General question

[EKW]

Sorry this has turned into something more of a question.

I have a question for all of us who are older than dirt, on a fixed income by no fault of our own or retired. How do you go about paying for newer trains? I only ask as for the first time in a long time I found something I would really like to have but their layaway terms do not fit for a fixed retired income. And when I call and leave a message or send an email it would seem that it is a non starter for a conversation.

It is just a thought has been going through my mind. Face it a lot of us are there already and some of us will be there. Folks on social security or a slim retirement just simply wont or will not be able to afford high dollar items. The item I want is $500 but the layaway plan calls for $160 down and 2 payments of $170 Not sure about the rest of you but that is just something affordable in this guys wheel house. This is on a $500 item what would someone do on a $2,000+ item. The prices for items simply do not reflect a good number of us who really enjoy/love our hobby.

It starts at a manufactures level then trickles down to the store fronts or those who by in quantity to sell at shows. My fear is that with a good portion of us who simply cannot afford the new items will be left out in the cold or just be forced to be content with or old items. Seeking out items even the old ones right now can be a cost challenge for a lot of folks as I recently found out from one of my own customers who is worse off than I. He wanted a 1666 that I was selling and I have known him for some time so I offered the engine and whistling tender to him for $60. I had just rebuilt the eunit and rewired everything. Look of disappointment on a 80 year old face said it all.

Pricing items is a way of creating another social divide of the haves and have nots. I just thought or was hoping that our hobby would always stay at an affordable level for anyone to stay in it. Not become like so many other things in life that your hobbies or the thing that bring you enjoyment are now out of reach or you have to start to decide on happiness versus necessities. Isn't happiness a necessity to ones own mental health. You can't put a price on happiness I sold that 1666 to him for what he had in his pocket $42.35. I am not trying to toot my own horn. I am trying to show reflections of so many who are in the hobby. It did good for his and my own mental health knowing that I made his day. It's not always about the bottom line.

Anyhow just my thoughts of the morning. Right or wrong.

 

 

[EKW]

V8Vega

Wait 10 years and that $1,000 engine will be $385 on eBay.

 Yeah if it will be availiable at that time or if I am still around. you never know.

[Flintlock76]

EKW I had to think a bit before I responded.

I'm kind of in the same boat you are, retired, fixed income.  Not complaining, it's where I'm at right now and content.

I suppose as far as the collecting's concerned it all depends on what you want.  The new stuff has all the electronic wizardry in it whether you want it or not.  In my case I don't want it and don't need it and have a hard time justifying paying for it. I'm a conventional runner.  With only enough room for a 4X8 layout the command control's a waste as far as I'm concerned.

So, I pretty much play the waiting game.  I wait for the shows (they'll start up again) and cruise the tables.  Typically I buy used, which saves me quite a bit. I've only had a problem with one used engine which I was able to fix easily.  Post-wars are dropping in price and will probably drop more. 

Also, like Vega, I've run out of room!  For something to come in something has to go OUT, so I buy a couple of tables at a local show and reduce stock and raise cash that way. 

So it all depends. Right now there's nothing I can't live without, unless a really good deal comes along, so I'm good. 

And I always keep in my mind this is a hobby, it's not a matter of life or death. 

[phrankenstign]

Manufacturers price their products according to what the market will bear.  As long as their products are selling at the prices they've set for their products, they won't lower them.  They're capitalists.  They're in business to make the most money they can.  It's the American way.  Unfortunately for customers, retailers have to pay overhead costs, so their wiggle room on prices are very limited.  They can't be expected to give deep discounts and accept whatever people have in their pockets.

Having stated that, I agree the prices for brand new items seem very high at this time.  I'm a toy train guy, so my purchases are mainly limited to Lionel, MTH, and K-Line products.  It's been a long time since I bought brand new products in the same year they were first offered.  Instead, I've been buying new, old stock (NOS).  In case you don't know what that is, it's new items that have never been used/run that were issued in previous years.

Here's an example:  My last purchase was a Lionel Railroader Club Animated Aquarium Car 6-19965 Pete's Place Freshwater Fish Farm for $19.98 ($9.99 item + $9.99 S/H) through an auction site.  I don't know what its MSRP was when it was issued, but I'm sure it was a bit more.  (One web-site states it was issued in 1999 for $69.99, but I don't know if that site is reliable.)  It was advertised as being in "New" condition.  The box looked new, wheels had no sign of dirt nor wear, the body had no chips nor cracks, and all of the paperwork that it was packed with originally was included.  I ran it on a track, and it operated flawlessly.  I recommend auction sites, because the selection of items available is massive for most items.  If someone outbids you, there's a good chance an identical item is being offered by someone else.

Apart from complete train sets, I've never paid over $100 for a locomotive, tender, nor rolling stock.  I wouldn't mind having the most expensive items Lionel makes, but I don't like trains enough to want to spend hundreds (nevermind thousands) of dollars on them.  I know you have much more expensive tastes in trains than I do, but buying NOS may make those trains affordable to you.  You just have to wait until they are older and their prices go down a bit.  Patience using auction sites will be rewarded with good---sometimes GREAT---prices.

As any experienced auction site buyer will tell you, ask as many questions as you need to about any item you're interested in to make sure you know what you're bidding on.  If the box and its condition are important to you, make sure you ask about them.  Ask for pictures if you want to see them.  Never assume anything is true about an item unless it is specifically detailed in the item's description.  I advise you NOT to bid if you can't get an answer in time to a question you may have.  Many auction sites will help recover costs if the seller intentionally misleads or outright lies about what they are selling.  Caveat Emptor!

