Although I had no interest in it, I saw a “rare” brass HO-scale OMI KCS B-W caboose (painted and detailed) go from $221.00 to $564.00 in the last 24 minutes of an auction. [:O] It may indeed be a rare item but I think I can honestly say that I don’t think I’d EVER spend that much for a single caboose.
It was interesting to click on the bids link to see the bidding history. You immediately saw that two people, in particular, REALLY wanted that one BAD! And neither one of them were novices to the auction process: One bidder had 250+ purchases to his name; the other, nearly 500. (The latter bidder won the auction.)
I would imagine that that caboose probably won’t be making it to a layout. Not for me. If I can’t run it; I don’t wun it…
Tom, I guess everyone does their hobby differently. If I ever ran up an auction until I won it at anything over $400 for a rare ‘whatsit’, I would most definitely be wanting to run it. I’d even spend more money to fix what was ailing it, decoder it, add a speaker, and run that beast ahead of 100 flat cars with tins of Orville Reddenbakker’s popcorn on their sides with strapping.
Seriously, I couldn’t imagine paying that much for a caboose, but if I really wanted it that badly, it wouldn’t be for bragging rights. Nobody I know would give a fig, for one, and secondly I would only want it to complement something that I run regularly that is missing that very item.
I’ve seen that kind of “silliness” many times before and was always bewildered as to what they were up to doing that sort of thing, that is until I had it happen to an item I had on Ebay a couple of years ago. I listed a PFM C&O 2-6-6-2, unpainted, nice clean engine. Two guys got into a bidding war and ran it to a little over $650.00 and I couldn’t beleive it. Then I got an email from the winning bidder that he had made a “mistake”, had already contacted Ebay and had had his bids cancelled. Not a problem, I offered it to the second bidder and he informed me that he’d be glad to give me $450.00 for it with free shipping, his previous bid had been almost as much as the winning bid obviously. I smelled a “rat”, actually “two” of them so I contacted a few friends and ask them about these guys. Turned out one had had the same experience with these two “rats” before. So using my best colorful langauge I made a physically impossible suggestion of what this fellow should do with his bid and put the engine back on the shelf with it’s stable mates.
I figured the engine should bring about $400-450 from the start but that irritated me to the point where I just decided to keep it.
The point here is that not all of these ridiculous prices are what they appear, I’ve experienced just about as many crooked buyers as I have crooked sellers on Ebay and at train shows, the difference is nobody ever seems to talk as much about the crooked buyers, or as an old car dealer friend of mine told me one time “every dirty trick a car dealer pulls was probably taught to him by one of his customers”.
Buyer beware should be mentioned right along with “seller beware”.
I’m a collector as well as a modeller. If I see something I want for my collection then I usually go after it. I won’t say how much I’ve spent on one train item but it’s probably more then what most people spend in a year on the hobby. I know some people frown upon collectors and I really don’t know why. For me most of the fun is in the hunt for a particular item. I really enjoy searching for a near impossible item, finding it and bringing it home. Eventually I’ll have my collection in cabinets in my train room and most, if not all of it will see my layout at least once in it’s or my life time. So what’s it worth to me? It all depends if I really want it or not.
Once again, those of us who are more into model building and not collecting do not “frown upon collectors”, we simply don’t care about it.
Our focus is building (and often operating) our little minature world. So unless an item is part of the puzzle for that goal, we have no use for it.
I can afford to “buy” a lot of things - accumlating things does not satisfy any needs for me. Building and creating is what gives me pleasure.
Please, collect away, and don’t think I ever feel one negative emotion about you for it - indifference is more the right term.
But please don’t expect me to be impressed either. Two guys pull in a parking lot, one is driving a new BMW the other a carefully restored 1963 Corvette, after a few words I learn the guy with the Corvette did most of the work himself - I’m way more interested in his car than the other one.
So, because our interst is different, our sense of value is different. For most “builder” types, no one piece of the puzzle commands extreme amounts of the available resources.
I have 130 locos, only because the layout operating scheme will require them, average cost, less than $100.
