E-bay?

[Anonymous]

Do many of you buy things on E-bay? I have found that most items (new, in box) are priced at or higher than the online retailers, but their shipping and handling charges are outrageous. I just purchased 2 Proto 2000 GP9's from M.B. Klein for $29.99 each plus $5.00 total for s/h. $64.98 for 2 Proto 2K's seems pretty good to me. Any reason to use E-bay other than to make E-bay and the sellers rich?
Tim

[Eriediamond]

Tim, I'm not much on ebay or anyother auction sight, but thats a personal thing for me. I do have some friends that use ebay alot, they swear buy it, and also I know they've got some pretty darn good deals there. There some on the forum here that sell and buy there also. I think if your careful and know what your bidding on you may be alright. Like I said in the beginning, it's not my thing, and in no way trying to sway anyone away from useing those auctions. Ken

[MAbruce]

I have used eBay, and agree that good deals are harder to find these days. As you have observed, there seems to be more and more retailers selling things at or above retail. I'm not against retailers selling things on eBay, I just wi***hey would stop thinking the place is full of suckers.

Sure, there will always be suckers on eBay, but not THAT many!

The bottom line is that you must know your prices and bid patiently.

[ClinchValleySD40]

The only way I buy on ebay is to bid lower than what I know I can purchase at a hobby shop or on line. I make my bid and if I win, good. If I lose, no big deal. It bugs me to see people pay way more than what something is worth just to win. Dumb.

[Anonymous]

i buy about 80% of all my train stuff on ebay. and i sell on there from time to time. if you know where to look, you can get some excellent deals. and, it's the only place to find items that have been out of production for a long time.

[orsonroy]

Ebay's a great place to buy model RR equipment at cut rate prices, but it's not the only place. Frankly, better prices CAN be had by actually going to one of the mail order stores ($30 for a P2K GP-9 at Trainworld, for example), bnut Ebay DOES have better pricing than virtually any LHS in the country.

It all boils down to how well you've researched the price. And when you bid on Ebay, always keep the shipping charge in mind as part of the overall price (I generally don't bid if the shipping charges aren't stated). I've been buying on Ebay for years, and have never bought anything off Ebay that I could have bought cheaper somewhere else.

It also helps to buy several things from the same seller, all at the same time. Most of my resin freight car kits have been bought on Ebay. The prices were less than MSRP to begin with, and the shipping was a flat fee for up to five kits at at a time. Generally, I'm picking up $30 kits for $16.50 apiece or so.

[Dough]

This topic seems to come up every couple of months, and usually has the same anwsers. FWIW, I bid often, however rarely win. By the time that you add the shipping costs, people usually bid it up to what I could pay at a LHS. I also have found that rolling stock is almost always overpriced when shipping is added.

I have purchased well over half of my engines on Ebay, however. And I just won an auction for two Walthers cars at half price. So if you look hard enough the deals are their. However, as was said above, use it in conjuction with other online sources.[;)]

[Anonymous]

I don't usually buy on eBay intending to find a bargain - I'm usually looking for items that aren't available in stores any more or something to repair - I bought a Walthers Dash 8 in this way - front truck pivot was broken so I replaced it with a screw - basically got the loco for about 1/2 retail price with a small fault to fix. Apart from that one, I've bought another 5 locos from eBay - some mint boxed, some in need of repairing. It's definitely a good place to find old, out of production equipment.

[Anonymous]

e-bay is o.k., but I'd rather buy from a LHS, where I can put my paws on them!! Besides, regardless of what they say, paypal IS NOT SECURE!!!!! DON'T USE IT!!!

[philnrunt]

Just about everyone I know thinks eBay is great, but they seem to spend a huge amout of time checking on stuff, bidding on stuff and worrying about stuff. Alot more than I would think it could be worth.
RRding Brit (Matt)has the right idea, if it is something you can't find easily, or if you are 200 miles from the LHS, then it is a great deal.
Otherwise, i'll go along with MC229, I want to see it before I buy it.

