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Disclosure – this time of year I find myself shopping for model trains on eBay. Cheap, pointless (I don’t have a track) and sometimes a quick flip opportunity on huge lots. Just fun, and often a learning opportunity, since if you want to sell on eBay you should buy too. Always something to learn!
Lots of experts everywhere with access to info, history, other sites, worthpoint services, etc., experienced sellers, newbies.
And lots of RARE. @@@lookie here@@@ sellers.
Just wondering aloud what people are thinking.So, take the ubiquitous 1970s TYCO Purina train car. Apparently in just about every train set sold over a decade. It’s almost hard to buy any lot without one of these. New, in box, eye are everywhere.
And right now on eBay there are over 100 for sale.
Auctions go from 9 cents + 4.96 ( NINE CENTS! An active bid!) to 9.99 opening bid + $8.15 ( $18.14 ) lowest one with box is RARE and $1.99 + $7.80 (9.79).
BIN goes from $6.99 free shipping up to a whopping 19.99 + 8.05 ($28.04)
This just for the single cars, excluding lots and mixed listings.
Oh, another cogent point – not a single recent sale.
So, why would someone list this for almost 30 bucks when it appears that the market price including shipping is about $5 if at all? Hoping for someone who isn’t paying attention?
And why have an auction for nine cents? Not sure how that makes you money.
In fact, why do a hundred sellers even think it’s worth bothering to list this thing at all?
I have 3 or 4 mint in box, had one for sale last year around j3 + $3′ nope, no interest.
A very specific item that is easy to research but I am fascinated by the wide variety of approaches to a RARE common item. How does this happen!
Going to watch the nine cent auction so the seller gets an email from eBay that says ” People are watching your item! Lower your price “LOL
And, yeah, really full disclosure , sales here have ground to a halt, so back to listing instead of pondering.
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Just out of curiousity (using the Wiki page for an answer) I totalled up the number of steam locos under construction in 2019. UK has 24 projects, USA has 2 projects. Admittedly some of those 24 have been under construction for years (e.g. LNWR Bloomer) and the locos are a lot smaller!
I suspect the model train markets are very insular- I see few European locos up for sale at live auctions here and no US ones.
Do you think the train cars would sell better with some little hoboes glued on to them?
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hard to say without being an expert model train’s but there always seem to be some little easter eggs let out in almost all collectable items and the prices for those catches are usually demand driven. There may not be a single sale on ebay but the expert knows the demand price. Will he or she sell it on ebay? perhaps or perhaps not, they may have it listed on a specialty board or even have a brick and mortar, who knows.
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There are certain words eBay should strip from product descriptions – RARE being one of the most abused and incorrectly used terms on eBay. Especially when 100’s of the same item are on the same platform.
I also hate “HTF” / “HARD TO FIND”…
Any true collector knows the value of your item – and if it is truly “rare”, they know it and will pay for it.
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Yes, there is an odd variant that has a RED roof instead of a blue roof. That one is actually “apparently less common.” Yep, actually rare. So one might be listed in the middle of a pile! Treasure hunt!
Does that make the item of plenty more valuable?
The toy train market is always active for whatever reason.
Oh, and yes, the little hoboes pop up everywhere. I dug out a “working” caboose that was designed so a little train man would snap back into the car when it goes by. The figure is long gone, so was trying decide what odd thing I could glue in instead. A little Spider-Man?
Looking forward to Spring
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