You have to remember with me, I used to work in a antique toy shop, for a number of years and those old "Promo's" taught me a few tricks, and then got into Scale model trains, anything from N scale to G scale and owned a shop of my own, repairing, and custom building you name (I was once certified by Lionel for repairs and customizations to undecorated items) and made a nice early retirement from it due to my health. BUT I still own EVERYTHING! I bought and paid for all my collectors books and everything in between. these things stick out like a sore thumb.....you know? Even tho, my shops "closed" I'm still a modeler at heart, and have an "eye" for things.....
Just as you said, that GSX, its not a "big name" collectable, TILL those that are, are gone and the WANT is still there then that cheapie, one you thought "nahhhh, no one will ever want it" AT THAT time will then become collectable.....
I have an OLD AMT-ERTL, 1981 Licensed Warner Bros. General Lee model. Kit was bought at a yardsale beat to crap, for 50 cents.....This same kit ABLE to see that marking? $1,400!!!!! There are around 103 of them listed as "owned" out of a possible 3,000 made! This was a "Collectable Register" of these models, one that I probably ought to update as it hasn't been done in a number of years.... They were Warner Bros. Promotionals for the TV Series in 1981! NO "model" General Lee was EVER made prior to that date that Warner Bro's Licensed! Sadly tho? Even tho, the kit was made and sold By AMT-ERTL, the car, is wrong! The body is of a '69 Charger 500! When the real General Lee was the '69 Charger R/T! BECAUSE its a mistake, a factory error that got past the QC of the day, makes it seriously valuable....When I bought it for 50 cents? I had no idea it was worth a red cent I mean crap, it was just about a model that was junk, BUT the decals is what lured me in! MINT shape! I didn't know of its valve till about 10 years ago, and sadly, I've had the model now for damn near 20 years! The local Hobby Shop proudly displays it for me!
The mistake however, was from the model itself being built and offered from the AMT-ERTL line up when they offered a actual "normal" model of the '69 Dodge Charger 500, somehow back then the 2 different models got mixed up in the sales, I HAD the box to the model too.....Sadly about 3 years ago it went up in flames in my old home place as my Mom packed it away and she passed away, and I was never able to find it again!:banghead:
Interesting, what ya learn, isn't it?
