Ebay and Trains

[Anonymous]

Also be careful who you buy it from. Some people will have a really nice piece of equiptment but will say "I don't know a thing about trains". I heard of someone who bought a really nice loco but when he got it it turned to be "gutted".

[Anonymous]

I have had enormous sucess using eBay. I've won a lot of old and out-of-production items as well as paper, etc.

Two things to consider:
Be very specific about what you want when you search and try several variations. (That also means , learn the abbreviations, like "LLP2K" because the real model railroaders out there will list things in that way.)

And...make some intentional misspellings in your searches. You'd be amazed how many items out there are not spelled correctly, which means they won't come up in a search, which means you may be one of the few to bid if you make a mistake in your entry. Best example, although it's pretty common: "Atheran."

[dragenrider]

If someone would take all this information and compile it, you'd have a heck of an article for MR. It would answer a lot questions, too.

I've had only good luck with eBay. And it is indeed a great place to find the odd, unusual and out of production items. The problem is sorting through all the useless Tyco and Life Like from twenty years ago.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougal

Sorry about your trainset 4884bigboy.[:O]

Thanks for your simpathy..........oh well, it wasn't that cool anyway. Oh yeah, that was a good piece of advice about old (real, prototype) train parts. I see them on there all the time. Better check to make sure they're not stolen.[:0]

[Jetrock]

I have bought quite a few things via eBay--rare traction books, a pair of brass Birney trolleys, and one-of-a-kind or rare items. For more mundane purchase I prefer to hit the local hobby shop, but eBay is pretty good for the oddball and obscure stuff. Traction modeling would be a lot harder without it.

[sparkingbolt]

Don't forget to INSURE YOUR PURCHACES if possable. The only time I forgot, of course, I received a pile of fragments of the original items. (not train related) Dan

[orsonroy]

I generally pay via Paypal, since the payment gets to the seller faster than any other form of payment, and it's a very secure site. My rating is over 215 with something like 400 Ebay transactions, and I haven't had a bad Ebay deal yet. I've also bought a lot of items from the UK site, and have never had a problem with any international auction.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by krump

Ebay was one of those "challenges" to my comfort zone. I only use Ebay.ca (the Canadian site), and I will only pay with a personal cheque

Same here - I'll only use the eBay UK site and pay by cheque - partly due to shipping costs, partly because of the "comfort zone" thing. I'll also only pay by cheque as this is less vulnerable to fraud than credit cards.

[Anonymous]

I collect vintage toy trains, so ebay is a very good place to find things like that. Often you can find good deals if you search long enough. Many people selling on ebay don't have a clue about what it is that they have and can many times have poor descriptions. It's worth it to try and find these. For example, if you want to buy an Athearn GP9 and did a search for "Athearn GP9" you wouldn't find the clueless person who has one listed as a "model train engine". It takes time to find these, but you can get some deals. Over 90% of the listings in the category "Other Scales" belong somewhere else and are being sold by people with no knowledge of trains. Sometimes people can do really stupid things, like sell a steam locomotive and tender seperately. I once bid on one like that and ended up with just the engine and I still haven't found the right tender yet. I'd sooner see some unrelated trains put into one lot than a set split up. Also, sometimes people need a lesson in how to properly package things. I've received lots of model trains that have been just thrown into a box. Nothing's been damaged yet, though. However, the deals I've got certainly outweight the dissappointments.

[leighant]

