Squidmar's Metal Thunderhawk for Sale

[Grotsmasha]

So Squidmar has just put up a video talking about his decision to sell the metal Thunderhawk he completed for his Youtube Channel.

 

I two questions surrounding this for you guys and gals;

 

1- Considering the time, energy, effort, and cost required to first acquire a metal Thunderhawk, then blood and sweat required to build it, and mental focus to paint the damn thing, would you then sell it? or (in my case) would someone need to forcibly take it from you for you to give it up?

 

2- I would like to know if given the disposable income, where this purchase would not negatively effect your financial stability, is this something you would want to buy? For reference in just 1.5 days it's gone from 1GBP to over 8,000GBP.

There are those that say the paint job isn't worth the money, and I'd agree with that statement, but I'd also say that that isn't where the value is. For some people, this is the equivalent of buying a John Fogerty Guitar, or a Star Wars costume / Set piece.

 

If you aren't familiar with Squidmar, or the Thunderhawk in question, here's a link to the first vid a playlist of 5 videos.

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Grotsmasha
Thread re-focused

[Grotsmasha]

 

 

So I can post my eBay auctions here now? Good to know, I'll get more action.

No, you cannot sell on the B&C, and I am not Squidmar. This is a unique and rare enough of an item that I felt it was News-worthy.

Ya, obviously you're not allowed to sell stuff and you're not squidmar. But I can't get a friend or fan to flog my sales just because its rare; maybe I should promote the metal thunderhawk that was on eBay first;

 

 

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Thunderhawk-Gunship-Metal-1997-OOP-Warhammer-40k-Games-workshop-Limited-Edition-/124865302177?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

 

 

And hey, it's a way better deal since as good as he is, that paintjob isn't worth an extra $6000. That's a rare deal

 

 

Cheers for the linky :tu:

 

I've edited the OP to the vid instead of the eBay listing.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

It’s super cool but I has a resin thawk - rarely use it but I can still remember every game including the Adepticon Gladiator tourney… it was a total beast y’all.

[Evil Eye]

Ah yes, the metal Thunderhawk- a model which came with the warning "This thing is a total =][=CENSORED=][= to assemble!". Gotta love early GW! Between this and the ridiculously large WHFB Emperor Dragon (a model so large you had to make the wing membranes yourself and the gigantic chunk of pewter was referred to as the "roast chicken dragon") they certainly did enjoy pushing the limits of metal models.

 

Anyway- It looks awesome but if I were in the market for a metal Thunderhawk I'd want to paint it myself.

[phandaal]

Ah yes, the metal Thunderhawk- a model which came with the warning "This thing is a total =][=CENSORED=][= to assemble!". Gotta love early GW! Between this and the ridiculously large WHFB Emperor Dragon (a model so large you had to make the wing membranes yourself and the gigantic chunk of pewter was referred to as the "roast chicken dragon") they certainly did enjoy pushing the limits of metal models.

 

Anyway- It looks awesome but if I were in the market for a metal Thunderhawk I'd want to paint it myself.

Remember seeing those things as a kid and just knowing it was beyond my ability to ever own. That was the dream model back in the day. Super expensive, crazy hard to assemble. Took forever to paint. To young me it was what folks these days would call the ultimate flex.

 

As you get older and the cost of a model like that is no longer prohibitive, the value still remains in the effort it takes to assemble and paint it. Buying it pre painted feels like it would diminish that value.

[Brother Tyler]

1- Considering the time, energy, effort, and cost required to first acquire a metal Thunderhawk, then blood and sweat required to build it, and mental focus to paint the damn thing, would you then sell it? or (in my case) would someone need to forcibly take it from you for you to give it up?

If I had the metal thunderhawk and had put in the time and effort to assemble and paint it, I wouldn't sell it unless I either needed the money or I decided that I didn't need it any more (maybe because I didn't like how it played). If I were going to sell it, I would want to recoup the cost, including the original value of the model (adjusted to modern prices) as well as the time, effort, and materials to assemble and paint it.

 

2- I would like to know if given the disposable income, where this purchase would not negatively effect your financial stability, is this something you would want to buy? For reference in just 1.5 days it's gone from 1GBP to over 8,000GBP.