[krump]

I check Ebay.ca regularly, and occasionally "win" a unique / rare item, that I think is worth the price ($25 Cdn or less to my door including shipping) - generally Marklin freight cars. Personally I will not buy engines etc because you never know... checking seller reputation is first step when you find that particular item. My purchases have been for fun / interest, with money I can take a chance on, and I'm not spending big bucks. Including my trains and my wife's scrapbook supplies, we've made approx 40 hassle free purchases - no problems so far.
I expect to save about 30 % on each purchase, unless the item is truly unique - pickle tank vat car anyone? still looking...

[Anonymous]

have been using Paypal for over 4 years now and i have had no problems whatsoever. 90% of the people that have problems with paypal are the morons that reply to fake emails and give out their own information to a non secure site.

[Jetrock]

I have had pretty good luck with eBay--normally I have paid less for items found on eBay than I find them at the LHS, and generally less than I'd pay at a swap meet. I generally don't buy nickel/dime items on eBay though--it tends to be where I look for rare stuff, things that I wouldn't find at a hobby shop or other easily accessible location.

Generally, I stop bidding when the price of an item goes above what I want to pay for it. It's a safe and effective strategy--I never pay more than I want to pay. If it is worth more than I'm willing to spend to someone else, let 'em have it.

[Anonymous]

I always look for the deals on ebay and only bid on items that start below retail prices. There is no point to buy it for higher price on ebay than you can get it at a LHS or mail order. A few years ago, the choices were better because there were less Power Sellers. Power Sellers are retail shops trying to supplement their business. They have taken most of the fun out of ebay these days.

If you are patient, you can find deals. Mostly from other hobbist trying to unload excess inventory, to chaning scales. Those are the deals, the ones that start off at $1. Anything that starts at the retail price or higher very rarely sells, if at all.

[Jacktal]

I've used eBay only once yet but watch items every day.I wouldnt bid on items I can get at my LHS though,but eBay is the perfect place to find rare items that are no more available in other ways.However,my strategy is simple...I evaluate how much the item is worthed to me,meaning how bad I want it compounded with the estimated original purchase price,also comparing with other similar available products if any.This allows me to come up with a reasonable fair value,then I take into account shipping fees(I live in Canada) and bid accordingly.I don't want to rip off the owner but don't want to be ripped off either.

I accept that I may pay a little more for rare items but never will get involved in a bidding frenzy.I'll never pay an item twice or more times it's value simply because there aren't any available elsewhere,I'd rather not have it.

[Anonymous]

The primary reason I asked is because I only have 2 hobby shops fairly close, and neither carries model railroad stuff. I guess it's just not popular around me. Therefore, I have to rely on recommendations from you guys and a lot of research so I don't buy something from an online retailer that I end up not liking.
Tim

[Anonymous]

I just got a KATO SD40 IMRL for $53 off e-Bay !!!

(To be fair, it would have been $60 with shipping, but we lived in the same area, so I picked it up!).

I have bought about a third of my 50+ locos off e-Bay.
Some of them have been thru MB Klein, who sells on e-Bay (and internet direct) as "ModelTrainStuff". The advantage of MTS on e-Bay is that you can sometimes get the loco even cheaper than their direct sales (store or internet)!

The trick on e-Bay is to know what you want to pay for the item and stick to it - don't get carried away with bidding. In fact, what I do is use a proxy bid - you set a max bid, and the e-Bay computer will automatically increase your bid up to the maximum. This works for me, as if the item goes over my max bid I don't want it!

The other e-Bay trick I use is to NEVER bid on an item unless the seller has a 99.8% approval rating of higher. And ALWAYS look over the feedback to be sure they are legit!
Doing this, I haven't been burned in over 30 e-Bay wins.

[Don Gibson]

EBay is a Internet 'Flea market' - Open to all - and only as good as the people using it at any given time.

Some Bargains - Some opportunistic dealers - Some opportunistic buyers - looking to score. Can you separate the SALE from the 'SPAM'? How about trying to RETURN something ??

