# How to sell large DCC layout?



## gdancer (Feb 19, 2008)

You guys have always been great for advice, and so I turn to you once again. We're selling our summer home in Lake City CO (9,000 ft elevation)--a pretty remote location-- and my 450' layout of stainless w/ 12 switches, etc together w/ 5 DCC equipped steam locomotives and about 60 freight and passenger cars (in various states of disrepair) need to be taken up and sold. Don't have the time/age (presently 83) to Ebay them. Can you DCC veterans offer me some advice on who I should contact with a view to selling the whole shebang when I am in Lake City next summer? Would appreciate some recommendations. I will of course check Garden Ry Mag for wholesalers. Thanks. Dick


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Mark at Silver State trains?

Greg


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## MikeMcL (Apr 25, 2013)

http://www.trainz.com/ advertises a lot in GR. I've bought from them on the auction site. I don't know how they stack up on the selling end, but I'm happy with the loco I bought from them. This is the auction site, http://marketplace.collector-modeltrains.com/store/Trainz

I know you want to sell the whole shebang, but I would sure like to know what DCC locos you have, and where they end up.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Bummer I'm not in a position to buy a 2nd home right now. That'd save you the trouble of ripping everything out. Lake City's a really neat town--but _definitely_ remote. (It's referred to as the most remote town in Colorado.) For those familiar with the D&RGW, Lake City was at the end of a 30-mile or so spur that ran south from a point about halfway between Gunnison and Montrose. Rails were pulled up in the 30s. 

Dick, while not related to selling trains, you might appreciate this. The Ute Ulay mill complex was just added to Colorado's "Endangered Places" list this year. Here's a piece I produced on it. 






Some of the historic outbuildings (carriage barns, outhouses, etc.) were listed a few years ago. Alas, I only seem to get to Lake City when there's snow on the ground. 

Good luck with the sale! 

Later,

K


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Adding to what Mike said, Trainz appears to have a well established process for collection sales,
http://www.trainz.com/skins/Skin_7/sell-your-trains.html


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## HaBi Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

Have no idea if this would be practical at all, but do something during the national convention in Denver this July? (ie advertise it and let them come to Lake City)

the other Rodney


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

When selling DCC equipped engines, many resellers have no knowledge of how to use them.
I would suggest you have ID cards with each engine describing what decoder, and what sound. And list the address of the engine.
I have seen customers ask for a digital upgrade only to find the engine had digital already but there was a mismatch in the speed steps of the engine and the customers setup.


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## gdancer (Feb 19, 2008)

Thanks, guys. I appreciate all the input.
Greg: As always, you are there to help out. You are quite a guy! I would never have made it through my early learning experiences in DCC without your constant advice. Thank you for your willing spirit! (And intelligence!)
EB T: I know Grant Huston and Steve quite well. And the old Ute-Ulay mine is going to need a lot of $$$ to even restore part of it. I doubt that little Lake City will be able to generate sufficient funds to do the restoration without massive input grants from external sources.
Mike McL: I've got a Forney, two Moguls, and a Pacific, all LGB.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the compliment! I'd echo Dan's advice on documenting the decoder used, and also if you did any custom controls, added lights, etc.

You can also set them for DC operation, so that you can honestly say they will run on DC also, and if they have sound systems, this should enhance the value.

Regards, Greg


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Two cents and worth every dime....

If you’re selling the house the value of the layout and trains is in the tens of thousands of dollars from quickly selling the house. 

The value of the trains is in getting rid of it (the layout), repairing the landscape so it looks normal and it never enters a prospective buyer’s mind that there is something that will be fixed by the owner before...COE (close of escrow.) Or worse of all, will have to be fixed by the buyer. The real Estate agent should be telling you this and if they don't they're not being honest so it's the wrong agent, get another. Don’t ever let a prospective buyer see anything undone and to be fixed.

Yes, you're right; I don't know your place or Lake City, CO. But what's obvious is that at 9000 ft. (8,761), the population is about 400 and fairly isolated location from the description of the location. Therefore it's a very limited market for buyers the buyers are likely buying a second vacation home. The rest is Real Estate 101 and 15+ years of experience. 

It’s worth far more to sell the house quickly than the layout or the trains are worth. Unless you have some rare piece(s) genuinely of interest to others and in excellent condition.

Given your maturity I suspect you're not particularly thrilled with the idea of tearing up all the track, doing the cleanup; not to mention all the 'get it ready' cleanup work for selling. From your description of the rolling stock the track is what has attractive value to get people to drive up there. You should be relaxing, you have obviously earned it and then sum at 83. 

Tens of thousands versus a few hundred; 
So in the interest of the tens of thousands of dollars from the sale of the house versus a few hundred for the trains and the work - Give it all away. 

Come and get it; 
Have a weekend open house where everything is free for the work of tearing the track up and doing a little raking to make the land a little neater to the eye. First come first serve on the equipment – but the track has to come up first and those that work on the track get first dibs on the rest. I’m sure you’ll find a way to manage it. Besides, then the layout and trains will be gone in one day versus days and days for you to do the work yourself. Get a nice comfortable lawn chair, a beverage of your choice and sit back, watch and supervise.

This is called keeping your eye on the big picture – selling the house move in ready and more importantly selling it quickly. And you get to move on with your life – as soon as possible. Not to mention selling a house is one of the biggest PITAs in life.

Just one guys opinion having happened on your thread by accident and rarely getting out of the live steam forum. 

Good Luck.


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

I'll echo a bit of what Chris said - when we were selling our house (sans trains) one buyer complained that he would just have to level the site and turn it back to lawn. We were lucky that someone appreciated the 'rock garden' and I just had to remove track and trestles.

Good luck with your venture.

Cheers
Neil


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## gdancer (Feb 19, 2008)

Chris.... Great advice. I already have an offer and we are in the process of negotiation. H/e, your advice is quite good about the relative values of the rolling stock, etc versus a quick sale. Your advice puts things into perspective. Right now snow covers the area so the buyer probably hasn't seen the tunnels and cuts but they will no doubt have to be put back to grade. Unfortunately, we are 250 miles from Denver; 6 hours from Albuquerque and 5 from Santa Fe. I doubt many folks would drive that distance on the possibility of getting some structures and rolling stock or track. H/e, we may try to do something like you suggest on Memorial Day weekend.
Dan & Greg: Good advice on the locomotive details. They all have sound, either LGB or Phoenix. And the thought of operating on DC had not occurred to me. Thanks, Greg, for the reminder. That may get rid of a couple of the smaller loco to my grandkids.


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