The recent post about the cost of the hobby quickly spiraled out of control, as many on that subject do.
They seem to always be divided between those who understand the math behind economics, inflation, currancy value and those who simply have emotional reactions based on their preceptions or their personal situation. A sure fire formula for disagreement.
To look at this from a positive rather than a negative, I would like to share some of the bargins I have found over the last 4-5 years, in part to deminstrate that the hobby can be done on a reasonable budget. Even if the needs/wants are some what large.
Some will read this and turn up their noises at my product choices, others will say that's fine but I model this or that. That is not the point. The point is if you look around, search a little, be patient, seize opertunities when they appear, you can save a lot of money and have most of what you want.
I will not list the shops/sources of these products, but I will indicate which where new/dealer vs used.
By the way, most where new in the box, even if bought "private party used". All are without DCC/sound except as noted, or if they came DCC I removed it since I don't use DCC.
And, I freelance so many of my needed products are unlettered/undecorated - sometimes this helps, sometimes it hurts the process. Anyway, my bargins:
2 ABBA sets of Proto2000 FA1's, mail order, new, $29.95 for each AB set
6 Bachmann Spectrum USRA 4-8-2H, retail, new, highest price $109.00
2 Bachmann Spectrum USRA 2-6-6-2, ebay, new, $75.00 ea
1 Proto2000 0-8-0, train show, private party, new, $45.00
1 BLI Blueline USRA 2-8-2H, ebay, new, $150.00
1 BLI Powerhouse USRA 2-8-2H, private party, barely used, $100.00
8 Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0's, some retail, some train shows, all new, price range $50-$80
1 BLI N&W 2-6-6-4 (original DCC/sound version), mail order, new $260.00
4 Proto2000 Alco PA1's, retail, new, $30.00 ea.
6 Proto2000 EMD GP7's, various versions, no DCC, mail order, new, highest price $35.00 ea.
I have a fairly large roster of locos ( about 100 locos), but not as large as some modelers I know. It is a roster desired for the operation of a specific layout design I am building and very few locos are "extra". The layout will stage about 20 trains, each requiring 2-3 diesels or double headed steam in most cases.
Sometimes I pay more, to be sure I get some key piece, or because it is apparent the supply may not generate too many of these pricing oppertunities, but the bargins are out there - just look for them.
Sheldon
Atlas HO scale Silver Series GP40-2: $70 at M B Klein (modeltrainstuff.com)
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
Recently picked up ATLAS RS2--2/$80cdn----
As Sheldon said---just keep the eyes open-----
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
I was at a train show sponsored by a local train club about a month ago, and one dealer was selling brand new cars -- Atlas, Proto 2k, Intermountain, and Bowser -- for $5 a piece. The price was so good I snapped up stuff I didn't even need, and it was a show I almost didn't bother to attend. I think there are often better bargains to be found at smaller shows, as opposed to the huge ones where everyone seems to be charging at or near retail.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
I guess my layout can be considered a rolling example of just that! Used locomotives, average freightcar priced at $5, used structures, and a lot of track, scenery, and roadbed donated by friends who had no use for them.
I've managed to build a completely operating, good-sized layout on a really tight budget, by looking for the bargains, buying used, and squeezing every last asset I had... Including old stuff I didn't need, which I traded (I got half of my P2K roster that way) or sold, contract work, and the layout itself!
If you get people involved with the layout, they're more likely to help out... One member here donated all the roadbed I needed for my mainline, another enough Kadee couplers for my whole fleet, and a close friend has provided a huge box of track, a bag of ground foam and other scenery stuff, and custom paint and decal jobs for my entire fleet. That's not to mention the guidence that convinced me to tear up and re-do the entire layout surface and more, with the exception of one hill, the Mascoma Lake Grade, the depot in one town, and one industry.
So I'm probably the last person to complain about the cost of this hobby, at least until all my friends die and all the train shows in New England cease!
I just picked up a new N scale Kato PA/B set for 59.00 off E-bay. The guy said he lost his job and was selling off his entire collection of twenty years and he set the opening bid real low and I snagged it.
This is happening a lot more these days with this economy.
N Scale Diesels......I like 'em
atlas mp15dc on ebay for 40.00 with the decoder already installed, 2 undec atlas silver series rs-1 off ebay for 40.00 each. Athearn sw-7x2 +gondola for $15.00 total. everything runs great. Bachmann 4-8-2 light mountain brand new in box never run for $30.00. Fully assembled 3 stall roundhouse that is very well painted and weathered for $20 at a local show. The deals are there just as long as no one else is looking for the same thing you are.
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
Just got a high end $150 round lighted magnifying light at a yardsale for $1.50!! Perfect condition! I almost didn't stop because it looked like all womens cloths.
