I love a good old train show. Lots to discover, no shipping costs, and often there are plenty if non commercial vendors selling unused, no longer used or pre assembled models. A $20 locomotive, $5 rolling stock!?!? All day. The scenery materials available at the shows is also amazing.

@billfusionenterprise

2 жыл бұрын

and if lucky, even less

@johnthomsen8802

2 жыл бұрын

I saw a show where a clueless mother let her kid touch the layout and a beautiful locomotive fell to the floor. The mother blamed the train layout operators. Then there was Northlandz. The layout was in poor shape when I saw it. A toddler threw a tantrum and destroyed part of the layout.

@jtmonsman

2 жыл бұрын

@@johnthomsen8802 wow. Just wow. I thought my generation was messed up. This new one…. God save us….

@raymondleggs5508

Жыл бұрын

I found $5 ant $7 G30 and Gp 20 locomotives by lionel and tyco mint in box.

Train shows are my go to for used stock. $5 freight cars with knuckle couplers and metal wheels are an absolute steal.

Not only rolling stock and locomotives are available online, but good deals on structures and kits. Got a super nice Esso gas station and a matching triple dome AHM tank car off of eBay. My Proto2000 GP9 switcher was also a great deal, and they were right upfront about bad gear problems. New set installed and it’s just like new!

Great advice Jimmy. No coffee tonight, I’m in a hunting blind in Lodge SC.

A lot of hobby shops are carrying used stuff these days. They have the advantage that you can see the item and usually test it on a test track. Another problem with online purchases is that many buyers want you to pay with PayPal "Friends & family", which means they get more money BUT you lose some options is the sale goes bad. Drinking Maxwell House medium blend. Cheers and stay safe.

I have been blessed with great bargains for high end HO pieces at train shows. With today's high model prices and inflation, I've been hunting at shows.

A large part of my HO collection has come from online sellers and eBay. It is very important as mentioned in the video to know what you are looking for, and what you are looking at in the listings. Even the best sellers make mistakes. I purchased two steam locomotives from Trainz, and they didn't mention that they had DCC/Sound in them, nor did I pay a price that reflected that they were so equipped, implying that Trainz themselves didn't test these steamers before listing them. Another thing to watch for is when a seller only shows the model in its box/package. Sometimes they do this because it is still factory sealed, and they don't wish to break the seal. I recently purchased two HO Proto2000 GP38-2 diesels from an eBay seller. When I opened them one was fine, but the frame on the second one had suffered an attack of "zinc-pest." There was no way for the seller to know this, and those frames aren't available. I went and adapted the frame and tracks from an Atlas GP38 (I salvaged the motor and drive train parts form the P2K) to fit the shell and made it work.

@Gma7788

Жыл бұрын

So don't trust anyone in the model train hobby, including you.

Very good points Jimmy! Also do your research on value. Check sold listings before bidding/buying/selling. I saw a listing the other day and someone said it was an old Life Like when looking at the pics, it's clearly an old Athearn Bluebox. - Jason

Also for those who don't know. Lansing Michigan is having a train show which I will be attending November 13. I can't wait!

Train shows, because I never see conventions with buy-swap-sell events attached. There was once a group around my way that had such events once, but I don't even know if any of them are still around. There will be other swapmeets in this state soon, but I probably won't be able to get to even one. Sugarfree hot chocolate which tastes like I forgot to add the chocolate powder.😔

Estate Sales. :) and Twinings Irish Breakfast tea. Not coffee but just kicking back relaxing on the deck watching. :)

Very informative video with very good information for all model railroaders. I buy the vast majority of my N scale freight cars, Kato N scale track from Obie’s Trains in Apache Junction. I also buy my N scale locomotives from Obie’s trains. Obie’s trains has a great selection of new & used N scale & HO scale trains & locomotives. When I’m in the San Diego area, I buy my N scale freight cars & railroad calendars as well as track at Reed’s Hobby Shop in La Mesa,CA. With a hobby store that specializes in selling model trains that are me & used you know just exactly what you’re getting.

Great tips! Love to go to train shows. Usually spend too much money.

