This is insane!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/dd-Athearn-90306-MACK-R-3-Axle-Tractor-dark-red-1-87-HO-scale-/381316100222?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58c835f07e
Makes me wish I had kept all my CMW vehicles in their original packaging, but then my roads would be bare!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter This is insane! http://www.ebay.com/itm/dd-Athearn-90306-MACK-R-3-Axle-Tractor-dark-red-1-87-HO-scale-/381316100222?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58c835f07e Makes me wish I had kept all my CMW vehicles in their original packaging, but then my roads would be bare! Dave
Naw, that's nowhere near as outrageous as the dimwit who was asking $5K for a genyoowine 1966 original issue SD45.
Andre
Dave,
Interesting. I just finished stripping the paint and repainting one of those exact tractors. But took off all of Athearn's oversize details, like exhaust stack, mirrors and replaced with fabricated brass exhaust and etched metal mirrors. 100% improvement. A lot of Athearn's truck offerings and CMW are slightly oversize, not true 1/87.
The new trucks/trailers I built will be in WPF soon.
Take Care!
Frank
My favorite e-Bay lunacy is a Athearn BB SP Black Widow GP7 (seller calls it a GP9) for $149.99 BIN complete with X2F couplers,paper work and original box!
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Athearn N Scale stuff usually goes for close to $100, give or take $20.
Modeling the Bellefonte Central Railroad
Fan of the PRR
Garden Railway Enthusiast
Check out my Youtube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PennsyModeler
Before everybody gets overexcited and overheated, consider this.
The item originally listed for $21.98, and it is now discontinued.
With 11 bids and a day or so to go, more than one guy wants that item, perhaps badly. It reminds me of the eBay sales of the Walthers Bascule Bridge once it had been discontinued.
So, why is this so surprising, and why is the $65 bid so outrageous?
it is the law of supply and demand at work.
Rich
Alton Junction
Just another example of something being worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
And if I wanted it shipped to me in Canada, it would only be $29.00! Should actually be under $5.00. Guess I'll pass, don't need a hundred dollar HO scale truck.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
What may seem insane to you are me may not seem a big deal to a few others; some of us may be on tight budgets while others the same kind of money may be "chump change" really. It's all relative really. We can all sit back an ooh and ah.
My wife used to work for a lady who dropped insane amounts of money all the time, every week and all she could do was just shake her head. The sad thing was this lady grew up dirt poor and seems to have totally forgotten her past - but her husband was bringing home 6 figures and then some, plus we think she wasn't well and she was spending copious amounts of money to salve some pain or maybe get back at her husband as some sort of passive agression - no doubt they have some major debt too. But I digress.
Anyway, thats all water under the bridge. Ebay is just another place for people to drop money on stuff and some have way more than we can imagine so it's no big deal for them to spend more than we would on something thats "not worth it". Move along, move along!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
richhotrainit is the law of supply and demand at work. Rich
More like I gotta have it regardless of cost at work.
You can still find these at train shows and some model truck and toy shows at or slightly below MSRP..
And how about that very common BB GP7 for $149.99? Those sell for around $30-40.00 tops new or $12-15.00 used at most train shows.
Of all the things that I have bid on through ebay, the most active bidding has always been on HO scale vehicles, especial semi trucks/trailers. There must be a very large and active (and well funded) community of truck collectors out there.
Charter member of the club:
Jim
As Marlon said, Maybe some fool will be willing to pay for it. There was an N Scale Micro-Trains Mobil Gas car, new in box for $65.00, buy it now. I own three of them and I can't fathom anyone spending that for the car and it was listed three times.
I do buy and sell on Ebay from time to time so I see many of these listings looking for a fool. The key here is be an educated buyer as some listings state,"very rare" as a come on to buy. I could state many more examples but it's not worth wasting my time. I am sure we are all smarter than some of these listings. Doug
I see lots of Athearn Fruehauf trailers for $65 Buy It Now prices these days. Those were around $24 to $26 MSRP when they were first on the market. Pretty nutty but ...
Hobbez There must be a very large and active (and well funded) community of truck collectors out there.
There is..Around 7 years ago I went with a buddy of mine to a model truck and toy show..The place was packed and some of those display 'layouts" was fantastic especially the model of a Big T truck stop complete with the sound of idling 18 wheelers..
The bidding history seems to indicate a bidding war between two parties.
Richard
Rich brings up a very good point. It is the law of supply and demand guys.
When certain items are discontiued by a manufacturer, they can potentially command high bids on ebay.