I tried e-bidding for the first time YESTERDAY.
It happens I was looking at the Atlasrr.com forum and I saw a picture of a guy's layout with a bunch of cars lettered like a prototype car I have been thinking about trying to decal somehow... a private owner car I wanted ONE of, to fit my region and theme, etc. Since the layout looked like that of a newbie, and the guy had a train of as many cars as the private owner ever had, I assumed it was probably an inexpensive mass-produced car that I had just not heard about. Not all mftrs advertise everything.
I tried some internet hobby dealers that carry lots of stuff and couldn't find the item. Goggled and the only reference to the particular car I sought was one car in a train set, and links to the particular car on -ebay. I wanted to buy the item at least from a regular internet store-- I live over 150 miles from a train store. Got out the current Model Railroader magazine and tried every hobby dealer that advertised a website-- nobody had this item. Also no manufacturer website for the item.
Finally tried e-bay. I assume this car sold for 3.99 or 4.99 retail, and probably only was available in limited outlets for a year or two max, and a year or two ago. Just not everybody sells this particular brand, a bit of an off brand.
I found the item on e-bay for a price about the same as you'd find in a store--but I could eat up $$$$ driving and phoning around the country looking. A lot of times, I will go in a store and not find anything I really need for the layout, but buy something of so-so interest just to be buying something. Anyway, the shipping adds to the expense, but to get something I really want and not a lot of stuff to sit around, wondering what I am ever going to do with it.
I bid a little over the listed price- I don't remember what they call it-- and got an e-mail saying my bid was high so far.
Because of the shipping cost, I clicked on "other items by same seller". Mostly stuff I couldn't use or didn't want or could find better elsewhere. But I did find an interesting old out-of-production wood kit at a better-than-original price. Might possibly use as designed, and anyway, wood craftsman structure kits are easy to build differently than what the box shows....
I think I'm okay so far. But I am not expecting to get the same thing I would buy at a --- what will we call it-- a more traditional source.
In that hierarchy of sources, let's see-- local hobby store most traditional, mail order, internet dealer, and e-bay auction seller, least traditional.
Actually there is one train source more traditional than the local hobby store. When I was 4 and 5 years old back in 1950, Santa Claus brought me trains from the Christmas Train Department that was set up seasonally at Sears Roebuck. There would be a BIG layout 20 feet long in the toy department behind the counter with 3 Lionel sets running at once and several operating accesories to demonstrate, plus a big display in the main show window at the front corner of the store with about 3 train sets running continuously on oversized loops.
If e-bay works for me, I will probably try selling a few oddball model items and prototype stuff that will be of marginal interest to 97% of model railroaders and of enthusistic interest to the appropriate .05% of model railroaders.

[krump]

Ebay was one of those "challenges" to my comfort zone. I only use Ebay.ca (the Canadian site), and I will only pay with a personal cheque as I refuse to use a credit card - particularly not online, PayPal costs extra fees anyway (most sellers I've contacted, have ultimately found personal cheques acceptable if you don't mind waiting for the cheque to clear. Many of these sellers do not indicate the option of personal cheques until you ask).
I have discovered MARKLIN products in HO scale. I've found some interesting rolling stock (two items purchased so far) in the past 3 months - so I'm being very selective, losing more bids than I "win" (purchase).
My rule of thumb is that my final cost (bid in Cdn + shipping + taxes) should be at least 30% less than a retail purchase in a hobby store. If I can't save at least 30% then it's too expensive for me (my wife shops Ebay.ca for scrap booking supplies, using the same arrangements) ... exceptions would be for rare, unique items that you wouldn't otherwise find. Occasionally you can get a really good deal, but most are average (after all, many stores offer routine sales).
I have fun with Ebay.ca, I don't NEED anything for my hobby so the waiting is fine, receiving packages is better than a phone bill, and I probably spend less than a trip to the hobby store - so in my twisted way of budgeting I'm saving money.
Besides, I'm no longer scared of Ebay. Know who you are buying from... check their satisfaction rating 98% or better, read reviews positive / negative alike, where is the item sent from (distance vs shipping costs), how experienced is the seller re Ebay ( a higher # behind name is a good indication), what do the reviews indicate re communication, timeliness of mailing your purchase, quality of packaging / mail prep, is insurance available?, is the product description ACCURATE, is the seller familiar with trains - are they selling a lot of model r/r items or do they know nothing about it and intead sell Hotwheels/videos/cutlery regularly???, and use caution!!!

we have made 18 purchases in total (2 are mine...hmm) without any trouble.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[Anonymous]

I have had good luck with eBay, has most of you have said,know what you want and what the normal price is.Look over the pics of the items you are going to bid on,make sure its the brand that you think or should I said the seller tells you it is.Two weeks ago there was a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 on eBay, but when I started really looking over the photos,I could tell it was a IHC 2-8-0, not near as good has Bachmann's.
Another thing I have been noticing more is N scale stuff finding its way into the HO stuff.
Have fun but remember buyer beware.

[Anonymous]

I haven't tried Ebay yet but will soon. If you buy some piece of a engine(horn, numberboard ect.) you need to be careful that the item wasn't stolen. Many people get rid of the stuff they stole that way. Sorry about your trainset 4884bigboy.[:O]

[brothaslide]

I was fortunate to buy an Athearn GP60M on e-bay for about $30 less than what the hobby shops were asking. It was new-in-the-box.

I agree, the shipping costs will deter you from buying that single box car on line.

The bottom line as stated by others - do your homework and you will find that good deal that pops up every now and then.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SuperChiefFan

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

I've bought a train painting and a train set from Ebay. Sadly, the guy shipped the wrong set and later said he did not have the one I paid for!!!!!!!!![:(!]

