It has a long history. I currently have one and it's certainly not worth that price. I'm actually starting to wonder whether it would have been better to start from scratch rather than rebuild the shell and replace the chassis.
Ok..Seriously? Museum Quality? http://www.ebay.com/itm/N-Scale-Com...048952?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2331203238
The starting price is one thing, the BIN now price... well... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Athearn-N-S...108087?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2337dd5777
That's quite the jump there in price. I like how this loco comes from a seller that seems to specialize in something that is quite different than trains. Auto parts.
I don't follow what they mean by using the word "early" in their description. "Early" in what context?
That's what Athearn called the body style vs. ''Intermediate' which is a little different. http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH23111 Jason
With some of the ridiculous prices I have seen folks asking on the bay since I started following this thread, and if they are actually getting those prices, well it has me thinking. I am sitting next to about 14 drawers housing most of my car collection, about three to six layers deep depending on drawer size, and I have a lot of individual custom built cars carefully packed in layers in them. Hmm I could make a sizeable investment in a nice walkout basement with a house attached, hire someone to build my layout to my specs.,wire it, scenic it with the thousands of trees that are going to be needed, DCC everything and program it all into the computer so it would just start running, on command while I sip my wine in a nice easy chair. I would still have about half my car collection left and money in the bank.
You might as well give it a try. You'd only lose a few dollars in listing fees. One sucker sale, and that would be covered. I'm just about ready to join in on the robbery.
MRC was the original one,was a high hood,better running chassis...The Model Powers are later,low nose,spring drives..
It all depends on what you've got and who's in the market at the time. Sometimes my items go for prices that are quite surprising to me and other times, no action at all. At the moment, there doesn't generally seem to be a market for special runs (from shows or clubs) and I've got a NIB blue label Milwaukee boxcar from 1974 (from the stock of a hobby shop that closed in 1980) that can't give away. I haven't paid a listing fee in over three years. eBay gives 50 free auction listings per month with up to 12 photos (or at least that's what they give me) and it seems like every other month, I get a special for 50,000 free listings. I think Buy-It-Now also lists for free. BTW, I recently averaged almost $270 each for two NIB CB&Q Z scale MT GP35s with free shipping. Is that a "sucker sale?"
I believe that each eBay member gets 50 free listings a month (free as in no listing fees, final value and all the other fees still apply). Be really careful when listing though, eBay likes to automatically check boxes on your behalf, like international selling via their shipping center, and automatic relisting. If you haven't done this for a while, proceed slowly and carefully and read everything... twice... But why not? The time investment to do a reasonable listing, I would say, could be a 'why not.'
When a seller puts up a commonly $19.99 item for $179.00, and for reasons unknown someone buys it, yes. As the old saying goes, "a fool and his money are soon parted."
I probably do 5-15 listings a month.Unless you start adding special stuff like large pics and other "add ons",the listings are free.I've had stuff sit on there for months with a buy it now,never paid a listing fee. Ebay is funny selling stuff.I had custom made gun grips on there,probably 20 sets.The UGLIEST set went first,"dude,coolest thing I ever saw!!"..The rest sat for weeks at 40 bucks,$2.95 shipping.Kept dropping the price,sold maybe 2 sets over 3 months.Dropped it to $29.95,same shipping,nothing.Dropped it to 25,nothing..$24.95,free shipping,ALL sold in two days!!! This took over a year.Had RC car wheels,tried to sell them in like lots,low starting bid,listed for YEARS,never sold one.Last week,I got sick of looking at the,threw them in a pile,cheap,guy from Switzerland bought them for an outrageous amount of money,close to 100 bucks for 24 mismatched used Optima wheels.You know,this isn't the first time this happened.I think more international buyers get interested when they can buy a pile,because shipping is so high.Shipping was 19 bucks..
Back in 2007 when the Euro was up, I sold a brand new Aristo G Scale 2-8-8-2 to a guy in France for about $600 (I got it for a song so I still made money) with about $170 in shipping on top and he couldn't stop singing my praises for the deal he got. I guess availablity and exchange rates can work in both parties' favor. You never know what's going to sell and for how much week to week and month to month.
This isn't so much humor as it is a Blast From The Past. I had completely forgotten that Con-Cor marketed track... http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-3-Boxes...437244?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item4ad2d028fc If 12 pieces is a circle, then three complete circles of 12 3/8 inch (315 mm) radius track for $15 plus shipping isn't a terrible deal. Note the original price of $2/box on the end labels. Back in the early 1970s when this track was probably first issued, that WAS a lot of money for me...