# ebay vs. the Model Train show



## OGC5 (Nov 25, 2008)

I built my first Garden Train Layout last fall and have learned a lot over the past few months. I purchased 3 Bachmann Big Hauler sets from Boscovs dept. store at a big discount, they evidently were reducing inventory. These trains were a good start in the hobby and I built a small oval using Aristo SS track. Later on I purchased some Locomotives, rolling stock and other items from various Internet vendors. Internet trains in California has provided the best customer service so far. I haverecently expanded the layout using a second oval with wider curves, 10 amps of track power and Diesels from USA and Aristo Craft.
I have also Purchased a couple of items from local Hobby shops and ebay and the recent Model train show in Tampa had some great deals, just too good to pass up. Which brings me back to the main topic of buying or selling on ebay vs. other outlets. Some of the sellers on ebay are expcting that buyers will get "caught up" in the Auction frenzy and bid the items way up and in addition many sellers post very high delivery charges or try to avoid just what delivery charges will be assesed. In many instances one can purchase the item from local or Internet stores much cheaper than what an ebay seller is asking. ebay seems to be moving to include more fixed price sellers although they still post messages trying to get people to increase their bids. Bottom line: don't get caught up in the " Auction frenzy" of ebay. 
http://www.youtube.com/user/OGC5
Tom Renick,aka OGC5


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't put anything on ebay and expect to make money off it. I hope to, but the good does come with the bad. If people get caught up in the bidding frenzy that's their problem, they should be more responsible. As for train shows, they wax and wane. Sometimes I find great deals and other times there are guys selling junk that claim it's some rare find that I should pay 500% markup on. You really need to know what your looking at, whats its worth and what your willing to spend both on ebay and at train shows. My biggest proble is when I see I "have" to have it. That makes train shows bad for me


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I agree with paintjocky. Sometimes E bay can have bargins. Sometimes Trains shows.

Mostly when I am on E bay I look for "BUY IT NOW" posts. Then I see if it what I want for the right price.

I do look at the auction ones but am very limited in my bidding. I don not loose sleep if I do not win it. 

I also found things on E bay and gone to the dealers that have internet shops and looked at thier prices and availability.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I use Ebay to find items I can't ordinarily find anywhere else for my projects, chief of which being my large-scale model train. I have paid some premium prices for some of those items. I don't really expect to find many bargains for the things I am seeking. Sometimes when I lose a bid on an item a similar one appears later for significantly less money. That's ALWAYS good!


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have made money on every piece of LGB I have put on eBay. Ditto with a lot of automotive stuff, but a lot of it was rare Euro bits and factory tools. 

The problem with train shows is the vendor can drag something obscure with them for months, years, hoping to find a buyer. But if you put it on eBay, the one guy in the world that models blue Latvian postal cars of the 1980s in TT scale will happen upon it..... I have even had dealers tell me as much. 

And John J does have a good point, you can find something you like on eBay, find the stock Nr, and then find it cheaper elsewhere.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

In the US, LGB items are going for big bucks on E-bay. The demand is much higher than the supply, especially on parts and upgrade items. Try motors and ball bearing wheel sets!!! 

MostLGB rolling stock is still reasonable at E-bay and shows, but engines are now getting out of hand on E-bay. 

Soon some of that will change, but due to the devalued US dollar and the strong Euro, but do not expect LGB prices to be what they were 2 years ago. 

Also note that LGB production will not be trade marked items like Coke, Morton Salt, Breyers, Peanuts, etc.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I've found some great deals on ebay and I've also shot myself in the foot a few times. I generally look at the item, check what similar items went for in the past (search "completed items"), and then put in my maximum bid and walk away. I never do the last second bid sniping. If it goes for a dollar rmore than my maximum, so be it.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dan Pierce on 01/31/2009 4:11 AM

Soon some of that will change, but due to the devalued US dollar and the strong Euro, but do not expect LGB prices to be what they were 2 years ago. 

