dknelson I have seen widows and wives (and ex-wives) who over-value the model trains, but usually the modeler/owner himself has a more realistic view, perhaps because that modeler/owner used to buy other guys' stuff and realizes the drastic discount involved as soon as regular commercial model train equipment is "used." Indeed I have even seen one of a kind scratchbuilt stuff go dirt cheap. Track in particular -- previously owned but still new-in-box is one thing, but truly used track has about as much resale value as used toothbrushes. Dave Nelson
I have seen widows and wives (and ex-wives) who over-value the model trains, but usually the modeler/owner himself has a more realistic view, perhaps because that modeler/owner used to buy other guys' stuff and realizes the drastic discount involved as soon as regular commercial model train equipment is "used." Indeed I have even seen one of a kind scratchbuilt stuff go dirt cheap.
Track in particular -- previously owned but still new-in-box is one thing, but truly used track has about as much resale value as used toothbrushes.
Dave Nelson
I would definitely agree with that. After dealing in used model train equipment I've seen track, structures, and rolling stock go for pennies on the dollar. The only things that really hold any value are locomotives, passenger cars, and turnouts. Even used turnouts can bring some good coin, but they have to be in good shape & not all beat up/broken ties.
Michael
Never attempt anything you don't want to explain to the EMT
Motley Holy smokes batman, did you see how much track he has. The entire layout looks way too crowded, how in the world did he even run trains on it. Even the basement itselft looks are dark and dingy and too much crap everywhere. Defenatley Horder status.
Holy smokes batman, did you see how much track he has. The entire layout looks way too crowded, how in the world did he even run trains on it. Even the basement itselft looks are dark and dingy and too much crap everywhere. Defenatley Horder status.
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
gatrhumpy I would never buy anything from anyone who misspells something in their auction.
I would never buy anything from anyone who misspells something in their auction.
I've gotten an Kato Amtrak buisness car for $15 and a Walther's Platinum line caboose for $5 because they misspelled it and had few bidders and views. The tricky part is to deliberately misspell something to find them
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
I guarantee if he just tried to give the layout away, not including the locos and cars, that nobody would want it even free. He probably has brass track too.
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
There appears to be good stuff in this sale. Not likely that there's $90K worth. The presentation of the merchandise simply doesn't tell a potential purchaser what he's buying or whether it really is worth $90K. The ad expects the purchaser to buy a pig in a poke, and most purchasers aren't that loose with their money, even if they have a spare $90K to blow. I do sympathize with the seller's predicament & hope it never happens to me (or anybody else, for that matter); but the simple fact is that this eBay ad isn't likely to succeed, and never was likely to succeed.
tomikawaTT This is one of those unfortunate cases. The gentleman probably has everything he ever acquired, and no other assets. Now he needs funds. Reading just a little into his ad, this is probably like cutting off his arm, or trying to sell the pound of flesh closest to his heart. If I had to replace my present roster from Japanese sources at today's MSRP, I couldn't do it for $90,000 US. OTOH, if I tried to sell as a dump unload, I might make the equivalent of one month of my wife's Social Security income. That's why I don't even count my railroad as part of my estate. The kids/grandkids/great-grandkids can divide it up among themselves, either to use or to see what they can get when they try to sell it. Once I leave the building, I won't care. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
This is one of those unfortunate cases. The gentleman probably has everything he ever acquired, and no other assets. Now he needs funds. Reading just a little into his ad, this is probably like cutting off his arm, or trying to sell the pound of flesh closest to his heart.
If I had to replace my present roster from Japanese sources at today's MSRP, I couldn't do it for $90,000 US. OTOH, if I tried to sell as a dump unload, I might make the equivalent of one month of my wife's Social Security income. That's why I don't even count my railroad as part of my estate. The kids/grandkids/great-grandkids can divide it up among themselves, either to use or to see what they can get when they try to sell it. Once I leave the building, I won't care.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Chuck
Most of us have the same situation. If you need money fast, selling the trains is not the way to go.
CZ
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
richhotrainLarry, I would pay any price, given the chance to buy your layout.
You would be getting gyp..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
B&O1952 What a mess! They'll end up paying somebody to take it in the long run. They will probably sell off the few good items, and the rest, most of the layout will be trashed. Some of you might remember me talking about dismantling the layout of Mr. Tom Busack, a long time Model Railroader contributor. His layout wasn't nearly this complicated, and it took me a year to get it out of their house. It was supposed to go to our rail museum, but much of it ended up at the dump. This looks to be the case as well. -Stan
What a mess! They'll end up paying somebody to take it in the long run. They will probably sell off the few good items, and the rest, most of the layout will be trashed. Some of you might remember me talking about dismantling the layout of Mr. Tom Busack, a long time Model Railroader contributor. His layout wasn't nearly this complicated, and it took me a year to get it out of their house. It was supposed to go to our rail museum, but much of it ended up at the dump. This looks to be the case as well.
