Why exactly is the price laughable? GHQ Depressed center flat - $17.95 for two 40' car kits without trucks. That car appears to be two 40' cars stitched together to make the longer car. Brawa Trolley - Older powered trolley that came with a trailer mate. Can't find a reference to the price but older Euro stuff can get very pricey. Only reference to the car was on a Czech trolley website.
Curious about this one - is this a truly rare and special breed that would support the price? (Not laughing about it at this moment, more just curious, as I really dont know about it - I mean I wouldnt buy it, cant afford it for sure, but curious. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ATLAS-RS-3-...el_RR_Trains&hash=item35b81de332#ht_664wt_825
What does he mean by stating "Limited Edition?" Is it a custom paint? If so, that might help justify his price. Otherwise, how can it be a "Limited Editon?"
In the seller's text: "I am not a collector or grader..." Yet he (she) sells at a price one would think to be in the "collector" realm. Me smells something rotten...Says they're in Staten - maybe the seller meant Rikers? :tb-confused: FWIW, I've seen the D&H RS-3 pop up from time to time on the 'bay with starting bids 1/10th of what this guy wants - granted, I never noticed the "Limited Edition" text on the box before. Frankly, I wouldn't pay over $50 for old, non-DCC-compatible, vintage Atlas or Kato. Here's another of this seller's items: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINITRIX-ST...914351?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item35b81905ef This guy (or gal) must have been on crack if they thought they could squeeze $345 for an old Minitrix (especially when the box is marked $15 in pen). For a good laugh, there's a few more gems in the seller's bag. Some of the feedback is priceless too.
This was a "limited edition". Don't know how limited, I have 3, and never paid more than $45 for any of them. They still turn up for a reasonable price so the are not particularly rare. Simple case of the seller not having a clue what he has
Greg- Just curious- Was it Atlas who built this release? Seems to me someone sold or had for sale one of these in our TrainStore are, a short while ago? For a lot less than what this seller wants....
this one aint a limited edition or rare by any strech of the imagination. I have had 3 of them. Picked to of them up for $50 at a train show. 2 of mine are now sold off, one is decorated for my own short line. and judging by his price on the Minitrix 0-6-0, he clearly doesn't do any research before listing his items.
Yes, Atlas put these out. I don't remember what year, early 90s maybe. I know they did D&H and E-L, but I don't know what others they did as limited edition.
Let's see then..Free Shipping versus $5.95 and up shipping for a (say)$54.95 Southern SD24.. Sounds like a no brainer to me.I'll go with the free shipping. I did see a Southern SD24 for $69.95 with $12.95 shipping..I backed away as soon as I seen the ridiculous shipping. I bought one 2 weeks later for $59.95 with free shipping.
Well I have three of the MiniTrix 0-6-0s. The most expensive bought back a few years ago $40. The cheapest bought several months ago $20. Hmm once again I need to put the stuff up I guess. And let's see I have one modified into a 2-6-0. So that makes it one of probably only ten of these specially modified locos. Custom paint job, real wood load on the tender and it will be new, or is that newly in the box as soon as I find one. At $345 X 3 hmmmm. Heck I might even go find a factory so I can scoop up some factory air and put it in the boxes with them. And that RS-3. Just recently bought one for $40. Hmmm another one with a custom paint job, a couple with winterization hatches and all weather windows. Have to find some more boxes because if this one sells I have 5 of them ready to go. Yep with all the money I'll be making I may finally be able to afford a couple of nice brass Jordan spreaders, and a nice brass steamer. Hoo yeh.
Manufactured by Kato, Atlas Tool Co., Inc. marketed three "Limited Edition" N-Scale Alco RS-3 locomotives (stock number 4220 New York Central "Lightning Stripe" with reporting number 8233, stock number 4221 Delaware and Hudson with reporting number 4079, and stock number 4222 Erie Lackawanna with reporting number 1039) in July 1987. Introduced to the market in October 1983, re-run in October 1985, Atlas' final release of Kato's version of the RS-3 (in July 1987) marked the end of the line for this particular model configuration. The last three models from the final run were all labeled "Limited Edition", which was simply a reference to the the final production of these products. Retooled, Atlas' RS-3's would not make a reappearance until December 1994.
Despite the sum of its parts, I still think it's a little hefty price to pay for just one car, especially one that is so individualistic, it may not lend itself to anything more than being a showpiece on most layouts. (Unless the load is removable, and the depressed center can be used for other shipments). Even, still, it is a hefty price to pay for just a single car, manufacturer and origins regardless. If it is a custom build, I also hope they aren't looking to make money on selling it, because it has not been bid on. Suffice it to say, it gives me a bit of a cynical laugh because I am simply not made of enough money to actually bid on it.
Does Free Shipping Make a Difference? I took 2 of my current auctions that had a $3.50 First Class Mail shipping option, added the $3.50 to the opening bid and marked them "Free Shipping" I will see what happens. One was a NYC MT Flat car. The other was a DI NYC Box car. Both are new.
I did the same thing once. After the auction closed with no buyers, I had 3 people blowing up me e mail that wanted to buy the item, which is a vintage Kadee car with a high auction value of $143 for $8 including shipping! The buyers wanted to pay anything from $3 (which when new I think was $2.75) to $8 with shipping. Ebay I have found lately is filled with a bunch of people that want a $20 for less than $5. I mean come on now people!
A few months ago, I saw that an Athearn N-scale Big Boy in auction was hitting the $800 mark (the 4019 with smoke deflectors) and I happened to have the identical engine, so I shot some really great photos of it on my Echo module (UP trackage, superelevated curves...right where the prototype would have been) and listed it for a "Buy It Now" at $850. It took 3.5 hours to sell! Not bad for an engine that cost me $325 when I bought it new! Two days later, the other 4019 sold at auction for a little more than $1,200. What's humorous about this? I don't know, but I laughed all the way to the bank! Cheers! Bob Gilmore
Just seen a couple of days ago a 6 pack of Kadee Shell tank cars still sealed starting bid was $1400.00!!! The guy said they where from the personal collection of one of the Kadee/MTL Brothers. He still has them they didn't sell.
Greg, You're welcome. If the information is readily available in my extensive collection of research materials, I am only to happy to pass it along. Just in case you were wondering what the RS-3's originally sold for, Atlas' MSRP for the "Limited Edition" models was $56.95 each, which was 31.5% higher than the $39.00 retail price for the first two production runs. It has been theorized by a few individuals that the aforementioned increase in contract product pricing (the first in a series of steady increases in price that would become considerably more extreme in later years) may have been influenced by Kato's Inclination toward leaving the contract production side of manufacturing; presumably, to focus the firm's attention on its own line products.
Other possibility for extra cost... I had one of the E-L versions of the RS-3, purchased from a New Jersey vendor, which stated they were Bev Bel decorated models. I did not see anywhere the mention of Bev Bel on the packaging (such as with Life-Like versions). Perhaps this could explain the difference in the sale price. I got mine pretty cheap from this vendor which used to do N scale close-outs by mail-order (BTW it's not BLW)... about $25-$30 IIRC. I regret that I traded away that model in the 1990's to someone that does eastern US N scale... I got a bunch of western rolling stock in exchange... those early Kato RS-3 are better runners than the later Chinese versions.
