I have one of the Texaco tank cars and the handrails are about two scale feet in diameter. It was one of the first freight cars purchased in 1984, only paid about $2. Joe
There's so much to be said about sellers on Ebay. Yes, I've been one of those but I've disclosed everything that I know is wrong and set the prices on the minimum side of things. I have on occasion used the auction option. Most of the time. I prefer to use Best Offer. Seems fairer, to me. I digress. Ebay, So much wrong on every level I can think of. I went to buy cat food. The prices are sky high compared to a month ago. Ever increasing since January 2021, I know I'm starting off on the wrong foot here. No doubt! Cat food! What, I thought this was about trains? It is. I'll get back to it. Over all as I look at things. Even the news media is saying: Our economy is running a muck. I'll get back to Trains, Starting Now. To quote the latest in video introductions. A set of Kato (blue box) Union Pacific E9's caught my eye. They would look good pulling one of my UP passenger trains. The seller wanted all but new prices for them. Say what? Does he think I'm gullible enough to pay... all but new prices for an older used set of train engines. Used items? I might pay MSRP for when it was first issued and think that is a bit steep. However, to set myself up for potential failure. I don't think so. I'd rather buy a new set of Kato E9's over someone's over priced, used ones. Noted the same thing with an older used Life Like E9. More money then I'm willing to pay for it or them. Continuing this thought. How about a seller who sells used stuff for all but new prices? That's what's happening on Ebay. That's just wrong on every level, I can think of. Greed run a muck. Why would you want to buy a used item for all but new prices? When for a few more bucks you can buy a new one. I'm not interested in a used item with the potential of electrical contacts, motor, gears and even wheel failure issues. In other words your going to be looking at potential rebuild issues. And pay through the nose for it. Where's the common sense? There is a seller on E-pay that will warn you not to question his prices and if you do he will bump you from the eligible list of buyers. Who made him King of all who is Trains? When you look at what he's selling. An estate sale. He wants to sell them for all but new prices. Selling old...used...deteriorating items. I did say that already. Yep, I did. It's just wrong on every level I can think of. Did I say that already? The best way too avoid sellers like this is to keep your pocket money right where it is, in your pocket. If it doesn't sell. He or she might figure it out at some point. However, he knows what every seller knows. It will sell on E-pay. It's often been said if not by me, others here as well. Let the buyer beware. The best way to avoid this kind of seller is to... move on. It's a leaverite. See a lot of these on the desert. Leaverite there. Don't pick it up and for sure don't buy it. On another note. I don't recommend buying used electronics. Unless you are able to fix it. Don't look at me. That's way over my head. I'd rather buy new electronics's. It's enough trouble following the directions to hook it all up in the first place. Know your seller, buy from someone who hasn't screwed you. Someone you trust. Don't get caught up in the E-pay Going Price illusions. Unless you can't live without it. Been there done that and got stung more times then I care to admit. Well, Alright...I've vented my frustrations. Later!
Part of the problem (IMHO) is Lionel...old trains are worth more, sometimes much more than they cost new. 75-100 years ago, a Lionel train might have cost $5 and now its worth $500 or substantially more (of course in almost new condition and still in the original box). People who don't know any better think that this is true with ALL model trains. N scale from 50 years ago MUST be worth more than it cost new (even though most of it is crude and a poor runner by today's standards). They just don't know any better. That's all to often the reason why the use TTOS grading 'standards' in the description. I'm sure that if I was trying to sell something that I didn't know anything about, I would probably sound just as stupid as they do (or not since I would do some research first to learn about what I was selling). I see sellers at the 'train shows' that are charging higher than MSRP prices on EVERYTHING they sell and then post that everything is 25% off listed price...kind of like what Kohls does (I will NEVER shop there again). The bigger problem is that it works on too many people and poor unsuspecting buyers go home from trains shows excited about their new hobby only to find out that what they bought runs poorly or doesn't run at all. As for common sense...it has become so rare, it should now be categorized as a super power!
I agree that tinplate is part of the trouble. Especially as so many are trying to adapt the TCA grading system to modern, scale equipment. The TCA system was not intended to be used beyond the tinplate world. The sad part is how little most know of tinplate values. Old does not always equate to being pricey. Surprisingly a lot of Lionel has very little worth. Some best simply as sacrifices for parts. Condition means everything. And what so many are offering in N listings are way over-graded, too frequently should be just relegated to the swap meet junk or bargain bin. I have complained for years about the damage sellers on that auction site and at swap meets are doing to our hobby. For just the reasons you've described.