-Stan
I'd pay one of his neighbors $100 to give me a call when the seller tosses the layout out, then just rummage through it and take what I want.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
JBCA A couple of things need to be said. No one should ever enter any hobby thinking that it will return anything like the amount invested, even without counting the time spent. I sold my custom truck ($40,000 cash investment) for $15,000, the value of an equivalent truck without the customizing. Also, if there's anyone close geographically to this fellow, they should offer to help him, either to separate and list with more detail, or at least to take a bunch more photos and help with the descriptions and detail.
A couple of things need to be said.
No one should ever enter any hobby thinking that it will return anything like the amount invested, even without counting the time spent. I sold my custom truck ($40,000 cash investment) for $15,000, the value of an equivalent truck without the customizing.
Also, if there's anyone close geographically to this fellow, they should offer to help him, either to separate and list with more detail, or at least to take a bunch more photos and help with the descriptions and detail.
I think people's expectations are sometimes too high when it comes to eBay. The seller/owner is obviously not a professional businessperson, and there's nothing wrong with that. Yes, an entire layout could be listed for sale in a "professional" manner with copious notes and inventory lists, accompanied by well thought out photographs, but I feel this ad reflects this layout honestly. It is obvious that the owner/seller place a much higher value on it than any commercial value, which is (realistically) very low. Terms for pickup are stated, and the photos reflect the quality of the items well enough. Other than whatever may also inhabit that basement, there are no "surprses" here.
I'll take that offer Rich. When do you want me to show up?
Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction
BRAKIE richhotrain Even if your name is Rod Stewart, who is going to pay $90,000 for a model railroad layout and all of its related items. A lot of collectors and some memorabilia auction businesses would jump all over that because of the name Rod Stewart is attached to that model railroad stuff and they could easily triple their money. Now Rich or Larry's name attached to those same model trains..Who? Never heard of them.
richhotrain Even if your name is Rod Stewart, who is going to pay $90,000 for a model railroad layout and all of its related items.
A lot of collectors and some memorabilia auction businesses would jump all over that because of the name Rod Stewart is attached to that model railroad stuff and they could easily triple their money.
Now Rich or Larry's name attached to those same model trains..Who? Never heard of them.
Larry, I would pay any price, given the chance to buy your layout.
On the other hand, I would pay somebody $90,000 to take my layout.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrainEven if your name is Rod Stewart, who is going to pay $90,000 for a model railroad layout and all of its related items.
This thread has certainly taken its share of twists and turns.
It started out as a facetious look at an absurd auction, then grew dark for a short while over speculation that the owner of the items was down on his luck, then returned to revisit the auction.
One thing seems clear. If you are going to start an auction for a massive model railroad collection and put the starting bid at $90,000, you better do an outstanding job of lisiting the items and making arrangements to deliver the items.
Let's face it. Even if your name is Rod Stewart, who is going to pay $90,000 for a model railroad layout and all of its related items. Who has ever paid $90,000 or more for anything except, perhaps, a home? Not too many people and not in too many instances.
If this is intended to be a serious auction, break the "collection" up into smaller units and sell accordingly. And, do a much better job on putting together the auction listing.
Actually I am surprised at what some things sell for on both ends of the spectrum but after sell off half of my collection (decided to focus more), I got back way more than I spent but then I never spent close to retail. In fact some things are selling for more than I have been able to buy them for in the past and the true deals are fewer and farther apart. But no, that collection is not even worth half of what he is asking unless he has a lot of rare stuff hidden there.
JBCAMmm that makes me wonder even more if this is for real. In shipping it says may not ship to Canada. If he's really in Manitoba, sounds odd.
But it also says:
"Item location:
and
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Mmm that makes me wonder even more if this is for real. In shipping it says may not ship to Canada. If he's really in Manitoba, sounds odd.
Mark R. I still stand by my original comment .... if he's trying to sell that much stuff for that much money, it's a terrible ad. To me, that's an ad by somebody who really doesn't want to sell (I know that's not the case here, but this is my impression), so just post a half baked ad, nobody will be interested and I'll just have to keep it. If he REALLY wants to sell it, he really needs to promote it. Lots of pictures (even linked to an online album) of every individual piece along with a full description. A good salesman with a great ad can sell a piece of junk for big bucks. Mark.