Jimmydieselfan I just picked up a new N scale Kato PA/B set for 59.00 off E-bay. The guy said he lost his job and was selling off his entire collection of twenty years and he set the opening bid real low and I snagged it. This is happening a lot more these days with this economy.
Also watch for yard sales. Do not be surprised that these will show up here as well. Yesterday, while out with friend doing the backroad tour---more trying to find old entrance to East mill site for Carmeuse Limestone near Beachville---aherm---came across two yardsales---1 had a whole bunch of HO lokes for sale (phoned up another buddy who models in HO--snagged a good deal) ---so watch for those---and watch things like Kijiji for classifieds----yah, I know, goodly amount show up on eBay but seen these too.
Items gently used and sold from LHS:
3 Atlas MP15's; $45, $50, $55. Atlas C424; $55. P2K GP38-2; $35. P2K GP18; $15 (needed wire resoldered to truck).
From the Bay:
Atlas GP38 North Shore; $56.25 inc. shipping Several P2K GP's; $27.85 to $40, inc. shipping.
From Train Shows;
2 Atlas C424's w/LED's; $30 each. Atlas GP40 w/LED; $35. Athear CF7; $15
ConCor blowout clearance from several years ago:
4 Weekly Herald structures, $5.99 each. 12 Moxham Soap Works structures $2.99 (used for kitbashing brick sheet walls)
- Douglas
Athearn Genesis F3AB set with sound $229, 11-Bachman Silver Series N&W hoppers retail $16ea., I paid $8ea.(MB Klein), Athearn Genesis A unit with sound $90(LHS) BlueLine Big Boy $179, Bachman Spectrum 4-8-2 dcc and sound $189
This is what I can recal, all BN unless noted:
3 Atlas/Kato C425s, $10 eachP2K GP30, $30P2K GP7 with sound PRR, $100. 11 MDC 3-bay hoppers, $27 (No repeat numbers!!!)2 P2K SD45s, $40 each1 Atlas U30C, $35 (horn and beacon needed to be re-glued on)1 Sound-equipped Atlas UP U30C, $70 (sound was for a SD40-2, but that might end up helping later, question is why did Tony's put that in there?)2 Athearn SW1500s, powered dummy set $351 Athearn RTR GP35 NIB, $352 Atlas U33Cs $702 Atlas SD24s NIB, $100 (one is a CB&Q awaiting a patch)1 Red Caboose XM-1 boxcar, B&M $-18.00 (Got for free, sold for 18 bucks)
There may be a few others I'm missing.
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.
2 Proto GP-9s, $40 each, M.B. Klein
Proto subway set, $80, Trainworld
Proto S1 - $50, consignment at LHS ("used," but actually new in the box)
Proto SW7 with DCC and sound, $99, Walthers catalog
BLI Hudson with DCC and sound, $129, Trainworld
I've just ordered Walthers lighting kits for my passenger cars, $4.95 per set from Walthers. It's a closeout, so get 'em now.
And, of course, coffee stirrers for scratchbuilding are still free!
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Buying used stuff can be a great way to manage your hobby dollars. I know some people refuse to buy used stuff. But as a sign on the local car lot says "Everybody drives a used car." It helps to be handy with simple repairs.
I once picked up a nice selection of HO stuff at a run-of-the-mill yard sale, including a fairly new Kato locomotive. I gathered the husband was selling under duress from the wife. They did not have a lot of money to judge from their house and possessions and it looked like she put her foot down. She looked as happy as he looked unhappy as I left with his trains.
Dave Nelson
Sheldon,I agree there are many ways to cut hobby costs from buying use to hoss trading.
Here is some of the HO deals I got from various sources.
A Atlas S4 $35.00.(New)
Atheran IHB limited Edition set..$30.00(New)
3 Athearn SW1500 @ $10.00 ea ($30.00 total) (Used)
Atlas C&O GP7.$30.00(used)
Atlas C&O GP38 free(New)..A 1st place contest prize.
Athearn SW1000 $12.00 (use)
I have paid $2.50-6.50 for good use cars..90% was equipped with KD couplers.
Some N Scale deals.
Atlas GP15 2 fer $85.00 (new)
Atlas GP38-2 $59.99(New)
Atlas GP38-2 $49.99(New)
Atlas GP9 $55.00(New)
Intermountain freight cars $8.50 ea(Use)..
I have bought several use cars and old MDC/ Roundhouse kits for as low as $2.00 ea.
Some hoss tradin' deals.
Atlas PRR GP7 shells for C&O shells.
40' boxcars for modern 50' boxcars-1 fer 1.
A Athearn B&O GP7 shell for a undec shell..
Athearn S12 shell for a Athearn SW7 shell.
A Spectrum 0-6-0T for a Atlas/Rocco undec S2.
---------------------------------
There are plenty of deals and trades to be found if one looks locally or at train shows.