BarstowRick, Got to keep our lil' kitties happy and healthy. I'm surprised that it's taken so long to see this there. I have two in the box new engines that don't work and Bachmann won't fix them. This was in 2008. When I got very cautious with them. I also bought from what I thought was direct dealer and it was very bad and dangerous. But Amazon took over the sale without permission and then the manufacturer said they don't honor the warranty if sold that way and it was an obsolete model. That is what Amazon does as well. I have never found E-bay Humorous and only buy from Amazon if it doesn't need warranty. Most on-line stores are doing the same. Especially shipping. Have a nice day, Richard
I agree completely. Over many decades I've had friends and friends of friends ask me to look at their Lionel trains and I've never seen anything of real worth.
There are recognized train stores selling on E bay. I do buy from those and I've never had any problems. Lionel is a different story all together. The production of the new Tin Plates, drove the price of the old tinplate down, to a more respectable level. Yep. B-mann isn't welcomed here. But the kids don't know the difference and usually run them into the ground. Will we ever solve this dilemma. Not likely.
I typically don't do Bachmann engines in N scale, although some of the newer ones have tempted me. And it does sound like their steam locos are getting better. I do have an SP S4 that runs pretty well. But I'm willing to buy up their freight cars if I can get them at a dirt-cheap price. Especially gons, those I can cut up into log cars.
The more recent Bachmann steam locos are decent runners. I own a few PRR K4's and they run fine. I've also had their 2-8-0's, 4-8-2's (light and heavy) along with a 2-10-2 and have not had any issues. Detailing on the steam locos that were tooled more recently (this century and not the 0-6-0, 2-6-2, 4-8-4 etc... that have been around forever) is pretty good I've also bought a GP-7, one of their more recent diesels and it ran fine also. I've heard others have not been so lucky, so it is probably buyer beware. However, if you can get one of their newer releases at a decent price (i.e. heavily discounted below MSRP), don't be afraid to buy one. Their newer passenger and freight car releases also have ridiculous MSRP's and are probably really only worth about half of the MSRP.
Always check on Spookshow's website. I'm not a Bachmann fan at all and don't own any until recently. A dealer had Bachmann S4 switchers with DCC for $40 a piece. Road names were limited but beggars can't be choosers. I checked the S4 on Mark's website and he give it an A. Took my chances and bought two. Sure enough they run like a Swiss watches. I could not believe they were Bachmanns!
I got one of those recent S4's and it is an excellent runner but I had to swap out the decoder to get it to creep and transit speed steps smoothly. For the price I paid ($40 too) adding a $30 decoder and a little time I still feel it was a good buy. The steam in the spectrum line is pretty good detail wise although their challenger from years back had some off kilter details I felt compelled to straighten up. Wound up giving it away as it was useless to pull anything up a 2% grade. The off center drivers created traction issues as well as made it look like a cheap piece of garbage as it wallowed side to side making it's way down the track. At this point the only way I'll consider another bachmann is if it gets rave reviews (note plural usage of review) by other members here. Spookshow is a good start but a few times I've had "beg to differ" moments with the glowing reviews.
Now here's a Seller I admire, clearly describing his/her "N Scale Engines poor quality brands". More Sellers should do this, rather than the overselling of junk we normally see. https://www.ebay.com/itm/304290052095
He missed the boat on one of them, but I agree about all the rest. The Missouri Pacific 4815 GP18 is a Walthers/Life-Like with a split frame metal chassis. Those are good units.
Still have 2 of them. Currently, not hooked up, as new LCD TV is HDMI connections only! Worked on the plasma TV, that failed a while back. Get sound, but no picture. Even at last train show I was at, besides club show, the prices being asked were a bit unbelievable!! And the older guys, with the old Lionel and newer 3 rail stuff, no way!!
I see the same here at train shows. I sometimes wonder if "selling" at shows is merely a form of fellowship and entertainment for these guys; they're not dependent on it for income it appears. Shows sponsored by for-profit regional promoters are the worst; club-sponsored shows are much better.
