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Best place to sell assembled ships

A

Ayeoman

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Jul 30, 2025
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Hello, my name is Amy and I am looking to sell 3 already assembled ships. Can someone please let me know the best sites or ways of doing this? Thank you in advance.

My father in law loved to build ships and model airplanes. Here are some pictures of one of the ships I am trying to sell. HMS Surprise.

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Do you live near the shore? Maritime antiquity and souvenir shops may be interested in taking them on consignment. I do not want to be a downer, but be prepared. Sadly, unless the builder has a reputation and CV of his modeling history as well as a list of his/her models existing clients, finished models often sell for less than the kit cost. You can always try EBay as well. Be prepared for shipping costs if the buyer is not local. Reputable shippers may cost more for the crating and shipping than the cost of the model. If you want to give them away or lend them out try your local library, seafood restaurants, etc.

Allan
 
Your father-in-law appears to be a skilled craftsman, but I’m afraid Allan is right. Not a big demand for completed models unless they have a pedigree.

There might be a local or school library that would be happy to accept one or more of them for display. His legacy would live on to inspire younger generations.
 
Thank you both for the heads up. My father-in-law has been crafting for many, many, many years. It so happens I do live in a town right on the water. I may go visit some of our antique shops downtown. Thanks for the advice!
 
The antique business today sells a lot of stuff on consignment so they may be willing to take your models to see if they sell. Unfortunately unless they are cased it’s likely that they will be damaged by browsers.

On the other hand, the last photo of the model of Surprise shows an exaggerated rudder. This would indicate that your father-in-law intended for it to actually sail. If this is the case there might be a club nearby that enjoys sailing model ships. If so, I would see if someone wants to sail one of these without having to build it.

Roger
 
Hi Amy. Sadly, model ships will almost never realize the value they might have for the person who built them. When I think about selling my (few) models there is no possible way someone could offer what I think they are worth. Meaning no disrespect... perhaps you might rethink monetizing your father-in-law's work. What about donating them to a local group - or even proudly displaying them in your home? The conversations that might follow would be priceless (my father-in-law made this...).

Of course, I am idealizing a difficult situation. But it would be irresponsible of me to not at least offer your loved one's perspective.

Blessings to you and your family.
 
Roger Pellett said:
The antique business today sells a lot of stuff on consignment so they may be willing to take your models to see if they sell. Unfortunately unless they are cased it’s likely that they will be damaged by browsers.

On the other hand, the last photo of the model of Surprise shows an exaggerated rudder. This would indicate that your father-in-law intended for it to actually sail. If this is the case there might be a club nearby that enjoys sailing model ships. If so, I would see if someone wants to sail one of these without having to build it.

Roger
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Thank you Roger, I will definitely look into that!

Kind regards,
Amy
 
Keep in mind, also, that it looks as though the rigging of the sails and yards has not been fully completed yet. That will affect the value of the model to a prospective buyer.

The model does look like a very finely crafted piece of work, though. Perhaps you could take more and better pics of the entire model, and post them here. Maybe there’s a builder on this site who is interested in trying pond yachting, and this is a low-risk opportunity to try it out.
 
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