Firing Range Wrecks, Tracked Armour, wheeled or otherwise

[kevin powles]

What's the general opinion out there of people who have acquired items off firing ranges through one way or another then flog it on to private vehicle restores for High profit?.

Kevin.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

I don't know the opinion of the General

But I think for many salesmen it is just a case of sourcing the material for which there is a demand, be it range wrecks or containers stuffed with garden furniture coming from Indonesia. They think "buy low, sell high" - it is as simple as that. As long as they legally source the stuff they flog, there isn't anything wrong legally. Morally? Maybe....
I know some guys who have personally restored range wrecks - seeing how much money, time and other resources they spent, it could never have been a case of making money but a labour of love.

That my 2 Euro-cents worth, anyway...

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I suggest someone who is even able to get a range wreck off the range and into private hands where it will be saved is to be commended. Selling it for a profit seems like the normal way of doing business. Nobody is going to pay a premium BECAUSE it is a range wreck; the price will be what someone is willing to pay or it will remains unsold, and if there is not enough profit to offset the effort, perhaps lost.

This is of course assuming the wreck is legally acquired and the purchaser has clean title to it.

In my perfect world a lot of rare plinth vehicles would be acquired by organizations or people who would restore them to running condition.

[David Dunlop]

Bruce, that day may yet come.

It was not that many years back in the UK where people suddenly realized all the historic WW2 Fighters serving as gate guardians were rotting away and became concerned. A few enterprising companies developed brilliant fibreglass repros and most, if not all of the gate guardians were swapped out. Not sure if all the real planes were saved and restored.

May take a lot longer for armour and artillery to reach that point, but they might.


David

[tankbarrell]

Give us some examples Kevin.

[Ed Storey]

Here is an image taken in 1981 in the Petawawa Training Area. This Valentine had been used as a PIAT target. At least a decade later this vehicle was 'recovered' by DND, but nothing was ever done with it and I think it was subsequently scrapped or buried due to lack of interest/knowledge.

[Lynn Eades]

What are you angling at Kevin? As a participant in the "free market" are you now objecting to it?
I've yet to see or hear about you giving or selling something cheap for the "general benefit of the hobby" so to speak.
I don't understand the reasoning for your post. Is there something specific that has happened that you object to?

My general opinion is that: I hate everybody else making big profits, but I wish I could.