Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Ebay Flatcar; Anyone Have A Little Leftover Holiday Cash?

5335 views
42 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,869 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, December 27, 2015 8:34 AM

Bernd

Not much to understand here. It's two maybe three guys that don't want the other guy to have it. They also seem to have more money than brains.

Brasstrains.com has one forsale for a little over $200. I'd go where it's the cheapest and buy that.

Bernd

 

Just went on thier site - it WAS $325, it is sold, and it was unpainted........

$325, shipping, paint, decals - the original starting price of the Ebay auction was a deal.........

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,875 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Sunday, December 27, 2015 10:21 AM

hon30critter

I think the price is ridiculous. So what if it is painted? That doesn't justify a 3x jump in price. For that amount of money you could buy a pair of unpainted ones and pay somebody to paint them for you. Mind you, it might take a while to find any unpainted ones at all but I did see one earlier this year.

To me the cost of a Mercedes is rediculous too but I see an awful lot of them on the road around here.  For someone who has done very well for themself financially, like the people my wife works for, $900 may not be a big deal either.  For those on a tight budget who still want that car, they'd search for an undeco for a good price and paint themself or find someone who could paint it economically.

As for "rare" on Ebay, it's a relative term of course.  Most stuff I see that are marked rare, are in a sense rare if you tried to find them in shops or something, but if you have a little patience and check Ebay regularly, and go to train shows, that rare item may be found multiple times over a period of 6 months or so and for better prices.  So take rare with a hopper car of salt!  =P  Anyone knowing their products knows the dealeo on rare.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,721 posts
Posted by maxman on Sunday, December 27, 2015 10:30 AM

All this agita over how other people spend their money.  If it's not my money, why should I care?

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,869 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, December 27, 2015 11:32 AM

maxman

All this agita over how other people spend their money.  If it's not my money, why should I care?

 

Agreed.

Another interesting point - earlier in this thread a link was posted to the O scale version of this also offered at Brasstrains.com. That sold for $750 - decorated.

Now the truth is that the raw materials account for a very small portion of the cost of making such a model, and a larger model is actually a little easier to assemble. So if the market says that is worth $750, well than surely..........

I will repeat - value is ony determined by how much you want it and how much the seller wishes to be rid of it.

The other factor of value is cost to produce - if the consumer is not willing to pay the cost to produce plus a reasonable return on investment, then products do not get made, or are only made for a short time.

And contrary to popular myth, there is a "bottom" line in the cost to produce equation - sure making more makes them cost less per unit - but only to a point.

Would I pay $900 for this - no - but I will not pay $900 for a brass locomotive either. Not because it is not worth $900, but because I do not want it $900 "worth", or more importantly I do not want it all. I would not have paid the starting price of $189?

But I take no issue with those who will.

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,610 posts
Posted by rrebell on Sunday, December 27, 2015 12:12 PM

To a collector the reason is factory paint and mint in box, there may be 5 of those in the world, maybe!

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,869 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, December 27, 2015 7:39 PM

Winning bid - $899.75

I wonder how many could be sold in plastic at $40 or $50?

At $30 I would buy at least 6 if it was a reasonably accurate model. It will cost nearly that to scratch build a few.

Sheldon

 

    

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,212 posts
Posted by tstage on Sunday, December 27, 2015 7:57 PM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL
Winning bid - $899.75

I guess no one wanted to be caught spending $900...for milk.

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: West Australia
  • 2,217 posts
Posted by John Busby on Sunday, December 27, 2015 8:11 PM

Hi all

Well I have to say it collectors must be insane.

Model Railroad equipment has a fair second hand value if in good condition.

all the collectors do is unreasonably increase that value on some models.

And the biggest laugh is that I have seen empty boxes go for more than the contence sells for with no box sorry but it's just a box I don't get that

I would want what was in the box and I want to play with it not hide it behind glass on a shelf.

regards John

 

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,275 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Monday, December 28, 2015 2:14 AM

John Busby
Well I have to say it collectors must be insane.

I often wondered that about buyers of stolen works of art. You can't show it to anyone and if your heirs inherit it they can not do anything with it and if you try to get rid of it you can be held as an accomplice to felony theft.

So goes the human psyche...

Ed

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,406 posts
Posted by Doughless on Monday, December 28, 2015 8:35 AM

gmpullman
 
John Busby
Well I have to say it collectors must be insane.

 

I often wondered that about buyers of stolen works of art. You can't show it to anyone and if your heirs inherit it they can not do anything with it and if you try to get rid of it you can be held as an accomplice to felony theft.

So goes the human psyche...

Ed

 

Taking it out of the market prevents rivals from acquiring it legally, keeping your collection competitive. 

Expression of "status" takes different forms, and acquiring a collection of anything can be seriously competitive amongst similarly minded folks.

- Douglas

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, December 28, 2015 10:20 AM

 Notice one of the early bidders - one with a high feedback number - a very reasonable bid. The couple that kept pushing it up each have only 20 feedback - novice ebayers likely cught up in the "I gotta have it" fever. What I wonder is how many people like that, after they win, at a crazy high price, end up with buyer's remorse. It's once thing if you can just toss $900 around like it's petty cash, or you've been saving because you know that "gotta have it" item WILL show up again on ebay (and they always do), but to just spur of the moment throw down that kind of cash - I'd have to be earning a LOT more than I do now to toss that kind of money around for a hobby item, if if just once a year.

 I never even tried to add up what I've spent on trains over all the years. It's a lot. But if I spent $900 per piece, I'd have a pretty pathetic collection. It would LOOK great, but the trains would be pathetically short.

 I wonder if the guy who came in second on that is a little disappointed, but at the same time relieved that he doesn't have to shell out $900.

                         --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, December 28, 2015 10:35 AM


I had a scary thing happen about 10 years ago on an eBay bid, I didn’t notice I missed the period key when I entered my max bid. Instead of $15.53 my max bid was $1553, I lucked out and got it for under $13.
 
 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Monday, December 28, 2015 1:28 PM

rrinker

 Notice one of the early bidders - one with a high feedback number - a very reasonable bid. The couple that kept pushing it up each have only 20 feedback - novice ebayers likely 

                         --Randy

 

 

Could be a couple of shill bidders also.Hmm

Jim

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!