How often do you go through your collection, and decide that there some models that no longer fit what your direction, and sell them off?
I seem to go 1 to 1½ years between cullings. I have thirty plus that are being listed for sale today.
The only time I get rid of anything is when I can’t repair it anymore. I’ve thought from timt to time about selling stuff off because it didn’t fit a particular layout theme, but then I would’ve had to all new F7 & 9’s when I started my new layout.
The only things I would ever cull are items that have been so severely damaged that they aren’t suitable for repair action, scenic use or parts.
I’ve never had any piece of rolling stock that was damaged beyond repair and unsuitable for kitbashing or parts. As for scenic use, that’s what happened to the car sides of some composite hoppers I had. They are now part of a large over-track coal bin.
So much for culls.
Chuck
I did a mass selloff of over 900 items a couple of years ago, collected over thrity years to offset my venture into S scale. I din’t forsee selling off my S anytime soon, 99% of it is scratchbuilt or kitbashed, too much investment.
Dave
I do it all the time, seperating the stuff I want to get rid of with the stuff I want to keep.
The problem is I never sell it.
Usually I ‘cull’ off what are, in retrospect, really dumb purchases (usually impuse buys). I got sold some on eBay, others (usually the infamous half-finished kits types), get stripped for usable parts and whats left joins the MSW stream…
I ‘CULL’ things when something better comes along that relaces the original:
example: STEWART 'F’s vs Athearn; Broadway CZ cars vs ConCor; Shinohara vs. Atlas; etc.
Phase I. Adding to your collection.
Phase II Replacement of items in your collection.
Never. I keep it all forever. I have a basement full of cars from the 70s I dont use anymore but they are my memories. Keep your stuff it is worth more to you than for sale
i try and model C S X in the the modern era… so when something is no longer around then i get rid of it… for example cars in c & o , or b & o… got about 12 x locos that are now out of date and never been run… peter
I will be selling my non DCC engines in the next few days (Kaot, Atlas, Con-Cor, Bachman, etc). If interested, please email me at igoldberg1@earthlink.net.
Once a year or so.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!!
Only once have I made a trade, but it was a Walthers structure the other person needed and was out of production.
Brad
SO TRUE, I guess im cheap and whn i spend $$ on somethingm I keep it until it no longer works and I cant fix it!
I have sold off stuff that doesn’t fit with my operating era or location. I have also or am planning on selling stuff that just aren’t close to accurate. Little stuff I can live with, but some stuff just doesn’t come close.
Rick
I haven’t yet but am thinking that in order to get one of the Challengers (Athearn) and a couple of the newer models coming that I have to part with much of my 30 year collection so now I’m trying to figure out just how to do it. Have lots of the early Athearn-metal cars right thru the first plastics but haven’t had any luck on E Bay as everyone wants the new stuff. Any ideas ???
My last actual “cull” was in 1991.
I was in very dire financial straits and could not in good conscience keep a collection of
brass and higher end trains (and 1/1 sports cars) while decent people that I owed a BUNCH of money to stood unpaid.
I kept one little brass trolley and a little good running cheap plastic as what I played with anyway. Even my Ntrack modules got sold.
Troubles ended in 1994, Railroad improvements resumed in 1996.
I have put in place a new policy since then. Buy what I like, and NOTHING investment grade, NO BRASS.
Also, I dont sell ANYTHING. What I dont particularly find fun anymore I GIVE to a friend or a Grandchild. Oddly the grandkids prefer good running cheap plastic ones. They dont need to see their poor old Grandpa writhing in agony and howling like a wounded coyote when one bounces across the Pergo.
Doug, in Utah