@billfusionenterprise

2 жыл бұрын

me 2

Good morning my friend. I'm sitting here drinking Zolo Roast Monkey See Monkey Do Coffee and enjoying your tips and tricks. I will be assisting with producing my first train show in November and love learning more and more every day. Thank you for what you contribute to our glorious hobby. People like you help to make sure that our hobby not only rocks, but continues and evolves. Have a great day bro!!!

Great video! Will be noted for future buying and train shows!

Greetings, long time watcher, first time commenter. Love this vid (actually love all your vid's) Up here in Montana, I don't get the awesome ability to patronize train shows. There are a few, but hundreds of miles away. E-bay and Goodwill for me. I don't collect the new stuff. I end up with a lot of shipping damage from goodwill due to poor packaging techniques. MOST e-bay stuff gets packaged well, but sometimes a seller puts the cast metal locomotive in a bubble wrap shipping envelope and.........OMG!! A few 80 year old American Flyer HO pre-war's have showed up completely hammered. GREAT topic to make a video on!! Bravo!!

Train show are my favorite place to buy used. I have found there's been a lot of estate sales at them lately. This helps if you're looking for old out of production stock.

I have only bought used once in my life, from a fellow in Colorado. He advertise in N scale and was very happy with my buys. They were dc engines which I figure I will convert to dcc. On the flip side when I first got into dcc I bought a train new from a place in New Jersey and the train was suppose to be new. It didn't run and when I called him he gave me the runaround. The train sits under the layout waiting for repairs. I model years around 1957 to 1964. So I look for engines built around that time I use trove network and spook network to find out value and pricing

One recurring issue with descriptions on eBay (and maybe other online sites) is the frequent misuse of the”new” category. “New” means unopened and never used. Sellers reselling model train items too often describe items that as “new” when they are not. (And any manufacturer or retailer warranty is almost certainly gone.) However, in nearly all of my experience with sellers with 100% ratings on eBay, regardless of whether an item is labeled “new” or used,” they have promptly provided solutions or refunds, as appropriate, for problems or undisclosed defects, and eBay’s dispute resolution process seems to do a good job of protecting buyers in the other, rare cases where a seller has been less than honorable.

Thank you for using some of our eBay listing photos (UP Pacific Fruit Express Reefer) as examples in your video. We're a used N Scale train dealer and rely on good photos, videos, and descriptions of the actual products so the potential buyer has sufficient information to make a sound purchase. We've used customer comments to continually improve our listings. Like the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words," especially when purchasing from online sellers. We enjoy your great videos. Regards, Gary.

Important Caveats here. Several things to look for. I have seen people list a caboose for full value and it obviously has a broken roof. They list it in Good condition. Obviously it isn't. I agree with your take on Shipping charges. A good deal isn't a good deal when the added shipping cost exceeds the item value. Watch out for hidden fees. Always check the shipping charge before bidding. A deal isn't a deal if they want $45.00 for shipping. I have seen this. If it says "Not Tested" it means it doesn't run. Even Trainz used to charge an extra fee that was added after the bid ended. After the 2nd time I got burnt on that I stopped bidding on their listings. Otherwise they are a decent outfit and I have done business on their website. I don't think they are doing this anymore. As you say a lot of people don't really know what they are selling, One or my pet Peeves is on Lionel Steam Locomotives. The Tender is a part of every Steam locomotive and the value is for the loco and proper Tender. And many if they do include a tender tend to turn it around Backwards. This speaks volumes to me because Lionel Locomotives have that drawbar that only fits to the front of the tender. Study the pictures carefully. Most sellers point out breaks or problem areas. But some don't. I have gotten items that had blemishes and one broken flat car that was deliberately hidden. There is more to that story but I'll hold it for now. That said most sellers on Ebay are good honest people. but be wary of the few.

My Local trains store has some great used products, alot of it's already weathered and upgraded.

