That does sound like you had a busy week.
How many "keeper" locomotives did you end up with?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Kevin,
Thanks for asking...........
The cabinet is downstairs, and contains:
- Stewart Santa Fe F3 ABBA warbonnet consist
- Stewart Santa Fe FT ABBA freight consist
- P2k Santas Fe PA ABBA warbonnet consist
- P2K Illinois Central E7 ABA consist
- BLI Santa Fe 4-8-4 w/detailed caboose
- BLI Santa Fe 2-10-2 w/detailed caboose
- 4 Mobil Oil tank cars built from "high end" kits
- 1 Illinois Central caboose
- 1 C&NW caboose
Have to say, the case/contents brings a smile to my face......
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Hi again,
It's been two weeks since I updated this thread and thought it was now time:
- Got the room completely painted, including the white trim. Wow, it came out nice and my other half greatly approves!
- Picked up the blinds from Lowes and installed. I assumed I had white, but they are grey. I can't return them (custom cut) but they kind of blend in anyway.
- After several vacuumings, the existing carpet looks pretty good, so for now it will stay. Frankly, I don't want "outsiders" in the house during this virus thing.
- Did a whole lot of online searching for a 4 ft. tall cabinet that would hold a 32 inch tv. Found one at Ashley Furniture, bought it, and built it. Looks good and should work out great.
- I know the type of treadmill I want and narrowed it down to 3 models. While I can easily buy one, getting one delivered and brought upstairs and installed is a problem.......again, due to the virus. But, I am persistant and will succeed (?).
- OK, all of the electronics and now all of the locos are sold. Modeling a road like the Santa Fe has its advantages when you put them up for sale of course.
- Early on, I mentioned that I thought I would get $3k from sales. Well, last night I hit that point (after fees). Yet, I still have all the rolling stock, trackage, structures and details to sell. I may take a break for a week or so, for as anyone who has sold "in bulk" on Ebay can attest, it is WORK.
- While I'm here, I would like to thank the moderators and Kalmbach for supporting this Forum and allowing me to write my story. Thank you!
Yea I was surprised at the $ I got back in my first purge.
Hi!
Well, its been three weeks since the last update and progress has been made and money spent.
- Managed to get the Nordic Track treadmill I wanted from Dick's Sporting Goods. For an additional well spent $150, the unit was delivered, brought up to the second floor, set up, and tested.
- The tv stand is from Ashley Furniture and pretty solid for a "kit built". Even though its tall for a tv stand, I still had to use some carpet covered blocks to raise it higher.
- The tv is a Samsung, and gives a great picture. The Blu-Ray is from Sony.
- The walls were pretty bare and we went to Art.Com and picked up six photos on stretched canvas.
Two are of Lake Tahoe, the others from lakes in California and points north. We have bought from Art.Com before, and they have plenty to offer and do an outstanding job of pack & ship.
- I'm pretty much in the exercise groove, doing a solid half hour a day, watching virtual walk videos as I go. Considering the deep freeze we have had here, its great to be walking indoors.
- Oh, the auctions are going extremely well. Surprisingly to me, the Illinois Central items are getting much more attention than the Santa Fe.........
Hope all are well and staying warm!
Your room looks great. You do good work.
I guess it's a little sad to see the room without a train in it.
York1 John
York1 I guess it's a little sad to see the room without a train in it.
I'd certainly think so. When my layout comes out, I plan to go down with the ship.
Wayne
doctorwayne York1 I guess it's a little sad to see the room without a train in it. I'd certainly think so. When my layout comes out, I plan to go down with the ship. Wayne
I'm with you Wayne.
Sheldon
[/quote]
That's a nice looking room, ever thought of putting an N-scale layout in there?
I will do my best to have a layout of some sort until they torch me. We took an elderly famly member to look at one of these retirement places where you buy a 1, 2, or 3 bdrm condo but it has all the amenities a full retirement home has, like you can go down for all or some of your meals.....
I asked the sales lady if I could buy two next to each other and would it be possible to knock the walls out of one of them? She looked at me funny and said why would you ever want to do that. I said I would build my MRR in the other one. At that point my wife said, You think he's kidding?
With what I could sell my house for I could buy a whole floor! Imagine the elevator opening to Brents Wunderland!
All kidding aside MM, it is sad to see it gone. I always enjoy the pics you posted.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Rich
Alton Junction
While the layout may be gone.......
- I continue to be an enthusiast
- I have two years subscriptions to MR and CT and the ATSF & Illinois historical societies.
- I have a (IMO) nicely filled HO display case.
- I have a sizeable postwar Lionel collection.
- I have some craftsman railcar kits to build.
- I have hundreds of layout & MR project pics available to share.
- And I'm still hanging in there to enjoy all the above.
I guess that puts me in the ranks of several forum members who are also "layout challenged".......... and it ain't a bad place to be!
There is another thread discussing the changes at Ebay. Have you noticed any difference?
Rick
mobilman44 I guess that puts me in the ranks of several forum members who are also "layout challenged"
I guess that puts me in the ranks of several forum members who are also "layout challenged"
If this thread does nothing else, it raises the issue once again about if and when a layout should be taken down for the last time. I had a family member who passed away years ago, and his layout still sits undisturbed in his basement.
