All other RTR Locomotives and stock
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Buying preowned "stuff" on line
Hi All. You pays your money and you makes your choice? Some of my purchases on line? Have been disappointingto say the least ? i.e. I sent for some preowned Hornby carriages online from a reputable source(four to be exact) and to my surprise I had a train of four passenger brakes. But I don't think whoever packed them knew what they were doing? So to save a fuss I kept them. But I have read a strange story, now that so many collectors/ investors are buying preowned , there is a demand for "The original boxes" and there are/ is a Company/ or Companies that can meet this demand. Whether or not that includes Hornby or not I don't know, but it does include diecast cars.All the best. Kevin
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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John
John
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Online auction descriptions nowadays seem to often include a phrase like,' please study the photographs, which form part of the description'. This phrase rings warning bells with me for a possible seller who doesn't know the items they are selling and don't want to take full responsibility for their listings. Solution: avoid!
I never buy used stock now, unless I can personally inspect it.
Bill
At 6'4'', Bill is a tall chap, then again, when horizontal he is rather long and people often used to trip over him! . . . and so a nickname was born :)
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John
John
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90% of what I buy (locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, turnouts) is used. I've had a few "lemons" over the years, nearly all of them from the UK (I had to threaten one seller with a solicitor's letter and a dunning action a few years ago when he thought that being 3000 miles way made him immune from returning my money), I've also had quite a few gems (nearly all from Canada/US). Buying at shows or swap meets normally allows you to test it, and always take along a fresh 9v battery, the terminals are pretty much HO/OO gauge. If it won't run or run smoothly with 9v, chances are it will be same on the track. Reputable sellers at shows will allow you to test it on he test track, money back if it doesn't work properly. And always get a receipt.
Ask questions and get it in writing (or the electronic equivalent). And on ebay always check the seller's feedback to see what other punters say. If the seller doesn't answer your questions or professes not to know, don't buy. And keep away from "I don't know anything about model trains" and "I am unable to test it" or even worse "estate sale, untested" statements. That and "from my personal collection" when the seller is listed as having several thousand sales. If you are selling a locomotive you should test it. Like London buses, there will be another one sooner or later.
Our favorite online auction house has got a lot better regarding description requirements. In the model train category it's incumbent on the seller to grade the item. And describe any issues that could affect the value. Sellers ignore this at their peril. That, not the photographs, rules. If the seller doesn't show in focus photographs of everything and list the issues they are responsible. When I sell on ebay I list the issues if known, photograph them, and give an appropriate grading. I also give a no questions asked return policy, and offer to fix unknown problems at my cost including postage.
I recently had a purchase where the seller described a "smudge" on the roof. Fuzzy photo, but a good price, so I knew what I could be getting into. That smudge was some serious paintwork damage with gouges. Bit worse than I was expecting. The chassis and DCC decoder alone are worth twice what I paid, so a bad body shell that is repairable is not so bad. Now I have a system that seems to work. I sent the seller a message pointing out the inadequacy of the description. As expected, the response was "well, what do you expect at that price" (the other is usually "sorry about that, how about a $5/$10 refund?). What I (and ebay) actually expect is honesty. So the seller got what he deserved, which is a negative rating (and a complaint to ebay and Paypal). That hurts in the long run, as selling fees go up and buyers do look at the ratings. ebay has a good complaint service, and in most cases you can get the cost of the goods and the postage back. Check whether the sale is insured by ebay/Paypal.
It pays to research what you are looking for and know what the issues are. One example that you and I have discussed are older Proto2000 diesel locomotives, which all suffer from split axles. Easily repairable, and one of the questions that should be asked, as it immediately knocks off $20.00 from the selling price if not done (it's a question of not if but when they will fail). This problem is also endemic with older Bachmann GWR Manor's, and that one is definitely not repairable. Knowing about the potential issues allows you to ask the right questions.
The issue of boxes is simple. Unless the box is in original condition along with the model it's worthless. That's for the hoarders, collectors and investors. That said, if it's not stated, ask if it has the original box. Personally I don't care whether it's in it's original box or a cornflakes box. As long as it's well packed for shipping and works properly.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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Prices on $'s , and why I only wish that I was into model railways, all the times I crossed the pond. Which was in truth probably my reason for giving up model railways 40 odd years ago. All the best. Kevin
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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All the best. Kevin
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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I did consider posting my list here, but, as you say, postage to the UK is pretty steep and may not be worth it for most people - a bit like coals to Newcastle.
John
John
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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I often need an expert opinion.
Max
Port Elderley
Port Elderley
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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The learning curve in this hobby can often times be a bitter cup, drunk frequently it seems.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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Hi Nigel. The term I am familiar with is " Go On My Son". KevinRhetorical questions don't work with me, the advice is normally terrible (Go on son, you can do it! Easy peasy! How difficult can that be? Uh oh). Then again, no point in asking somebody else either…
The learning curve in this hobby can often times be a bitter cup, drunk frequently it seems.
Nigel
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Not in Hogs Norton.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Complete rationalization of projects and a rethink about where I want to go. Sold a lot of items (still ongoing). I decided to go almost 100% HO, one plank for the EM stock to play around with (5 feet plus 3 feet fiddles either end). Four modules 2 x 4 feet for the HO, plus a test track. Access to my Daughter's garage, so a lot more space.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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The converse to the seller not knowing exactly what they have in hand is that one can sometimes pick up some real gems. The photos can be of great assistance in these cases.''Buyer beware'' or ''Caveat emptor'' if you get to court. The risk however is always on the buyer and complaining is fruitless.
Online auction descriptions nowadays seem to often include a phrase like,' please study the photographs, which form part of the description'. This phrase rings warning bells with me for a possible seller who doesn't know the items they are selling and don't want to take full responsibility for their listings. Solution: avoid!
I never buy used stock now, unless I can personally inspect it.
Bill
I don't mind buying damaged goods if they are correctly described and shown properly in the photos. I make my own assessments as to what is repairable, or, as someone else said, if there is greater value in the contents than just the damaged body. I have bought a good many bargain sound-equipped locos with a view to re-using the decoder and speaker elsewhere. In several cases, I have basically gained a £10 locomotive with a sound decoder at full price; in every case, the loco has been one I wanted for other purposes, so overall, I'm ahead.
Jeff Lynn,
Amateur layabout, Professional Lurker, Thread hijacker extraordinaire
Amateur layabout, Professional Lurker, Thread hijacker extraordinaire
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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