Am selling out and could use some advice...

[Tracklayer]

As some of you will recall, I recently posted a topic entitled - From N to HO. In the topic I explained that my eyesight has gotten bad in the last few years and I'm no longer able to work with the small details of N scale, and that I was considering selling all of my N scale stock and moving up to HO. Well, that day has arrived...
I have a buyer for the layout that has offered me a fair price, but I'm thinking of selling all of my locos and rolling stock on ebay. I have about twenty locos in both steam and diesel that range in makers from Kato, Atlas, Model Power to the high end Life Likes. I also have over one hundred pieces of rolling stock that range in makers from Atlas, MDC Roundhouse, Walthers, Con-Cor, Microtrains, etc. Most everything I have is in like new condition, and I have the original boxes for at least 90% that are also in like new condition.
Half of the stuff is modern era, and the other half is from the steam era.

My question is, by what you see here, do you think I should sale each piece individually or should I sale the whole collection as a lot, and how much do you think I might get for it all ?.

Thanks in advance.

Tracklayer

[Budliner]

each piece individually
more people have less to get one each
but if someone sead $10.000 for the lot
well then thats differant

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Budliner

each piece individually
more people have less to get one each
but if someone sead $10.000 for the lot
well then thats differant

Hey Budliner. How we doing this morning ?.

I wish someone would offer me $10,000.00 for the whole thing. I'd load it up in my truck tonight and deliver it myself to anywhere in the 48 states!...

Tracklayer

[Anonymous]

Individually. More people will find a certain piece they want and buy that instead of paying lots of money for all kinds of stuff they might not even want. Although you might want to divide the rolling stock into lots of 5-10.

[Budliner]

lol

[AntonioFP45]

Consider......

Do you want your money quickly, over the long stretch, or somewhere in between?

As mentioned above you can sell your trains in batches instead of individually. Since you have a mixture of manufacturers, for example, put one or two quality locomotives with a group of 10 to 15 quality cars. Consider these your "higher end" trains and ask for a higher starting bid.

For your middle of the road equipment, do the same with locos and cars.

I monitor Ebay everyday, and quite a few batches or lots can be found regularly.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Hope this helps.

[steveblackledge]

Sell the items individually and you will get a better return

[railroadyoshi]

It really will have to be a combination. In theory, individual sales would bring a higher return. However, keeping track will be difficult, and people are less likely to bid on a single car versus a collection.

Batches of cars / locos all sharing 1 or more trait (i.e.railroad, brand/quality, era, etc) will yield more bids, but the starting price might have to be proportionatly lower.

What i'm saying is that a combination of the two will be best, such as selling the real stand-outs individually and the more "run of the mill" items in groups.

I highly disrecommend selling them all together. With the equipment you desrcibed, your starting price will be the type that a person really sleps over before bidding, which will consequently lead to fewer bids.

I wish you the best of luck!

[waltersrails]

selling one by one you might get more by there selfs but if you want to sell all group and price works better.

[CMSTPP]

You need to sell them individualy. You will get more money for them as sold individualy. What I hear about your locomotives you should bring quite the amount of money in. I think it's great your moving to HO. You can get much more detail on the models.

James

[tatans]

Hope you have lots of time on your hands selling each item individually, I helped a fellow dispose of H O "stuff" on ebay , what a job ! ! we never stopped for 2 weeks and busy and running to the PO and phoning and e maililing and contacting messengers, and wrapping and boxing stuff, it's a full time job and really wasn't worth the hassle( some things sold for $1.00)

[Anonymous]

Do both. List the high end and rare things individually, you might even list all the rolling stock individually. Group the track into bundles, left switches, right switches, and straight. After one or two listing periods start grouping what is left into large bundles to attract the bargain hunters like me that like the challenge of turning a sow's ear into a silk purse. Anything you can't sell in a month you can mail to me. I will even pay the postage. Good luck on the change. I am still resisting my deteriorating eyes.

[TrainFreak409]

I may be interested in buying some of that off of ya![:D]

[loathar]

Sell individually to start. (like a hobby shop) You'l get to a point where your stuck with the stuff nobody wants. Then do that as a "lot" sale on Ebay or something. You should get more money that way.

[trainfreek92]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TA462

You could always group together Railroads. Say you have 5 CN box cars, put them on Ebay as a group. Personally I would sell the higher end stuff by themselves and the lower end stuff as a package. I hope you get what you think they are worth.

yes Dave that is what I would do like you have 2 UP locos you sell them along with other Up stuff. TL-I am sorry to see you go to Ho but I hope you enjoy it[V][8D] Tim

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfreek92

QUOTE: Originally posted by TA462

You could always group together Railroads. Say you have 5 CN box cars, put them on Ebay as a group. Personally I would sell the higher end stuff by themselves and the lower end stuff as a package. I hope you get what you think they are worth.

yes Dave that is what I would do like you have 2 UP locos you sell them along with other Up stuff. TL-I am sorry to see you go to Ho but I hope you enjoy it[V][8D] Tim

Thanks trainfreek92, but it's not because I really want to, but because I have to. A hobby is no fun when a person can no longer see what they're doing...

Tracklayer

[SOU Fan]

I would say to sell it separately. I would also be interested in buying some of it.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear about your eye sight problems. Hope changing to HO works out for you. Phil

[selector]

QUOTE: Originally posted by loathar

Sell individually to start. (like a hobby shop) You'l get to a point where your stuck with the stuff nobody wants. Then do that as a "lot" sale on Ebay or something. You should get more money that way.

Too, best of all worlds might be breaking it up into 4 or 5 batches and selling it that way. Still batch selling, but any losses spread over 4 sets, rather than eating a big loss on one batch.

Set aside the better stuff and try ebay or consignment at a LHS. Rest in 4-6 batches.

Good luck.

[selector]

As an afterthought, would you be better off biting it now and making the leap to On30? You will invest in HO, deteriorate over how long (?), and then have to do this all over again? Nope, not for this kid. I would enjoy the big stuff now, when my sight is as good as it will ever be in the foreseeable future, and get the most out of my passion for trains.

Just thinking out loud here...

[Anonymous]

Could I make a suggestion before you make the swap to HO? Why not look at On30? It uses HO gauge track and is REALLY easy to see. Just a thought.

[fishplate]

Depending on the population of your area, selling your stuff locally my be a start.
This is what I did! I advertised in the local paper with a general description of what
I had for sale, along with my phone number. (Make appointments, it works better)
I had made a list of each item with the asking price(For my self). Most people had
no problem with what I was asking. (ebay prices with out the shipping). What I didn't
sell locally went on ebay. Any thing left after that didn't sell was donated to a non- profit
club. I almost forgot, Advertise at your LHS and /or consign some of your items at
your LHS if they will let you. I just wanted to share some ideas that made selling a
success.

[simon1966]

The cost of shipping, even if you put it at cost becomes a very high percentage of the purchase of a lower cost item like an individual freight car. I would group them in batches of 2 - 4 with the only exceptions being any particularly valuable or rare cars that should be listed on their own. A lot of more astutue e-bayers will figure the total they are willing to spend on an item and include the shipping in that calculation. Thus if the model you are selling can be purchased at the LHS for $7.00 and you are listing it on e-bay with a shipping charge of $3.50 why bid more than $3.50 for the item. If on the other hand it is $3.50 shipping on a lot of 4 worth $28.00 the shipping is less of an issue. The bottom line for me is that I rarely if ever bid on or purchase individual cars on e-bay as it just is not worth it most of the time.