[:(]This is disturbing--finding that what you received wasn't what you anticipated. Did the guy make amends, or are you having difficulty getting what's owed you?[?]

The guy gave me a refund and I shipped the incorrect set back. I should have asked him if I could've kept it. It was cool. Had a little AT&SF FT and some frieght cars............

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BruceJob

I've had good luck in purchasing structure kits and engines thru eBay auctions. You can find some bargains if you follow some do's and don'ts:

DO:

Your homework. Research some of the discount internet retailers to get an idea of the price range of the item you're interested in.

Be patient. You'll probably see the item you want listed for auction in your price range...eventually.

Check the feedback rating.That's a good indicator of the reliability of the seller. My experience has been positive overall...most buyers and sellers are trustworthy. Those that aren't can be spotted by the negative feedback.

DON'T

Catch auction fever. Bid the max price you're willing to pay, then wait until the end of the auction.

Hope this is helpful.

Bruce J.

What he said.......

I have made many model purchases from Ebay and frequent it often. My wife buys there often too. We have had mostly good, a couple of less than ideal, but knock on wood, no bad transactions.


Know what you're looking for and have an idea what market price is....based on LHS +tax and internet, mailorder + shipping. And then decide what your reasonable price is ..AND STICK TO IT...like Bruce said..alot of Ebayers have a tendency to get caught in a ego driven last minute bidding frenzy...then they end up paying more for it than list and shipping to boot. Discipline............

Do check out feedback on sellers. If they have have negs or neutrals...read why.....alot of these folks are pro ebay sellers and can be quite jerks ......in fact, to see how some of them refer to sellers, go to the Ebay Community page and then to the discussion boards..it will give you a different perspective on some of the sellers.

Don't be afraid to email the seller with questions either.

And do be patient....if you don't win that one, try again, chances are that another will be listed.

Try searchinig "lot" or "lots" occasionally. Folks will put up a box of items for sale...good kitbashing material and stuff.

Hope this helps

[Anonymous]

do your reserch!!!!!!!!!!

[vsmith]

Ebay is Caviet Emptor, but itsstrongest selling point is its the best dam place on earth to find long out of production items.

Going to a local swap meet saw prices way above what sellers on ebay offered. Remember the swap meet seller knows what he's selling and wants a premium for it. Many ebay sellers are often just cleaning out gramp's collection and just want to get rid of it. So you can get some really good bagains out there. Some simple rules:

BE PATIENT, cant find something, 6 days or 6 months, it will eventually show up.

ADD SHIPPING COST TO YOUR MAX BID. never bid without adding shipping to your max bid.

KNOW YOUR MAX BID, DONT EXCEED IT. bidding wars are for idiots.

CHECK THE SELLERS RATING, often the best way to spot a lemon.

ONLY BID ON ITEMS THAT HAVE PHOTOS. at least you have an idea of condition from photo.

NEVER BID ON RESERVE ITEMS. I hate reserves, reserves on items are from greedy bastards who dont want to tell you up front what they want for it. so they put it up for bid starting at $1 and it goes up to $25 after the auction has closed, only then they tell you they want $100, bastards!

I have gotten several items from ebay. I do Large Scale so ebay is a huge source of savings for me. Also there are not many LHS that carry LS, so that do have limited selection and ordering can be both expensive (full retail price) and difficult (one LHS cant get naything unless Walthers carries it, and Walthers has a poor selection).

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

I've bought a train painting and a train set from Ebay. Sadly, the guy shipped the wrong set and later said he did not have the one I paid for!!!!!!!!![:(!]

[:(]This is disturbing--finding that what you received wasn't what you anticipated. Did the guy make amends, or are you having difficulty getting what's owed you?[?]

[Anonymous]

I've bought a train painting and a train set from Ebay. Sadly, the guy shipped the wrong set and later said he did not have the one I paid for!!!!!!!!![:(!]

[Anonymous]

As everyone else has said, It's important to do your homework. I've bought a couple of locos from eBay, and had a good laugh at some of the crazy prices others have paid. The trick is to work out how much the item would be in a normal hobby shop, and then don't bid more than this. I mostly look for stuff that isn't available anymore in normal hobby stores - I won a brand new, never been opened Athearn BNSF Warbonnet Dash 9 dummy recently in this way. Also, be careful of your sellers. Only buy from people with very high positive feedback, this should protect you from the scammers!

