Thomas & Friends Set Breakups

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have the Vol. 2 Lionel Catalog, teeming with stuff I'd love to get my hands on.

However, I stopped when I spotted the Thomas & Friends trains. I remember the wonderful videos, and the DVDs, that my sister has.

I loved the wonderful storys, so, Naturally, I am aiming for Thomas and Percy,

But here is the thing. I do not want to buy the set. I'd just like to buy Thomas, Annie, and Clarabell seperate. I am fine with Percy. He isn't in a set. I plan have him, and two troublesome trucks bfore, or shortly after Christmas.

I do not want the old Thomas and Coaches from the 1990's. Do you think Gryziboaski's will have them in their set break up's section anytime soon?

steel rails

[jimhaleyscomet]

Why not buy the set and sell off the rest of the stuff on Ebay?

Jim H

[csxt30]

Also, I think I've seen what you're looking for on Ebay, & buy it now, sold seperately, from time to time. Thanks, John

[Jumijo]

I'm alsways suspicious of set break ups. Why were they broken up? Was it to replace a defective loco or transformer a customer brought in? If so, is the defective unit now part of the break up set?

Jim

[1688torpedo]

Some Dealers break up sets and make more money selling the Engine & Cars seperately than together as a set. Gryzboski's should have what Steel Rails is looking for at a reasonable price.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jaabat

I'm alsways suspicious of set break ups. Why were they broken up? Was it to replace a defective loco or transformer a customer brought in? If so, is the defective unit now part of the break up set?

Jim

I suspect its a way to sell Thomas to people(like us) who already have track and transformers. Those can then be put on the store shelf. Joe

[Anonymous]

I suppose that sometimes a dealer will break up a set that came with a defective part, but I suspect that most often those dealers who break up sets do so because they know that a number of their customers already have some of the included items and may only be interested in the locomotive, the cars, the transformer, or some other item. And, has been already noted, chances are good that the dealer might make a bit more profit on the individual items (which is not a bad thing).

I know that if/when I buy sets these days (any scale), I don't need the track (I use Atlas now) and I don't need the transformer or power pack--I already have several boxes full of small, unused transformers and packs stored away around here. I just wish I could convince dealers I mail order from to omit those items altogether and give me a bit of a credit on the purchase. For one thing, it would lighten the load in terms of shipping costs, and often enough would reduce the risk of damage to the rest of the set contents. And, of course, the dealer could sell those removed components to other customers for more than the value they carried when with the set.

[Jumijo]

So train sets are usually broken up for profit, not because of defect? Having heard that, I would feel more at ease purchasing a broken up set or one of the components.

Often times I look at a set and wish it came as seperate components. I know I don't need or want another CW80 or curved pieces of FasTrack. But those items we don't need or want in a set can be sold or auctioned off.

Jim

[Anonymous]

Sure, Jim, you can do what the dealers often do--break-up the set and sell the components you don't want or need. I have done that on many occasions in the past, and almost invariably end up recovering the cost of the complete set, plus a little extra in some cases. That's not how it works all the time, of course, but it's usually pretty easy to sell a new transformer or new sections of starter set track, not to mention a piece of rolling stock or two that you may not particularly care for.