I have a S&T Products Volksgrenadier/MG42 Ardennes (STP 16001) 120mm Resin Figure still in the box. I have thought about building it but I told not to because it's a sought out figure that worth some money. I have no idea if this is a true statement or not. Can anyone verify if this is indeed a true statement?

Hi, Tony!

At the time that the 1/16 (120mm) S&T PRODUCTS Figures were produced (I'm talking about single, dismounted figures- Mounted figures can easily go for three times the money), they tended to be more expensive than their competition. This is something that you may want to consider, IF indeed you decide to sell your figure. I think that the option is all yours.

it is ALSO your option of whether you may want to assemble and paint your figure prior to selling for a higher price. Now this is where it starts to get a little bit more complicated:

Depending on your figure-painting skills, beginner, intermediate, skilled or "Master", it's a question of how realistically you can paint the figure's various features. I'm talking about his facial features and his "facial expression"; does he have a "5 o'clock shadow"? DO NOT paint White "pop-eyes"- That is an IMMEDIATE "turn-off" for the serious figure buyer/collector.

Then there is his clothing, (that is, the proper colors, the shadowing and highlighting, etc); how much dust, dirt or mud he is covered with and WHERE. Are "sweat stains" in order? His equipments and his weapon(s)- THEY need to be the correct colors and they shouldn't really look brand-spanking new. All of this, and more, will affect the price of your figure if you should choose to sell him at a later date. Naturally, if you have the skills of a "Master Figure-painter", you can ask for pricing with the sky as your limit.

On the other hand, you might want to keep him for your own collection. Again, this is entirely up to you. It's YOUR figure, and no one else'...

Speaking for myself, I don't sell anything that I build anymore, but that's JUST ME. I've become an impossible "fuss-pot" in my old age, and I work at my own speed, detailing and painting to the "umpteenth-degree". Whether I finish that figure or airplane or tank, ship, HO brass steam locomotive, or classic car now or within the next twenty years, is NO SKIN off my "lily-white"...

There are some people who will just want to buy a figure that is "reasonably accurate" and there are others who will not settle for anything but "perfection", and these are the people who will email you ONLY for the reason to criticize your work- Believe me, these are the numb-skulls who will hound you to death if ONE BUTTON is out of place or the "wrong" color. These are the people who never actually build or create anything, but they are ready and willing to criticize everyone else' hard work...

There are MANY figure-painter/collectors out there that would jump at the chance to buy an un-painted S&T PRODUCTS Figure- In other words, "a virgin"... Others may not be so picky, and don't mind if the box or package has already been opened, or even if the subject has been started. These are the builders/painters/collectors. Then, there are the buyer/collectors, who wouldn't try to ever attempt to build and paint a figure, but have the ready CASH to spend on figures which have been built and painted by "Masters"...

You can always try to sell your S&T Figure on Ebay; I would "scope-out" the "going prices" for any 1/16 S&T PRODUCTS Figure before I listed it. The second thing to consider is the "desirability" of your figure. Is the box still sealed, or has it been opened? WWII German subjects always sell well, but that WWII GI or US Tanker or whatever else S&T may have produced while they were still in business might have more appeal to some people. Subject matter "matters", so pay attention to what the other 1/16 (120mm) figures are commanding in their various different price ranges. Are you competing against metal or resin figures? THAT makes a big difference to the dedicated figure collector too, and believe me, with some of these people, PRICE IS NO OBJECT. One the "flip side of the coin" is the guy who wants everything he buys to be sold to him virtually "for free". That's the customer you want to avoid. He'll squeeze that old "Buffalo Nickel" until the Indian Chief on the flip side SCREAMS. I'm not JOKING! (Yes, I am)

If you know anything about selling, you'll know that if you want to make some money, you'll have to "sell the sizzle with the steak"- What that means is you have make your customers WANT to buy your item, and not just "think about it". Take a cue from the "Used Car" ads in your local newspaper, "County Shoppers", TV, radio, bothersome on line "pop-up ads", etc:

"RARE 1/16 (120mm) S&T PRODUCTS 161st Bicycle-Balloon Division Mechanized HOBO Sergeant of Empty Milk Bottles" EXCELLENT, SEALED IN ORIGINAL BOX CONDITION! Please Read Description, Below"

In your description, you can go on to say that your subject comes from a "Smoke-Free, Pet-Free, Destructive-Child-Free Home, with no dead bugs squeezed to death all over the box, no gunk, mold or funny smells, etc" and that you dusted the box off three times a day ever since you bought this figure back in 19-eleventy-three"... Just kidding, of course, but you get the idea, right?

Continue with extolling the virtues of this figure, its' rarity, desirability, sex-appeal, general good health, you name it!

Offer "FREE 3-Day SHIPPING", if you feel that you're going to be making a fair profit for yourself. Offer "FREE RETURNS" for the same reason, if you like. You can either list the figure as a "BUY IT NOW" auction, or as a "conventional auction" with a low "starting bid". You can also "protect" yourself from being "burned" by a low winning bid by putting a "RESERVE" on the figure; that will help you to achieve the minimum price that you're willing to let your figure sell for.

Can't think of anything else to tell you. I WISH that I could help you in reaching a decision concerning whether you might want to sell your figure, or if you might want to hold on to it simply for your own modeling pleasure. You may want to hold onto it for a while and THEN sell it. If you DO decide to sell, don't hold onto this item for years and years. Remember that the people who buy and collect these kinds of things aren't going to live forever. THIS is a sad fact of life...

GOOD LUCK with whatever you may decide...

-Dennis

Thank you so much Dennis!