do you ever get sad when you look at some of the stuff you've gotten from ebay?


bmzerkel

bmzerkel

New Member
I picked up some figures, signs, odds & ends that were bundled as a lot, and while I'm sitting here going thru it, you can tell it was all pulled off of a layout. A lot of it is very detailed, so you know someone must have put a lot of love into it at one time. I know it sounds dumb, but you know, a lot of what's floating around now someone put a lot of care and work into. least I'm giving it new life I guess as opposed to getting pitched
 
good point, after my father dies My mom got rid of a bunch of his rolling stock and track at a yard sale before she or I know that I was interested in ressurecting my dads layout that he had just started. hopefully the person who got a killer deal puts it to good use.
 
I got some scratch built rail cars that had that extreme care put into them. One was poorly packaged and required almost complete rebuilding. Some people just don't know what the stuff is.

I had an uncle that left his collection to his clueless children. Hopefully I will have more sense.

lasm
 
Upon first reading the title of this thread I thought you were referring to purchase regrets. That is a whole other topic altogether ;)

Yeah, I think about that all the time. I have been to a lot of auctions. You see people scouring over things in boxes like it is all junk. But to someone, these things were their pride and joy. It is sad. But at least it sometimes it gets loved all over again.
 
I have quite a few things I've picked up here and there like that. I often wonder if these pieces could talk what kind of a story they would tell. When they were built and by who, what sort of layout were they on, how many people saw them and commented on them, etc.

Friends have given me odds and ends from trainsets they had growing up. Nothing spectacular or special but I've carefully taken buildings apart and assembled them more carefully and repaired and added detail to rolling stock and replaced trucks & couplers. When they come to visit I make it a point to bring them down to see what I've done with their old "toys". It always brings big smiles and makes us both happy.
 
I think I know what you are talking about and I have a little different take on it. I often feel like saying "I'll try to make you proud and happy with what I do with it." to the person who put the work into it. And the likelihood of that ever happening is pretty rare since I don't travel and only visit one other layout with any regularity.
 
I have seen a few things I lost in my divorce for sale again. A Suydam U.P. railcar that was a particular favorite I had regeared, and re-motored it, then added an accurate interior and lighting, and a 2-8-0 that I used as a switcher and loved, I think it was PFM. And a couple of structures. I just let it go, I can't afford to buy back even those little things. I'm sure their new owners (15 years ago) love them now.
 
I went to a garage sale a few years ago my wife pointed out it listed model railroad stuff as part of the sale. I think we all know that most people would say electric trains or something like that so I thought it might be worth a look. It ended up a family was selling off the remains of their deceased pops layout. Among other bargains, I picked up a scratch built coal mine that was really nicely done. It is now one of first things a visitor sees coming into my layout area. I'm always get asked if I built it and of course tell my visitors, no I wish I had. I asked the son his dad's name so I could honor him. The only change I've made to the structure is a sign saying 'Ira Katz Coal Mine #2' So I hope somewhere Ira is happy for the home I've given his work. Oh price? $5.00!
 
That is awesome Gary. And a very good idea I would hope would catch on.

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Gary B said:
I asked the son his dad's name so I could honor him. The only change I've made to the structure is a sign saying 'Ira Katz Coal Mine #2' So I hope somewhere Ira is happy for the home I've given his work!
Click to expand...

Stop it or I'm gonna get choked up :eek:. That's very cool.
 
DSCF5192 - Copy.JPGGlad everyone appreciated, so you want pictures right? It appears I need to take some current ones since I have re-forested the right side also.
 
I just came up from the next state where I bought automobiles and people from a layout being dismantled by the man who had loved it for fifty years. It was indeed touching as I looked on a layout which used all #4 atlas turnouts, two MRC controls and an independent sound system , also MRC for sound. He really loved that railroad and I loved the fact that he loved it.He ran the engines around at a scale speed of about 200MPH. When I had all of the cars and people on a bench I asked him what he wanted for it and he was only about ten dollars above what I thought it to be worth. I could only say "that's perfect". There was a structure there that was really nicely done and I could see how proud he was of it so I asked his price which he gave me. I gave him a bit more than he asked and he seemed really pleased. While it doesn't really fit in my layout, I bought it. We finished up with a pair of engines, A & B F units that are no longer available.

What a nice guy and it was indeed sad to see him at 84 taking it apart. Some people begin to take their lives apart before they've really lived them out. My dad who was a doctor died two years back and had a grant in with the national Institute of Health when he dropped like a stone. He was 95 when he slipped away. He would have told my 84 year old rail enthusiast to enjoy his youth. I did tell him that story.

Now getting sad on ebay because someone intentionally stiffed you is indeed another story. Start that thread. I'm there.
 
I try to take good care of the railroad items I get. Hopefully I can improve those items that are in disrepair. Those items not kept in the original box are kept in plastic containers (with the lids shut) called "shoe boxes" that can be found at Home Depot.