Sheldon, someone can’t do both? I don’t believe I have ever tried to impress anybody with my collection of trains. I think for the most part most people here don’t even know I collect as I very rarely even talk about it. Oh and just so you know I also restore old Pontiacs, mostly Trans am’s. I do probably 80% of the work myself. Sorry, I don’t paint them. I pay someone to do that. I think our interests are very similar, I just have more. That’s not a bad thing. I think I’m a builder type as you described and I disagree with you. I’m presently restoring a 1973 SD455 Trans Am. It’s a long term project for sure. Why? Because SD455 parts are very rare and command huge bucks when available. I’ve been looking for a SD455 Service Replacement block for 2 years now, I finally found one and that one piece did command a very large amount of available resources. Sure I could have put a basic 455 block into it but it wouldn’t be a Super Duty block. There is a difference. I guess what I’m trying to say is that when ever the collecting topic comes up most people just don’t understand why we do it. It’s for the thrill of the hunt and the somewhat selfish satisfaction of knowing not everyone has the piece in question. I’m looking at a very rare Ram Air 4 GTO Judge that I found or should I say stumbled upon about 8 years ago sitting in a friend of mines neighbours barn. It’s been sitting for over 20+ years and the lady who is in her 70’s always jokes with me about buying it when ever I see her. I am first in line to get it when she does decide to sell it. What keeps me going back once a month is the thrill of the hunt. You either enjoy the hunt or you don’t. I very seldom buy brand new things for my collection because the hunt just isn’t there. Anybody can call up a hobby shop and order a new limited run item but what’s the fun in that
I follow auctions for painted brass cabooses since I always need more cabooses and the 5 I have are all the exact same type, 3 of them are all the same number until I replace the last digit. I want a little variety, and the brass onces are pretty much the only option for the other classes that existed at the same time. I’m willing to pay no more thant $200 depending on who’s it is, so I still don’t have one. Factory painted Overlands are probbaly the finest available. The command premium prices - even new. Worth it? Depends what you are after. There are several other older brass versions of the cabooses I want available, but so far they’ve all gone for more than I’m willing to pay. But I’m patient.
One thing I’ve not been tempted to own is a brass freight car. They just don’t seem to be any more detailed than a Kadee or even a Branchline Blueprint that goes for a fraction of the price of the brass car.
Of course you can and many do. I was simply addressing the idea that somehow those not interested in one aspect of the hobby somehow by default look down on that part they are not interested in.
That is faulty perception on the part of people who think they are being looked down on? Indifference is not a negative assult, it is just what is is - indifference.
I think our interests are very similar, I just have more.
You have more interests? Maybe, Maybe not? You don’t know that much about me.
But I too have restored/hot roded a number of cars, 1955 T Bird, 1957 Chevy Bel Air, 1963 Chevy Nova SS Convertible. Not really into that any more - been there - done that.
And I have restored a number 100+ year old houses as well, including the one I live in.
And I never implied one needed to do “everything” themselves, I buy my share of easy kits, RTR and commercial parts.
BUT, I have no interest in the “hunt” or in simply “having” things for “display”. And I have a pragmatic view of “old”. I have lots of old rolling stock on my layout - because the pieces in question still hold up in quality and detail to the standards I have set for my modeling - NOT because they have some “nostalgic” or collector value. There is lots of crap I would not put on my layout if you paid me.
And I don’t “preorder” any limited run trains either. Seems like limited run or not, you can always find what you want without much of a “hunt”.
Your indifferent to the amount of times you feel the need to remind us of your immense talent. Like I tell this blowhard at work daily. “If you have to keep reminding people of your talents, maybe their is a problem”
Give it a rest “dude”, you sound like a broken record, or in your case, a 78…[|)]
Seems TA462 might be the one insecure about his collecting and and his skills. He brought it up, I never questioned his skills or his modeling, just his “feelings” about collecting and how he “thinks” collecting is preceived.