With that said, HOWEVER, something else to keep in mind (which I've witnessed). A number of us tend to forget that eventually a manufacturer may will be willing to produce a popular item again, sometimes in an improved form!
Here's an excellent example of an item that I, initially, regretted not getting: The Walthers Cornerstone kit: "Miranda's Bananas".
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3080
Imho, it's a beautiful industrial structure. It's one of the basic types I saw near rail lines back in the day. When Walthers stopped producing this kit, I was disappointed. Whenever this kit showed up on Ebay, bidding prices in some instances passed the $100 mark! Well guess what Walthers did a few years later!
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3760
Boy that building looks VERY familair, doesn't it? I like this version even better and it's currently in stock. I'll be getting one this time.
But this is an example as to why I no longer get upset when certain items I'd like to purchase are discontinued. If the price is too high on the bay, then I pass. The same goes for model trains and vehicles.
Personal example: Years back Athearn produced an RTR HO FRISCO SD45 with the "L-shaped" windshields. The prototypes often ran in SCL territory, so I was interested, but procrastinated. After they were sold out, whenever one showed up on ebay, it commanded high bids. At the risk of sounding redundant, here we are 5 or so years later and guess what Athearn is getting ready to produce?
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH65007
Simple word to those new to ebay: Unless you can afford it or it's rare you've been searching and waiting to find for a while, don't jump the gun and clean your wallet out on an item unnecessarily. Do your research, be patient, be a smart shopper.
I was intimidated by ebay when I first started. After doing some homework it's now one of my best sources for rolling stock and out of production locomotives.
richhotrain Before everybody gets overexcited and overheated, consider this. The item originally listed for $21.98, and it is now discontinued. With 11 bids and a day or so to go, more than one guy wants that item, perhaps badly. It reminds me of the eBay sales of the Walthers Bascule Bridge once it had been discontinued. So, why is this so surprising, and why is the $65 bid so outrageous? it is the law of supply and demand at work. Rich
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
Two crazy ol' coots bidding up an item says nothing about market value. I wouldn't rely on it when buying my next vehicle.
- Douglas
andrechapelonNaw, that's nowhere near as outrageous as the dimwit who was asking $5K for a genyoowine 1966 original issue SD45. Andre
And here I thought everyone had forgotten that by now! That had to be the most infamous topic I've ever posted on this forum.
_________________________________________________________________
Tooling is too expensive to sit around for long.
Doughless Two crazy ol' coots bidding up an item says nothing about market value. I wouldn't rely on it when buying my next vehicle.
Exactly..Like some of those BB and Roundhouse kits going for $20-25.00..
That old e-Bay "Gotta have it! Bid! Bid! And bid more! Its a bidding war not supply and demand.
Looks like two egos in a bidding war. A sellers dream.
Don't Ever Give Up
Rich:
$65 doesn't look so bad, but as Bob Boudreau mentioned, when that gets converted into Canadian dollars and you add in shipping, then the numbers are a little scarier.
It seems that the 3 axle Mac trucks do command a higher price but this is almost double what they normally go for.
Edit:
In fairness to the seller, they do offer an alternate lower shipping rate to Canada. I wish all the US sellers would do that.
BRAKIE That old e-Bay "Gotta have it! Bid! Bid! And bid more! Its a bidding war not supply and demand.
The thing that amuses me most about this thread is the degree of concern shown for the pricing of the item.
But you know who will have the last laugh? The seller who will pocket a relatively handsome sum and the eventual winner of the auction who will get the item that he wants so badly. The buyer will not look back and regret paying the final amount.
And you know who will be second guessing himself? The guy who loses the auction by $1.00 or thereabouts. How often have I seen auctions or won auctions where the competition gives up when another bid will only cost him 50 cents or one dollar?
richhotrainBut you know who will have the last laugh? The seller who will pocket a relatively handsome sum and the eventual winner of the auction who will get the item that he wants so badly
I picked up a medium size tote full of Athearn,Roundhouse and Walthers cars at a estate auction around 4-5 years ago..Suffice it to say I turned a pretty nice return on my investment when I sold these cars to a train show dealer and he seem happy at the price I quoted for the cars..I even threw the tote in on the deal.
I have bought and sold on eBay since 1998 and I have seen sellers post items for sale that I could not believe. I have also seen crazy bidders.
What it comes down to is that you can price an item anything you want, it's up to the buyer to buy it because it is reasonable or he just wants it.
I had an O scale plastic reefer from AtlasO listed for $75.00, it went for $800.00. I know the prices of items before I post them but maybe I missed something on this car. No matter what I was very happy with the sale. You just never know.