Also note that LGB production will not be trade marked items like Coke, Morton Salt, Breyers, Peanuts, etc.


The Euro-Dollar is where it was two years back?










...and Axel's posted MSRP of 2009 items are right on par with the last one from LGBofA.


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

eBay? I never frequent the place any more as either a seller or buyer. I used to be a member way back in the early days when it was casual and a lot of fun; nowadays it's just a royal pain in the rear no matter which side of the transaction one is on--and especially for sellers. 

I buy a great many trains during the year and also sell quite a few (selling some new-in-box New Marx O gauge sets now). I have NEVER needed eBay to find items I wanted at attractive prices and I have never needed it to dispose of items I wished to sell (also at reasonable cost to the buyers and a fair return to me). 

I am glad to hear that LGB items are apparently attracting good prices though because I have a number of new-in-box LGB locomotives that I'm planning to sell this spring. I'll likely be posting them on this MLS forum, so keep checking there if you're interested in some new-old-stock LGB items (mostly smaller locomotives).


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

So Alan if not "ebay" where DO you buy and sell???? I am also looking for an Aristo dash 9 heritage 2 locomotive in g-scale if anyone knows where one is not too pricey and in good or new condition????? Thanks The Regal


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## OGC5 (Nov 25, 2008)

I did purchase my mint Aristo FA1 Rio Grande and a nice Caboose on ebay at a fair price from a good vendor. As the responses indicate most of us look around and check out several methods for buying and selling with ebay being only one option. Your observation is correct that ebay is now big business and not the quaint old method of buying and selling and this was my point. This is a fun hobby and I intend to keep it in perspective so if I lose the bid on that "Got to Have" Santa Fe Streamliner.................Oh Well.
Great bunch of folks in the Garden Train Hobby but some of the Vendors........Humm.
OGC5
Tom


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

The Greenberg show is in Greensburg Pa next weekend, (I guess the Expo Mart in Monroeville got too pricey) and I have to work BOTH days..... Nothing I really NEEDED anyway. 

The UP sides of evilBay over a train show as a seller are: 1. wider exposure. 2. Less chance of it simply walking off. 3. No people "just looking" wiggling stuff until it breaks. 4. Fewer derogatory comments from people on prices, condition, etc. 5. Lower "up front" costs" You don't need a motel room, van, table paid in advance, etc. 

The UP sides of a show over eBay (again for the vendor) are: 1 More control over final price. 2. No UPS breakage hassles. 3. You can meet/make new friends. 4. Generally the "final valuation" of fees averaged PER ITEM are lower, UNLESS you have a bad show (like 90% of the ones I had last year) 5. Mostly cash sales, NO Paypal! 


Great bunch of folks in the Garden Train Hobby but some of the Vendors........Humm.


You haven't spent much time on the other side of the table, have you? The hobby has it's fair share of skinflints, whiners, and right b#st#rds. (plus a few sick pervs who use the trains to lure kids) They just don't identify themselves AS SUCH on here.


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## thekollector (Jan 2, 2008)

Reminds me of my favorite train show story. Had a table at a TCA member show and among the things on the table were a A-B set of American flyer diesels in chrome priced at ten dollars. One of my long time friends came by and asked why they were priced so cheap. I said I picked them up at a flea market for .50 and even hated asking ten. He said they wont sell. Ask forty and take thirty. I thought he was nuts! But before I could finish the new tag I had one on the hook and had an offer of thirty! Go figure! 

Jack


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

Blueregal:

I buy via mail order from a select list of dealers who I have had transactions with over the years--different dealers for different scales in most cases. 

I sell items, when do I care to sell off some items to buy new trains, on select online venues that are focused on a particular scale or even brand of train. For example, the New Marx items I'm selling now are noted via an e-mail post on the Yahoo Marx and New Marx groups. I don't list items there; I simply tell folks to send me an e-mail if they want the list. I sell other O gauge trains via the O Gauge Railroading forum, which offers a free buy/sell site. Ditto for Marklin items on a Marklin enthusiasts website.