A few years back I was buying trains on eBay. Some good, some bad. Worst an Athearn F-7 that had a drive train cobbled together from mismatched pieces(I'll do something with this eventually) The best 2 deals, A Kato(I think) F-3 for $20, and a Bachmann K-4 Spectrum for $40. Got a bunch of track for not much money. The best deal was an Athearn Trainmaster for $15. I got another really good deal from the seller. I commented on some of his listings that were incorrect. He stated he purchased storage units and these were from an abandoned, auctioned unit and he was unsure of what was good and not. His ratings were all over the place as a result. I asked just how many pieces he had. He thought over 2000. I said he might have better luck at a train show. Greenberg was having a show near him and I sent him the info. I think he went to sell and did well. I'm going to try to make the Central Arkansas Train and Hobby Show in Conway, Ar at the end of August. It's a maybe thing dependent on how I feel. Red Rose tea with a little bit of sweet and lo.(I have to watch my sugar intake)

Train shows and hobby shops are like antique stores. Very cool to browse through. Used rolling stock...my pet peeves are missing or broken parts. Unfortunately, I am not the type to do repairs, so I want the equipment in good condition. Metal wheels, Kadee couplers, and painting the under frame (don't like rusty weights) are about the most I will do for any mods. Train show, hobby shop, or online have all worked for me. Since I prefer to buy something I can hold, and get a good closeup look at, shows and shops are my first choice. Another informative video! Thanks!

@raymondleggs5508

Жыл бұрын

A lof of the greatest rolling stock and locomotives ever made in the hobby is in fact old, The old mantua kit cars, LIliput Miestermodelle, Kleinbahn, Rowa, Varney, Fleischmann's old US and european prototype HO, Piko's early trains , Lima old locomotives are underrated and only need a drop of oil to get running again.

Train Show Sales/Swap Meets #1 place to go for USED and bargains. The big commercial shows are for people who only think about model trains on Christmas & Junior's Birthday! Many [if not ALL] Train Show/Swap Meets are put on by Model Railroaders for Model Railroaders. You will see the same people, and get BARGAINS. I'm usually selling excess items I don't need or something that doesn't fit my railroad. Family friendly ALWAYS.

Yes, if you are not careful, eBay can sell you a Trojan iron horse. It can cost more to fix than a new one. Also a nice loco can be ruined by a bad packing job. Yes, shipping from Florida to Montana are often not kind. I double box the items I sell and pack for a 12 ft drop or drop kick. That usually works...Vance

Those are some great reminders. I deal mostly with online shopping, unfortunately living in southern California it seems to me that train shows and swap meets are far and few lately. We still have a few hobby shops the will sell/trade used items as well.

Sometimes Antique stores have model trains for very cheap prices like I bought a working 0-4-0 for 5$ and a 4-8-0 for 7$

@robertkass9254

Жыл бұрын

Very true I buy a box of ho railroad stuff at an antique store for $35 and got 2 nice steam locomotives. One was a baldwin 4-6-0 , the other was an American

Thanks, good information as usual. Resourced Rails seems to be a good source for used brass. I bought an HOn3 engine from them at the Amherst show and got on their email list. They went out of their way to be sure that I knew exactly what I was buying. The prices are quite reasonable. Drinking Peet’s.

Online has shipping, but so do train shows. You've got to ship yourself up there and ship yourself back, these days to the tune of $65-$80 in gas plus mileage. You have to make a pretty big purchase while there to justify $65 in shipping. That said, I do love them, and sometimes it works out well. It is still a gamble, though.

Great work Jimmy.

Most of my stuff comes from fairs. Most of the time it's cheaper, you can make a testrun and you don't need to search all over internet for particular models. For a lot of people here it's also a nice outing with meets, great conversation and admiring everybodys purchases. Only drawback is you have to come real early or you're unable to park your car since the hobby keeps booming.

I completely agree about your seller comments. Avoid the random dealers!

I have bee fortunate to find some good stuff locally. I have 2 train/hobby shops near by that often have used trains and accessories. Also my model railroad club has an auction for its members a couple times a year.

