I buy off Ebay once in a while if I see a good deal.
I buy mostly out of production stuff and limited run items that were sold out before they even hit the stores, so I don’t feel that the LHS is getting hurt because I’m shopping on eBay, 'cuz the stuff I’m bidding on they don’t have and can’t even get. I’ve also bought a lot of undec items which can be hard to find at times. There are a lot of bargains to be had if you just look around, be selective and have patience.
Although RL financial committments (sick car, sick cat, sick appliances) have pretty much kept me off eBay since xmas.
I love my LHS, but he is an hour away, so that means I am gone for 3 to 4 hours, and gas isn’t getting cheaper. I do usually get my new engines and whatever else I need from him when I am there. I get a lot of stuff off the bay too though. I am not necessarily looking for a good deal so much as what I want for a fair price, but I have gotten a few ‘deals’ too. I have been lucky I guess, because when there has been a problem the sellers have bent over backwards to work with me. I realize sooner or later I will get screwed, but I figure I will still be ahead.
My best E-bay deal was a P2000 SD60 for 49 bucks shipping included. I also buy all my leds there for $1.00 a piece with resistors included and shipping.
I have bought a number of brass locos with varying degrees of “success” as to how good they are, but then again not to many LHS’s in my neck of the woods stock brass never mind the larger steamers or articulateds. I have also recently won an auction for a Bachman Spectrum 2-6-6-2 for about 50% of the price it goes for up here (usually $400.00+). The majority of my ebaying is in older brass and diesels otherwise I stick to the local LHS’s.
I have purchased a couple hundred items or so off of ebay some good deals and some not so good. Knowing what you are looking for and what it is worth is a must. I have gotten a couple of California Model Builders (now Suydam) for $10 or so. Some are very good craftsman kits but some are mostly hard brown cardboard, but even those with extra work and detailing will turn out very nice.
In my opinion the deals on ebay are quickly dissapearing. With ebay being more and more popular, more people mean more available bidders. Also I find some who must get an emotional high from bidding or something(my opinion). I recently saw a lot of used atlas code 100 flex track, some full pieces and some partial, that went for 3.75 a piece. I can buy the same thing, at my hobby store, for 2.75, and online for 2.20. So watch, watch and watch some more, but if you need something now buy it online or at your hobby shop. Also I ussually avoid someone with condition after condition, some even seem to have a snippy attitude, no thanks. I have a 100% rating and want to keep it that way and so I avoid what could be potential problems. To sum it up know what you want, what it is worth, (I will not pay over 75% of new with shipping and handling) bid your max and then let it go. Usually there will be another one out there.
Good luck
Randy Johnson
I was the successful bidder on a BLI WP 2-8-2 last night. It was a steal. $40.00 cheaper then Trainworld.
I’ve bought probably 25 to 30 PFM brass locos and have never had a problem.
I buy engines and track. There is one guy who advertises a full box of code 100 flextrack for $184.00 plus $12.00 shipping. That is a deal if you need that much. On everything else I set a limit and don’t go over it. I think I have figured out that the same poeple who have to have the latest releases the day they come out also will pay anything on Ebay for something they think they need now. You will find nearly every BLI engine at drastic reductions now on E bay since those people have had their wants sated. There hasn’t been anything that I have wanted that hasn’t reappeared and been gotten at my price.
I’ve bought trains, slot cars, model kits, t shirts, diecast cars and car parts of of Ebay. I’m on Ebay almost every day.
I’m an ebay addict. I buy a wide variety of trains on ebay (plus other stuff, like movies, books, etc.). I’d actually go as far as to say that at least half of the trains I buy come from ebay. I always hunt for deals. I always check out places like the “Other Scales” category (where all the idiots who know nothing about trains list their items) and make sure to click on every obscure, meaningless title like “Train Set”, “Model Train Engine”, “Lot of Train Parts”, etc.
A couple of weeks ago, I got two great-running Bachmann Spectrum diesels: a GE 44-tonner and a Dash 8-40C (as well as a cheap Bachmann F9 and a bunch of rolling stock) for only $12.75! The lot was listed under Other Scales and titled “Lot of 17 Trains”. The description was utterly meaningless and gave no useful information. Anybody who would have done a search for these engines would not have come up with this auction.
That’s just one example. You have to take time to look for these deals, but the results are worth it.
I agree with you and think your advice is common sense except # 1 and 8.
