I made my monthly trip to my favorite train shop last week, and bought about $100.00 worth of stuff - most of which were 40’ box cars. After looking around the shop for about an hour, I settled on all Atlas and Bachmann cars because they averaged between $5.00 to $6.50 each. I felt that this was a great price so I scarfed up as many as I could. I’ve seen a lot of these same cars at other train shops and on the web for $8.50 on up…
So what do you feel is a fair price for basic rolling stock ?.
I usually won’t pay more than $20.00 for a piece of rolling stock unless it’s a piece of specialty equipment or is something I feel I’ve just got to have. For this price, you can get some pretty good pieces. I usually buy from Athearn, Accurail, Roundhouse, Walther’s and a couple of other’s I can’t remember right now. Pieces I avoid are those made by Bachmann for thier standard line, Life-Like’s standard line is worth going miles out of your way to avoid. Model power makes some absolutly horrible rolling stock. They also make some that’s fairly decent but none that I would call great.
I won’t pay over $13.00 for rolling stock at a LHS…My best deals are found at train shows… i’ll buy a really cheap piece for around $3.00 to $7.00 and then add details and a good set of metal trucks on them for about $5.00 to $7.00 more…chuck
A small LHS around here has accurail cars for $7.00, they need a little work to look better but it’s a good price. I will pay up to $20 for a really good car. Some of the Atlas cars are really nice.
I for the most part now buy my H.O rolling stock at the local swapmeets,$10-15 will if your lucky get you a Athearn or Atlas 40 footer with KDs & sprung trucks and if your real lucky metal wheel sets.
Of course the area where your located can figure in on price also.
I went to a train show in Humble a couple of years ago, and there was a guy there selling used cars in like new condition for $3.00 each. Needless to say I almost bought him completely out… Anyways, that’s the best deal I’ve encountered so far.
I prefer Atlas first, and will pay what I have to because of its running quality without grief, the Athearn RTR line has served me well also and I think about $15 a car would be a good price.
I look at things on a car to car basis. Do I need to update the couplers and wheels??
Is it the road name I want?Will it perform as desired? I prefer to spend $15-$20 per car if it has all the qualities I’m looking for
If there’s a type of car I want and I can’t get it in the roadname I need, an hour in the paint and detail shop takes care of that. I’ve got a DCC-equiped GP50 coming that’s in Southern livery. It’ll get the paint and detail treatment and come out as a KCS unit.
In that case, that’s a great price for Atlas. I steer clear of Bachmann and Industrial Rails stuff, since they generally wobble so badly. I wait for Model Power stuff to dip below $4 before I pick it up (mostly their gons, flats and stock cars). Of course, I replace EVERY truck and wheelset with Micro Train talgo sets, which adds about another $7 per car. For M-T cars I’m willing to pay more (both for the trucks and for the overally quality), but I haven’t tipped over the $20 mark yet there.
My HO stuff is a different story altogether. Since I’m into HO for the scale fidelity and details, I don’t even look at a $10 or less car, unless it’s a Tichy, P2K car on Uber sale, or one of the old Roundhouse old timer cars that I plan on kitbashing. I expect to pay $25-$40 for every resin car I buy and don’t blink (well, I do a little), and don’t expect to pay less than $15 for anything plastic. When Athearn announded their new SFRD 50’ express reefers and showed the photos, I said “Wow, that nice a car and ONLY $30? I’ll take three!”
Intermountain has a new WC 50’ Berwick car that looks GREAT, and they nailed everything to a T. It is 27.95 and you bet i’ll spend that money for that car. But, as a basis, unless the Athearn Genesis line has a car i just HAVE to have I will only pay 11-20 bucks for a car. Although i do own two cars that cost 30 bucks, both Genesis.
I pay between $20- $25 for Intermountain’s cars. But, I will splurge and spend the few extra bucks for the Red Caboose coil cars and they are so worth the money!!