I average 2-3 calls a week from modelers sellin',tradin' or lookin'.
On a sadder note..
With today's economy woes the use market is ripe for the picking for those of us that is riding the current economic storm quite well.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
While there is certainly no question that if one is willing to search around enough, some pretty good prices for various items can sooner or later be found. However...I would point out that the last decade has marked the only occasion in the past 75 years when our hobby's prices were so high that the great majority of hobbyists no longer were willing - or in some cases able - to pay full retail.
Now many will say that the MSRP is rather fictional and that the Street Price is what one really goes by today as the price of an item. In reality, this simply isn't true, since there are still quite a number of newcomers and those not computer-savy who are laying out the full MSRP. There's also the fact that the full prices are those specified by the manufacturers in their legitimate published ads.
It makes me wonder just what would become of the hobby if something were to happen to curtain the basement bombers' and discount outlets' markdown practices...like maybe the manufacturers going to direct sales and they alone retailing their products to maximize the bottom line in a shrinking market. Food for thought.
CNJ831
CNJ831,I remember getting nice discounts long before" the basement bombers' and discount outlets' markdown practices"..
I recall going faithfully to a shop would that would take 12% of your total price..
BRAKIE CNJ831,I remember getting nice discounts long before" the basement bombers' and discount outlets' markdown practices".. I recall going faithfully to a shop would that would take 12% of your total price..
Yup, you're right Brakie. I got such discounts too, way back when. But, like you say, these were usually in the neighborhood of 10% or so. Today many of the basement bombers and some of the on-line discount "stores" will offer 33% off across the board and I've even seen 40% off (BLI does 50% off occasionally but that's a different situation). That's a big difference when it comes to big ticket items.
1B-man GP-40 with DCC new in unopened box for: (I'm surprised too!) $1.50 at Salvation Army.
CNJ831It makes me wonder just what would become of the hobby if something were to happen to curtain the basement bombers' and discount outlets' markdown practices...like maybe the manufacturers going to direct sales and they alone retailing their products to maximize the bottom line in a shrinking market. Food for thought.
SSSHH!!!---Do you have to?
I suspect that if something like that did happen you'd probably see even more threads like this'un.--and a lot more LHS's going "Underground"---If the direct marketing occurs then pirated locomotive designs showing up. All kinds of weird stuff.
Then again---more bargain hunting---
I'll join in:
I just got back into the hobby, and I'm concentrating on buying research material for modeling Seaboard Coast Line's Jacksonville Subdivision circa 1970, so I haven't bought a lot of models yet. But I've already picked up a couple of bargains:
(1) Life-Like Proto 2000 E-6A (DCC ready, no sound), Undecorated, $45 at the Jacksonville Train Show earlier this year.
(2) Six Athearn Blue-Box U33B (really U36B) body shells, $12.65 (including shipping and insurance) on eBay. Athearn sells these shells for $9.75 each.
There's a small train show here in Ocala, Florida, sponsored by the local Lions Club, coming up the weekend of June 20-21. I'll be there bargain-hunting!
I really find the posts that show up about the hobby too expensive, pointless. I myself have gotten a number of deals, and am only using one loco that I bought for 20% %off retail price.
Atlas S4 w/ DCC $50
2 P2k GP18s, $60 for the pair
Atlas RS3, $25
2 Sound, 1 DCC Atlas GP40-2s, $200 for the lot
Spectrum 2-10-2 with DCC $50.
Spectrum 2-8-0 with DCC $39.
Come to think of it that's a lot more than I could think of when starting the post, so if you know where to look, or something that you can use comes before you, you should certainly invest, because you may even be able to get your money back if there comes a point that you don't want it.
Alex
You already have 100 locomotives and you are buying more? the "bargain" list comes to @ $2,300.00. that doesn't sound like much of a bargain to me?
tatans You already have 100 locomotives and you are buying more? the "bargain" list comes to @ $2,300.00. that doesn't sound like much of a bargain to me?
tatans, not sure I get your point. I'm building a large layout, 800 sq ft, two decks, 8 scale miles of double track mainline, stagging for 20 trains. I have the space and the means to do so. I'm semi retired now and will be retired soon enough to have plenty of time to finishing building and enjoy my layout/trains. As I explained the layout is large enough to need this many locos for the desired operational and modeling goals. None of them are "shelf queens", I'm not a collector.
I read you thoughts in the "too much stuff" thread, I understand and agree. I don't expect to recoop one penny from my trains. My plan is to die owning them. What happens then is of no concern to me.
For me, trains are no different than the money others spend on fancy vacations or fine dining or cars or booze or whatever. All those things dispose of money just the same.
As for the list and its cost, those, and the rest of the fleet, have been aquired over a long period. Even if all 100 represent $10,000, divided by the 35 years I have been building model trains, that is only $285 per year and $100 a piece.