OK honestly

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C

ChevelleSSguy

Member
I know that intermodal containers are a high demand item for any modern stack train. But this is just insane to pay these ebay prices just to fill up a fleet of Gunderson or Thrall well cars. I understand the demand but I just dont get how people can justify the price. No offense to anyone that may have won these auctions, its just that for me personally. I just cant justify spending this kind of dough.

Here is a few examples of what I mean.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380157548325&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:US:1123

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270454298250&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270454295801&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110432628018&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

This is a little easier to understand but at almost 100 dollars once you factor in shipping. I still wouldnt say it is a real bargain.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320422854531&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

50 dollars after shipping for 11 containers?:confused:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320416951271&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
 
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Jeez those are steep prices to pay for plastic containers :eek:

being an Athearn and Walthers dealer, i guess i should order containers and sell them on ebay if these are the kinda prices there getting up to
 
Before people started finding EBay again(about 3 months ago) in trains I bought a dozen real nice containers for $24.00 including postage. It was a late night(1am) bid & there were only 2 bidders besides myself.
Now, the prices are beyond reach for us cheap buyers. You would do a lot better at train shows to get the good prices. last season(Nov. to March) I got 15 trailers & 15 containers for $30.00. I just kept asking all the dealers at the show for trailers & containers & 1 had a bunch behind his table & that's how I got the great deal.
 


The problem w/ Ebay is there are a few idiots who have the idea "that money is no object" so the prices stay high on popular items. Just keep looking on Ebay & other like sites & eventually you should see them at more reasonable prices. Also check on-line discount hobby dealers and of course your LHS!
 
there is also gomotor.com were they sell train stuff.my only gripe with the is high freight.which i got a email the other day saying they lowered the freight,just to good to believe.also oufit out of dallas selling to member swhich you can register easy.and can also check tower hobbies which still sells trains.
 
SSGuy, the link you posted for the 11 containers shows $4.95 freight, not $50.

There's not a lot of point to a discussion like this. Some people don't know the value of a product, it's hard to find, and just plain want it real bad. It's just like there's always a few people who buy a new car at list price. I just shake my head and join Larry in looking for real deals. The beauty of capitalism is that it educates the ignorant by removing money from their wallet they didn't have to spend and rewards the wise by giving them more for the money they have in their wallet.
 
E-bay's current shipping calculator is grossly wrong if that is what was used to determine the shipping cost.

I've seen too many items on there recently where the seller had to state in the description that the shipping listed is wrong, that the shipping is x as opposed to xx.
 


not surprising, i guess you never looked at used photo equipment on the bay. some smart folks manage to pay more then BNIB MSRP for used stuff in less then mint shape. nuts
 
I remember paying $10-12 per container at my old LHS. I felt ridiculous paying $24 for the container cars, and $120 for the containers!

What has really be aggravating me is the price of steam engines. You can buy a decent diesel for $60, but a cheap steamer will set you back $115! And when I got to train shows/swap meets, a 20 year old pile of junk will still cost you $70. I don't think that train stuff really appreciates in value, but according to sellers it does. I would rather buy a new locomotive at the same price than say "My locomotive is twenty years old."

On a side note, I did pick up an old Tyco locomotive made in 1962 for $18, and it didn't even have the handrails installed yet, they were still in the packaging. It doesn't run too bad for something 47 years old!
 
Adam, you should have been up at our rather wet swap meet here in Alabama today. There were brass engines going at very reasonable proces. One guy had a factory painted OMI Southern 2-6-4 that looked like it had almost no use and he was asking $125. There were several nice brass diesels going for around $70, also almost new. I wouldn't buy any brass off e-bay unless I was desperate for that particular engine. Wait until you can get to a train swap meet. There seem to be a lot older guys who have moved to places like condos and don't have a layout and are willing to let brass engines go cheap. Same thing with freight and passenger cars. How about a Walthers Ortner aggregate 3 car set, NIB, for $15? There are kots of places to look for models other than e-bay.
 
Jeffrey, I downloaded a bunch of those paper containers onto business card stock on my printer 2 years ago. They are a lot smaller than HO scale. A friend of mine that lives in the Philippines says that everyone over there uses them because it's so hard to get train items & he didin't know there was a difference in the scale.
 
Larry said:
Jeffrey, I downloaded a bunch of those paper containers onto business card stock on my printer 2 years ago. They are a lot smaller than HO scale. A friend of mine that lives in the Philippines says that everyone over there uses them because it's so hard to get train items & he didin't know there was a difference in the scale.
Click to expand...
You probably downloaded the wrong ones. The HO Scale containers are on the far left, N Scale is center left. I downloaded a bunch myself and they all compared favorably in size with a plastic HO Scale I had on hand. They have to be printed on paper setting A4.
 
UP2CSX said:
Adam, you should have been up at our rather wet swap meet here in Alabama today. There were brass engines going at very reasonable proces. One guy had a factory painted OMI Southern 2-6-4 that looked like it had almost no use and he was asking $125. There were several nice brass diesels going for around $70, also almost new. I wouldn't buy any brass off e-bay unless I was desperate for that particular engine. Wait until you can get to a train swap meet. There seem to be a lot older guys who have moved to places like condos and don't have a layout and are willing to let brass engines go cheap. Same thing with freight and passenger cars. How about a Walthers Ortner aggregate 3 car set, NIB, for $15? There are kots of places to look for models other than e-bay.
Click to expand...

Good advice Jim, but I have to tell you I have bought many pieces of brass off of e-bay since CJ infected me with the brass bug many years ago. I always pay below market value. I recently got a Key GS-4 for $335.00. They came in at $500.00 when they were new. The key is patience, and remembering e-bay rule #1: There will always be another one!

As to the current subject, I just want to know: Where are these bidiots when I'm selling something?:rolleyes:
 
UP2CSX said:
SSGuy, the link you posted for the 11 containers shows $4.95 freight, not $50.
Click to expand...

I probably should have clairified this. I was refering to the winning bid + shipping. 45.75 plus the 4.95 shipping makes the big picture tip over the 50 dollar mark. I always factor in the shipping on the total value vs the potential of buying local or any good online dealer. I have found that Standard Hobby Supply and caboose hobbies seem to have good prices. Although, I did pick up a bunch of containers that were in the bargain bin at Walthers website a little over a week ago. Felt that the just under 4 dollar price was fair so I stocked up on several different styles they had. Plus picked up about 10 different Atlas tank cars.
 


Espeefan said:
Good advice Jim, but I have to tell you I have bought many pieces of brass off of e-bay since CJ infected me with the brass bug many years ago. I always pay below market value....:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

You're welcome Alan!:D

At the swap meet yesterday, I picked up 2 Shinohara #8 turnouts for a friend, my CB&Q buddy, for $23 total and an Akane USRA 0-8-0 for $75.

William, L&N Castle, even picked up an Akane USRA 2-6-6-2 for $100!
 
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