I don't relish the thought of passing away and leaving a large layout still in place for surviving family members to deal with. On the other hand, as long as I am alive and kicking, I am not particularly anxious to demolish my layout, perhaps long before my number is called.
Speaking for myself, if I demolish my current layout without any plans to build another one, I will no longer be a model railroader. But that's me.
I used to raise tropical fish as a hobby, but once I sold off all the fish and tanks and whatever, I never bothered to keep up with advances in the hobby. Same with golf. It's a current passion of mine, but when I can no longer play, I will sell my golf clubs, terminate my country club membership, and be done with it.
richhotrain If this thread does nothing else, it raises the issue once again about if and when a layout should be taken down for the last time. I had a family member who passed away years ago, and his layout still sits undisturbed in his basement. I don't relish the thought of passing away and leaving a large layout still in place for surviving family members to deal with. On the other hand, as long as I am alive and kicking, I am not particularly anxious to demolish my layout, perhaps long before my number is called.
I think of this from time to time also and feel the same way. My family has no clue how much I have tied up in this hobby. (Same as my fishing gear.) If I live to a point that I can no longer participate in the activities I will start to sell things off. If I die before I can do that I have left a note about what things are worth, but I doubt if my family will do much to maximize value. So be it - at that point it won't bother me.
As for actual demolition they can just hire someone to do it.
I envy the Pharaohs. When they were entombed in their pyramids, they took their model trains along with them to the afterlife.
Regarding Ebay......
I've run about 60 auctions in the last 3 months. The selling function is easier, but so is everything else once you get the hang of it. Money wise, I really don't see any difference, and don't have any serious complaints at all.
I love it when I can transfer "k"s out of Paypal to the bank account!
BTW, out of the 60 auctions, only THREE are left unsold, although they just might sell tonight! I've got about another 60 to go, doing 6-8 a week.
I've been an Ebayer since 1999, and for me its been a godsend (as has this forum)............
mobilman, I assume that you are aware of the pending change in eBay's policy regarding "Managed Payments" whic will require sellers to set up a bank account of some sort to which all buyer payments will be deposited. Bye, bye, PayPal as far as payments to the seller are concerned. Buyers can still use PayPal to make their payments to sellers, but eBay will intercept those payments and direct them into the seller's Managed Payment account.
richhotrain mobilman, I assume that you are aware of the pending change in eBay's policy regarding "Managed Payments" whic will require sellers to set up a bank account of some sort to which all buyer payments will be deposited. Bye, bye, PayPal as far as payments to the seller are concerned. Buyers can still use PayPal to make their payments to sellers, but eBay will intercept those payments and direct them into the seller's Managed Payment account. Rich
Ebay has already shut me down because I would not switch over to the managed payment system.
Another reason to be done with Ebay as a seller, the rules are not the same for everyone. I got out of a real income producing business decades ago mainly becuase the people I was in buiness with thought they could change the rules in the middle of the game - that was MATCO TOOLS.
I am already noticing fewer Ebay sellers and higher Ebay prices - looks like I will be buying less on there as well.
Mobilman, glad this process has gone well for you. I respect your personal choices and reasons, my choices will likely be much different.
I've never been good at being on the "side lines" of any interest or activity. Either I'm in, or I'm out.
With model trains I plan to be "all in" until they carry me out of the basement.
I thought that had already happened?
The other issue was that a buyer can make a claim about a problem and just keep the item without paying. Any experience with that?
hbgatsf richhotrain mobilman, I assume that you are aware of the pending change in eBay's policy regarding "Managed Payments" whic will require sellers to set up a bank account of some sort to which all buyer payments will be deposited. Bye, bye, PayPal as far as payments to the seller are concerned. Buyers can still use PayPal to make their payments to sellers, but eBay will intercept those payments and direct them into the seller's Managed Payment account. Rich I thought that had already happened? The other issue was that a buyer can make a claim about a problem and just keep the item without paying. Any experience with that? Rick
Read my post.
The last couple of weeks, I've been selling off excess kits I have accumulated, about a dozen so far, more to go.
Everything has been through PayPal, and I have not been told by Ebay that I need to set up whatever kind of account that is being talked about.
I have a bunch of freight car kits, and quite a few RTR cars to sell off, along with a few locos.
I'll stick with Ebay, for now. Using the alternative sale sites, your item quickly gets lost, and left behind.
I have WAYYY more locos and cars than is needed for my small lay out, time to downsize.
As far as the lay out, it will stay in place until, and if, we decide to move to something with out stairs.
Mike.
My You Tube
Where ever I end up living, there should always be enough room for just a shelf type layout, even laid out on top of several dressers butted together. Seeing trains move and light up, hearing the sounds, detailing some structures, switching some cars should keep the hobby active for me.
Ebay shut me out as a seller because I refuse to give them my social security number for the managed payments.
This is prime buying/selling season for MR items. I have noticed a lot fewer items, and a lot higher prices. Consequently, I have little interest in using ebay as a buying source too.