There are those that say the paint job isn't worth the money, and I'd agree with that statement, but I'd also say that that isn't where the value is. For some people, this is the equivalent of buying a John Fogerty Guitar, or a Star Wars costume / Set piece.

I'm not a collector, so I wouldn't buy it unless I had some use for it in terms of the hobby (i.e., not as an investment). Personally, the rarity of the model isn't an issue to me. I'm not big on using flyers in the game anyways, with Land speeders being about the top level of flyer that I think is reasonable in the game (there are exceptions to this, but that's another discussion). Regardless, the amount that this has reached in the auction is exorbitant. I know that value is relative, but I have much better things to do with my money than to throw it away on toys (mortgage, kids in college, car payments, feeding and clothing my family, keeping my family warm/cool and in shelter, etc.). Some people have a lot more money than me, though, and they might have different situations where they have more expendable income, so more power to them. Anyone that is bidding on that thing should be much more comfortable financially than I am - if they're remotely close to me or worse off, they're foolish to be bidding that amount of money on the thing. It's not a Stradivarius and it would be cheaper to buy a decent 3D printer and the filament to make their own using readily available files. Just my NSHO. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Personally, I wouldn't want one - whilst it's a bit of hobby history, it's just too big, and I don't think flyers belong in regular 40K (it's more of a skirmish game for me).

 

Plus, who'd want a metal Thunderhawk when there's a plastic one due soon*?!

 

* it does appear to have shrunk in the wash a little, though ...

[phandaal]

 

There are those that say the paint job isn't worth the money, and I'd agree with that statement, but I'd also say that that isn't where the value is. For some people, this is the equivalent of buying a John Fogerty Guitar, or a Star Wars costume / Set piece.

 

Just want to comment on this one point (without implying that it is an opinion that the OP himself holds).

 

Assuming people are bidding this so far up partly because of the paint job: You have to seriously question the judgment of someone who considers a paint job from Squidmar miniatures to be on par with a Creedence Clearwater Revival instrument or an original Star Wars set piece.

 

A metal Thunderhawk gunship from one of the OG 'Eavy Metal painters? It's a stretch, but maybe.

 

But this is just a guy who got back into the hobby what, two years ago? He's a good painter, but he's nowhere near to being a classic part of Warhammer history.

 

So with all that being said - why not just buy a metal Thunderhawk and pay someone to paint it? It'd come out well below this current craziness.

[armarnis]

who is squidmar?

[Wulf Vengis]

It's the historic and nostalgic nature of the piece itself that is driving bids, the paint job is a pleasant bonus.

This piece might see some table time at home but i doubt it'll ever be sent to a store as anything more than a display piece.

This is a piece of GW history; a classic model from a short lived promotional run. It comes with authenticity credentials and numbered identifier and a collectible box.

Hell it the ad for this thing a '99 or '00 WD that made me go "ya, i want this model and i'm gonna play space marines". (Still don't have T-hawk.) This is the kind of "collectible memorabilia" that, had i the ability to bid i would be all over that beast.

 

Let the people bid and don't criticize their tastes/ability/willingness to collect "their way".

 

*This is not aimed at anyone, i just don't feel it's right to criticize a collector for doing what each of us does daily, collect.

[StraightSilver]

Bearing in mind that, unassembled, in box, the metal Thunderhawk sells for around £7k.

 

It's a rare find to get a complete one in its original wooden box with instructions.

 

It really is a collector's piece.

 

However, I'm not actually sure that building it and painting it actually increases its value.

 

I'd rather buy a perfect unassembled one, but I wouldn't pay £7k for one and the thought of actually building it gives me cold chills...

 

So I don't think its current £8k bid is that surprising, but I would think a collector with that sort of money would prefer it "new in box".

 

It is a bit of history though.

[Grotsmasha]

The people who bought it is hobby shop, House of War in Melbourne, Australia....for a staggering 25,000GBP / 34,800USD / 48,100AUD, and the crazy buggers have bought two more on top......