Biggest problem seems to be human nature - when it can be anonymous -
Caveat Emptor.

[Budliner]

can you say Caveat $3.50 Emptor
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5902864810?ssPageName=ADME:B:TB7:US:2

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[StillGrande]

Someone said this topic keeps appearing and they are right, it does. E-Bay hasn't been the bargain yard it was since Model Railroader ran an article on it. Overnight prices jumped 20%. Now most prices are comperable to a LHS (and most of the listers are LHSs!!!!).
Definitely most of the advice given is correct. I've had a couple hundred transactions (buyer and seller) and no problems (even using Paypal, which definitely get you more bids on the selling side). The Model Railroad community seems to be very reliable and responsive to questions (if they don't answer, don't bid. Simple)
Bargains on rolling stock really only occur in lot purchase (more than one item in a lot). Single item rolling stock is robbery most of the time. A good rule is if the shipping is 2x the bid, the item is not worth the effort.
Watch the shipping. As the above example shows, people try to snare you with a low bid and high shipping. No shipping, no bid is a good policy. Some guy was selling some cheap stuff but would only ship FEDERAL EXPRESS!! The fool who bid $3 for the item (listed for $7 in the Walthers catalog) deserved to pay the $18.75 for shipping. Read the whole listing and ask questions.
The reasons for my bidding are a lack of responsiveness or ability to get certain items at my LHS (I am there every week and drop $15-$100, but they still act like they have never seen me before and often I am disturbing their conversations - but that is a different subject.
I have dealt with international shippers and buyers (mostly Canada) and with paypal, they are just as easy as US buyers (and shipping to Canada is usually cheaper - go figure). You write less on the customs forms to send something than you do on a money order.
Also keep and eye on packing fees or handling fees. This is a trend starting to invade train auctions. I can get free priority mail boxes at the post office, and there are always free packing materials around the house (often packing peanuts from other purchases or even other boxes).
Look at the feedbacks. Anything less than 99.5 so is questionable, particularly for large feedback numbers. Read the feedbacks. They can tell you a lot.
Buyer beware applies, but that works at the LHS and in life in general too. You can get ripped off anywhere if you are not paying attention.
The not being able to touch it excuse to not bid is a cop out. I wish I lived next to the giant hobby store these folks do. The one which stocks everything, nothing is missing parts on the shelf, and is next door so I can get a replacement right away!

[Supermicha]

Ebay has one big advantage. You can find items there which are out of production for years! Which hobbyshop has an old metroliner or a lionel rectifier in store?

Also most "built to order" models i missed to order at my LHS can be found at ebay a few months later... Thats the good one. The prices are another thing.

[Anonymous]

My Walthers F-M H10-44 just arrived from an E-Bay seller. It's over 10 years old, very lightly used, with handrails still in the wrapper and included the instruction sheet and original box. I think the model has been unavailable,as new, for some time. For me, that's the caveat that makes E-Bay so valuable, finding those long out of production items. As you know, hobby items can go out of production very quickly, never to be heard from again. I'm at an age where I can't wait for company "X" to re-issue an engine or whatever, if they ever do. I won't overpay just to win, and I try to shop carefully, but for 50 bucks plus shipping, I felt the FM was a good deal (retail was $79.95). I've also purchased a Spectrum GE 70 tonner, a Kato Alco RS-2 and a Mantua camelback 0-4-0 on E-Bay, all well worth the money to me. Could you even find those items in a LHS today? For current items, I'll use an on-line store and buy new. For the long gone things, however, E-Bay has been a godsend for me!

Regards;
smyers

[MikeyChris]

Hi,
My 2 cents' worth on eBay is that I find it great for locating out of production items and selling off stuff I no longer want. If you are looking fro deals, look elsewhere.

My biggest complaint is that too many sellers don't know trains and/or don't know how to package them for shipment. An example of the first case: I have seen items described as "MINT except that one truck is missing and a step is broken". Well, duh! That ain't mint, dude!

