. But those prices cannot be guaranteed, and never really make sense. A superior model of Clan Shaw went for a very low price. My best models would often go for low prices, and what I considered low value have sometime gone for incredible sums. This one, HMS Carcass that I couldn't sell privately, for £300, went for £780 at Christie's. I entered it for a Nelson sale as it was Nelson's 2nd ship as a midshipman. It was rejected as unsuitable for the Nelson sale because "everyone wants Victory or Agamemnon! So they put it in a general maritime sale, and it went for £780! It took me 33 hours to build, and that included the display case and carrying case!

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

The insurers are going to pay me £400, and that is their final offer. Deduct the £70 I paid for delivery from this, and it goes down to £330. Then I find I will have to pay income tax on the £400 refund that will reduce it to £250. I have accepted this because I want to put it all behind me. But from this time on, no more couriers – personal collection only!

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I finally moved myself to begin repairing the Gulf Stream. So far, I have completely repaired the mizzen mast, but quite a lot of work to do on the fore and mainmasts with 12 square sails, plus twelve jibs and staysails – Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have now set and rigged the five staysails between the fore and mainmasts. The next task is to complete the standing rigging on the fore and mainmasts. Then, repair the damaged rails on the forecastle head, set and rig the 5 staysails and jibs to the bowsprit. After that, the twelve square sails will need to be refitted to the fore and mainmasts and rigged again. A lengthy, and tedious process when bearing in mind the fact that I have already done it all before on the same model, just a few weeks ago, only to see it virtually destroyed by a careless courier!

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have now completed the setting and rigging of all fifteen fore-and-aft sails. I now have to refit and re-rig the twelve square sails. I am growing weary of all this now, and will be glad when it is finished!

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

As I started work today, I accidentally caught the edge of the display case on the fore and mainmasts whilst lifting it off, causing quite a lot of damage to some of the jibs, staysails and standing rigging. The afternoon was spent repairing it and getting it back to the stage it had reached yesterday. Although I feel it is probably my best sailing ship model so far, it has been one disaster after another, and I will be glad to get it finished.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

The fore and mainsails have now been fitted and partially rigged, as have the fore and main lower topsails. On completion of the rigging of these four sails, I will move onto setting and rigging the upper topsails.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

This morning, I fitted the upper topsails, and completed the running rigging on the two lower topsails and the two upper topsails. The four t'gallants, and two royals that remain to be fitted and rigged, are much simpler sails to rig, so the end is at last in sight!

Bob

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Bob,

It is good indeed to hear that you are almost there with the reparations, and kudos to you for getting on with what cannot have been the most inspiring job.

Mattias

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thank you Mattias, it has not been an easy task from a mental point of view, as everything I did, I had already done before, I hope to complete it today, or tomorrow at the latest.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have now completed the restoration of the Gulf Stream. Not quite as good as it was before damage, but more than acceptable. This model has given me so much work, stress and worry, that it is no longer for sale, but will join our permanent collection! At the moment, I am weary of it all!

Bob

[Steve Walker 1Participant @stevewalker1]

Bob, I loved the model from day one and was jealous of the purchaser, but with each passing post began to feel that you were mirroring my boyhood hero, IKB, and his effort with Great Eastern.

Different scale but in life some things are more a test of endurance than skill. Completing the task rather than looking for the bin is testament to your determination.

Regards

Steve

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