I buy very little on eBay anymore because things aren't as cheap as they were years ago. I do buy railroad books on eBay because there are sellers that include shipping and have a discount for buying several books. My favorite place to buy trains (since there are no hobby shops in the area) is once a year at Galesburg Railroad Days. I don't really need anything, but always manage to find something interesting. With the cost of gas, even that will be a stretch later this month.

SOME hobby shops also have good used selections at fair prices, including my favorite one in my area; they even offer a 5% discount to local club members. But others I've been to in other areas while traveling are straight-up rip offs in their used section (and also seem to think people are willing to actually pay MSRP for new stuff, no idea how those places stay in business). Train shows are of course always no-brainers to attend if you can, I've literally picked up a Blue Box project locomotive for $1 before.

worst deals I've had have been through Facebook, with pretty much no chance of any recompense of any description. best deals have inevitably been ebay sellers who obviously have no idea about model trains at all, but are very honest an have a very good ability with a camera. I go in for an ebay sale with the assumption it doesn't run and may need work, that way hopefully I won't be disappointed. generally it's worked for the better as ones that don't run have been easy fixes. probably the biggest lesson I've learnt isn't buying where, but buying what. there's a lot of models: not necessarily brands; that have some major design/ longevity issues and it's those I try to avoid: even if it's the deal you can't miss out on. it's just not worth the headache if so much hard effort is needed to even get it to run badly

Just started to get into picking up used stuff to start building my collection. Not a lot of modern stuff for prices I'm comfortable with (kinda cash-strapped at the moment), but I _did_ pick up a pair of cars from Bachmann and Tyco respectively for $20 (including shipping) on eBay. Seemed to be in good condition, so they'll make a start for me. Stuff arrives later this week, so I should be able to do a follow-up soon.

Hey Jimmy. My favorite and most fruitful places to buy is local spring and fall train shows. We have many all within a couple hour drive at most. I stay away from ebay as I have been stung a few times. Being here in Canada 🇨🇦 I gotta have my Timmies original roast coffee or steeped tea. This video is very informative for new comers into the hobby. Take care. Sean.

Whenever i sell i link a video of it running. Engine or car. I wish people would do that more as well.

Not associated with them, but I have been impressed with K-Rail, LLC. I first encountered them at a local show here on the Midwest. And now they are a regular stop when I visit that show. They sell a lot of Kato and Micro-Trains in N scale with some occasional offerings in other scales as well. K-Rail LLC also matches any lowest price you find. All to say, quality vendor with quality product. Go check them out!

I haven't picked up much used model equipment, but when I have, I knew what I was getting. One was at a train show where I picked up an old Rivarossi N scale baggage car for a project and the other was a set of old N scale work train kits from a fellow FB train group member.

One thing I really like about some eBay sellers is when they use th TCA categories for identifying condition.

Awesome Jimmy

I bought every piece of rolling stock, other than power units, used. My local clubs, both of them, have swap meets every three to four months. I tend to look for cheap, "fixable" items since I like tinkering with them to either get them working well or for repurposing. I turned a $2.00 passenger/baggage combine into a nice roadside diner with nothing more than adding interior lights and a decent repainting. BTW, I drink Kirkland Signature (Costco) Dark Roast coffee.

Nice sensible guidance Jimmy. I have been very successful with ebay in England but stuff gets snapped up very quickly and prices can jump very fast.

The tips you shared for ebay are wise tips! I have operated by many of them and have won some really good deals on new old stock ho scale locomotives!

Don't forget friend's getting out of hobby. I scored about 8 boxes, yes like liquor store cases, of a variety of locos and rolling stock from a colleague who said he knew I was a MR'r and it was taking space in his garage. Most still in original boxes or nicely wrapped in newspapers from about 30 years ago. All DC locos but I forward sourced them to others. And 2nd score was another friend where I picked up 4+ DCC locos plus stock and buildings and flex track. All have been moved to plastic tubs from musty cardboard boxes. Going to hit me a swap meet one of these days....never done that! I'm also going to donate more to an MR friend who puts together starter sets - a loco, some stock, track and a controller- and sells them at train shows to get others into the hobby. Sells for about $35 CAD (I think that's about $5 USD, right? 😉 ) Thanks for coffee shout-out. Good tips today.