An example of the second item - I bought a fairly rare Canadian made HO trainset that was over 40 years old. The seller shipped it to me with NO packing of any kind inside the trainset box. The box had a card board insert with cutouts for the cars and locos, but there was a lot of slop in the fit (remember, the set is over 40 years old). The seller would not be responsible for "shipping damage". Yeesh... If you don't pack stuff right it will be damaged in shipping, I guarantee it.

On balance, I like eBay, but you must realize it is not usually a "bargain basement ", and you are at the sellers mercy to describe items accurately and package them well for shipment.


Mike

[88gta350]

Ebay used to be the place to go to get bargains, as not everyone knew about it or had access to it. It was also the place to overpay on the item of the moment (remember furbies going for $100 a pop?). Nowadays it's abasically a huge online store where any and every LHS or business can partake. If you're looking for a deal on ebay, look for the private sellers sellling from their personal collection. This is where to get the best deals. Everything else has already been mentioned by others, but I've found some great deals on ebay... you just have to be patient, know what you're looking for and resist the urge to impulse buy.

[garr]

Dewey,

Ditto to everything you wtote.

Just guessing by your signature, I would say you listen to Boortz on talk radio. True?

Jay

[BRAKIE]

Depends on what you will call a deal..How about Atlas GP7s for $39.55? A P2K S1 for $22.85? A Stewart Baldwin switcher for $39.00? Of course deals like those is more a exception then the rule but,they can be had if you watch your bidding.[:D] Now the other side of the coin I also have seen common engines and cars go for ABOVE MSRP!!!! [:0] And I have also noticed more Buy it now deals at near MSRP and could be bought for less from on line shops.[:0] [:D]
So let the buyer beware.

[csxns]

What i call a deal a Kato AC4400CW at 70 dollars i get all of my locos at E Bay .

[Anonymous]

I've bought several locos and many cars off eBay and have been pleased with my items. When I decieded to complete my Central Valley roster the only place I could buy them was on eBay as they haven't been in production for over 40 years. I've purchased two BWL locos cheaper then I could at my LHS. I bid a set amount and if I get it good, and if I don't, I don't worry. My dad said "bargains are like street cars, if you miss this one, there's always another one coming down the street."

I drop between $50.00 to $150.00 a month at my LHS (Papa Ben's Trains in Houston) and get good service. The bad thing about him is it's 102 miles from my driveway to his door. Marty, Tom, Mark, and Ben always have a smile and will listen and give advise.

But getting back to eBay - the sellers don't make you bid more. I can't understand why someone would bid $10.00 more for a loco then the advertised sale price in Model Railroader and usually pay more freight. I've seen this happen more then once. But then look at the new BWL ATSF 4-8-4 it's going for less then $150.00 on eBay and is listed in the mags at $174.99. The Walthers Santa Fe passenger cars were preordered at Caboose Hobbies for $29.96 and their going price on eBay is $29.95 and pick what you want. I use eBay to find things that are out of production and only bid on current things at a set price, with postage, that is always considerably less then my LHS.

The LHS need our money from the big sales to stay in business and give us the little stuff that we want. Have you ever tried to order a detail part for a kit and get it fast and cheep? My LHS has it in stock usually or will get it for me.

[nslakediv]

amen, support your local hobbyshop(if you have one). not do you support him you also support your local schools and tax base. all those internet sites, they support no one but them selves. im lucky LHS is only a couple of blocks away. any time you in Tiffin, OH give my good friend Andy a shout at The Train Shop, tell him Randy sent you. he always has something to say.

[Anonymous]

I buy from both the LHS and ebay. I want to support the local guys, but I don't have unlimited funds. I like ebaye for the hard to find items as well as the diamonds in the rough. Its like a 24/7 swap meet. Be patient and pick and choose the deals. Something is bound to come along at a great price.

I stay completely away from anyone with a buy it now item. I'll order elsewhere before I do that.