I Know We Have Seen Some Crazy Prices

Am I missing something here ???
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6050060722&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Nope not missing a thing. That’s surely a crazy price alright. No way I would pay that much either, that’s enough to buy two PS2 locos @ $299, and one Big Boy at about the current bid price now (at least the one I have in layaway).

I don’t care for nor shop on Ebay anyway; if there’s no Buy It Now option then I simply pass it on, because oftentimes I don’t feel like figuring out the bidding tricks and being bothered with other bidders trying to outdo you.

Hey, my motto is “whatever makes you happy.” Maybe the winning bidder is from Louisville…or Nashville…or both[:)]

Regards,

John

Prices are only crazy if you want it and cannot afford it. Otherwise, it’s strictly a matter between the seller and a potential buyer, no matter what the item means or doesn’t mean to someone else.

Ebay isn’t reliable when it comes to placing a true value on trains or anything else. A lot of crazy people are out there spending like drunken sailors and maxing out their credit cards. The most crazy thing of all is what they spend on postwar Lionel boxes. I’m talking thousands of bucks for many of them.

I know a few guys who maxed their CC’s on trains and are paying 20% interest to boot. Amazing![:O]

A “true value” of a for-sale train is exactly what someone is willing to hand over for it at that exact moment in time. That is precisely what happens on eBay when people win auctions by bidding…

Where do you get your information about “crazy people out there spending like drunken sailors and maxing out their credit cards?” Or is that just your opinion and is not based on anything but hearsay and guessing? And really, who are you to judge what others do? If I want to pay a premium to buy an item for my collection, that’s my business, bud – not your’s or anyone else’s. I worked hard to earn that money and have a right to spend it as I wish – without someone like you judging me and telling me I’m crazy. Do you have the cujones to say that in person to those guys you know who have maxed out their credit cards?

And as a former U.S. naval officer, I would not be pleased with your “drunken sailor” reference, either.

I’ll stick with the train meets or buying new from dealers. I like to see what I’m buying in person. I have never liked auctions, especially with the fees added on.

What you sometimes sse on ebay is an auction driven by an unscrupulous seller who employs the use of a stooge to raise the bids! You can tell if this is the case by seeing the same item offered for sale by the same seller again after the auction has closed.
As for prices, be patient and you will see them fall. The aging collector market will sharply change the demographic of those that buy the trains. In the future there will be more buyers than sellers. As a matter of fact more collections are copming on the market right now. The market collapse is inevitable. Just wait and see.

I Have 2 Lionel GP-38s one Lionel Railroaders Club and one Clinchfield.
does any one want the CRR 38 for 200.00??
I paid 225 for it.
but that was back in the 90s.

Hey, I’m one of those. At least I’m not robbing convenient stores to feed my addiction.

Couldn’t agree more about crazy prices on ebay!! They should call it Scalping Block and not ebay. The book price for that locomotive in new condition is only $160.00.
I guess it is buyer investigate your purchase first or a fool & his money are soon parted.
Have not bought or sold on ebay in a few years.
Lee F.

A person who maxes out thier CC and can’t pay it off has not payed “their hard earned money” on an item. They have payed on credit. It is not thier money, it is the credit companies. It is thiers that they have to pay back later.

As for drunken sailors. I saw no reference to the navy.

Do you remember the Captain of the “Exxon Valdez” that was drunk while his boat ran aground and spillede all that oil. With oil at $70+ a barrel today that is quite a bit of money not to mention the mess, all caused by a drunken sailor. There is a precident in the sterotype.

I’m an operator not a collector. Are there any true collectors on here who can shed some light on this loco ? Is this truly a sought after collectable or perhaps duelling egos? I was originally watching this because I like the L&N and thought it mite work well for the heavy running schedule at the museum. [?]

Oh boy, another one but come on now, there are millions of great deals on E-Bay. And that’s probably because there are billions of things attempting to be sold there.

Sure there are tons of things overpriced from the start but go to a train show and check out the high prices there. The last show I was at I spotted a misting bottle (very small-1 cup) that had a sticker price of $7.

But why not up the prices for the show. All the people who have paid to enter the doors of the show are there to see one thing only. Trains. Now this is me assuming here but I would believe that many of these people are not very familiar with pricing trains and accessories.

A lot of people made a lot of money during the internet boom of the 90’s and now it’s burning a hole in their pocket. LOL Maybe that is a good thing for us who have the trains now.

Lyle R Ehlers

Doug,
I don’t profess to know what determines a rarity but I sure can’t see the value either.

Regarding some of the replies, I thought we had 1st amendment rights. I can’t believe how some people really get carried away and become very aggressive on the keyboard when someone else expresses and “opinion”. Seems like the pot was calling the kettle black to me.

I can see why people use the pin names and retain an hidden identity.

Some naive person just got ripped off, looks like to me.

Scam!

Code red.

Lets get a drivers license number , social security number and 3 years tax returns.

On the double.

I think we all are.

There are a lot of folks out here, myself included, who do not have access to weekly train shows. Or train/hobby stores that sale anything but a few starter kits, or are even aware of this site.

Three of the three Lionel dealers I contacted here in my area do not even sale 0 gauge track.

If you have knowledge someone else does not , share it, we are here to learn, otherwise…

Rod L

Here’s another extremely crazy price on ebay! Is it just me, or isn’t $103.59 a bit excessive for a repainted Marx 999?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6050412584&category=19147&fkxs=1

If you look at the prices that original 999’s are selling for, you could easily make money buying them, repainting them and then putting them back on ebay.

Sask, that particular seller sells a lot of Marx repaints. He doesn’t always get $100+ for his repaints but I see him hit that mark fairly often.

I’m sure there are people who’d pay that for a Brianel027 repaint…