[quote user=“TA462”]
Sheldon, someone can’t do both? I don’t believe I have ever tried to impress anybody with my collection of trains. I think for the most part most people here don’t even know I collect as I very rarely even talk about it. Oh and just so you know I also restore old Pontiacs, mostly Trans am’s. I do probably 80% of the work myself. Sorry, I don’t paint them. I pay someone to do that. I think our interests are very similar, I just have more. That’s not a bad thing. I think I’m a builder type as you described and I disagree with you. I’m presently restoring a 1973 SD455 Trans Am. It’s a long term project for sure. Why? Because SD455 parts are very rare and command huge bucks when available. I’ve been looking for a SD455 Service Replacement block for 2 years now, I finally found one and that one piece did command a very large amount of available resources. Sure I could have put a basic 455 block into it but it wouldn’t be a Super Duty block. There is a difference. I guess what I’m trying to say is that when ever the collecting topic comes up most people just don’t understand why we do it. It’s for the thrill of the hunt and the somewhat selfish satisfaction of knowing not everyone has the piece in question. I’m looking at a very rare Ram Air 4 GTO Judge that I found or should I say stumbled upon about 8 years ago sitting in a friend of mines neighbours barn. It’s been sitting for over 20+ years and the lady who is in her 70’s always jokes with me about buying it when ever I see her. I am first in line to get it when she does decide to sell it. What keeps me going bac
To a collector the price is based on what they think it’s worth to them. It’s very subjective. Ever watch a high end car auction? A Plymouth Superbird that once sold new in 1970 for 4k goes for over 250 at auction. Was it “worth” 250k? To somebody it was and God bless them because now they have what they desired and didnt’ have in exchange for something they had an abundace of and didn’t care much for. A good exchange in the eyes of the collector.
Me? My wife would kill me, so in the interest of staying breathing I shy away from the lure of pure collection. Instead I focus on one high quality item that I intend to use instead of a range of shelf queens I intend to look at. It’s all very personal and at the end of the day if you can barter tokens of exchange for an item to fulfil a want, then it’s a good deal.
LOLOL, Sheldon sometimes you just crack me up. You run all over the place with your words of wisdom, LOLOL. If someone has done it then you’ve done it better, lolol. Dude, you need to go play with your 20 year old Bachmann crap that you heap so much praise for and stop telling people how they should be doing things. I highly doubt you restored a 63 SS rag top as well. Those things are rarer then Hemi Mopars but you restored one. Whatever. If you want to continue this conversation then take it to the PM. Then I can shut you up AGAIN and tell you how I really feel.
Wow! Thinking back now I guess I should have thought it over when I decided not to bid on a brass HO New Haven EP5 two years back! I think the winning bid was in the $500 range…which compared to this Caboose, imho, would have been a nice deal.
After barely surviving a couple of bidding wars on E-Bay, and watching a brass loco that I really wanted hedge up from what it’s current market value seems to be (about $450) to well over $800, I decided that from now on, my bidding will take place once a year at my local model railroad show in Roseville. I usually find what I"m looking for at the right price and I don’t have to stand around and be amazed at what kind of ridiculous prices a ‘bidder’ will go to to get for his collection.
Oh yah, and I DO collect. To RUN them, LOL! Read my little blurb at the bottom of my posts. It’s the truth. [:P]
That picture looks like it’s from the 60’s or early 70’s. The car probably didn’t need restoring at that point. [:-^]
Anyhow I think the discussion is a little off track. Paying over 500 bucks for a caboose is a bit high for my liking but if someone wants it, they’ll pay what it’s worth to them.
Kind of like a diamond. It’s simply a hard shiny rock, but call it rare and limit the production and all of a sudden it’s worth big bucks. And it doesn’t do anything.
Now I wouldn’t exactly say a diamond does nothing. It gets the girl, then keeps the man out of the doghouse after getting the girl. Forget a diamond, and lumps may appear on your head- so it has a medicinal value.
Yes, either the car in the photo is almost new or somebody missed the memo about haircuts and clothing styles.[:$] But it IS possible that it’s a new resto with retro dressed occupants and retro photo techniques to make it look like an authentic period shot- even to the point of including the age curl separations at the edges of the rounded photo plate. Who know, who cares.
The year was 1976, and since 1963 Chevy Nova’s did not come from the factory with V8’s the properly done conversion was a major job. When the car was purchased, the body was generally sound, but it was not in running condition. A few shots during the restoration/conversion:
After rebuilding the car, I drove it for 7 years - than sold it for more than it had cost to restore.
And, as for the “20 year old” Bachmann “stuff”, none of it is over 12 years old, the newest pieces being the brand new H4 2-6-6-2 and five of the 2-8-4’s, being converted to 2-8-2’s.
But what do I know, I’m just a hick with a pickup, some guns and little trains without brains.
