What defines "Pro-built"?
- Thread starter Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds
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For me it doesn't matter what you call it (although I suppose it could be thought of as false advertising). Call it 'Pro-built', or 'thrown together by a 4 year old' it really doesn't matter. The true value of something is what someone is willing to pay for it.
As for definition of the term, I'd agree with Steve, essentially you are making an income from model making and, to-be-honest, I really don't see a massive market for built models (regardless of whether they carry the pro-built claim or not). I've sold a few on eBay and never made the money that would cover the time and materials used in the build. I've also done commissions but again the fees wouldn't constitute any kind of salary.
If you truly are a pro builder I estimate you'd be asking £100s maybe even £1000 for, say, a 1/32 aircraft and you'd have to be building (and selling) 4 a month. If you're in this bracket then hat's off to ya, but i don't believe there are enough collectors in the world to support the number of so-called 'Pro-builders' on eBay.
Cheers
P
G
Are you sure Dave.\ said:
Laurie
I was talking to the guy in the LHS in the week and I was looking at the warhammer 40k models , he told me every three months two blockers come in and place a big order for them and he said they sell them on eBay and live off the profits
Now whether they are telling the truth I couldn't say but if you see the price of built sci fi builds its totally unbelievable
Now whether they are telling the truth I couldn't say but if you see the price of built sci fi builds its totally unbelievable
G
Usually rubbish I'd say. People say they are photographers if they sell one pic. I've done a few weddings and had a short film on tv for Canon. I'm not a pro, it's not my job!\ said:I'm seeing more and more built models on eBay with the words Pro-built, I wonder what other members think about this and do you sell models with this tag line?
For my monies worth a lot of the models I see saying Pro-built do not come up the high standards I see on here, is it a case that because some one may have sold built models in the past they now consider themselves professional?
I guess I'm just interested to see what your thoughts are
Adrian
G
Anything not built by me, 
Got it. You change your name to 'Pro' Then you can claim it was built by a Pro. But only a Pro, not a professional, that would need another name change !
G
Or how about a new approach Colin . A brand new name.\ said:
Pratt built. The Pratt approach to building models. Built under Pratt conditions. Forget Pro go for Pratt. Pratt standard.
Sounds first class.
A.N.Other, Model Maker, P.R.A.T.T.
G
Well I would never consider myself a pro but my experience of selling on ebay is neither does anyone else
Never looked at pro built models on ebay before wow some are shall we say I little over priced..think you look at your own models don't know what I would ask for my work but certainly not the prices they are asking
G
I think it's the same 'buyer beware' approach to anything nowadays, there will always be those who will either bend the truth or sometimes simply tell a downright lie.
Then there are those smarties who have to be that bit cleverer than anyone else, they are the ones who sell a model as pro-built but then later admit they are actually a proffessional bricklayer! Well it was still built by a pro, just not a pro modeller!!
Trust nothing and no-one on line and you may well be that bit safer.
Then there are those smarties who have to be that bit cleverer than anyone else, they are the ones who sell a model as pro-built but then later admit they are actually a proffessional bricklayer! Well it was still built by a pro, just not a pro modeller!!
Trust nothing and no-one on line and you may well be that bit safer.
That will never work Laurie. There are too many of us who could use that 'handle'......\ said:
I'll put my hand up first !
Being paid to provide a service makes you a professional.
Being trained in a profession makes you a trained professional.
Being some one that makes a model then sell them on flea bay, makes you an opportunist.
Being trained in a profession makes you a trained professional.
Being some one that makes a model then sell them on flea bay, makes you an opportunist.
G
Well I've never seen them on ebay but I can think of a few I would call professional. roymattblack (roy fitzimonds) our own Polux and moni ( who has sold privately so is officially ) Tiking (not sure the last is spelt right)and Dirk Vageel there are probably lots more but they are all people I look upto ( which I think is what we all should aspire to) we should all aim to be better, but some are more gifted than others ( look at my small list, I am sure others could expand) some of us have more patience or skill, the point is we all strive for the same thing, is that pro or just realising we've done the best we can.
I can't say if those you've mentioned could be classed as professional they sertainly could be with the quality of there work without a shadow of a doubt but I do know of one person on here I can say is professional and that's Paul P he builds his own figures and has had some commit ironed by actual companies so that I say qualifies as professional\ said:
If you build for yourself as a hobby no matter if you sell them on afterwards your not a professional
Or how about someone whos called Jerry , his models would be Jerry built !!\ said:
G
It's extremely kind of you to put my name on your list.\ said:
I admit that now I'm retired, I spend a great deal of my time model making. 'Pro'??? - no.
I don't do builds to commission but I have contacts who sometimes want my finished cars - I've just sold one of my giant scratch built Jaguars - another contact wanted one the same, but I refused. I build what I WANT - Not what someone else wants. Currently building an Aston DBR1.
I still don't call myself pro.
At best, semi-pro as to me, it's primarily a hobby.
If I never sold ANY models, it wouldn't bother me.
The minute it becomes a business, the fun goes out of it.
Roy.
G
well i live off the profits from my sculpts and my commision builds, but i wouldnt consider myself a professional 
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