The way I look at the situation is like how the guys on American Pickers look at picking- Their job is to put things where they belong. Hopefully, with me is where most of those items belong. Some of the items don't belong with me and I can only hope that by cleaning up what I can and by being honest with Ebay buyers I can help those items get where they belong.
 
bmzerkel said:
.... least I'm giving it new life I guess as opposed to getting pitched
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And that is the sad part to me. I have participated in the razing of about 15 layouts in the past few years. Despite best efforts so much of it is destroyed. Some stuff just doesn't "transfer well". I tried as carefully as possible to save the "crossing of the Washita River" from the CG&SF. I thought I was doing pretty good until the temperature where I stored it went over 100 degrees for several days. The plastic "river" sagged between the support joists, the bridges buckled and I am guessing next summer I'll send it to the dumpster.
 
Back in the 90's I was very much active in Model Railroading and had quite a collection of HO Scale rolling stock and locomotives although my true passion was structures. I would purchase regular out of the box kits and would detail them until they no longer resembled the original kits. I had a pretty decent sized layout in my room but sadly it was never finished because my parents sold the house and I had to pack it all up. I tried to continue at the new house but space was at a premium and I ended up selling almost all of my HO Scale items on eBay.

It was very hard for me to sell each item especially my structures. I had put so much work and effort into each piece that I really hesitated selling them but they were just spending their lives packed away in boxes where nobody could ever see them. I sold almost all of it to folks all over the country and although I was sad to see them go I was also a bit happy knowing that my stuff is sitting on someone else's layout somewhere being seen and enjoyed by it's new owners.

This was about 15 years ago. Even to this day I still glance through folks layout pictures in magazines and websites hoping to one day come across a picture of one of my structures being used on someones layout today.
 
I cherish my used and restored things most of all. Don't get me wrong I love buying something new, but I get great satisfaction from restoring old things and making them look and run as close to new as I can.

I only have one thing that I know I got from the original owner. I bought a Tyco GP20 on eBay form a guy who restored it and made hand rails for it. An absolutely beautiful example of a master craftsmen! I only paid $15 for what had to have been hours of tedious work. Each little detail is perfect and every stanchion looks exactly the same as the others. It is priceless to me and one of my favorite pieces I have. I wrote back to him to congratulate him on his fantastic work and all he said was "I am glad you appreciate it and use it"

I agree the saddest part is not being able to save something.

This thread is yet another example of the great people that are on this forum and in this hobby in general, thank you for sharing your things and stories with me.
 
I have two tinplate locomotives my brother gave me as a thank you for taking care of the finacial matters when our Mom past away. One is a 1926 Ives the other an American Flyer which I think is even older. I researched the Ives (which was bought out by Lionel in like 1928) and found my locomotive only came as part of a set. There was an article on the site I found the info on Ives about a guy who purchased an equally old set. He did really didn't look in the box until much later and then he found a letter from the original owner. It told how special the set was to him for some heart breaking reasos and how he kept it all his live and hoped the new owner would give it a good home. The new owner tried to find the original owner only to find he passed away since he had purchased the set. He was sorry he could not tell him it got a good home. I look at my Ives and wonder if some child was delighted on Christmas morning over 80 years ago.
 
Forum:

On the topic of EBay purchase regrets.....

My first experience with EBay was the purchase of a Milwaukee Road Caboose and a Green Bay Western box car. I purchased both from the same seller and when they arrived they were toy like and from a low priced toy train set and not close to what I remembered or what the photos showed. I didn't pay much so I kept them as a lesson learned. I've seen similar models in hobby shops selling for a buck each. I finally used them to practice weathering methods.

Another time I purchased what I thought was an early HO Life Like switcher, however when it arrived it was N scale. I contacted the seller and he returned my purchase price and shipping costs and was sorry he didn't indicate the scale of the model.

Other purchases EBay purchases worked out fine. A bargain of six NCE decoders for $50 or a new Life Like GP9 C&NW DC loco for $30.

On the other hand.......

A co-worker of mine said that his best friend started in model railroading several years ago and his son never took an interest in the hobby. He wondered if I would like three boxes of assorted "railroad stuff". I said "yes" and several years passed without receiving the boxes and I thought that it was a forgotten issue and then one day, in front of my office door was three boxes of railroad kits, scenery materials, a power pack, a loco and rolling stock (both RTR and kits).

I took the boxes home to unpack and found a treasure of items I could and would use. I offered to reimburse my new found friend and all he wanted was a good home for the collection.

At a recent train show, I purchased two sets of six box cars each for $34 a set. Each car was nicely weathered, had metal wheels and KD couplers and was well maintained. I found out later that these were part of an estate sale and the owner must have taken a lot of pride in his collection. I also found one of his C&NW GP9 that was equipped with sound and LED's and runs perfect. I often wonder what the owner's layout looked like and how he must have enjoyed the hobby.

Thanks.

Greg
 
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