SMN report: It's a certainty that if you have a number of kits dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, then you have a treasure chest of plastic gold, items which have an achievable value via any of the internet sales sites, or indeed a local hobby or swap meet.
Not that the Revell Seamaster necessarily lies at the top of everyone's most-wanted pile, not least because it was made in a weirdly random fit-the-box 1:136 scale. But the box art was pretty good, so as is often the case, an unbuilt version - mint and boxed, and definitely without any evidence of plastic cement - could be a collectible worth having.
We trawled eBay and found a nice Revell 'History Makers' version on sale at just $25.00 USD, which seems a bargain, even if the box photograph is dull as ditchwater. What were the marketeers thinking of, when they replaced the nicely painted original art?
Coming up to date, the Seamaster for the model maker who actually makes models comes from the French Mach 2 company, and this one is moulded in standard 1:72 scale. Not only does the bigger scale do the actual aircraft justice, but it can be displayed and compared with other aircraft. So it's in all ways a much better bet than that original Revell choice of 1:136 scale.
The pictures (below) show a Lodela version, made under license from Revell. Below that, a Revell release marketed as one of the 'Famous Artist Series.' Mind you, we prefer the original navy blue paintwork!
More on classic Revell kits here.
Mach 2 produces a 1:72 scale kit complete with beaching gear, often available from eBay.
Mach 2 home site here.
Mach 2 home site here.