Just did a quick check on eBay for a Walther’s Blast Furnace (HO)
Buy it now price: $599 [:O] (This thing was like $120 when it came out) Walther’s Car Shop $299 (It was like $40 when it was out) Even to someone with somewhat deep pockets, like me, this is insane!
Checking this persons “other” OOP auctions reveals they are all also vastly overpriced.
What I’m seeing here is not a collector of trains who happened to have an extra kit he’s not going to use. He’s purely a greedy speculative buyer.
Yeah yeah I know. If he has it, he has a right to charge what he wants for it. But in my book he’s no better than a scalper. It’s just not an honest way to do business. [soapbox]
Welcome to the world of OOP Selling. I previously stated that this hobby will suffer when OOP Kits take off in insane amounts of profits to the Ebay seller. Why?
Because they continue to be out of production.
I sold the Walther’s Barge and Float set and took advantage of the hot market for them some years back. The profit I saw on those items were quite substantial. I love the American Auction system as the Bidders themselves set the market.
The day Walthers (or anyone else for that matter) gets out of bed and brings back the OOP Kits, there will be a rush of air going out of the rapidly deflating ebay sales when they realize they can get the kit once again at the LHS retail for a heck of alot less than ebay.
In fact, I think some ebayers already established themselves with a bankroll, buy a garage full of kits, store it until it goes OOP, wait a year and then issue them onto ebay one by one for very nice profit margins.
I don’t see this as an example of price gouging. You don’t need one of the models to live, its something you might want for a hobby. If someone will pay the inflated prices, all the better for the seller.
I’m sure if you came across a brand new box of 25 year old kits that you wouldn’t generously offer them for sale at their original list prices. It’s called supply and demand. Someone has a kit and if you want it bad enough, you have to pay their price, or do without. It isn’t a charity.
Agreed Bob. I’ve seen lots of things on Ebay that I thought were overpriced at the opening bid, so I didn’t bid on them. Some of them even closed with no bids. I decide how much I am willing to pay for something and bid that. If someone outbids me, they take it. That’s the nature of an auction. It’s not a life-or-death situation so I just keep looking.
I’ve also sold some things on Ebay that surprised me as to how high the closing bid went. Of course, I took the money.
Guys,What you are seeing is a speculator in action…Like a leech he lives off of the gullible modeler’s weakness of wanting a certain kit,locomotive or freight car.
Then don’t do business with him. Surely you’re not the kind of person who likes to hit himself in the thumb with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop.
You didn’t point out if it sold for that $$$ or if anyone had even bid on it. I see a lot of overpriced stuff that nobody buys. Like P.T. Barnum said-“There’s a sucker born every minute.” I’d just like to be Barnum once in a while.[}:)]
Larry, are you funnin’ us again? Leech? Don’t people fish with leeches, 'cuz they’re really good bait.
Seriously, though, do you really stand by the sentiment you seem to imply with your statement? That sentiment is, to my understanding, that if I ask $3000 for a clapped out 1968 VW Beetle, I instantly become a leech when someone values it to that extent, making his duly legitimate personal choice, and actually pays that much for it? It is somehow my fault that this person has a “weakness” for old VW Beetles…and actually wants this one?
The difference is this person isn’t a collector. They are a speculator who sucked up supply from the open market just so he can charge more for it later.
If I decide to sell my kit(s), I’ll probably sell it for a lil bit more than I paid for it. BUT I was never in it to make a buck in the first place. That’s the difference. I have no problem making a profit that way. I know there’s a lot of modelers out there who don’t have the pockets I do. So if I can get them a kit at a reasonable price and they use it, then it serves it’s purpose. What I do and share with regards to MRR, including advice, is for love of the hobby, not profit.
Your right, it’s a free market. But I never considered short term “flipping” an honest income.
Yeah tell me about thos guys are money hungry makes you wonder tho what you can get for some unbuilt OOP hmmI have a Transfer table unbuild and it oop maybe I should sell it on ebay. I also have seen Walthers SW1 that went for over 100.00 and I found out its probably gonna be produced again. all OOP kits will probably be brought back in the future look at the Roundhouse that was OOP at one time now its out again. All people have to do is wait.
Why not honest? They take on the risk of speculative buying to resell (or ‘flip’) for a profit. People do it all the time with real estate (or at least they used to [:O]).
Also, it’s not like they are being unethical by doing this with essential commodities during a dire shortage such as gasoline, medical supplies, or food.
These are now collectibiles and like antiques subject to their own supply and demand.
You can duplicate the theme of these old kits with castings, other parts, and scale lumber currently available. Grandt Line and others make lots of parts. Mt Albert http://mtalbert.com/ and other have scale lumber and basswood sheets.
Hey if I had the bucks I just might try to corner the market on some kits but renember that what goes up can come down. FSM kits were going for $250.00 to $300.00 for a kit say the iceing platform, now you can find it for about $100.00 and have seen it go for less, certain brass has gone way down too but in that case its because someone came out with a new item like the Spectrum climax.
Doesn’t bother me if someone else wants to pay that. Now, all those rare, silver, Tyco “Virginian” hopper cars, THEY bother me. I think Tyco made more of those than Virginian had of the real thing, and they will not go away ! Clog up every search.