About spare parts, ebay, market prices und beginners

it is time to give some comments about the acquisition of spare parts for our nostalgic helicopters. Nearly every day I am asked for advice concerning missing spare parts.

To say it clearly: I do not have a shop nor am I dealer for spare parts. This is the reason why I created these pages. This website shall be a platform for the acquisition of older model helicopters and their spare parts, which have to be organized - worldwide.

Following, I will show some ways of how to acquire a helioldie and its spare parts:

In the internet auction platform ebay complete helicopters and especially spare parts of them are offered- but be careful! The reliability with ebay is not the best in the meantime. Radio-controlled helicopters sold with the help of cleverly made photos are often rubbish after a closer look. burned-out couplers and twisted shafts etc. are daily experience and I have got the feeling that these are just minor deficiencies.

Example 1: A BO 105 from WIK models auctioned by myself seemed to be OK according to the photo in ebay. After unwrapping I had to dispose the glass-fiber fuselage in the trash can. It was repaired countless times with polyester resin from the automotive industry. The weight of the cell was now over 3 kg! So I had to be satisfied with the mechanics. Such articles are often repositioned in the auction platform.

Example 2: A Mini-Boy was sold with the following description: 'without canopy and guarantee, otherwise OK - I apologize for the bad photo'. The result was that the tail rotor was all right but everything else was twisted including shaft and coupler.

This is why you have to be careful with bidding! A reliable offerer delivers detailed photos and sends them via email. In any case you should ask the offerer if the helicopter ever had a crash.

Regarding spare parts, Ebay has to be considered as the auction platform with the widest publicity, thus it cannot be ignored. As a consequence, it is indispensable to keep your eyes open in every respect - including payment.

The market price of a helioldie:

What is the market price of a nostalgic radio-controlled helicopter? A question which arises from time to time. The answer is: It depends.

I have to laugh when presently each Mini-Boy or Bell 222 is offerd as absolute rarity. Especially these kinds of models were widely spread and are therfore present in countless basements. This means that they are not rarities but even these days well suited for practice. Including engine, muffler and original RC-components their market price should end with  250 Euros. In 1985, the catalog price of the Mini-Boy was 314 Euros. For a brand-new kit I would pay 300 Euros at any time. This is the price for a smaller helicopter of the newer generation. Here, the fancy price can come into effect.

Also the famous Bell Huey Cobra from Dieter Schluter is in principle not yet a rarity. It was a mass-product manufactured by Hegi models. The non-definable fancy price can be true for a hand-made Cobra. I myself own a kit of the first 50 helicopters from Dieter Schlueter's workshop. There is no doubt: Not for any four-digit price I would sell the kit.

I have never seen a Cheyenne in ebay which is in good condition - did you? In 1983, this model did cost unbelievable 675 Euros, including pneumatic retractable landing gear, excluding free-wheel clutch. Very few people afforded that model, thus it is very rar.

In the following you will find some remarks concerning prices for new spare parts of helioldies:

From time to time I will put new spare parts for helioldies in an auction. The prices correspond to the prices of the original spare parts. For sure there are sometimes bargains with dealers or with ebay. In principle you have to buy more than a single spare part there - if you need them or not. For that reason it is in my opinion justified that spare parts are offered to the former price. It is then easy to buy just the needed article. I myself had to cover a distance of thousands of kilometers for my helioldies and their spare parts and did spent much money for complete offers.

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There are often spare parts located at established dealers which sold the model when it was actual. Sometimes you have to force the dealers to open the nearly forgotten kits in their workshops or storage sheds.

O

You can also buy a helioldie at diverse meetings or established jumble sales.

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Then there is the helioldie-exchange. When I have got odd spare parts, I put them in the market. Everybody who wants to buy, change or sell has got access and is welcome. Established collectors of helioldies often have a look at it. Very few of them sell spare parts but offer them in exchange for another.***New*** 25.05.2018 - in europe now the DSGVO works, so I turned into a private Page where I offer my parts.

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A new site is linked with the button Repro. In this category, reproduced spare parts are presented. Everyone who can produce spare parts for us is being introduced together with the article.