What a competitive, deceitful collector has done to me....

Classic Toy Trains Forum
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Hello All,

Just thought I’d share this story with you. It goes to show that while this is a marvelous hobby, things can get ugly when people go to certain lengths to get items they want.

Just recently I went into an antique shop in my town that always seems to have a train item or too. I saw a Hornby Clockwork O Gauge 0-4-0 sitting on a table with no price, and made an offer of $25, which the owner, a very kind lady and a friend of mine, whom has given me many good deals and shares many chats on almost every topic with me whenever I walk into the shop to pass the time.

Well, I had no money on me that day, but I really wanted this locomotive. You see I have a deep fascination with all things British, not to mention a mostly british family lineage, and i thought it would look great sitting on my bookshelf. So the lady put it on hold for me, and tucked it away in a drawer.

Another gentleman who had seen the train, but not tried to buy it, came into the shop the next day and asked about it. The lady showed it to him and told him it was on hold for another customer, and so she went to put it back in the drawer. Well the man watched her as she put it away, and came in the next day on her day off, and told her assistant that it was on hold for him, and exactly where it was. So he paid for it, and left.

When the lady found out she called me right away to tell me an apologize. I was furious. Not so much because I wanted the train, but because that man went through such lengths to get it. He lied to the assistant and bought it for less than was fair (he only paid $5 for it).

Train collecting is a fun hobby, but when people lie, cheat, and steal, well, thats just wrong in any situation in life, and it sours the hobby. If he wanted that bad then he can have it, but I hope he remembers what he did to get it and is ashamed. I forgive him, for I believe in forgivenes

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Not quite like that. But I did loose out on getting a job once when someone went in knowing I was going to be hired, and said that they were the one that had gotten the job.

underworld

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“What a competitive, deceitful collector has done to me…Has anyone else had any experinces like this?”

… you mean like defective goods knowingly being sold to others, say at York or other train shows? [:(!]

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There are unethical, dishonest people in just about every walk of life and every hobby
(I guess there’s never been an operator who sold defective goods,)
Why did you feel the need to bash collectors?
Aren’t you a collector?
Otherwise, why did you want that item?

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Well Cheese, money (or the desire of) seems to the root of many wrongs in this world.

When it comes to trains, my attitude is different. I like informing people they have something unusual - especially when the trains belong to a kid - to instill some stewardship, pride and interest in the trains. I mean how many kids today are taught to value things? I’m sure some, but probably not the way it once was in this country when things weren’t taken so much for granted.

I met a kid who had a Lionel Cannonball set. It had the unusual orange plug door Erie Lackawanna box car that came only with that particular set. Certainly not rare, but not real common either, so I let the kid know.

Another family I met had a C&O Flyer steam set with a mistake brown with yellow lettering Chessie caboose. Again, I told them they had something that could be worth some real money one day, so enjoy it but take care of it. I knew that because I had one of those and paid for my next several train sets with the caboose.

Another kid who had a K-Line common set had a common 027 B&O box car but this one was all yellow with a dark blue door. I checked with K-Line and found the car was pretty rare, so I let him know that once again, this could be something worth money one day if K-Line ever became collectible, so have fun with it but take care of it.

I could have tried to take advantage of any of these people, but I like the idea of getting someone exicted about the hobby by letting them know they could have something that might be valuable one day. BUT the real value is what it means to YOU. Ultimately that’s the only value anything in life has. And if by chance something is actually worth some money, well that’s the unexpected bonus.

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Cheese … he may not have been a collector at all … just a crook buying and selling … or just a greedy hoarder like so many out there . [|(]

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That is an amazing story. Love to meet that guy. Its like a scene from an old Rex Stout book. Hobby glass is still half full with good folks.

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It’s a shame that he was a creep, but in all honesty your friend should have told him it was sold and not discuss it any further.

Ralph

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I found an item on Evilbay with no bids (a very old LGB set w/ battery operated engine with 2 ore cars) I just missed bidding on it, so I contacted the seller to inquire, turned out he was going to the recent TTOS SW div swap meet in Pasadena, he agreed to sell it to me and he agreed to bring it to the show that weekend. So I go on Sunday pay $10 to get in only to find he had sold the set to someone else the day before. sheesh!!! The guy was apologetic and explained that he didnt have his laptop to let me know he had sold it, I was ticked more because I spent $10 for admission. I walked around the show and did manage to find a few cars for sale from another vendor so it wasnt a total wash.

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Well, just remember, at the end of the day you are the one who has to look at the reflection in the mirror and decide if you like what you see. I’ve had numerous occasions where I could have easily taken advantage of someone but didn’t - I didn’t get the trains but I don’t have any problem with the reflection either.

One of my favorites - a lady in a neighborhood where I lived had heard about my trains and gave me a call to ask my opinion about an old train set she had inherited from one of her older cousins. I dropped over to look and found myself looking at a prewar American Flyer Hudson with the chromed 12 wheel car passenger consist. I already had one in my collection but I was heading to York in a week or two and I offered to take it with me and see if I could sell it - no charge on my part.

At the time that set was worth between $400 and $500 and I told her I would price it at $500 and see what I could do… At York a number of people looked it over but there were no takers. I did, however, hand out my card to several people who said they wanted to think about it. I returned home and gave the set back to the lady and told her what had happened. About a week later I received a call from an individual who had not been at the show but whose friend had. The friend had provided a good description of the train and the caller said he would offer $450. I told him the circumstances of the train. Then I called the lady, she accepted the offer, so I called the potential buyer back and asked about shipping. As it turned out he was just 30 miles away from where I lived so I picked up the train and drove it over to his place. When he removed the first car from the newspaper he beamed and asked, “Is the rest like this?” I said it was and he handed over the $450 on the spot. I made sure he looked at everything before I

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Here’s another opinion re dishonest people:

Psa 73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Psa 73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
Psa 73:18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
Psa 73:19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

Bruce Baker

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Seems to be a few of those “dealers” out and about these days.[:-^][banghead]

As for the hoarders----wwweeeeeellll[|(]

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The moral is to carry cash with you for these occasions. $25 is not a lot.

Best, Mark

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Hmm… Looking to buy someting to put on a bookshelf… you are a collector.

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…not that there’s anything wrong with that!..:wink:

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Of course nobody asked the interesting question whether either offer was near “fair value” for the shop owner? [oX)]

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Ole-Timer -

Not sure what you mean by “hoarder”? Being still wet behind the ears, I do not have the money to learn the hard way about dealing with unscrupulous dealeres out there. I am heading to my first rrain show here in NJ next weelend - - - what does one look for in a reputable dealer?

GN

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Mr. Goat,

Only experience will tell you whether a dealer is on the up and up.
Your only defense is being an educated consumer.

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I have not had anything that bad happen to me but have had somebody at a hobby shop, that is now out of business, sell me something that he said was rare when it really wasn’t. The owner just wanted to make a sale!

What I have noticed in antigue stores is that an old looking Lionel train goes for close to $400.00 just because it is Lionel! Case in point is an antigue shop in Jupiter FL on Indiantown Road. The next day I brought my Greenberg’s pocket price guide with me and tried to talk with the sales person and show them from the book that the price was way tooo inflated, salesperson called the seller and he wouldn’t budge from his price, so I walked away from the Lionel item. Also at this same antigue shop the same sales person told me about some antigue toy cars that she knew of that somebody had and to check back with her the next sunday, so I did and she told sorry but it was sold.

Bottom line here is buyer should know exactly what he is buying and how much the current price should be. Maybe it is me but I feel that I have been scammed more often in Florida then anywhere else in the U.S.

Lee F.

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And carrying large caliber weapons.