Model Team -- Underrated Theme?

ToddMyers

By now, I've sold off about 85% of my collection*, and as my list of remaining sets dwindles, I'm surprised that I have so many Model Team sets left.  I started off with a complete theme and have only sold off four or five of them.   I know that they are not particularly cheap, but the relative lack of interest really surprises me -- I figured that folks who were into LEGO vehicles or trucks would snap these up.

I thought that the Model Team sets were fantastic (I definitely felt a pang of sadness when I did end up selling 5571 Giant Truck), and I'm curious why they are not more popular.  There is some technic involved for most of these sets -- is that a strike against the theme?  Too much technic for those who do not like technic and not enough technic for those who do like technic?   Too many studs showing on the models?  Too expensive?  Too hard to find in decent shape with decent stickers?

Dunno, just curious to see what others think.  I rank Model Team as one of the most underrated themes out there, but maybe I just over-estimated the number of people who would be interested in LEGO vehicles (that could explain why I still have so many creator vehicles left in my collection).

http://brickset.com/sets?query=model team

*Marketplace thread is here if you want to see what I have left: http://bricksetforum.com/discussion/21131/selling-off-my-collection-southwest-ohio-usa#latest

Brickman

I love Model Team. I even get comments on my MOCpages that my building style matches those. My favorite model is the #5563 race truck and #5571 and #5590. Resale values is ridiculous. $300 for a used race truck. I can make it using the parts I have except for the grill and doors.

madforLEGO

I like Model Team, very articulated, but yet had great vehicle designs, but they were rather large to display so I sold most of the ones I got in old eBay lots.

catwrangler

I always admired them in the catalogues when I was a kid, but it never occurred to me to save up for them or ask for them at Christmas - when I did ask for something so large-scale, it was more likely to be a minifigure-scale set. 

I wonder if relatively few AFOLs owned them back then, so you don't get so many buyers driven by the powerful nostalgic urge that sells so many other sets from that period...

MrShinyAndNew

I've always admired the big rig trucks in that theme. I think LEGO knows that there is demand for detailed vehicles and tries to scratch that itch with the Creator Expert sets and some of the Creator 3-in-1 sets now. 

graphite

I really like Model Team.  #5590 was one of the sets I got as a kid and was my favorite for a while.  I thought about contacting you about 3 or 4 of the ones you have but money is tight right now and like you said they're on the expensive side.

catwrangler

MrShinyAndNew said:

I've always admired the big rig trucks in that theme. I think LEGO knows that there is demand for detailed vehicles and tries to scratch that itch with the Creator Expert sets and some of the Creator 3-in-1 sets now. 

That might indeed explain the difficulty of moving Model Team stuff now - there are current models appealing to that interest, and they seem to be getting better at finding an audience for them, given that there are more big, detailed vehicles available now than I think were ever available at one time in the Model Team era...

davee123

catwrangler said:

I wonder if relatively few AFOLs owned them back then, so you don't get so many buyers driven by the powerful nostalgic urge that sells so many other sets from that period...

Yeah, I think that's a large part of it.  The sets were marketed towards the 10-16 crowd, which is starting to get out of the "nostalgia zone" for kids, and into teenager-dom.  So, although a lot of kids probably remember looking at them and thinking "that's neat", they didn't drool over the Model Team sets as much as other stuff.

Licensing is also another huge draw for vehicle models.  The Santa Fe Super Chief and BNSF did ok, but the Emerald Night?  Not as well.  Most of the ones they make now (which would have been named "Model Team" if they were released in the 90s) are all branded:  Volkswagen Beetle, Mini Cooper, Sopwith Camel, Boeing Dreamliner, Ferrari F40, etc.

I imagine if LEGO were looking to do a "big rig" model these days, they'd probably look to partner with a manufacturer to get some added appeal and recognition.

However, looking at the prices on BrickLink... it's not really all that unloved.  Doing some comparable pricing for Model Team sets (I looked between 1993 and 1998), they're pretty comparable to other sets from the same year with roughly the same piece count.  Of the 6 sets & comps that I checked, 2 were higher, 2 were more-or-less on par, and 2 were lower-value.

So, they may not be all that unloved!  But we probably don't talk about them as much as other themes!

DaveE