It seems like anytime an old Rivarossi articulated is available for parts, bidders go nuts, paying ridiculous amounts for a bashed up locomotive. It doesn’t even look like anything’s salvagable on this wreck, and it’s up to $43. Motor’s probably rusted out as well. Maybe they like the heavily weathered look.
These pizza cutter Big Boys are going for over $200.00 in good condition, which is way too high considering how many were produced. Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor. I’ve seen some really bad ones go for nearly that. It makes you wonder if people have any idea what they’re bidding on.
Whatever floats your boat. Probably needed for parts etc. How come folks more for old LIONEL than some of the new stuff? Nostalgia as you say or maybe just unaware of the most recent offerings. I am amazed when I go to train shows to see folks digging through piles of ?rubble? searching for that elusive treasure. Come to think of it I see that at department store clearance centers too, so maybe their hobby is the hunt for stuff. Ever been to a garage sale? Some folks love them, personally not my cup of tea. Say didn’t you post a Genesis F dcc/sound. If so how did you make out?
Nelson,look closer at that “wreck” and you can see tons of parts from the drivers to the tender…Still it shouldn’t bring a high price.
As far as E-bay I seen better deals at Train Shows and cheaper on line prices then the so called “deals” on e-bay…If it wasn’t so sad it would be laughable the way some believe they are getting “great” deals on e-bay…
I found this in my continual parts quest, but I wouldn’t waste my time on a loco that clearly sat in water for a good length of time. It’s possible the plastic castings are in great shape, but the # boards are gone, and you can’t see the other side, so there’s no reason to assume they are either. The frame & wheels are rusted out. I can see rust on the motor thru the gap beneath the cab. I might go up to $20 for it if I needed a tender, but no more.
I actually looked at that Ebay listing and was going to bid. Most of it should clean up fairly well and it would make a great parts loco for my own running Rivarrosi Big Boy.
A month or so ago I found one of these on eBay for parts, dismantled but in very good condition with a Buy It Now price of $35, and I hesitated. It was only listed about 40 minutes before it was gone. DOH! [banghead]
I tend to agree with BRAKIE. I don’t think much of e-bay. I see people posting about a great deal they got on e-bay. If you add the over-inflated shipping charges, these “deals” quickly lose their luster. I have about a dozen old AHM locos that I didn’t see that they were worth investing the price of a decoder in. I tried installing a DH-123 I a couple of them, but with a single truck picking up current they simply would not run. I remotored an old diecast boilered Mantua pacific mainly for sintimental reasons. I have alot more in it than it is worth, but I got it when I was 7 years old making it 35 years old. I had worn one of the siderods clean thru. I got new siderods, axle bearings, headlight, and a pilot from Model Power. Tweet.
The thing is with Ebay is you either like it or you don’t. I like it and find it a great tool for finding hard to find items and the occasional great deal. When I decided to model the Ontario Northland I found it near impossible to find any ONR equipment up here in Canada but a quick search on Ebay and I soon had a respectable fleet of loco’s. Shipping costs can be expensive but I always email ahead of time to find out the price and factor that in to my bid. If you pay inflated shipping costs then shame on you, don’t blame Ebay. Lately I’ve been finding that the train shows I go to either have venders that are selling junk or are selling items at inflated prices. Rarely do I find any deals at shows, but its still fun looking for one, lol.
Actually, I’ve seen just the tender they show here go for over $50.00. Since the Bowser Challenger and Big Boy kits don’t come with a tender, this is what some of the buyers are after.
That must be it, Tom. I’ve noticed the tenders going for a lot too, but I didn’t know that Bowser didn’t make them. I was ready to soak mine for a week and put it up for auction. [:D]
That’s the beauty of E-bay: The prices are “good” by definition. It’s a relatively pure market and if someone’s willing to pay, that becomes what the item is “worth”. Whether they’re willing to pay it out of nostalgia, competitiveness, ignorance of the market, etc. doesn’t really matter.
But we must realize that value is in the eye of the beholder. The fellow willing to pay $50 for a junker big boy just because he needs a tender for his Bowser has a different value than someone who needs a couple specific parts for their Riv. Or someone just looking at it without need and saying “$50 for that hunk-o-junk?”
Now the “eye” of this particular “beholder” doesn’t find much value on E-bay nowadays: I buy little if any train stuff on E-bay any longer. I used to buy quite a lot in the 2004 and earlier era, but the deals aren’t there any more IMO. And it sure seems like a lot more auctions are ending with the item unsold in the last couple years. I see lots of “buy it nows” that expire and get reposted over and over. In the end of the day, as an unreformed and unrepentent capitalist, the market will bear out.
I do find that I buy quite a lot of non-train-specific parts and supplies on E-bay and can’t beat the prices I get there (even accounting for shipping). Things like LEDs, mini-toggles, small tools, etc.
It’s probably cheaper to bid on an old beat-up dirty Rivarossi than to go to Golf Manor Hobbies instead. I’m pretty sure GMH was trying to sell a shell for an old Rivarossi steam engine for somewhere around $60. Who in their right mind would pay that much when they could just buy an entire engine on eBay for half of that?
Sorry to crash you engine … but I and a few of we local collectors have gotten great deals on Ebay and where would you get the 1,000’s of engines ? Anyone who tells you not to buy there probably owns a hobby store ! My brother-in-law just got the new Lionel 0 guage cab forward for under half the shop/internet price ! Use paypal and it’s guaranteed safe … I know ! Misrepresented sales are refunded ! I picked up 5 brass units very low there . Read carefully and yes some idiots pay too much … like at regular auctions . And NO I don’t work for them … LOL
I buy old loco parts all the time, but I search for really good deals and don’t bid beyond what I’m willing to pay. That’s how I came across the HMS Big Boy. I just couldn’t understand the going price for something in such sorry shape, but as TomDiehl pointed out, the tenders are in demand for the Bowser engines. That may be driving up the price of Rossi Challengers & Big Boys overall. Nelson
Sometimes I think I’ve found the best price for such items on eBay, but then do a Froogle search and come up with something as good or better. For electronics let me recommend All Electronics. They have really good prices and sell some DC motors dirt cheap that some people sell on eBay for a lot more, like this one.
