How many of us are out there that see a hell of a deal on ebay and just got to have it? Man, Ebay will be the death of me. My wife get’s this deranged look in her eyes everytime the post man comes with a box with my name on it. - lol
It may be funny, but it’s true. I be up at night at 3-4 in the morning, waiting for somebody to slip up. At work, it’s the same thing. I have my own office - not bragging. I do some work, check ebay. My lunch break - guess? Ebay.
Now days, I only go to my LHS for things I need right away. Like track or decals, ect. I purchased 2 locos from my LHS withing the past 2 years and I have about 25 locos. All from ebay. I know it’s not a good thing to do this to my LHS and he’s a cool guy. But his prices are way above water. If you buy a loco from him, he’ll look up that loco in walter’s catalog and take like $1 off. $5 the most and it probably need to be brass.
I prefer to shop at my LHS. If I do get anything on line, it is because LHS cannot get what I want in the time frame I want.
My wife is addicted to the shopping channel and I gasp whenever a package comes for her.
BB
I’ve been there, A-Train. The just gotta have it engines, cars, etc. Monitoring the auction all hours of the day and night. I became an EBAY shopper for the same reaason as you, LHS, was mostly MSRP PERIOD. So I started to like saving my money AND buying trains one EBAY. The more I bought, the more I saved, how’s that for train collector math. Anyway, I have not gone broke, but I did rein myself in. I’ve become much more particular as to what I gotta have.
Allmost 3 dollars for gas and the LHS 70 miles away and dont forget sales tax i will buy on line.And those SD70MAC’s for 70 dollars buy it now i am on my way to e bay…
If I had a lot more money and not in college right now I would be spending a lot of it. Not all on trains though :). I need to control myself everytime I see a good deal and not buy anything at all, period.
I like eBay for things that are out of production. I got a number of old Mantua passenger cars that way, and along the way I got a couple of other tidbits from the same sellers. Other than that, I typically want to know that I’m going to get what I’m looking for. Lately, it’s been all from my LHS.
man im glad ive found guys liek me. on a allowance budget and babysitting money i dont have much mula. im not telling wut im watchin right now, you night put on a higher bid lol… t.g.f.e.(thank god for ebay)
I prefer to shop at a local hooby shop when I can, or if they do not have what I want, I usually hit up an online sotre like Trainworld. Occasionally I use Ebay.
If price isn’t an issue for you, then great, support your LHS. It is for me though, especially since this is a hobby. I do all of my railroad shopping online. The prices can’t be beat. I’ve had no trouble with service, either. To hell with the LHS. Even if we had one, their prices would be too high.
I am a pretty regular shopper on Ebay for several reasons.
The only Hobby store within 60 miles of me sells everything at 10% over retail and never, ever has sales. The owner seems like a nice enough guy, but he’s never there. He has his daughter run the store and she rarely opens the store on time. More than once I’ve sat in the parking lot at 11:30 a.m. waiting for the store to open (posted hours are 9-5).
About the only way for me to get product for the railroad that I model is thru the internet and Ebay. I model the Boston & Maine RR, but live in South Carolina. Not much B&M stuff down here.
I know how you feel, every time I get on e-bay …money earned is money spent. My wife complains when I mention the word e-bay, my jack russel terrier {Rowdy}, runs and hides,my son just shruggs his shoulders.
Gots to love e-bay though, if it wasn’t for e-bay , I wouldn’t have most all of my trains.
Patrick
Beaufort,SC
Dragon River Steel Corp {DRSC}
I went through an eBay junkie period. Then I started keeping track of what I was spending on an excel spreadsheet. After about a year I saw how much I was spending and I was shocked. (About $1500 per year.) Now I buy only what I need – whatever that means – and only bid on something expensive when I have sold something to raise the funds. So I still buy stuff – buy not as often.
I think it’s important to support the LHS – even if the price is retail. Ebay’s fun, but so is your LHS. I am grateful to have one on my side of town that I visit weekly.
But down in my basement I have more car kits than I will ever need. Might as well start selling them off. So excuse the ramble, but keep your money and spend it locally first.
You can go broke at your local hobby shop, train show or ebay. I have a strict self imposed budget for train stuff. I have made some good buys on ebay for out of production stuff. I have also seen people purchase things on ebay that they could have ordered from an online hobby retailer at much less.
It is hard sometimes because I model KCS and may items come out in limited production runs. Do I buy now, or wait and hope that I can still find them later at a decent price? Hard decision to make.
I have also purchased items to repaint for KCS. I don’t have time to do it now. Then someone makes one with factory lettering, full details, DCC and sound. Sometimes it is like playing the stock market…do you buy or sell???
I have 101 stars on E-Stupid, and a Power BUYER! I wish I was kidding, but have spent well over $21,000.00 on E-Stupid in 3 years or so. Big dollar iteams have been HP Mopar Parts, NOS Steel 440 Crank from 1969 in box $400.00 and a steal. Then a Blower intake for a 440 for $400.00, list was $800.00. Then the Audiophile gear (high end stero gear) nothing like a 600 watt a side Mono Block Amp system and $1000.00 CD player to wake up the old ears.
Most I have spent on trains is $62.00 for a Proto 2000 E-6. But it nnot the most i have spent, it is how many times I have bought HO Train stuff. All where good deal’s, but alot of them! Frist train set cost me a whole $35.00 with shipping. I should have stopped there. I haate to guess but I am sure I am around $2000.00 in 6 months from the first set to where I am now
As far as the wife, I have the stuff reather it be 1:1 car parts, Stereo gear or trains to my work address. As I miss spell, I am watch a Proto 2000 auction, like I need another engine.
Cuda Ken
PS, most engines are Santa Fe War Bonnett, took a few months before wide realized they where having babby trains. Now she sort of has a clue.
from my experience, ebay doesnt impress me. Deals are few and far between from what I have seen - anything nice I run across, idiots bid that stuff up to the same or higher price than you can find it at many of the internet retailers…rendering it utterly stupid and pointless.