[smokey1]

I'm at a point I'm wanting to sell but if your not careful and sell a lot of my collection, not because I need the money but it makes no sense to keep if there going to be boxes under the train table for the rest of my life. I have basically stopped buying. I do have to thou about the ways things are going with selling on eBay, I'm going to need to watch how much I sell as it will get reported as income now. Read their rules, they are now required to report everything you have sold. 

I see stuff I would like to have but then go where are you going to put it? What's going to go under the train table. 

I understand where your coming from thou. I have stopped buying new items years ago, I buy items used, Mainly eBay as they have the buyers back at this point ( and has been for years) and mainly to h#!! with the seller. I'm not in a position where I feel comfortable to go to a train show and sell at present but that is going to be in near future. I will not put something on eBay or any of the forums that you can sell, that I know the shipping is going to be outrageous. As it probably will not sell for that reason. I know myself I will not pay ridiculous prices to have something shipped to me. 

I know your question was how do I do it on a fixed income. Well my income is fixed, and to me personally, I can not see paying the price they want for a new engine even if I could afford it ( which in most cases I can't. ) I personally think the Model railroad industry is going to be if they haven't already, are pricing themselves out of business. This all started to my feelings back when they started built to order. as they knew they were charging way over what most can afford. I refuse to do a built-to-order as I have heard too many horror stories of getting something not as expected and your stuck with it basically. rward

[Flintlock76]

smokey1

it makes no sense to keep if there going to be boxes under the train table for the rest of my life.

There it is, my thoughts exactly.  If I can't display it, what's the point of owning it?

smokey1

I'm not in a position where I feel comfortable to go to a train show and sell at present but that is going to be in near future.

Go ahead! Do it!  It's fun to be part of the festival atmosphere!  At least I think so!  The small local-club sponsored shows anyway, I don't bother with the big Greenberg-type shows myself. 

 

[BigAl 956]

Here is my advice,

Look for trains that were released 10+ years ago. You can now buy most anything from pre 2010, such as Lionel TMCC releases, for less than .50 on the dollar new or like new.

There are a lot of Legacy offerings I would love to purchase but I'm not going to pay $1-2,000 for trains. But I can find very nice trains from the late 90s and early 00s that cost $1-300.

As long as you have budget, PayPal offers 6 months sames as cash financing. It's kind of like layaway but you get the trains now.

[anjdevil2]

I'm not on a fixed income, but I am on a budget.  And having a significant other that is into N and Z Scale doesn't help, but I digress.

I ALWAYS buy used.  Or older.  Case in point, I bought a K Line GG1 (new in the box!) that was upgradable to TMCC for $100. Later on, I had the TMCC board installed for another $100.  I'll eventually get a sound board for it and install it myself.  So I have a modern engine for $200 with TMCC.  And I didn't spend all $200 at one shot.

Train shows are your best bet, even though there aren't many because of the China Virus, but that's where some of the best bargains are.  You can troll ebay or Craigslist (up here, Craigslist is tough), local hobby stores as well.  I bought a few LionChief engines sub $300 on layaway.  Some stores have used inventory so, yeah, I troll them as well.  MANY bargains to be had, just have to look and be patient.

[smokey1]

Flintlock76

 

smokey1

it makes no sense to keep if there going to be boxes under the train table for the rest of my life.

 There it is, my thoughts exactly.  If I can't display it, what's the point of owning it? 

smokey1

I'm not in a position where I feel comfortable to go to a train show and sell at present but that is going to be in near future. 

Go ahead! Do it!  It's fun to be part of the festival atmosphere!  At least I think so!  The small local-club sponsored shows anyway, I don't bother with the big Greenberg-type shows myself.  

It's not the part of kinda afraid it's the point of the corvid-19 and wife and I are consider high risk if we get it. Now we both have had both shots ( mine last Friday ( the 19th ) but I'm considering a show in October, in Columbia, S.C. It is time to let some of this go big time. 

[Flintlock76]

Hey, if you've had the shot's then go for it, man!  You'll have a lot of fun!

We got the shots a few weeks ago, they were available so we went for it.

My collector's club has a show coming in May, I've opened a topic on it if you want the details.

[fifedog]

Since my retirement, I don't even think of laying out 500 clams for an engine. I've also avoided the "heartache" of sticker shock by staying conventional.

But I do want layout items from time to time, so I pick them out in advance. Then when I hear, "Daddy, what do you want for your birthday/Father's day/Christmas....", I simply point-click-send to my loved ones. They know they are giving me what I want, and enjoy seeing their acquisitions on the layout. No fuss, no muss, win-win.

[cheapclassics]

Good afternoon all,

This is a good question.  Like several others here, I run conventional.  I have a 4x8 layout and more cars and engines than I will ever need.  On occasion I will buy a SF or Alaska item if the price is right.  Not yet retired, but soon will be.  Income hopefully will not be an issue but you never know.  I stll can display all my collection but am almost out of room.  My problem with the new stuff is that any Lionel RTR sets require one of those LionChief controllers with no provison for conventional control.  You have to go to the + level to get a locomotive only and that is ridiculous.  Makes my decision process easier as well.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[smokey1]

Flintlock76

Hey, if you've had the shot's then go for it, man!  You'll have a lot of fun!

We got the shots a few weeks ago, they were available so we went for it.

My collector's club has a show coming in May, I've opened a topic on it if you want the details.

 

Well next close show isn't till October. And travel any distance over two hours is out of the question, Wife can't handle it, since her stroke. 

[Flintlock76]

Sorry to hear about your wife's stroke.

And honestly, I don't care to drive more than two hours to a show myself. 

[smokey1]

Thanks, she's doing okay, with a walker. But riding tires her out and she gets to hurting.