Seems like dealers have/will take over Ebay as an alternative store front to the well known stores that have their own websites.
Ebay is positioning itself to be a very, very, poor alternative to those stores, IMO.
Having just gone through a large item purge in 2020, my experience would sya that folks will vastly underestimate what they will get after its all added up.
I would say that they probably overshoot the value of any one model, but when just taking a quick thought or look around the room of what could be sold, they underestimate the number of items that somebody somewhere will actually buy. It adds up, and the final $ collected can be surprising (also tells you how much more you originally spent on the hobby than you thought...it adds up that way too).
And to the topic, congratulations Mobilman on your new chapter. The room looks good...and good for your health.
- Douglas
mbinsewi The last couple of weeks, I've been selling off excess kits I have accumulated, about a dozen so far, more to go. Everything has been through PayPal, and I have not been told by Ebay that I need to set up whatever kind of account that is being talked about.
richhotrain mbinsewi The last couple of weeks, I've been selling off excess kits I have accumulated, about a dozen so far, more to go. Everything has been through PayPal, and I have not been told by Ebay that I need to set up whatever kind of account that is being talked about. It is apparently a rolling change. I have been told that I have until February 28th to comply. Others have reported that they had to meet deadlines back in December and January. Rich
It is apparently a rolling change. I have been told that I have until February 28th to comply. Others have reported that they had to meet deadlines back in December and January.
I was given a deadline. I continued to try to list beyond that original deadline, and succeeded. Whenever I listed past the deadline, they warned me about having to sign up for MP, but still offered a "continue listing" button for the item. I eagerly pressed it and was able to list about 30 items after the original deadline before ebay finally shut that down for good. So there also appears to be a rolling hard deadline within the deadline.
Doughless Having just gone through a large item purge in 2020, my experience would sya that folks will vastly underestimate what they will get after its all added up. I would say that they probably overshoot the value of any one model, but when just taking a quick thought or look around the room of what could be sold, they underestimate the number of items that somebody somewhere will actually buy. It adds up, and the final $ collected can be surprising (also tells you how much more you originally spent on the hobby than you thought...it adds up that way too). And to the topic, congratulations Mobilman on your new chapter. The room looks good...and good for your health.
Since Mobilman is in the purge mode, I don't feel I am going off topic here.
Glad your purge and Mobilman's purge have gone well. As most know I am starting a new layout soon. Part of the design process of that layout has been to assess what I have, what need, what I will still need to buy, and what I might not need or use.
I am happy to report that the last item, things I have that I might not need or use, is a very small list, comfirming my earlier view that I basically have nothing to purge. And since I plan to die owning this stuff, the usefulness of Ebay is not much of a factor for me.
Ebay has shut down my GRAVELY tractor parts business because I would not switch to their new payment system, and give them my bank account and social security information - it was a business with no more sales volume than many modelers just clearing out a few items, BUT, I always sold my products "buy it now", not auction style.
That may have been what moved me up to a harder deadline. Several weeks ago I could no longer edit my listings other than to stop them, and could not create new listings - I was locked out. I still owe them 99 cents, they can take it from PayPal or they can pound sand.
And, in the catagories I shop in or watch, prices are up, selection is down.
To clarify a couple things............
- For me, Ebay / PayPal are the same (money wise) as they have been. Maybe that will change tomorrow, next month or next year. But for now, its the same.
- The things I have done were decided by myself for me. I have no desire to convince anyone to do it "my way" or to even hint that "my way" is best. Would I change anything I've done or how I've done it? Nope, can't think of a thing.
mobilman44The things I have done were decided by myself for me. I have no desire to convince anyone to do it "my way" or to even hint that "my way" is best.
Same here. I can share what worked for me, what didn't, and what I would do differently. However, my way is rarely the right way for many others.
This has been an interesting topic.
I started my layout about three years ago.
In that short time, I have already bought some things that I now know I won't use on this layout. If I ever start over, I may find a use for them.
It's amazing that in just three years, I already have some drawers full of unused things.
delete
mobilman44 To clarify a couple things............ - For me, Ebay / PayPal are the same (money wise) as they have been. Maybe that will change tomorrow, next month or next year. But for now, its the same. - The things I have done were decided by myself for me. I have no desire to convince anyone to do it "my way" or to even hint that "my way" is best. Would I change anything I've done or how I've done it? Nope, can't think of a thing.
Thank you for starting the thread and sharing your perspective.
I am building a layout now. But, the wife and I have 90% decided that we will be moving to SW Florida in 4 years, when I'm 62and she 59. No, I'm not building this current layout for portability, so reading your saga of removing the layout is interesting.
Can't say what will happen once in FL. We will look for a house that has space for a layout. Whether that will be a second story bonus room, third car garage, or a spare bedroom; we can't say. There are no basements in SW FL, and I'm not basing my new location on which house is best for a layout. A covered pool for lap swimming and exercise is top priority, so we'll see where this goes.
I expect to have another purge in 4 years. Likely to accomodate a smaller space than I have now.
Again, thanks for sharing your perspective.