Nice video Jimmy. Are you planning on attending the National N Scale Convention in Nashville next week?

@DIYDigitalRailroad

2 жыл бұрын

Well dang! I wish I could!

since I've been getting back into G scale trains, I came across a 1993 New Bright Box car for the Teddy Bear Express train set listed as O gauge when the photo's show it as G scale. but for $10.00 I wasn't about to pass it up. but as for buying used I just hit eBay, as it can be a huge money saver. as for the first con I do agree.

Hey Jimmy, great tips for in person train shows. A few weeks ago I went to a train show/ swap meet in Sacramento. I was amazed by all the varieties of trains and components that were available. I didn’t do any haggling because their wasn’t much inventory of Nscale to be had. But I did walk away with a cool set of Overton Ready to Run Southern Pacific 4 pack for my mountain layout. Keep putting out the great videos and we’ll keep watching. Today’s coffee is a cup of cold from this morning. It’s 95° right now.

All good points Jimmy. I go one more step though on Ebay, if I have a question about an item and the vendor doesn't respond that is a huge red flag.

Good video, and with good advice! Personally I'm old-school, before I buy it I want to see it. I've got no problem buying used since I save a lot of money that way and I don't need the latest and greatest since I'm a conventional-running O Gauger. I do a lot of my used buying at trusted hobby shops and train shows. I have bought from "Trains with a Z" once and had a good experience with them. The one bit of advice I have with buying at shows is make sure the show's got test tracks available just for your own peace of mind. A responsible vendor won't mind if you test track what he's selling used. As far as haggling, don't be greedy. The vendor's got to make money you know. Myself, if the price is what I consider excessive I don't bother haggling, I just walk away. And I ignore articles with no price on them at all, if the vendor's not proud of his prices as far as I'm concerned he's not worth asking.

FYI, good tip, bring a 9-volt battery with you to test locos, just touch to wheels (got from Tom's trains and things) works for ho and n and some DCC

I’ve had good luck with buying though Facebook groups with sellers and buyers, most know what they have, some don’t. It does pay to do some research in the item you’re looking for. Shipping has been increasing, but still isn’t to bad in the grand scheme of things. I would love to go to a train show, but with being immune compromised, I still don’t trust, with what’s going on out there. Thanks again for the info and sharing Jimmy.

great advice thanks

Some Hobby Shops sell consignment train items sometime you can find some good deal and quality items

Oh i forgot to mention as in my previous comment for model train shows and swap meets i have to travel outside of N.Y.C. to places like long island where their active.

Good lessons here !

Funny Story: I once found an N scale Atlas shay for sale on eBay, but it was in some old case with no padding and the case was labeled as a calf unit for some diesel (the listing was also titled as being for a diesel calf unit). I thought I would be kind and inform the seller that his listing was mislabeled, the shay was not a diesel calf unit and was in the incorrect case. The seller thanked me and I thought that was that. Then the kicker happened. About a day later I got another message. This time he informed me that I was wrong, the shay was in the correct case (and by extension is a diesel), he knows trains and he’s correct. I own 3 of these shays (so I know what the actual boxes look like) and decided to let the crazy seller do his own thing after that. Should have saved the user name so I can avoid them in the future.

I think I might get into O scale a bit more. I have an old 027 set and finally got some track for it, but I think I'll look for used stuff almost exclusively for it unlike ho or n.

@owentomlinson8045

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve purchased everything used in my O scale collection which is roughly 30 pieces of rolling stock I’ve only bought one new locomotive that was on sale of course. There are some good deals to be found.

U should definitely mention going to you your locally-owned hobby shop. I know the place I deal with and also is my club deals in a lot of used stuff as well and has alot good deals on used stuff . Tulsa neons is the club name , challenger N scales hobbies in tulsa Oklahoma.

@owentomlinson8045

2 жыл бұрын

What is the shops name I’m not to far from Tulsa?

@tonykane8866

2 жыл бұрын

@@owentomlinson8045 challenger n scale hobbies.

