With the yearly train show in Easley, SC coming next weekend and train show season in general kicking off, I can’t help but remember my experiences have been mixed. Somtetomes I’ve gotten great deals, other times gotten burned. I’ve come to the realization there are some things to buy at shows and some things never to buy. Ve made a little list.
To buy:
Scenery material, details, structures, rolling stock, track.
Not to buy:
Locomotives (unless buying them from a reputable dealer or they’re no longer in production), DCC stuff with the same caveat as locomotives, power supplies (unless you can test them).
One thing that is always on my “to buy” list is tools (including glues and cements).
Unlike you I tend not to buy track (other than turnouts) because of the likelihood of damage as I carry it around. If I do buy something delicate like track I hope I can get my hand stamped and get the stuff to my car immediately after purchase rather than lug it around the show. Ditto for assembled buildings which I very rarely purchase anyway.
At one show I got an outrageous deal on very large sheets of cork roadbed such as for yards (it was lightly damaged hence the price). I tried to carry the stuff around but it was incredibly awkward to carry (and I was damaging it more) so I got my hand stamped and took it out to the car.
If I buy locomotives it is usually on the basis that I accept an “as is” status and assume it is priced accordingly. Anything I sense I’d want to return if it was defective I tend to avoid.
I have had hit and miss luck with locomotives so I agree to purchase from a reputable dealer, only if the locomotive is out of production, and the price is not out of orbit.
I would add to the not to buy list any type of accessories i.e. signals, automatic switches, etc.
I have been looking for cows to populate my countryside. One manufacturer wants $35.00 for three cows and two farmers! Not a chance I’m paying anywhere near that kind of $ for a few bits of plastic. So behold the junk boxes at the train show, I start lifting out the big stuff and in the bottom I start finding all sorts of animals lying loose in the bottom of some of these beat up cardboard boxes. I don’t know what a good wildlife set goes for retail, but I got a good selection, all for 25 cents.
I have also bought beat up used track to practice my feeder soldering on and stuff to practice airbrushing on. Cars and trucks also seem to be cheap at train shows. Jordon products also at give away prices. I don’t think I would buy an expensive item at a train show, unless it was from a major local retailer or manufacturer just in case there was a problem.
I have done pretty good at our local train show. I rarely go for pricy stuff at any local show for the same reasons you stated. Our local show (March) brings dealers out of the woodwork and most is over priced. It’s normally “you get what you pay for” at the used tables and a lot of “new old stock”, mostly very old new old stock.
I’ve had good luck buying “factory sealed” craftsman kits, not so good with opened boxes.
A good buy for me can be tools. As I’m into restoring I like to buy non working locomotives if the price is right, that has dwindled over the years.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
But if the price is right I take a look in the box. If the major parts are there then I figure I can buy or fabricate small parts that are missing. I’ve gotten some great buys on locomotive kits, I just make sure that the major stuff like drivers, frames, boilers, cabs, are there plus some assortment of small parts. Some shows have test tracks where you can see if the RTR locomotive runs.
I think it also depends on your approach to the hobby. Do you like tinkering with stuff to get it to work, if so then some of those bargain locomotives are great for you. If you want RTR then test any used/open locomotives before you buy.
I don’t pay premium prices for collectibles, but I would do a complete check of contents / operability before buying any.
A lot of the train shows I go to are basically flea markets. Great prices, but buyer beware. And never spend more than you can afford to lose.
Most train shows (at least tghe ones I go to) have test tracks for test running locos.My clubs test tracks start with N and go up from there.I have my Z layout at a few shows and offer to rest run any Z that is bought.
Going into a train show I set a budget. I use cash for transactions. I take a wide variety of bills; $1.00’s, $5.00’s, $10.00’s, and if my budget is big enough $20.00’s.
This gives me better bargaining power. Having the correct change might get you a bundled deal rather than the seller having to break a $20.00 for a $3.00 item. This also gives the seller much-needed change for their bank.
Most sellers will have some way to process your credit/debit card but that usually involves transaction fees that someone has to pay. With cash it’s immediate.
Also, be prepared to pay sales tax. Some sellers will charge sales tax while some will charge the as-marked price and pay the sales tax based on their gross sales.
Getting a 10% cash discount might just cover the sales tax that some sellers will charge. Also, not all cash transactions might be declared by the seller for tax purposes [:-^].
Knowing the “street price” or value of the item you are looking at is really helpful. At one train show I attended I offered the seller $30.00 for two used turnouts that he had marked at $17.00 apiece.
I knew that I could get the same turnouts for $18.00 each at my LHS brand new. The seller wouldn’t bargain so I passed up this “deal” which was no deal at all. The key thing is to not get “spending fever.”
On the other hand when you see a deal buy it then not later. I came across a mine structure kit for $5.00 (retail $25.00). I passed it up figuring I’d check out the rest of the show and come back for it later. I realized my mistake, went back less than 10 minutes later and it was gone!
As far as locomotives, the shows I go to have a test tracks set up for the testing of all gages.
There is a table with both DC & DCC controllers. Before finalizing the purchase you take the locomotive over to the test bed; a show volunteer is usually there to help test the locomotiv
Hmm, I’ve picked up many locos and things like DCC decoders and installation aids (kapton tape, micro connectors, etc.) at trains hows over the years. Even a combo one year - a Bowser FT sound chassis with decoder and speaker already installed.
