A few pages back, it was asked why anyone cares what people pay for something else on eBay. The above quote is exactly why we groan when we see ridiculous prices on items. (And no offense to the poster I quoted at all). People see those "auction highs" and register in their minds that it's the going rate. It's great if you can sell an item at that price, but disappointing if you don't. But I am not a "collector" for the sake of collecting, rather a runner. How many others have been to a show, making an offer to a vendor only to hear "well on eBay I see them for X" whether they sell or not? Naturally they can charge whatever they want, but I do also hear the "I'm not coming back because I didn't sell a thing" view, nevermind they are 50% or more higher than the true going rate in a given area. Surely there are some who want want $20 dollars for $5, but more often the case is someone wants $15 for $10 and many vendors want $20 for $10. Does any of it really matter? No, not really. I won't pay $50 for a plastic N scale car nor expect anyone to pay that. But there are collectors interested in investments that would probably cry that i am running some of the cars I do, or modify them I suppose I just get tired of people becoming offended because they want 4 or 5 times the price I am willing to pay for certain items just because they saw a price somewhere that was targeted to mint collectors rather than runners.
Here is my 2 cents. Here is my 2 cents worth. An item is only worth what you are willing to pay for it. I have 4 MT cars of the same road name/number that date back to when the label was Kadee. I paid about $4.00 each for them. Recently I saw one on the Bay for $250.00 as a buy now. Yes I know they are rare and have an error on them (the reporting marks on the ends are reversed), but I was not about to drop $250 on one car. For me that car had a value of about $10.00 - $20.00. If people would pay me $250 each for my cars I might take it, but at this point in time they are priceless to me and are being run…That just brought down the value. You can keep the change. Gary
Or as bad or worse, have a vendor at a show trying to use auction highs from the Armstrong guide when the eBay price is way less. The $110 Gorre & Daphetid car the vendor wanted $110 for, I just got on eBay for under $22. I would have paid $30 becasue I REALLY wanted it but that's how the chips fell. I think it is collectively understood by the group here that once someone buys something, it's theirs to do with an they please. Those high priced cars weren't always collectors items. Andy Tetsu Uma
Grandpa "Joe", Released in April, 1984, with $42.95 MSRPs, there were seven Bev-Bel Atlas N-Scale RS-3 releases that were all lettered for eastern roads. No longer seen with any sort of regularity, the list of Bev-Bel decorated RS-3's is as follows: Stock Number 4250 Reading (green) with reporting number 496 Stock Number 4251 Lehigh Valley (red) with reporting number 214 Stock Number 4252 Central of New Jersey with reporting number 1553 Stock Number 4253 Boston and Maine Stock Number 4254 Conrail (blue) Stock Number 4255 Lehigh and New England with reporting number 654 Stock Number 4256 Western Maryland with reporting number 184 In addition to the Bev-Bel releases, in 1983, Kato issued four "Japanese Release" RS-3's that bear a single stock number, 177-08. No longer seen with any sort of regularity, the four Kato boxed models are as follows: Union Pacific Amtrak with reporting number 131 (along with five unnumbered Atlas pre-production samples that were produced in 1982) Great Northern Erie Lackawanna with reporting 1039
In my mind, it would depend on how expensive the car was to begin with. If I can buy three cars for $10 each that are marked $3.50 shipping and get them to combine the shipping, I could possibly get all three with shipping for $35.50 (a lot of sellers charge an additional $1a car so combined shipping would be $5.50 + $30 for the cars). On the other hand, if the seller added the shipping to what he wanted and each car was $13.50, it would cost me $40.50. Which deal do you think I would go for as the buyer?
The individuals auctioning this crap off are scoundrels and you want nothing to do with them. If you want the story I will be glad to tell you. The bottom line is that these eastern European types are not who you want to buy train stuff from.
That's very interesting Neville! So... I definately know it was an E-L in the Grey/with Maroone stripe with yellow pinstripes... don't remember the roadnumber... so it could have been that early Kato release. I remember it had a traction tire as well and pulled very well. The fellow that got it from me wanted it pretty bad... specially since I didn't really do eastern roads. Maybe he knew it was very rare... and I didn't. I seem to remember it being in a box marked 'Limited Edition'. Was the Kato version noted as a 'Limited Edition'?
Grandpa "Joe", Relatively rare (because they were never intended to be export models), the four Kato RS-3 releases were packaged in long, narrow, Kato jewel-boxes, with the name "Kato" embossed in red (on the jewel-box lids), and generic green and white Kato card-stock inserts. Considered to be open stock items in the Japanese version of Kato's late 1980s catalog(s), there was no need to mark the models as "Limited Edition". While I actually had a few of Kato's Japanese release, N-Scale American prototype models in my retail store inventory (as some of the Japanese release GP, RSD4/5, and RS-3 locomotives had found their way into the states in the late 1980s or early 1990s), they were purchased from a long defunct hobby distributor, who never divulged how these locomotives had actually found their way into the US. Assuming someone hasn't replaced the locomotive's wheel-sets, one of the easiest ways to determine if an Atlas N-Scale RS-3 is an early Kato produced version is to turn the model over and check for nickle-silver plated drive wheels and (black) rubber traction tires. All of the Atlas N-Scale diesel locomotive models that have been released since the early 1990s have chemically blackened drive wheels and no traction tires.
Other than the individual items being commented on, I also note what seems to be three different sellers that appear to me to be the same entity (for example, location listed is the same). I won't name names-- why offer free publicity? Items listed are remarkably similar across the three different screen names, there are many one day auctions (for fast relist and constant appearance in listings) and prices that, with shipping included, are, let's just say, rather high. I am wondering if the adoption of multiple seller handles is a dodge of the crackdown on multiple listings of the same item that eBay had announced some time ago. Just give us an "ignore list," eBay, and I will take care of this myself. Yes, I know. Not. Gonna. Happen.
And the fee-bay's answer to that abnormally high shipping will be yet a higher 'tax' collected on the S&H of each sale (right now its 9 percent) because we cant just punish the evildoers, we just punish everyone - yeah right. Its so sad that for a lot of things, this ebay is the only alternative. Other place sites just never seem to get enough 'converts' to crash the bay.
There is a way to exclude sellers from your search - just use the "specify sellers" option that appears on the left side of the screen, and change the "include" box to "exclude". You will have to continue to use this option to eliminate specific sellers, but most web browsers will remember what you typed from the last session, so simply putting the cursor in the box will bring up what you entered last time. I find this a handy tool for eliminating undesirable sellers.
My My My....this is so tempting! Look at the detailing on these beauties! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-new...519819?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item460203e2cb
I'd like to see what a set of these look like with a decent paint job, they might be halfway acceptable, this guy shouldn't be let anywhere near open bottles of paint.
Yeah, a decent paint job would probably go a long way, that and some actual windows. He would probably have better luck if he sold individual shells, more people might take a chance if the outlay was less.
a few hours of casting clean up goes a long way.....Of couse the red crayon and bad decal thing.....I can't believe this guy is actually able to sell these things........sucker born every miniute I guess.
I doubt that he sold the Rio for what he was asking. The price for this one is considerably less but still too high
Well the first set didn't sell for the $1000 price tag and I see the price is way down on this set however, the same old issues of shell casting problems, and he must be getting these painted by Miss Betty's Kindergarten class for cheap. Will be interesting just to watch if someone bites on this set.
