# What is this stuff worth?



## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Hello all,

I am not sure if this is the appropriate forum to post this message or not but I have a bunch of the suspended railway that I am going to sell but I have no idea what is a fair price for this stuff? The curves are all 10' diameter and the straights are 10' in length.


Here are some pictures of the suspended railway. I will be selling some with and some without the track. All of the track is Aristocraft.



 

 

 



The steel is all powder coated and was indoors.


Thanks for your help.

Rich


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Depends on what you paid for it and what you think it would sell for. Later RJD


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Thank RJD but I guess I am looking for a range. The track typically runs from $2-$3 a foot (used from what I can tell) but the overhead is something else! I was looking to see if anyone had any experience with it. 

Rich


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

How strong is it? If supported from under, will it span 5 ft ,or 10 ft ? The hooks appear to be about 3 ft apart...


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

It's worth what ya can get for it!!! Whatever traffic will bear!!! Start high go low as you can go if necessary!! The Regal


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Well here is some more information. This stuff is solid steel and very heavy. It does not flex at all when picked up. The built in spans are 3'. I would walk across a 5' section supported by both ends but I don't know about a 10' section ( Now I weigh about 185). I think they added multiple loops so you could fasten it in many different places. It is made up of C channel. 

Does this help? 

Rich


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## CCSII (Jan 3, 2008)

Rich 

I think the problem is that what you have is custom made. Without pricing the labor, channel, hardware, and powder coating I couldn't tell you what it cost to make. Without a history of sales I couldn't tell you what it's worth. 

It seems to me that if every household needed it it would be worth something but you will have to find someone who wants it. That will be your total market. Since you have no idea what it is worth my bet is that you inherited it, or demoed it out its original location at nothing other than your labor as cost. So my guess is that it's worth something between $0 (your cost if I have guessed correctly) and $? the amount your market is willing to pay. 

Good Luck! 

Charley


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Might try comparing it to the cost of the other suspended model railway stuff out there. Isn't there a board advertiser here who deals in that suff?....


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Rich, 

I have never seen anything like that before, so I would agree that it is most likely custom made. 

Last I knew, structural fabrication including powder coat or multi-part paint system is running around $4.00-5.00 per pound. That being said, the value of what you have (minus the Aristo track) is somewhere between what the local scrap dealer is giving on steel and whatever a possible buyer might be willing to pay. 

Good luck, 

Bob C.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Send Dan Hoag a E mail either through MLS here or directly to his website. He owns EAGLEWINGS IRON CRAFT. He sponsors the TRACKS TRESTLES AND ROAD BED forum. He might be able to give you a starting price. He may have been the one who made it. Me, I would use it to build road bed if it fit in my garden.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I am not sure what it would be worth either. I know that the shipping cost would be really high. I would be interested in purchasing if you were local. I am not sure where you live but I am sure it would sell fast. why are you selling it? 

If you do put a price on it please let me know what you would want for all of it. I have been toying with the idea of running a layout in my basement for a while and that would be ideal. 

How many feet is there?


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

All, 

Thanks for all of your advise and input so far. Right now I have about 600 feet of the stuff. I am using some of the track off from the suspended mounts to complete my garden. My outside plan does not call for it in its current configuration. I am located in Grand Rapids, MI. The only way I can see to ship this stuff (and yes, it's heavy!) is to either drive and pick it up (I drove to Pittsburg, PA to get the stuff) or find a dead head trucker and give them some $ to ship it. The biggest isssue with that would be the timing. It might take a month to get it to the final destination. 

Rich


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Thats the stuff from the Topps grocery stores right? I missed getting a whole bunch of the stuff by a day, what a bummer. If it is the same stuff, it's not custom made, i forget the maker's name though.They used to run over top of the cash registers, one i saw was over 200' long. It is very strong, when they tore them out of the grocery stores they used the first two pieces to run all the hand carts up and down the curb and walked on them too. I weigh 270 and they took my weight with little problem. 

These would be great to make a steam up track with, use as a base for a bridge, the foundation of a layout or as intended as an elevated railroad. It's a great product but it is very heavy. 

Terry


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

I use Ebay as a guide to the value of stuff. Find the item you want to value and click on the completed link to see what similar itens have sold for. The track is sold on ebay all the time, but I can't remember ever seeing the support system on ebay. With that said, if you can find out what the sections cost new, not retail but street price, I'd figure 25% of new street price as a good starting place. Why so low? There just isn't that big a demand for it and if additional pcs are not obtainable, the buyer is really limited to what you have. 

Randy


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

I was also thinking of steaming bays and sidings, thats why I asked about how strong it was. Wish it was closer., I was just told the local Bi-Lo grocery store removed theirs. It was the same stuff. Have to go by and ask what they did with it.


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Maybe it was Bi Lo. I really can't remember....


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks all for the help to date. The stuff from MLS sure looks very similar to what I have and if nothing else helped me determine how much it would go for retail. The 25% rule is probably very good to high on the value, like you said, someone has to have the specific need in the sizes I have. I did go out and walk up a piece that I set up and it holds extremely well (no after bends what so ever) so the stuff is really tuff! This puts it in about the $3-4 a foot range. Does this sound acceptable? 

Rich


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Yup I'd agree that this looks exactly like teh stuff they tore out over the registers in all the local Western NY Top's stores. Some stores took good care of the stuff and others beat it to ****. I'm sure the track adn frame work was all good but they never maintained the trains in my local store. A few years ago I saw this stuff being offered on Ebay at a ridiculously high price and it sold. I think your few bucks a foot pricing works. Again I too would be intersted BUT the shipping nixes the deal. Good luck! 

Chas


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Your stuff might be the makings of a nice protable live steam strack, especially since it has 10' radius curves. I'd advertise it in the live steam area of the Classifieds, see who is interested, then strike a mutual deal with them. Your location might affect the price if it has to be shipped.


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## pdrymalski (Sep 7, 2008)

My own guess is, see what new suspended track goes for, and your range should be 50-75% of that. I use this range because I think that people expect used equipment to be cheaper than new--otherwise, why buy it? You can get the higher end if you can show how it's superior to what's on the market. One negative here is that the bright red supports are rather obvious and this might turn off some people.


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Did you know there is a "Worthopedia" Price Guide?
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/
I checked and there is nothing like your track system on it. Not much G scale stuff on it, either. So I guess you can ask for anything and see if it sells. Have you thought of a trade?


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks all for the great feedback. I did get input from Eagle Wings Iron Craft. He said it was not his but that he suggested about $5 per foot. I was thinking of asking $7 per foot and including the track. You are right, it would make an excellent portable track system as you would only need to support it every 4 to 6 ft apart. 

Rich


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## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

OK, finally I have decided to sell some of this track and the suspended as well. I figured I will sell it for $6/foot with the track or $3/foot without. I have listed in in the classified section. Thanks for everyones help. 

Rich


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