When I have some Large Scale to sell, I'll list them on this MLS site. 


Yes, I realize I could probably reach many more prospective buyers by selling on eBay, but to tell you the truth, I've had no trouble selling most items--for the price I want--via other means. I'm a happy seller; the buyers appear to be satisfied with their purchases; and I don't have to deal with any of the hassle and fees of eBay. Works very well for me!


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## OGC5 (Nov 25, 2008)

Trains & Dogs....same story.
Back some years ago I was showing German Shepherds in AKC conformation and had a nice Puppy for sale that was not quite up to show standards but otherwise a nice Dog with an excellent temperment. We decided to sell the Pup at a low price just to find him a good home. Some nice folks came by and asked the Price and I said $150.00 (this was 35 years ago) the man said "why so cheap, the Pet store gets $500.00, "what's wrong with him.
I replied "nothing but I can see you are a gentleman who looks for top quality, so let me show you his brother". I took the dog out to my shop and Brushed him good and then returned. "Here, I said is his brother, we were saving him but If you want him I need $500.00. He was happy to pay more and I was happy also. True story. 
Of course they treated the Pup like a King afterward as we always checked out anyone who got a Pet from us.
Tom


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By lownote on 01/31/2009 5:13 AM
I've found some great deals on ebay and I've also shot myself in the foot a few times. I generally look at the item, check what similar items went for in the past (search "completed items"), and then put in my maximum bid and walk away. I never do the last second bid sniping. If it goes for a dollar rmore than my maximum, so be it. 

I do the same. no last second bidding frenzy I just put down a max amount if it goes for more I let it go. 

One feature on E bay you may want to look into SAVED SEARCHES. You go to the G scale section. Do a search say for Flat cars. You can put in all kinds of parameters. Then save the search. Every time something comes up to fit your parameters you get a E mail


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I have purchased a couple of things on ebay and have to say that if your patient and you do the math before you bid you can get what your looking for for a good price. For example I got this broken Big Hauler that was worth $200 brand new and with the broken truck worth maybe $150. I got it for $56










I got this for the sole purpose to kit bash it so I really did not care how bad it was. After a few weeks of tinkering and making new parts I have this.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By thekollector on 01/31/2009 4:59 PM
Reminds me of my favorite train show story. Had a table at a TCA member show and among the things on the table were a A-B set of American flyer diesels in chrome priced at ten dollars. One of my long time friends came by and asked why they were priced so cheap. I said I picked them up at a flea market for .50 and even hated asking ten. He said they wont sell. Ask forty and take thirty. I thought he was nuts! But before I could finish the new tag I had one on the hook and had an offer of thirty! Go figure! 

Jack


I never understood this. A mechanic friend had a late 1960s Dodge Dart 2 door, slant six auto, no options, granny car, clean, but not really desirable. This was about 15 years back, he tried to sell it at an honest price for $900, no one would stop. A friend of his suggested putting $1500 in the windshield, and he got $1200 for it if memory serves....


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Spule,

It works something like this: People like to think they've 'won', when they buy something after haggling the price down. No fleamarketer who's been in the business very long is unaware of this. When my kids were little, I used to flea mkt every Sunday and usually brought home about the same as a week's net pay at work. For instance, I had a 50 ft' roll of aluminum house wiring, right when alum wire was discovered to burn houses down. So, having gotten it for free from a builder's dump, I priced it at $5, looking for a quick buck. After about two hours of being almost sworn at, and listening to how I could cause someone's kids to burn to death, I got p.o.'d & tore the price off and wrote '$25 Good for shed wiring'. About half an hour later this old man walked over, stared at the roll, toed it around, gave me a hard, hard look and said, "I'll give you $15. Take it or leave it." I said, "Take it." And took his money. He walked away with the wire, delighted at having shown some 'kid' just how real men do a deal.