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- Sometimes the buy it now price - is a good price. In this case not “buying it now” may give others who are willing to pay more than the BIN price the opportunity to bid up the price. Sometimes the Buy it now price is less than a discounted hobby shop’s price.
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Guess what happens when you post the ebay auction here - yep you have that many more potential bidders on that auction. This is not good for you as a bidder.
I would add …
Bid your best price AS LATE IN THE AUCTION AS POSSIBLE.
Mathematical modeling research done of ebay auctions show that early best price proxy bidding drives up the final price of the item as other incremental bidders “fish bid” repeatedly to see if they can top your max proxy bid.
By holding off to make your bid until the last possible moment, you do not give away your knowledge of what the item might actually be worth. Late best price proxy bidding is called “sniping” in e-bay parlance and you can find tools that allow you to “snipe” bid without having to babysit an auction.
See http://auctionsniper.com for one of my favorite sites that allow you to place best price sniping bids on items you may be interested in on ebay.
This is very good advice. I have bought some real gems on E-Bay and a very few loosers.
My additional advice is to never bid more (including shipping) than you can buy it for at your local hobby shop or an on-line hobby shop. I see a lot of stuff end up at over twice what the going price is.
Also be wary of items with “custom paint job” in the description. Early on I was sucked into buying a “custom painted” SOU SD24 (atlas-roco). When I got it I was disappointed to find it looked like it had been painted by a three year old. I also ended up with an "undecorated Kato GP35 which had the original BN paint job oversprayed with black spray can paint.
So be careful and you will find some bargains out there.
Bob DeWoody
I’ve bought Accurail PFE wood reefers and a UP 40’ boxcar off eBay. But only because they are out of production and extremely difficult to find.
Thats it so far.
But I’ve got plenty of stuff to sell there.
I look on e-bay only for hard to find items (not so much Illinois central stuff around in the local hobby shops), like special runs /out of production / weathered&extra detailed models. My experience is that, being those models rare, they almost always ended up in bidding wars going probably over the original selling price (but as I was not around to buy it then, it does not matter much to me…).
Some items…
nicely weathered&detailed Athearn SD40-2 IC 55$
6 IC heavy weight cars (Bev-Bel ) 100$
ICHS special run IC hoppers 15$/car
For ‘normal items’ like track, current runs, buildings I prefer some discounter, where I know what I will get and distribute S&H on the biggest possible number of items ( my aptempts to win more items fom the same seller ended in too high prices).
sebastiano
I rarely buy off ebay and have a personal limit of $50. Any more than that I feel is a risk. Some of the things I have bought were Athearn F7 shells for $1 each. A Proto 2000 E8 in Amtrak scheme for $50 and things to decorate my train room.
RMax1
Same here. I tend to find a lot of OOP craftsmen kits that are not available otherwise. I just picked up a 1970 Quality Craft Models 70’ MoPac express boxcar for $6.00!! It was an ustarted kit with everything still sealed. I don’t think the LHS can get that. I do enjoy spending what money I can at my LHS. It is always good to deal with a live person than a computer.
I buy a lot of stuff off Ebay, but mostly prototype research items. I’ve bought several hundred photos and related paperwork items off Ebay over the past few years, and check out the proto offerings at least once a week.
On the modelling front, I’ve picked up well over 50 resin freight car kits off Ebay, mostly off the same seller. I’ve also bought several engines off Ebay, including my five Oriental Powerhouse USRA light Mikadoes and my three BLI USRA heavies.
So long as you know what the MSRP of any target item is, what the discount houses are selling them at, and what the seller is charging for shipping, Ebay can be a fantastic source for model RR equipment. Frankly, with the exception of Trainworld, nobody can consistently beat Ebay prices for high-priced items.
I buy off e-bay all the time for a lot of my model railroad needs. Engines, rolling stock, photo’s ect. I recently purchased a Broadway Limited engine off e-bay and it was $30.00 cheaper then a regular hobby store. And to date I have never gotten burned on anything I have bought of e-bay. [:)]
Over 90% of my locomotives, rolling stock, and most everything else for my layout has come off of eBay. I have found great deals on some things, and stock prices on others. If my local Hobbytown USA doesn’t carry it, though, I may pay anything for it if I really want it. Also, eBay is a great place to find custom weathered/detailed products. Some of the greatest weathered pieces I have ever seen have come off of eBay. So you have some talent there as well.