Near the end of the meet a fellow flyer was distributing a mimeographed list of rocket kits for sale.
If memory serves, his name was Warren Cisco.
The sheet explained that Warren and his father had bought up all the remaining rocket kits from a hobby store that had gone out of business.
ALL THE UNOPENED KITS WERE ON SALE FOR HALF OF THEIR ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE!
When I got home to California I put together an order for $50.00 worth of kits, many were favorites and others I'd always wanted.
I received two boxes containing $100.00 worth of rockets. Bear in mind, these were 1975 (and before) prices. One kit in particular was interesting, an early Thor Agena B.
All the models were kept in the same boxes and stored upstairs at the family ranch. They were safe there, northern California weather is mild with no humidity.
My Mother told me she gave a two of the kits away to some visitors to the ranch. I told her to STOP! She didn't think they were worth anything.
Ten years ago I started selling the old kits on Ebay.
I was immediately contacted by buyers that wanted to buy everything for a low price. I turned them down and wanted to auction them off one by one. I started watching the prices of other vintage rockets very closely.
My Mother was here in Orlando when one of the auctions was finishing up. I kept refreshing the computer screen and watched the bids go higher and higher. Mom was in shock!
That Thor Agena B sold for $325.00, 200 times the $1.63 I paid for it.
Mom said I could take her out for dinner that night.
This was the only time I ever invested in anything that brought a high return.
After 30 years of storage, that $50.00 rocketry investment grew into thousands of dollars.
Will the kits you stockpile today make you any real money?
Just keep telling your wife it's an investment.
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