@owentomlinson8045

2 жыл бұрын

@@tonykane8866 I’ll have to go check it out. Not to many good shops over here in NWA

@iannarita9816

Жыл бұрын

PS rest of info: Central Arkansas Train and Hobby Show Start Saturday, August 27, 2022 9:00 AM End Sunday, August 28, 2022 4:00 PM Location Conway Expo Center, 2505 East Oak St, Conway AR 72032

@owentomlinson8045

Жыл бұрын

@@iannarita9816 might just have to go

I'm just getting into HO/OO model railroading, and I've got some questions. First, I'm more into old stuff and European stuff. As an American, I don't find American big black steam engines interesting. I like BR diesels and Marklins. Is it a good idea to buy used track? What is the best place online to buy track? Can you run non-3-rail trains on 3-rail track? Can you swap out Hornby/USA knuckle/Marklin couplers with each other? Like having a Marklin with Hornby couplers so you can pull Hornby cars, or putting Hornby couplers on American cars so you can pull them. Can you connect different brands/ages of track with each other and have it work? What are good used controllers? Where do you get them? What are transformers? How do you connect the controller to the track? Can you run more than one train on a track without DCC? And can you easily modify a 3-rail locomotive to run on normal HO/OO track?

I did not hear you mention local hobby shops that purchase used stuff. Coffee - Folgers, straight up black.

The biggest thing is also that brass tend to be way over priced on Ebay for junk, or you get lucky with a great deal... I'm primarily a Northern Pacific brass modeler as there's lots of awesome accurate models of Northern Pacific Steam that is non existent in Plastic... I also ended up building up a business on painting brass as it's a wonderful thing to do and really is amazing to do with the right equipment, just like how some modelers love to scratch build, I like the painting and DCC work and figuring out new ways of doing it in a brass model...

nothing angers me more than having all that information in the listing and getting asked about it in a question if it has this or that (especially when i have READ DESCRIPTION) on the listing itself.

Lots of good points Jimmy. One thing I have taken note of at shows is the availability of old HO scale craftsmen kits, quite often at or near the original retail price. They have also become a good way to find old MDC HO steamer kits. Quality on these gets really varied. I have seen never opened kits and a couple almost completely rusted pieces of trash still in the box, and not put together. They don't run better than Bachman, but they last way longer and will out pull them by 2 or 3 to 1.

@Gma7788

Жыл бұрын

Gossip. Dude, I know everything about all subjects, so I can do engineering, electrical, mechanical, painting, plastics, woodwork, etc, etc... So I can fix anything and actually build the full sized train if I really want to. I can make my own sounds and travel without a model train anytime I like. So I don't need a comment like yours. I've met all the bad boys in life so why do I need to be cautious about toys?

Jmmy where you order track light and signal The truck you got cheerwine etc

The tips for buying from people online or a lot like the ones for buying guitars

At agricultural building at MSU.

You can find good stuff and junk at train shows. Buyer beware! If it's broken, you can fix it. Sometimes you have a modeling project. People are snobby when it comes to models. The biggest part of the hobby is building. I miss the old days of the Blue Box Athearn. You could hop them up and do all kinds of cool things. Some "modelers" want it all done and even pay someone to build their layouts. I had two chief reasons I left the hobby. MR showed class I railroad modelers and it was all ads. No freelancers. The hobby got expensive, and some manufacturers went out of the biz. Another was with some of the people in the hobby. There is a lack of etiquette. "Rivet Counters." These fun seekers took the fun out of the hobby and were as full as a loaded tender. Nothing like working on a nice model that took hours and they tell you it's a scale two inches too high or the color is the wrong shade. Usually, the critiques are unwanted. Some clubs also have rules that are ridiculous. I also lacked the time and space. Nobody should pay 400 dollars for a locomotive and a boxcar for 50. The hobby was so anybody could enjoy it, and now it's made for people with money. I wound up getting a pittance for what I paid for my collection.

