yet another ebay doozie, but this one's legit

[palallin]

So, when the buyer who puts his Mint train in the box and sells it for $10,000 more than he otherwise would have, who will be the fool then?

Granted, that may not be his plan, and we all know what can happen to such plans, but it certainly could happen.

In any case, what can we say about the collectors who spend seven figures on a painting to hang on the wall or a car to put on display or a diamond necklace that cannot be worn without police escort? I don't play in that league, but I refuse to call the people who do fools.

[More to restore]

Well life is full of surprises....

Such a box is worth about 1 USD in production cost. Meaning this guy got a 6000X value increase. Well we should respect this bloke. Maybe he can also turn lead into gold...

Maybe I should advise the cardboard industry now to change their normal production (high-volume & low margin) to this lucrative new Ebay business: low volume and high margins. Only I wonder how many folks would like to pay 6 k$ for a box...

[darianj]

QUOTE: Originally posted by caellis

Two fools have met. One was fool enough to ask that much, the other fool enough to pay it!

Is fool no. 1 REALLY a fool if he know's there's a fool out there to pay that much? That's the type of fool I'd like to be.[:D]

[mersenne6]

csxt30 - Fortunate? Well, I suppose if your idea of an evening of fun was to look at a bunch of brand new cardboard boxes and the x-rays of their contents then yes I suppose I was fortunate. Then and now I felt the time was a complete waste (although with the passage of time the memory does make me laugh and it is a funny story). What has always bothered me about his collection was the actual quality. Since he had never opened any of the boxes and since, as far as I know, you can't use x-rays for identification of rust/paint peeling/etc. I have to wonder just what he actually had.

[DCmontana]

Only one fool me thinks! One has over 6 grand, another one has a box! I would gladly prefer the 6 grand!!!!

[Anonymous]

Two fools have met. One was fool enough to ask that much, the other fool enough to pay it!

[csxt30]

mersenne6 : I bet that was a real eye opener ! I never thought anyone did that ! You were fortunate to see that collection, which no doubt must be one of the most premier collections in the country ! Normally most us will joke about the boxes, & I have seen a ZW in the box, never opened, on Ebay go for over 700 dollars one time ! Now I don't think it would be impossible for most of us to leave it in the box, or any train item, & never open it. That is a special individual that can do that, I think.
Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us!! Kind of makes me wish I could see it too !! [:)][:)]

[mersenne6]

csxt30 - you may jest but I can tell you there is/was at least one collector who fit your comments to a T. He specialized in mint, unopened train sets. He invited me over to see his collection and I showed up expecting to see row upon row of mint eye candy. We went down to the train room and there, neatly arranged by catalog number, was one boxed set of trains after another, all wrapped and still sealed in their boxes. On top of each box was a thin envelope and inside was an X-ray of the box contents. At first I thought he was pulling my leg but I quickly came to realize he was serious. His entire train display was exactly what he said it was and it looked like a warehouse wall and to "view" it you got to look at x-ray pictures - it was, to say the least, one of the more unusual visits I've made in my day.

[Anonymous]

Normally these "big buck" auctions are a result of 2 "novice" bidders in a war with each other. Not this one...at least 5 serious bidders...winner with many transactions.
A example of a recent "dumb one": Bubby out-of-production diecast car. Got one at a train show for a very low $23., normal eBay selling price $35.-$50.. Recently 2 "novice" bidders took one up to $220. Joe

[FJ and G]

Looks pretty frayed inside. I think he should lower the price to $5,000. That would sound a bit more reasonable.

[trigtrax]

I think Williams made that set for it's Golden Memories Collection, a lot less than $6300 and the engine comes with a Bell in addition to the Horn [^]

[Anonymous]

Maybe the seller could fill the box with a Williams Trainmaster and Cars to protect the box durring shipment! [:D] Although, I would prefer a Lionel at that price!

[BobbyDing]

HOLY COW !!!!!! A BOX !!!!!! I hope it makes it to the buyer OK. Because good luck getting any shipper to pay that much of an insurance claim on a box in a box!

Whew man, I gotta go take another look in my attic!

[randyaj]

Don't blame the seller, he started out the auction at a couple of bucks. More than one person had to be willing to pay that much or the bidding wouldn't have went that high. Nuts I agree, but it is a free market economy(about the only free thing that is).
Randy

[markn]

Two things came to mind...look at the bid history-a whole bunch of folks were willing to pay big $$$ for a box and second, will they bubble wrap the box and put it in a box with foam peanuts to ship it?

[Anonymous]

They might have bought it to produce counterfit versions.

Andrew F.

[dougdagrump]

[#ditto] Beef

[beefmalone]

Pocket change or not that's an insance price to pay for a cardboard box.

[1688torpedo]

Sal at Olsen Toy Train Parts could probably reproduce that exact box for around $5.00 ! Even if I had Billions of Dollars I would not pay $6,300 for a box. If the Train were included & in mint condition then it may be a different story. Take Care.

[Anonymous]

It takes two people to complete a transaction: One with something he wishes to sell, and another who is willing to pay the price to get it. Everyone else is just an outsider in the deal--observers, as it were--with little to offer but opinions. And we all know that opinions are as common as a certain part of the human anatomy.

I expect that $6,300 is pocket change, or close to it, to the individual who made the purchase. Hard as it may be for some to believe, there are lots of people out there with a whole lot of money to spend, so why are some so willing to assume that such a buyer must be nuts? I figure that if he's happy with his purchase, more power to him.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Get them while they are hot!

Tonight we are selling three old shoe boxes from K-Mart without any shoes.

Do I have a bid of $1,000,000?

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[wrmcclellan]

Its probably not worth as much if it had the trains in it!

Absolutely insane...

[csxt30]

Boy, I can see all it now !! Instead of a layout, a huge room full of empty boxes !!
The guys come over to look at them on a weekly basis, & some guys bring their newly acquired empty boxes over !! I think we are onto something really big here !!
Then it could grow into the guys bringing over their new or old unopened boxes, the ones with the trains still in there !!
On a serious note though, I think there are certain collectors that have the trains, probably in mint condition for those empty boxes. Then everything can sell for 20 grand or more !
Thanks,

[statistician]

...and it doesn't even include the train!

It's all about cost relative to income and other factors; to some guys 6K is little more than 100 bucks[;)]

[beefmalone]

$6300 for a frigging box???? That's insane! Don't forget the $15 shipping! :) If they're bringing that much money I can't believe somebody isn't trying to make copies.

[msacco]

Got this one from the TTML list.
This one is just totally amazing or insane, you pick.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Lionel-Set-Box-2270W-Jersey-Central-FM-Passenger-Set_W0QQitemZ6061021151QQcategoryZ4146QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem