Tried to reply to your post but forum kept giving error. Not a fan of EBay but you can check there. I would go to the local train shops and find used stuff. Some of the guys here may have somethings to sell. Good used cars and engines are fine [I got a lot of my rolling stock that way]. Leighhigh Valley [Chris] ahs had items for sale at a good price. I went to my train store and found lots of hopper cars that had been in stock for several years. The lady reduced them by $15 each. I grabbed them up. Some owners will put items up and let you pay on them until you have paid the full price. Ask around and tell them your situation.
Hey Colin,
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Garage Sales - Let your friends and relatives know what you are looking for (of course you have probably already done that!). That way if they see a garage sale with trains available, they can alert you.
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Get your folks to take you to some train shows. There are usually really low prices (like $3 - $10) on common 0-27 rolling stock. Look under the tables and in the bargain bins. This part some people will hate - but the best time to get a deal at a train show is in the last hour or two of the show on the last day. Some dealers (reasonable ones) will bargain to avoid having to pack it up and carry it home. Never let the poor attitude of a few dealers at a train show discourage your attitude about the show in general. Just politely move on to the next guy.
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See what you can do to earn some extra cash. My son (11 years old) does specific chores to earn money that he saves up for stuff like PS2 games.
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Let the local hobby shop that you frequent know. Typically these guys have to buy large collections with a lot of common items that are uneconomical to sort through and list for sale on places like E-Bay. If they know there is an interested person - particularly a young person that represents the future of the hobby - they may set some items aside for you. Particularly things that need repairing which can be fun for you. You can use non-repairable rolling stock for other stuff (tank car on blocks for a fuel depot - box cars for sheds or a shanty town).
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Of course as the Chief says, there is E-bay - but good deals on cheap items tend to pale when the $5 - $10 shipping fee is thrown in. Watch some venders however - if one has multiple listings - he/she will typically combine several purchases into one shipment. Make sure you do a test buy or two to make sure that the vender is reliable and actually provides what they claim. Never hang yourself out for a lot of ca***o a vender that is not going to ship stuff right away.
Definitely look around at your local train shop, if you have one. Ask if they have a clearance table, and see what you can pick up. Sometimes you’ll find slightly damaged, but still fully useable items for rock-bottom prices. A lot of the more common postwar cars also go for less than $10 a piece, as well. 6465 tank cars, 6456 hoppers, and 6462 gondolas are such pieces. All three have enough common variations that you could assemble some decent looking consists with them for not a whole lot of money.
Lots of dealers at train shows have a box, or milk carton, or pile of cheapie/junker/old/unwanted “stuff” that they’re tired of lugging around. I’ve scored quite a few nice O-27 boxcars (not high Rail but you can make a nice, small train with them) for under $10 a pop.
Never be afraid to walk away, either. I can guarantee to you that for the most part (gold-plated Hudsons and strange 6464 variations aside) nothing anyone tells you is rare, is rare. You will see it again, probably at a better price.
Good luck!
Thanx Chief, you too Roy and Bob… You guys really gave me some ideas. I’ll do everything you guys said.
One thing though. I have 2 hobby shops near me. I have Allied Hobbies, but their such a rip-off the only thing on thier clearence table is the Lionel Train set video and Thomas the tank.
I also have Jackson (NJ) Hobby Shop. They have a good selection but it is so cramped the emploees breat down your neck. And on the door there is a sign that says “NO REFUNDS, JUST CREDIT!!!”. So they don’t have a clearence table.
But there is one hobby shop I never tried, so I’ll go there…
Thanx Guys,
Colin
Colin,
You may find that with time - if you can build a relationship with the shop employees or owner, they will communicate with you more. Do your best to let them know what you are looking for. The worst thing they can say to you is no and that never hurt anybody (learning to take rejection is just another one of those things of life).
I am sure many stores today deal so much with petty theft that they worry about everyone that comes in the store - especially kids - meaning they follow you around somewhat obnoxiously. If they come to trust you - then things can get better.