I still stand by my original comment .... if he's trying to sell that much stuff for that much money, it's a terrible ad. To me, that's an ad by somebody who really doesn't want to sell (I know that's not the case here, but this is my impression), so just post a half baked ad, nobody will be interested and I'll just have to keep it.
If he REALLY wants to sell it, he really needs to promote it. Lots of pictures (even linked to an online album) of every individual piece along with a full description. A good salesman with a great ad can sell a piece of junk for big bucks.
Mark.
It appears to me that the owner of the items and the eBay seller of the items are not one and the same.
Whoever did put the listing together failed miserably. And the eBay seller has nearly 500 items to his credit based upon his feedback. So, whoever he is, he should know better. He even has misspelled words in the title to the auction.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
CTValleyRRI was going to comment on this before I knew anything about the seller. Now that I know, I will still make the comments, althought I will temper them a little by saying that I do feel sorry for the owner. It must be gutwrenching to have to get rid of his dream layout and hobby after so many years. That said, my observations: 1) Asking someone to pay a large sum of money AND come and rip id down, package it up, and pay for shipping, transportaion, lodging, etc, on top of is doesn't pass the common sense test, no matter what your circumstances). 2) How many times do you have to repost your item after a no-bid auctuon before the realization sets in that your price is too high, your terms unreasonable, or both? Again, it doesn't matter what your personal circumstances are. 3) There are a bunch of shyster insurance companies out there who will over-assess the value of an item so as to charge you a higher premium for it. 'Nuff said. 4) Value is a very individual concept. The layout tha you have spent thousands of dollars and hours of effort on (and probably derived hours of enjoyment from as well), is worth much more to it's owner than to anyome else. This is especially truein this hobby, where each of us designs a layout to suit our individual tastes. Moreover, while my craftsmanship is adequate for my own purposes, I am inder no illusion that a great many people will line up to buy it. So except to its original owner, a layout really is worth less than the sum of its parts. Given the gentleman's circumstances, we can only hope someone can help him break this down into lots that will sell, or that some well-endowed museum with a lot of volunteer help will decide to take him up on the offer.
I have to disagree somewhat with your 3rd point. I know that insurance companies will inflate the price to get higher premiums, but they are looking at the cost of replacng every part of that railroad at todays prices. When you start adding up track, components, locomotives, rolling stock, structures, scenery, electronics, and even benchwork, you may be suprised at how quickly it adds up. I'm sure that they are also adding in the labor cost of having it built. The $150,000 apprasial might not be as far off of the mark as you might think, but that in no way dictates the value of what he has on the open market.
If my home were to burn to the ground, it would probably cost in excess of $250,000 to replace it, but on the market today it's probably worth $125,000-$150,000.
Yes, this needs to be broken up and sold in reasonable lots. For example, I see a shelf full of old Atlas/Kato locos. If any of them ar undecorated RS-3's, and they were offered for a reasonable price (hint, $100 is NOT reasonable), I would probbaly buy some. Very few people are looking ot buy 20 of the same loco, or 50 of the same box car. Yes, it's more work, but more sales success can be realized by selling things of individually or in reasonably sized lots. Yes, more work to make all those listings. But also more likely to sell the item. And a few WILL result in bidding wars as ebay nutcases fixate on one item despite 3 others also available elsewhere, and run the price on some of those things way past what they are worth. All to the benefit of the seller.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Now Remember Everyone this layout is a museum. In one of tha articles he stated that he turned his train room into a museum. he charges $4 for the tour and has about 600 people pre year. Every one knows museum exhibits are expencive and most people can not afford to pay the money to own them.
From the photos this looks a little like "hoarding" just because you CAN buy all this stuff does not justify purchasing it, , look at all those power packs, and repetetive items, and that rack of boxes and boxes and boxes of unbuilt kits, don't tell me he didn't know he had too many and not ever enough time to build them, I have actually seen basements with almost as much "stuff", ( this may be a lesson to some of you guys out there too !) This predicament is self-induced with not one iota of thought as to the future of all this "stuff', sorry. I have no sympathy for this seller, he did it, he knew what he was doing now he(and probably someone else) will have to pay for his mistakes- - - Sad, indeed.
Also on the ad, he is from Canada and the ad notes "May not ship to Canada" oh well, thats ebay eh?