Thanks Jimmy! When I see the words "rare" and "vintage" used extensively-thats a red flag.👍

@daverahn1711

2 жыл бұрын

you wont buy my RARE VINTAGE TYCO PULPWOOD CAR WITH LOAD? LOL only 79.95

I’ve got an n scale Amtrak F59PHI almost mint with tsunami 3 sound. Maybe I can trade it with a BNSF C44-9W H2 with sound. As the phi is not that common

I did bid on a locomotive and train cars on e bay , asked the seller what brand was the locomotive it was . He side it was a locomotive it was the type I was looking for so I keep biding on on till won I was happy on till I picked the train and I new it was a dummy or he took out the motor . I had a lot of choice words no returns so I gave him a bad rating on e bay and he was pissed of about what I side well don't lie . I stopped biding on the same locomotive but it did not have as much in i learned my lesson on who to buy from,.

One of my initial warning signs are those that simply say “Used Condition”.

I don't think I've ever bought anything new except a Power track and a coach

The thing that makes me angry is the ones like Donnelly Niagara falls. Charged $18 for shipping. Not only package came broke. They put it in Ziploc bag and 2 pieces of paper.

That was very informative. i just recently started to attend model train swap meets for the very first time. we don't have model train swap meets here in N.Y.C. since most New York city people tend to be a bunch of stuck up snobs who think that the world should revolve around them and they delude themselfs into thinking their so "smart" and "sophisticated" when in fact they are just a group of stupid jerks and pretentious phonies. also i prefer to see the trains my self instead of shopping on line which i don't trust i never trusted on line shopping and never will i tend to be old school i rather support my local brick and mortar store than that shopping on line crap anyday.

Use ebay a lot. Nearest in person swap meet to me is 70 miles away.

Oh ya watch out for that southern pacific locomotive and rolling stock on eBay.

@DeathByFishing

2 жыл бұрын

I converted one of those into a dummy Loco using passenger car trucks.

@Blur4strike

Жыл бұрын

That SP locomotive and rolling stock are like cockroaches, just can't get rid of them.

Yeah all depends on the car condition. I've seen 20 dollar cars with plastics wheels, horn couplers, damaged trucks. Then you let them know, hey it's probably not worth that much. Then then say no the price is firm...ok then nevermind.

Hey Jimmy, I’m drinking Victor Allen

Every single item I have ever ordered from Trainz shows up broken for some reason

This is great advice for sellers and buyers. My story: my father was an avid model railroader. The entire basement is one HUGE layout. He loved to buy and paint trains and they were perfect. He has been gone three years now so my mother ( who is on a fixed income) and I have been sorting thru the hundreds of trains and selling them on ebay. we do not know what they cost but I have done allot of research. It all O scale. Lionel. Atlas, MTH, Weaver, K-Line, and even brass, etc. Allot are custom painted. He had tons of Waltham kits plus buildings and more buildings. So I do my best to post pics with details and show the boxes. I always disclose if there is a problem. In the last 3 years we have sold close to $10k. And I haven't even started on the engines yet. I want to test them before selling...but I don't know how to turn on his track! Lol

Bigger selection online???? Not for me, train shows blow that out of the water for me. With exception of a little one which has at most a dozen vendors, i have found train shows to have TOO much selection. Only issue is getting the sale dates due to they are very local. But I will spend up to 6 hours at one and coming back with quite a bit.

Avoid buying items with a low price and a high shipping charge. That shipping charge will take a significant bite out of your refund should you have to return the item.

TBH, I'd rather go to shows/meets these days.

Am always suspicious of items described as “vintage”…

@MikeMPharmaCyclist

Жыл бұрын

I've definitely seen that used as a cover for really poor condition and old items.

@AllenCNW441

Жыл бұрын

@@MikeMPharmaCyclist Yeah- usually 50-year old Tyco stuff- “If it’s old,i it’s gotta’ valuable!”

@MikeMPharmaCyclist

Жыл бұрын

@@AllenCNW441 haha that's funny, I remember Tyco as being the cheaper brand and not very nice I think with HO especially at train shows etc, I grew up mostly with LGB but had some HO too.

Hi I do not ascribed your channel on less you are in HO like me .

Local Train 🚆 Shop