Les


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## OGC5 (Nov 25, 2008)

Posted By Les on 02/01/2009 9:28 PM
Spule,

It works something like this: People like to think they've 'won', when they buy something after haggling the price down. No fleamarketer who's been in the business very long is unaware of this. When my kids were little, I used to flea mkt every Sunday and usually brought home about the same as a week's net pay at work. For instance, I had a 50 ft' roll of aluminum house wiring, right when alum wire was discovered to burn houses down. So, having gotten it for free from a builder's dump, I priced it at $5, looking for a quick buck. After about two hours of being almost sworn at, and listening to how I could cause someone's kids to burn to death, I got p.o.'d & tore the price off and wrote '$25 Good for shed wiring'. About half an hour later this old man walked over, stared at the roll, toed it around, gave me a hard, hard look and said, "I'll give you $15. Take it or leave it." I said, "Take it." And took his money. He walked away with the wire, delighted at having shown some 'kid' just how real men do a deal.

Les

True, the idea of "winning" is a powerful emotion. Our local Tampa Bay paper has big head headlines today about the Steelers Winning the Super Bowl. ebay has been succesful by understanding things that motivate buyers. I just got an email from them this morning which said...."You did not win the bid on the streamliner".....gosh, I feel like a real loser now.
OGC5


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

OGC5,

Yeah, I know the feeling. Rarely do I let emotion crowd my bidding, but one day one of those LGB green steam tram engines showed up on eBay, and I just had to have it. So I bid my top dollar. By the third day, I was suckin' the hind tit. I upped my bid. Same day, ditto. Waited until the last seconds and went for broke. I won it, but ... ouch!

I comfort myself that I've not seen but one since, offered. Perhaps there are/have been many, but I don't keep tabs on it since I completed filling my supply of junk stuff to mess with.

I have 3 weaknesses: old guns, trains, and old coil oil (kerosene) glass lamps.

Les


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I have looked at E bay several times but come away discouraged.

Usually the *Buy it Now* price is higher than what I can get the same item for from RRS or other mail order places.

I have seem very few bargains on Ebay.

IJohn


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Posted By jbwilcox on 02/02/2009 8:55 PM
I have looked at E bay several times but come away discouraged.

Usually the *Buy it Now* price is higher than what I can get the same item for from RRS or other mail order places.

I have seem very few bargains on Ebay.

IJohn








IJ,

To "do okay" on eBay, you have to haunt the thing in the area of interest. If you see something, you have to watch it until the very end, and 'snipe'. Many feel this is unsportsmanlike. I have a post about allowing emotion to enter into buying and selling.

_Everyone_ gets 'had' now and then. The guys who say they always win are lying. Or they've only been in once. I've lost out on several excellent buys because I got busy at the crucial time and missed the final bid, or forgot to snipe. Or couldn't decide if I should or shouldn't. I've seen other items go at about half what I paid for mine a week previously. 

Just last night after leaving this site for the evening, I went to eBay to have a look and was astounded at the inflation of everything. Not just LGB, but Echo, New Bright, and Bachmann. Looks like, since they've rid themselves of the Mom 'n Pop sellers and become 'respectable', the out-for-blood element has dominated. Shipping prices are especially obnoxious and largely--but not always--inflated. Then there are the True Idiots who list 'Buy it Now' for awesome prices, hoping for a panicky sucker who thinks _all_ 'the good stuff' will be bought up. The economy, if you pay attention, doesn't warrant such prices.

Remember, for every dealer who says, "Grab this, they ain't making any more of 'em," you answer nicely, "Gee, I hope they don't get so rare people just forget about 'em and move to collecting something else." Smile, and depart. And remember this: the higher the price, the fewer the potential buyers when it comes time to sell it. And that time will come: there are no bumper hitches for a U-Haul on hearses. And this: Collecting is a particularly human, thus volatile, activity. One more: if you are determined to pay the least penny, be prepared to burn three times the average amount you think you're saving, on gasoline looking for that rarest of bargains. I won't mention time and effort spent looking.

Les


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