I had some interesting trips to the original Madison Hardware in NYC when I was traveling a lot years ago. The Shure brothers were just downright rude and tended to ignore you. However - after a few purchases and a little conversation, they started to lighten up - to the point on a reefer I bought - they asked me to wait so they could get me a boxed one from one of their many hidden warehouses - no extra charge. I never bought anything major there either - mainly parts and the occasional car - so it was not a money issue - not like I was a big or preferred customer (I am not gonna say they ever got nice about it either). It was an interesting experience.
First and foremost - have fun with these experiences and don’t let any negative ones get to you.
Regards,
Roy
I know what you mean. I have one that is in a mini-mall. Well organized and retail only. Then I have one in a place in a little town. Run by widow lady [her husband ran it]. Has added on warehouse for storage. Got to know here and she lets me ramble and find what I want. She always sells below retail. That is the kind of place you need to find. When I could drive [can’t now due to open haert surgery], I would go visit once a week even if not buying any thing. You could even offer to help out for some trade off on trains.
Colin,
Email me, I’ll give you a few cars, next to nothing.
Come to the Edison Greenberg show with us TAMR guys – Some deals there, Plus we’ll ‘help’ you shop. Im not that much older then you
Chris
Collin, drop me a line via my email link here if you’re interested… I have a number of non-operating traditionally sized (non-scale dimensions) rolling stock (original, non-collector, non-painted) I can let go for between $10-15 each… might be able to cut you a deal. Shipping would be whatever it actually is.
Sorry guys but my parents won’t let me give away my address .
(You know how that goes…)
But with the Edison Greenburg show, Is that in Edison, New Jersey? I live in New Jersey. (Ocean County). I’ll think about it…
Get back to me…
,Colin
The Edison show, is indeed, In Edison…
If your parensts wont allow the giving away of your addess, Come to the show, I can give you stuff there. Whatever easy for you.
Chris
when is it and how will I find you?
,Colin
ooops
You’ll find me at the TAMR display, is a large 30x30 area.
March 5 + 6, Sat and Sun
Chris
You might want to check out HobbyLobby if it is at all close. They have a VERY LIMITED selection but do occasionally put their train sets or train accessories on sale (this weak accessories are 40% off). Different stores have more or less selection (some have no trains at all). My local store carries k-line 027 cars for $19.99 minus 40% this week. You can watch the web for their sale flyer and only go when stuff is on sale.
http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/home2.cfm
The other thing about HobbyLobby is they dramatically reduce the price of a set if it is a returned open box item. I recently got Lionel SW freight set for $80 complete with transformer, engine, cars, and track. The transformer did not operate but Lionel replaced it with one under warranty.
Here’s an option that’s frequently overlooked: Scratchbuilding. Get your hands on some loose trucks (K-Line trucks retail for $7 or $8 a pair, I think; used ones can go for a lot less) and use an existing car as a template or track down some plans from old issues of Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman. If you’re doing O27, you want to build your cars to S scale, as 1:64 is actually the proper size for O27. You can use basswood, styrene sheet plastic (either the hobby shop variety or the plastic yard sale etc. signs from hardware stores; the bigger, thicker signs are usually better), and even cardstock, or any combination of available materials, and build cars inexpensively. The trucks are the only significant expense. Once you learn how to build a basic boxcar and get consistent results, you’re well on your way to building cars of other types, such as gondolas.
If you’re fairly computer-savvy, try your hand at designing the car sides on a computer, printing them out, and adding dimension like outside bracing and ladders by cutting out and gluing stripwood, paper, or whatever.
For someone with more time than money and limited means to spend money (read: no credit card or car and restrictions on giving out an address), it’s a viable option.
Coiin,
Dave makes a good point.
You can use the train show junk bin parts (trucks - ladders -brake wheels - doors - door guides - etc.), broken and missing parts cars, for scratchbuilding and enhancing scratch built rolling stock.
Regards,
Roy