The key for any train show purchase is to not go in unaware. Have a lit if you are searching for specific items, otherwise have a list of what you already have so as to avoid duplicates because you just couldn’t remember if you had that one or not. The program I use to track my inventory (which also generates car cards), I added a report to produce a simplified ‘train show list’ report listing the make, road name, and number categorized by type, multiple columns so even with several hundred pieces it’s only a couple of pages. And be aware of what some of these items are selling for at a reputable dealer like Modeltrainstuff, or for out of production items, somewhere like eBay.
I would add for purchase old train books or possibly memberships to historical societies.
For not purchasing, I suggest fixer-upper anything b/c often the cost of upgrading is more than the time/money spent for getting a new item. When I first went to the Greenburg train show, I got older rolling stock and realized the trouble of upgrading the coupler, trucks, etc.
Call me cheap but if the car’s not RTR and under $20, I’m not interested. I don’t have the money to throw around. I also have my phone on to check prices and now go in with a list of my rolling stock. Fingers crossed for some great finds at the huge show this weekend in MD.
I have only been to two. To the Nanaimo Train Show three times, and to the Vancouver Train Show once. I have only felt drawn to one display/seller between both of them, and that was art. I have purchased two oil paintings of Canadian Pacific steamers, I think rather well done.
I model 1900-1905. There is virtually NO current production of models for that era. From that perspective virtually everything I buy is used and a fixer upper since that is all there is.
The real trick is knowing the value of the model in question compared to the price being asked. For example, if there is an old MDC old time tank car for sale for $5, I would probably buy it regardless of the condition. I wouldn’t really want the car, but those models had Fox trucks, which are out of production, so the trucks are worth more than the model.
On the other hand a Bachmann 4-6-0 that looks used for $50-$75, nope, I’ll pass on that one. A brand new one can be had on e-Bay for less than $100.
Most train show stuffing oUT here in southern Ontario and GTA is overpriced and most of the used stuff is junk to C grade. Mind you I did pick up a few box car from the brampton train show last year at 5 dollar a piece and it came with Kade couplers, metal wheels.
The one my club puts on in New Eagle (Mid Mon Valley Model Railroad Club), I’ve always gone with a list of what I need, which I usually keep to unless I find something I gotta have.
What I’ve bought- Old Blue box locomotives AFTER I’ve tested them to see if they run and how they run. I’e gotten a lot of blue box for 30 bucks.
Rolling stock- Know what you want, and the quality you want
other locomotives- Not often, since they usually want upwards of 80 bucks for new Athearn locomotives with DCC only. Plus the usual ones wanting 40 dollars for a dummy unit, 18 dollars for a bluebox caboose,etc.
I went to a train show just reccently and bought a Kato, Conrail NW2 for $30. I normally never buy locomotives at a train show unless I test them, but in my luck it ran beautifuly when I got home!
Mostly just shadowing what others have said, but this is from expirience.
-Come prepared with a list (at least mentally) of what you want or need.
-Remember that you get what you pay for, with whatever you buy being sold “as is”. Unless it comes brand-spanking-new from an official retailer, don’t expect the manufacturer to honor a warranty.
-If you see something you are looking for at an attractive price. Don’t wait, get it then and there. Odds are by the time you come back from looking around it will be gone and there’s nothing you can do about it. And if you find it elsewhere at a better price, some, but not all sellers will accept a return (Be wary)
I bought one used loco at a show, took it home, and WOOPS! it didn’t fit my curves!(Should’ve thought about that beforehand) I took it back to the seller the next day and explained my situation very nicely to the gentleman. After a quick test run and look over to see that I hadn’t broken it, he gave my money back. I made sure to purchase some other things from him because he was so kind and cooperative about it, and in no way had to give my money back. [8-|]
I like to buy things that you can’t find at the hobby store, one of a kind, or white label items, videos, tee shirts, OOP kits, also vehicles, figures, and used rolling stock (if the price is right). I bought an old Athearn SD45 for $5. They threw it in for that price when I bought some other used Athearn freight cars from them. There is always a test track at the shows I attend. The loco ran fine, just no handrails. I put hand rails on it and eventually sold it at another train show for $10. I got a bargain and then when I was done with it I passed it on and let someone else have a bargain. Some sellers want to hit homeruns with every item they sell. When I sell I just blow it all out because I don’t want to take any of it back home.
For me, it depends on whether I have a local hobby shop (LHS) or not. I used to have two good ones close by. Not any more. But should you have a LHS, I would avoid buying new stuff at a train show that I could get from my LHS. Simply because, if stuff the the LHS doesn’t work, or breaks, the LHS will fix it or exchange it. A show dealer is gone when the show closes. Also, your LHS needs the business.
Nowadays, my closest hobby shop is a two hour drive and I will buy stuff at train shows that my layout needs, be it new or old. At least I don’t have to pay $10 shipping like I do for E-bay or Walthers. I’m a tinkerer and there is little that can go wrong with train show stuff that I cannot fix. Plenty of old tired train show cars can look very sharp after a coat of paint, some decals, some wire grab irons, and a bit of love and attention. My steam engines all came to me as train show junkers, which with paint, some cast brass details, working lights, glazed cab windows, maybe some neodynenium supermagnets in the motor, and a crew, look good and run good now. And the rebuild projects are fun.