# Collecting Ethics Question



## 82whiskey (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm wondering what defines "original" when it comes to collecting Aurora tjets. I'm not talking to resell, I'm talking just to collect. That does not preclude selling at some point but for this discussion I am talking about collector condition.

Is it acceptable to take a pristine body and put it on a nos chassis and have a prefect car?

To take it a step further, is it acceptable to carefully and neatly remove a bumper or hood to make a very nice condition car?

My first thought was no, cars should be original. Then I remembered the cars I had as a kid. I took very good care of all my cars and never cut wheel wells (wish I had them all now) but I did swap motors and chassis all the time as did most of my Friends. My favorite cars were my red Ferrari and my green bug so I always made sure I put them on the fasted chassis. My guess is we all did this so unless you are buying nos cars, still in the case, how can we ever know that any car is original?

Where is the line?

Thanks, Brian


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

From my personal standpoint, if the body is original the chassis can be NOS, especially when dealing with Aurora since both are basically from the same years. That wouldn't bother me at all. The "value" is in the body, not the chassis.

Pristine also doesn't mean "new, never used". I have a lot of cars in my collection that look pristine but I know were probably used at some point.

But your point is well taken. Unless you buy a new car in a sealed package, you really do not now what you are getting. The seller may not know either, especially if they came from a collection he purchased. Since Aurora T-Jets were not sold in sealed boxes, even getting one in the box is no guarantee of anything. Same goes for cars in unsealed (banded) jewel cases.

Ethics come in when giving a description of the item. If the description is honest, there are no ethical problems. The buyer has all the information necessary to make an informed decision. Only if the seller is the original owner could he possibly know the history of the car.

Joe


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

I think original is original. a bumper off a hacked up Charger put on a nice one that was just missing a bumper , to me, is original.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I have many cars that I have "repaired" after the fact with parts they didn't originally come with. My '63 Galaxie convertible has a rear bumper off another Aurora Galaxie convertible. I would still call that original, as it is all Aurora parts. If I had to sell it, I'd disclose that the rear bumper was taken from another car, but it's still Aurora. 

Now, I also have a turquoise Charger with a replaced window post (goop!) and bumpers and windows from a JL Charger... it's still an original Aurora car, not a JL one or a resin repop, but it has replacement parts from other places. I'd never try to pass it off as anything but a repaired car with non-original replacement parts. 

I don't see that there's any harm in piecing cars together that way, as long as you're not doing it to deceive a buyer. Heck, if I had to go down and count, it'd take me a while to figure out all the Aurora cars I have with JL pieces on them to make them presentable runners.

--rick


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## ajd350 (Sep 18, 2005)

ParkRNDL posted:
"I have many cars that I have "repaired" after the fact with parts they didn't originally come with. My '63 Galaxie convertible has a rear bumper off another Aurora Galaxie convertible. I would still call that original, as it is all Aurora parts. If I had to sell it, I'd disclose that the rear bumper was taken from another car, but it's still Aurora. "

OH, the humanity! Were those correct date coded bumpers?......LOL. Just makes me think of full-sized car collectors. I know there are no date codes on TJet bumpers, so don't flame me on that.

I know there are some collectors who look at those melt marks with a magnifier, and I would not attempt to deceive them. For me and my personal collection I just like them to be correct as much as possible. That means closed-rivet chassis cleaned up and restored to as-new condition with the right parts in nice condition for early cars. Later cars in certain colors get the open-rivets where appropriate. Your standards can be whatever you want for your own stuff as long as you disclose to a buyer. They can then decide if it fits their standards.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I would also suggest matching chassis condition to body condition. An NOS chassis looks kinda silly under a runner, and you wouldn't want to see a mint 8-10 condition car with a trashed worn out chassis under it.


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## hefer (Sep 18, 1999)

I think, as long as they are original Aurora parts, it doesn't matter if the are not original to that car. Who doesn't change chassis? However, I don't want a standard T-jet body with a Tuff-Ones chassis under it, or a Wild-Ones body with a standard chassis. I think the body should come with the type of chassis that came with it from the Aurora factory. Just one mans stupid opinion.


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## bobwoodly (Aug 25, 2008)

The other issue is provenance as they say in the art world. I buy used cars all of the time and have no idea what has been changed or modified in the last 40+ years over who knows how many owners. I always disclose what I've done or what I can see, but it's tough to sometimes tell what may have been changed.

For me original is original Aurora parts even if not original to the car. New body parts from clones, RRR, resin, etc should be disclosed IMHO.


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## 82whiskey (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks for all the input. Still going to look for the mint stuff (that I can afford) but I think I'm going to swap and fix and mend myself some collectors too.

Brian


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## smokinHOs (May 30, 2006)

*I luv this..!!*

Great thread.. Ahhh.. mint, not mint, original or not?

I would say that I am a "mint" collector. No package necessary, but i like my trailer queens perfect or as imperfect as the day they were born. I say no package necessary, because I have seen and own cars in the package that are NOT mint... Ever seen a ebay listing that says "not mint but in original unopened package" ?? LOL

As for "original".. Hmmm.. If the car has been tampered with for any reason, I would say "not original". If a different bumper, hood, motor, head, etc was replaced to correctly assemble a mint or near mint body (or even a runner) it is "not original". When you fix your dog, it is "not original". Parts are missing..

So.. with that said. Does it hurt the value? I would say no. That might contradict what I said earlier, but what a collector wants is an example in "x" condition, with correct chassis for "said" body. We collect plastic bodies, not so much slot cars. The "slot" part of slot cars is the chassis, the "body" is the car. I will pay for a mint body, and can always find a chassis. (unless of course you are dealing with SuperIIs, riggen, cobramite, etc, where the chassis is as collectible as the body..

There.. that should be clear as mud.. LOL

-marc and marcus


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Pandora's Box*

Unfortunately most buyers and sellers arent familiar with the condition rating system; let alone possess the objectively required to apply it. It's just so much easier to assemble colorful words into meaningless phrases that actually hinder classifying models because the terms are contradictory .

Strictly interpreted, there is no such thing as "mint out of the box". By staying in the C-7 through C-9 range you can eliminate most of the guess work, collect respectable models AND play with them....while the "experts" quibble over the nuances of subjective interpretations.


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## wyatt641 (Jan 14, 2012)

dishonest is dishonest..buy some boks,do some research...if on e- bay ask for more pics and even ask some of the more experienced gentlemen on h/t to look at it on e- bay for you asking in their opinion, should you pull the trigger on the buy..be safe,be happy and enjoy..i have some great looking stuff..but also have gotten great looking stuff with DEAD engines..the caption runs with a 9 volt battery really means nada..til it gets to you.but all in all this is still better than playing video games..


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