[Anonymous]

Ebay rocks if you know what you are doing. As with everything else in this world, the more effort you put into it, the more you will get out of it.

Warren

[MAbruce]

I've had some success with ebay. As it has been said before, if you don't know your prices and you're an impatient person, you will likely get burned.

I have found that good deals have been harder to find over the past year. It seems that many have discovered ebay, and often have notions of getting top dollar (and beyond) for their “treasures” (or insert whatever clever word they came up with to describe their old junk).

I’ve also noticed that several dealers have joined in too; often starting bids below MSRP but above what savvy bidders generally considers a fair price.

Freight – well, that’s a whole different story. You just have to consider shipping and handling charges as part of the price of the item. Some may overcharge, but it really depends on what the final bid price is. If you get a steal, then a high S&H charge can be justified. My only rule here is that I don’t bid on an item where the seller has not clearly stated the S&H charges.

It’s always worth it to keep an eye on ebay, but just don’t expect to constantly find great deals.

[Anonymous]

As always - Let the buyer beware. EBay is an excellent source if you follow the rules as stated above. I live 55miles from the nearest hobby store. Sales tax has not been mentioned and can certainly offset the freight charge of an item.

Here's a hobby shop from Canada that sells in US dollars. www.modeltrains.com . Lots of brass too with sales.

Research, compare, patience, set your price of what you are willing to pay, - is all it takes. And I have met some neat people from all over using EBay. But I do not buy from people with a feedback rating of less than 98% unless I email them and ask questions. Check them out if you will.

[orsonroy]

Ebay is probably the best swap meet out there. Yes, you CAN find new things cheaper IF you dig around long enough and are lucky enough to find exactly what you're looking for, but chances are that you'll find things more easily on Ebay.

Doing your homework is definitely important. I generally shop for all my big ticket items online, whether it's Ebay or one of the larger internet hobby shops. I occasionally also purchase from Trainworld, which is really mail order only with an OK website. The key is to find the best price, period.

Knowing what the shipping charges are on Ebay is definitely a big issue. You might pay $2.99 for an Athearn kit, but then pay $10 shipping! Buying freight cars doesn't really work on Ebay unless you buy batches of them, to lower the individual cost of shipping. Case in point: I buy RTR Red Caboose cars and F&C resin kits from Ebay vendors, but only when I have the money for at least five of each. This way, I can get the cars, including shipping, for less than what any brick & mortar store can sell them for, including the 10%-20% discounts I get from most local shops.

I've found that Ebay is best for picking up out of production stuff, used brass steam, and brand new engines. It's also been a fantastic help in finding research material for the line I'm trying to model. Ebay isn't the place to look for track, scenery supplies, raw material, or buildings (unless the kit's out of stock).

[Anonymous]

Ebay seems to be a good place to sell used, broken, and white elephant stuff, be it train or anything else. Most new items I seen there can be purchased elsewhere for the same or less money if you know where to buy them. An example is the week before Christmas the local Hobby Lobby was selling trains train stuff at 50% off list. The bottom line is the sellers on ebay are not selling there to loose money. They have to pay for the item, listing fee, selling fee, and paying fee if you pay with paypal. The seller also have to make some money. So thinking you will somehow magically get a bargin there is hype that Ebay sells you so they can make money. FRED

[nfmisso]

I have bought and sold on ebay, not just trains. As others have mentioned, RESEARCH, know what you are looking for, know how much it costs elsewhere, know your dealers.

If you want something special that is not generally available, set up a search that e-mails you when things matching your criteria are listing.

Several well known Hobby Stores have an ebay presence. One non-train dealer I recently found, and purchased quite a bit from was Stanley tools, they are getting rid of thier over stock via ebay. http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&userid=stanley_authorized_auctions&sort=3&page=1&rows=5000&since=-1&rdir=0

[Anonymous]

i do about 80% of my model train buying on ebay. i love the deals there and the ease of payment. i have only been ripped off once, when i recieved a piece of cr^& locomotive. I also sell there from time to time and i have only ran into 2 people that didnt pay. I can get everything i want and pay less that i would at my LHS. he doesnt discount hardly at all.

you can find just about everything you want on ebay. and it is an excellent place to find all those rare and hard to find older runs. be sure to set what you are willing to pay and dont get caught up in excessive last second bidding. as i type this, i am looking at a pile of stuff i still need to sell since changing eras.

[Anonymous]

Ive never bought anything, but I had seen this guy selling his whole HO collection for $150 or something once, needed a whole lot of photos to show it all.