Hi folks. I have been back into model railroading for less than 6 months, and I've got quite a nice collection of locos and cars, and the layout construction has begun. However, at first I was very scattered; wanted to do this road, that road, this era, that era, and so on, and made many excitement fueled purchases that should have been tempered by a bit of planning. Now that I've narrowed my focus to a time and place i am certain of, I have this extra stuff that I bought and must sell or repurpose; the zeal of something new, I suppose. Has this happened to anyone else, either when you were just beginning, or even later perhaps?
Constantly I often end up looking at something and asking myself why - I know it's too much or doesn't fit my scheme. Always fighting the idea of buying too many buildings. I truly believe I have too many kits to finish in the time I have left. Don
With more than 300 pieces of stock, definitely so. I tried to go to 200 from 280 some years ago but could not part with many pieces (a combination of affective value - mine since I was a kid - and low selling price). 308 and counting
I tend to overanalyze purchases, so am cautious with my buying. The analysis also includes thought over where I'm going to shelve the stuff in my limited space. I suppose I have some surplus items, but thankfully not too many.
It's one of many phases. The Kit collecting is the worse; buying things and assuming you'll build them. It's part of why I now tell everyone to build a simple oval layout with no scenery, just to run a couple trains on now and then. Too many modelers get big plans and never run a single train.
Time will tell if I've bought too many buildings, as my layout is still in the planning stage, but if I have, I can always either store the surplus for a later, and I'm sure inevitable, expansion, but as I build military dioramas as well, some of them may well end up as forced-perspective background buildings...
Once I built my layout, I realized I had way more than I needed. I narrowed the focus and sold 2/3 of what I had. I’ll still buy things, but they have to fit my criteria and be an upgrade from what I’m running now. Then I sell off whatever they are replacing. Some people enjoy collecting things that will sit forever in boxes, I’m not one of them.
Swap "6 months" for "12 months" and you've got my situation exactly. I've been snapping up bargains left and right and have wound up with alot of stuff that I like, but I've already done a few purges such as: -Sold off my box of old-style tank cars. -Rid myself of any 50' boxcar that I can't easily remove the roof walk from (no roof walks in the 80's...). -Just plain getting rid of the chaff that results when I buy a lot in order to get a few pieces that I want. My desired level of detail is near about Athearn Blue Box, my era is 80's to 00's, and I've mostly confined myself to a few major lines and Chicago area shorts. the problem is that while these parameters -combined with a relatively modest budget- does narrow the scope considerably, there's still TONS of great stuff (used and NOS mostly) that is available at bargain prices. I suspect ridding myself of chaff, extras and not-fits will be an ongoing part of this hobby for me. I'm about to take a bunch of train and die-cast stuff to a swap meet in January where I've reserved a couple tables. I'm praying that I'll be able to find someone there to bulk-buy whatever is left at the end of the day. Just so I won't have to take it home.
I need to do the same; pare down the collection a bit, and put some of the money tied up in things I do not need back into things I do need/want. I'll try listing some of it on the Swap Meet forum, I suppose, and see what happens! I must also resist the urge to dive headfirst into GWR/BR stuff...
Unitrack. I did it for sure. Just started buying this and that.... I’ve got my layout track work finished, but can still make an additional 12.5” radius circle, 5 19” radius circles, and 2 (nearly 3...) 28” radius circles..... not to mention about 5 too many left hand turnouts..... etc etc..... You’re not alone
Should be able to find somebody to buy your collection at the swap. Most will only offer pennies on the dollar.
I would just keep it. I have kept things for long periods of time because, I find myself switching scale and prototype every few years. I had some useless junk that is now the core of my new layout empire.