A timely stop at the local hobby shop today.
The owner is usually in on Friday nites and Saturday, and I have been so overwhelmed with work, I haven't been in but once a week for the past several weeks and I haven't purchased anything in months. Seemed there is not much post war coming in, and they haven't really bought anything -- so nothing for me.
The owner and I were bantering back and forth in our usual fashion about them never having anything, and I took out a wad of cash and told him "Every Saturday, it's the same B.S. I grab a pocketful of cash, come down here and there's nothing to buy."
Not to be outdone, we go to the back of the store where they have boxes of post war stuff in questionable condition literally thrown in boxes. He breaks open a box and takes out a Sunoco tanker. "Waddya mean we don't have anything - here's a perfactly good tank car."
"Well, yeah, but it's kinda beat, I'll give you five bucks for it"
He says ok - sold.
It's kinda ratty - but I'll clean it up/ It's got metal trucks and the dirt is just dirt:
"Ok - here's another tanker - will you give me five for this?"
Fine - We're up to ten bucks now:
I reach into a box and find a third Sunoco tanker in the box and it's pretty much excellent. "Here's another one - make that $15.00!":
I spot a black gondola and pull it out hoping it was wheels - it does. "I'll give you five for this one too!" No way - that one is gonna cost you SIX!"
FINE! Ya horse thief!
I'm already up to a whopping $21.00.
I spot a blue gondola with some canisters in the bottom of the bin, buried under the remains of a 1666 that'll never run without the wheels. "I'll go five for this too" Again - noooo way - SIX!:
It's dirty - it's got some rust - but we're on a roll:
I'm at $27.00 when I pick up this pretty nice 6467 Flat Car. "Don't even think you're getting that for less than $10.00!"
Ten it is and I'm at $37.00:
"I was gonna give you five bucks for this flatcar - but you'll probably want six - so I'll just give you six"
$43.00 and climbing.
I find a 6311 pipe car with five pipes and the box - "ten bucks!"
SOLD!
"And if you want all this stuff then, you're taking this 6464 Great Northern Boxcar too!
How much? -- (it is a rat) $3.00!
I'm up to $56.00 out of the junk bin
I dig out a pretty nice large hopper - I don't have any of these - another $10.00:
Not one, but two searchlight cars for $7.50 each:
They both need searchlights, but if I can't come up with the parts, I can make them generator cars or flatcars and use teh generators in junkheap scenery.
So now I'm at $76.00.
A different model searchlight car with a removable magnetic light stand and spool of wire was another $10.00:
An excellent Lehigh Valley Hopper in box sets me back another $10.00 and we're at $96.00.
A really nice DL&W work caboose sets me back another $10.00, and they wing me for $4.00 for the extra generator to bring us up to $110.00:
The whole works comes to 15 cars - generally less than eight bucks a piece:
I ended up with a lot of material to work with - some of it dirty and two with some rust, but they will clean up ok, some pretty nice and a few - the Lehigh Valley and one of the Sunoco's - a solid excellent, a few with boxes, most without and all with metal trucks. The few that I need parts for I will either get parts, or rework them to something else, or use them for trackside scenes.
We had a lot of fun and the spectators got a laugh or two from the hijinx, and he got rid of stuff they would have never cleaned up and put up for sale - I ended up with some nice stuff and plenty else to work with.
Not a bad day . . .
Frank - Sounds like my kind of place. You got some great deals if you averaged $8 per car. Way to go.
Mitch
Bob Mitchell Gettysburg, PA TCA # 98-47956 LCCA# RM22839
mitchelr wrote: Frank - Sounds like my kind of place. You got some great deals if you averaged $8 per car. Way to go.Mitch
You got a good deal, Frank. And it was fun.
Nice job, Frank! That's my target next..some rolling stock, and some good accessory for my siding. I have a new UP tanker, and a UP freight car. I need some more...
Frank 53
Not only are you highly talented in modeling, but a great storyteller and wheeler-dealer! This made my day! Thanks!!!.
Lisa
"No childhood should be without a train!"
Frank,
Thanks for the effort in sharing this story. It is a classic! I wish all shops were like this one.
Jim H
Way to go
I would leave the dirt on the tankers free weathing to boot
Regards, Roy
CSXect wrote: I would leave the dirt on the tankers free weathing to boot
Set that last tanker in the field for a week or two...it's pretty shiny You're going to need a larger layout to run all those cars!
Kurt
kpolak wrote: You're going to need a larger layout to run all those cars!Kurt
You're going to need a larger layout to run all those cars!
I can only wish - this is all the room there is and there ain't no more.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
I don't collect or run Post War, but reading your excellent story just made me feel good all over. You and your LHS friend created a win-win situation and your sharing it with the forum allowed us all to ejoy the fun. Great story!!
Richard A wrote: Frank,I don't collect or run Post War, but reading your excellent story just made me feel good all over. You and your LHS friend created a win-win situation and your sharing it with the forum allowed us all to ejoy the fun. Great story!!
thats a great story... i really like the caboose.
fifedog wrote:Aren't you the thrifty one...
Nothing spectacular there, but the type of stuff I look for - just some in worse condition that I usually want. That stuff has been sitting in bins in back of the store for years. Everybody made out. It's not like some rube walked in with a bunch of rare stuff and I lowballed it from him because he didn't know what he had.
I always try to treat the other guy like I would want to be treated. In this case, the store owner just wanted to clear some stuff out and did it in a comical way.
Your story reminds me of a small shop in a nearby town. I bought 2 6465 tankers @ $10 each, an RW for $25, and I recently bought a like new 3456 operating hopper with the box for $30. You should go back for that 1666.
Frank, don't read too much into my reply.
Good score.
Even better tale.
Nice deals, Frank. You did good!
Jim
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
Great deals Frank!! At local train shows the Lehigh Valley quad hoppers are going for at least $22.00 up to $40.00, I pay no more than $25.00 if the quad hopper is in good shape, $20.00 for a short Lehigh Valley hopper, I have more than enuff L.V. hoppers. The other cars I am not as interested in but you got great deals on.
At train shows I look at stuff very closely because people bring stuff there in any condition and try to ask high prices even when parts are missing, sometimes the coupler assembly is broken on one end, I won't pay $30.00 for something with a broken coupler.
Lee F.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
RIP Chewy - best dog I ever had.
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
I know this thread's been dead a few days, but I've been away from the forums for a while and just had to say way to go! Hope you enjoy them! Some of the best deals often come from junk boxes.
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