 

Honestly for that amount of money, you could *probably* pry it from my not dead hands, not matter how much time, energy, and effort that I'd put into it.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Grotsmasha

[MegaVolt87]

The people who bought it is hobby shop, House of War in Melbourne, Australia....for a staggering 25,000GBP / 34,800USD / 48,100AUD, and the crazy buggers have bought two more on top......

 

Honestly for that amount of money, you could *probably* pry it from my not dead hands, not matter how much time, energy, and effort that I'd put into it.

 

GW- Look at how wealthy the Aussie LGS are, I knew they can afford it. Time for more price increases for Australia. 

[Grotsmasha]

*sigh*

 

I don't want to think about it.... :'(

Edited September 28, 2021 by Grotsmasha

[Lexington]

The people who bought it is hobby shop, House of War in Melbourne, Australia....for a staggering 25,000GBP / 34,800USD / 48,100AUD, and the crazy buggers have bought two more on top......

 

 

Look, I get the nostalgia around this model - I remember crowding around a White Dwarf with some friends and just idly pondering the utterly impossible idea of getting enough money together to buy the full Space Marine company that this thing came with - but you could buy an entire fleet of the (honestly, superior) Forge World Thunderhawks with that kind of cash. Wow.

[AenarIT]

At a certain point you don't pay for the physical model itself but for the piece of art and the "fame" that comes with it. 
Just like famous paintings: it's not like the painting is much more beautiful than an exact replica or a print of the same picture, but the value lies in how famous it is and obviously having the original one. 

[Marshal Reinhard]

I hope he packages it well....

[Grotsmasha]

I hope he packages it well....

 

Paid $500 for a custom cut foam-core hard case.

[Son of Sacrifice]

Whaaaa? Jeez. Fair enough I suppose, but £25k seems like a crazy amount of money for a small business owner to be able to throw up the wall. Was the sale in aid of anything like a charity? I'm too lazy to watch the video.

[Grotsmasha]

Not that I'm aware of, they saw it as a piece of art, and decided it was worth it. I'll be checking it out if I ever get to Melbourne.

[lhg033]

The people who bought it is hobby shop, House of War in Melbourne, Australia....for a staggering 25,000GBP / 34,800USD / 48,100AUD,....

 

Isn't that about the going rate for a GW kit in Australia.... a tactical squad maybe 

 

Seriously, that is a large chunk of change. Fair play to them that are prepared to pay it, it is clearly worth that much to them in some form and if it is a hobby shop then others may still get some enjoyment out of seeing the it too.

 

 

Coming back to the original topic - 

For me the hobby is mainly building and painting so I would be very unlikely to buy anything done as a commission etc

I would love to have owned one of these in theory, especially back in the early 90's when I first got into 40k. These days, it would be purely nostalgia and there are many other things I would spend the money on first, even within the realms of GW.

[Redcomet]

This falls in the same category as what I see as overpriced art works and collectibles. But if the buyer sees the value in his purchase. Good for him.

[Special Officer Doofy]

This falls in the same category as what I see as overpriced art works and collectibles. But if the buyer sees the value in his purchase. Good for him.

This is what 99% of people I know think about 40k miniatures in general haha.

[Bryan Blaire]

This is what 99% of people I know think about 40k miniatures in general haha.

Let’s be honest, that’s what most people think about other people’s hobbies, or even belongings, in general - typically unless you get a similar sense of enjoyment from the activity/item, you don’t value it much, if at all.

 

I must have been one of the few teen/twenty-something hobbiests that never wanted one of these - not sure I even want a large scale new Thunderhawk.  I definitely didn’t want to work with that much metal.

[Grotsmasha]

 

This is what 99% of people I know think about 40k miniatures in general haha.

Let’s be honest, that’s what most people think about other people’s hobbies, or even belongings, in general - typically unless you get a similar sense of enjoyment from the activity/item, you don’t value it much, if at all.

 

I must have been one of the few teen/twenty-something hobbiests that never wanted one of these - not sure I even want a large scale new Thunderhawk.  I definitely didn’t want to work with that much metal.

 

 

I'm in the process of 3D modelling a poor mans copy for myself, I just don't want the weight of resin