Breaking up the Collection for sale

Discussion in 'Swap Meet' started by davidgaines, Sep 21, 2022.

  1. davidgaines

    davidgaines Member

    Various HO items purchased 1980 - 1990s. Have lost interest. Would like to sell it all. 11 copier paper boxes. Excel spreadsheet available. You can contact me at djgrrg@charter.net.
     
  2. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

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  3. davidgaines

    davidgaines Member

    Am trying to upload a couple of spreadsheets. HO RR STUFF is obviously the model collection.
    The FRISCO spreadsheet is company stuff. This sheet is a work in progress.
     

    Attached Files:

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  4. davidgaines

    davidgaines Member

    No inquiries in nearly 10 months except from a non-member also trying to dispose of his collection. Am I doing something wrong? Do I just need to try to donate the HO stuff to the local club and toss the SLSF paper? Thanks.
     
  5. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    David, I have all of the Frisco "hard" memorabilia that I can display, so I have to decline. As for historical documents, especially drawings, they need to be passed on to someone that can scan and post them. I have the lot that you sent me, and they are in my to-do queue before November, along with others I have received as well. Any hard copies I receive will eventually end up at the Greene County Library (Springfield, Mo) for the Frisco collection of their local history section. The have a program to scan and post on their web site; https://thelibrary.org/lochist/frisco/frisco.cfm
     
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  6. davidgaines

    davidgaines Member

    Thanks Keith. I understand your position and appreciate what you are doing. Do you think the Springfield library would take the manuals that are listed in my spreadsheet? Do you have a contact name there? I was born and raised in Springfield but my Dad was transferred just before I turned 13.
     
  7. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Unfortunately, I don't remember and did not create a contact on my phone.
     
  8. davidgaines

    davidgaines Member

    Thanks Keith, I clicked the link and used their Contact Us link. Maybe I will hear from them.

    Can I ask you a question? Is my HO RR STUFF too complicated or imposing or whatever? I have one person who is showing interest in my passenger cars. None of my stuff is special but some of it was limited run, Bev Bel, some hobby shop's limited edition. Would I generate more interest if I posted that kind of stuff individually with pics?

    Thanks in advance.
     
  9. patrick flory

    patrick flory Member

    I learned a long time ago that it’s almost impossible to sell Model Railroad stuff at all, especially en masse. Everyone wants to cherry pick a collection.

    I’m lucky, I have an active model railroader and his active Model Railroad son to leave my stuff too. The son is about to get out of the military and we’ve already told him, don’t buy too much, just be patient and I’ll kick off eventually.:eek::LOL: . I have too much stuff anyway and will route some of it to him when he discharges and buys a house with layout space.
     
  10. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    I think there may be a some issues;
    1) Foremost, you don't indicate any pricing
    2) Most of the locomotives are older, less valuable, and of lower detail than most that have been produced in the last 17 years.
    3) It looks like most of the rolling stock might be good starter stuff but many serious modelers may not be interested or already have them,
    4) Pictures would help.
     
  11. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    What brand, what code and how many sticks of flex track are there? New/used?

    How about the switches; code, size, brand, condition?
     
  12. patrick flory

    patrick flory Member

    It is very true the Model Railroading has undergone revolutionary evolution since 20 years ago or so. Almost all of the locomotives are 1000% better performance-wise and detailwise too. not many people want cars that are that old anymore either, the premium ready to run cars today are so much better in operation and detail.

    Last year gave away about 70 or so blue box type cars to a friend who was starting to Model Railroad. He suddenly gave it up and gave all the stuff to a 12 year old kid. Normally I would not have minded at all, but all those cars had been upgraded with Kadee couplers, metal wheels, scale stirrups, better brakewheels, and some with new roofwalks. Not Intermountain, but really too nice to be filling out a Bachmann train set.
     
  13. pensive

    pensive Member Frisco.org Supporter

    As far as the models go, there are people out there that buy entire collections and then sell them on auction sites or train shows. You might try to find someone in your area that does that. It's frustrating to see your handiwork unappreciated these days, but remember the pleasure you received when you were building your collection.

    Rich
     
  14. gstout

    gstout Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Well, regarding Patrick's response (above), I agree that the new cars are better looking in every respect, however...if your, or yours group's layout is an operating layout, you are really better off with "blue box" or their equivalent cars. The details on contemporary rolling stock are fragile, and despite operators' best intentions, regularly get broken, simply because they get handled a lot. The same thing is true of the locomotives, especially the handrails. Yes, they run 1000% better, but no, the fine details don't hold up very well during regular operating sessions.

    GS
     
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  15. patrick flory

    patrick flory Member

    I have an 80 car stash of traveling blue box type cars I kept for exactly that service. They live in A-Line carrying totes, ready to go. The ones I spun off, the road names I didn’t want anymore or paint schemes I didn’t like much. The ones that remain are pretty choice.
     
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  16. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    My "go to" cars for my layout are Blue Box, MDC, Accurail, etc. That is, cars with cast stirrup steps, and no fragile details. Such cars survive the wear and tear of operation much better.

    Besides, when I'm making a slow shove, and glancing at my switch list off/on during that shove... planning my next moves in my head... the cars don't get a lot of attention other than their reporting marks and numbers.

    Works for me.
     
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  17. patrick flory

    patrick flory Member

    My layout is so small, I spend a lot of time just looking at it and contemplating it. With that in mind, I enjoy all the fine and separate detail.
     
  18. patrick flory

    patrick flory Member

    Upgrades to blue box cars. They fit in better with the Intermountain cars. The stirrups will probably more durable than the plastic ones come on the car. Likewise, the new brakewheel and ratchet by the coupler will probably stay on the car through normal handling. I still have about 50 cars treated like this.

    IMG_1554.jpeg
     
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  19. davidgaines

    davidgaines Member

    Thanks Keith. Just what I needed to know. Obviously I don't know what I am doing here. I will try posting some pics and pricing tomorrow. I certainly understand about the locomotives not being up to today's technology. My thought was that they might have some use in the background around an engine house. Add some weathering and park them.
    Thanks to all for your input.
    Dave
     
  20. patrick flory

    patrick flory Member

    Browse around at any train show and behold the multitude of tables full of broken down 30 year-old HO scale toy train level cars like Tyco, AHM, and Bachmann. It’s hilarious how many people think that any old train is worth triple its weight in gold.

    In reality the only people looking for stuff that old are folks looking to expand a collection of they too in a few years will thin out. And none of them will want a whole collection that’s for sale. They will all cherry pick the road names they want and leave the rest.

    I was one of those cherry pickers at one time. Today I have given most of that stuff away to beginners.

    unless you have too much spare time, eBay is a massive wasteful consumer of your time advertising, boxing up, and mailing each individual car that each cherry picker wants. I have far too many better things to do than to be wrapping multiple stuff up every day and taking piles of packages to the Post office. I get behind one of those eBay sellers with 25 or 30 things to mail every time I go to the post office. It is incredibly aggravating how they can shut the place down for a for a half hour. And although I’ve never sold on eBay, I’m sure there are those dissatisfied buyers who will make your life miserable.

    My advice is to find the right home for that stuff and give it to them. If not a kid, a model railroad museum that caters to kids. We have one here.
     

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