Okay, I know most of you will probably say “Go with your gut” on this one… but I thought I’d ask anyway.
I emailed a seller on ebay tonight who has several brand new atlas #6 turnouts for sale, for a little under the cheapest I can find them anywhere else. I was asking about shipping, and in the question, also asked if he had any #4 turnouts available. He emailed me back and said he has a bunch of used#4’s in excellent condition, and named a price $2 per turnout less than the cheapest I can find them new, PLUS, he said he would waive shipping entirely, if I bought 12 or more turnouts.
I’m slowly trying to aquire the turnouts and flex track needed for my layout so I can start track laying in mid-late January, and since I’m going to have a yard and a very large industrial complex, (18x20’ layout) I am going to need a TON of #4’s (at least 30-50 #4’s alone), and all of my mainline turnouts will be #6’s, and I’m going to need quite a few of them too.
The seller has ebay score of just under 2000, a 99.7% positive feedback, with total positive feedback just under 3000. Since he appears to be a reputable seller, my gut feeling is to go for it, and buy all the #4’s he’s got, as well as a few #6’s, get free shipping, and save a ton of money over the cost of all new ones plus shipping. On the other hand, per my earlier thread about buying used track on ebay, most of the responses tend to look down on used track, especially turnouts, especially sight unseen. So I’m a little torn between what I should do. On the one hand, sounds like a hell of a deal. On the other, I could be blowing money on junk.
I’m going to email him back and try to get some more specific info on the track, but what do ya’ll think? Should I jump on it?
Just remember if the item isn’t listed on e-bay, there is no e-bay backing of the sale.
The BIG thing to make absolutely certain of is that the “#4” turnouts are really the custom line and not “snap switches”. You probably know that there is a mondo difference.
With a 99.anything% of positive feedback they can’t be too bad to deal with. 0.9% of people are never going to be satisfied and/or everyone is entitled to make a mistake now and then.
Having said that, I personally always like to examine used turnouts to make certain they haven’t been soldered or trimed. I always “stock up” at swap meets and can usually find them for $1 each.
[#ditto] what TZ says about snap switches… Stay away from them… In case you don’t know, those are the ones that come in a package, usually (or use to) with a table top mounted switch machine (manual or electric) and that 1/3 18" radius section…
I know the difference between the #4’s and the snap switches. When he responds to my follow up email, I’ll make sure to ask him if they’re the #4’s not snap switches. Probably what I’ll do is try to get him to set up a Buy it Now auction, and I’ll buy them through Ebay, for the protection sake. Plus it’s easier for me to do a transaction with the Ebay checkout and Paypal anyway, so hopefully he’ll be fine with that.
Talk about promptly responding to emails! I work nights, so I email the seller at around 3am, and he responded by 4:30am. He even sent pics of all the used switches, and assured me they are all excellent condition, Code 100, NS, #4 switches. The pics show all the switches and they’re definitely in excellent condition. He even agreed to waive all the shipping and include free shipping insurance if I wanted them, plus any of the NIB ones.
I emailed him back and offered to buy all of them, the NIB ones and all 19 of the #4’s. That makes 25 switches for under $150. Just waiting on him to email me a grand total confirmation, and set up the Paypal payment, and hopefully I can start laying track sooner than later!
Make sure they are current production. Many times this used stuff is older plastic frog Custom Line turnouts. Also ask if they have the new ‘throwbar’ assembly.
ask him if the #4’s were glued down or nailed down…if they were nailed down, i wouldn’t purchase them…when a nailed down turnout is pulled up there’s a good chance that they can get out of gauge…ask him also what type of glue he used to glue them down if they were glued down…some glues are so strong that when the turnout is pulled up it also can get out of gauge…chuck
That makes 25 switches for under $150. Just waiting on him to email me a grand total confirmation, and set up the Paypal payment, and hopefully I can start laying track sooner than later!