I find as I get older in this hobby, that I like more and more weathered rolling stock and engines. Now if I do a fair job can I sell them if I get tired of them or want to trade eras? I don’t buy collectables but the price stops many from enjoing weathering them cause they are affraid they will lose money. Any thoughts on this matter?[?]
Marty- With the way most things are mass produced, mostly made of plastic and built overseas I can’t see too much collectable value in todays trains. I don’t take away anything from the people who collect trains, but I think that there isn’t much out there of any real value today. I am certain that most pieces will hold a considerable value as long as they are still in good working order and have all their detail. I don’t think that weathering a piece would detract value. If it was weather well it might add to it.
I bet I could sell off all my stuff today and get back what I paid for it. Even 5 or 10 years from now. I would just have to take care of it and I can’t see the stuff losing value. I can’t see it gaining any though. So, to answer your question, I think you could get what you paid or close to it for the things you weathered. I guess it all depends on how hard you try to sell it. With the internet there are alot more doors to knock on than in the old days when all you had was classified newspaper ads and the like. Good Luck. Maybe you could venture onto ebay and test the waters with something.
Peter
Hi Marty! Good to see you posting here. Just a comment from the “magazine editorial staff” point of view. I used to work for Classic Toy Trains several years ago, and the main focus there is on collectible items. I haven’t found that with GR readers or any of the garden railroaders I’ve met at shows and conventions. The only collectible items, to some degree, are LGB pieces, but still, this seems tame in comparison to the O-gauge guys.
I personally would pay full price or more for something that’s nicely weathered. I don’t see it detracting from the value at all.
Rene
I think if an item is weathered and its done really well, it would always gather a higher bid on e-bay. I think everyone wants to have weathered stock but alot of people are afraid of wrecking the car, so if they can get pre-weathered rolling stock, they’ll buy it. It can only just add to its value. This goes for added detail also. Every well done customized piece i have seen on e-bay has always sold for more than a stock version.
I agree with vsmith:
Some artisans are so good with an air bru***hat weathering can actually add to the value.
I would have two thoughts on it. If your initial purchase is a HIGH $$$ item as new, you’d probably be better off leaving it alone. Collectables tend to hold value more as original. Even a SLIGHTLY natually weathered patina as opposed to a restoration to pristine original.
This is most evident in live steam where a well maintained original Loco usually sells for more than when it was new.
I know the one I started with 3.5 years ago is now approaching double in value. The new one I just aquired isn’t built yet, but it will do likewise.
It’s bigger bucks up front, but no loss, no foul, and lots of fun in the meantime.
When I buy trains, they become mine, I do what I want to do with them to make them more of what I bought them for. If someone else likes it as well, then you haven’t lost anything, perhaps, you may have gained some… Enjoy what you have, while you have it.
I’ve bought and sold trains and other items on eBay quite a bit and my sense is that weathered items do sell for less than pristine ones, although that is by no means a hard and fast rule. I think the problem is that only some people like a weathered look. That means the market for weathered items is more limited, and the prices are consequently a bit lower overall. Those who like weathered equipment do not necessarily avoid new-looking merchandise as they always have the option of weathering it. In most cases it doesn’t matter much because the vastr majority of what we all have is mass market, mass production goods which will never have much of a collector value.
The two rules which I think apply are: 1) Don’t weather the truly valuable or colector items unless you plan to keep them forever as that will almost surely depress their value, and 2) be sure to include pictures if you sell anything, but especially eathered items, on eBay. I want to know what a seller means by weathered because we might have a different idea of what the term means. For example, I might think weathered means a little faded, or some subtle tarnish or soil; someone else might decide that weathered means old junk.
doneldon:
Ditto.
A collector item should be kept as pristine original as possible.
A “cheapie” MAY actually be enhanced by a GOOD quality artisan’s customizing.
I like light weathering, but I think excessive weathering can sometimes look trashy. It has to do with appearence to me. I buy what appeals to me, but I don’t want it to look like a mountain fell on it. FDM
Hi Guys,
Never thought I would see Proverbs 22:6 on a RR forum. It is the motto of our home. Just caught it in the above post. Notice the emphasis on TRAIN. Nicely done. Anyhow Marty for myself I prefer pristine and would not buy a weathered piece. There is a market for it though. As mentioned check ebay. My advice is this: Ask yourself this question. Is not weathering your equipment taking away from your enjoyment of the hobby? If it is because of your concern for future value, then go ahead and weather away. To me it is not worth worrying about if it ruins your enjoyment now. Am I making sense? ENJOY to the fullest. Don’t worry about later. This is YOUR RR. Anyways 'nuff said. Take care. Later eh…Brian.
Thanks all, this has some good thoughts. As the newer products coming out are more and more “realistic” and the quaility is so much better I think newbies will have to decide for themselves if they should weather to carry the “realistic” modeling outdoors. Again I weather only a few cars heavily, but most a light dusting. If folks want to “try” GRYing then don’t weather untill you believe you want to stay in it and enjoy other areas in the hobby.
Thanks Rene, I really do like the magizine and am always willing to help if you need it. I (personally) wish I could get more GRRs in my own area, kinda lonely here in the corn fields of NE.[;)]
Shining new plastic does not look real anyway
I probably would pay more for a well weathered item that looked authentic
try some and see
bman36:
Hmmm.
I thought the “proverbs” around here went from 22.5 all the way up (or down if you will), to 32.0
Greetings from New Zealand.
Having just recently started in GRR (been, and still am in HO for 27 yrs) I purchased a Starter set which I plan to detail and weather to suit my RR. I think that a person should do what they want to with their trains, we are after all in the hobby to ENJOY our trains.