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How do you buy your trains?

  • Brick and mortar store (personal visit)

    Votes: 20 38.5%
  • Mail order (retailer or manufacturer)

    Votes: 41 78.8%
  • Craigslist

    Votes: 4 7.7%
  • EBay

    Votes: 31 59.6%
  • Other on-line auctions

    Votes: 2 3.8%
  • Garage sales, newspaper, local events

    Votes: 3 5.8%
  • Gifts received

    Votes: 3 5.8%
  • MLS (or other forum) classifieds

    Votes: 7 13.5%
  • Conventions (dealer booths, swaps, etc.)

    Votes: 20 38.5%
  • Other (please describe in a post)

    Votes: 7 13.5%

How do you buy your trains?

7K views 27 replies 18 participants last post by  Mike Toney 
#1 · (Edited)
This is a multiple-choice poll, inviting you to check the ways that you regularly / most frequently acquire your locos, cars, track, and related items.

If you're not acquiring anymore, go ahead and check the method(s) you used to use. But if the method is no longer available, please explain in a post.

Feel free to argue for or against any approach, talk about then and now, and otherwise expound on how you've acquired your train goodies.

If selecting "other," please explain in a post. I'm sure I missed a lot.
 
#2 ·
I've purchased trains (including track and structures, etc) both from internet sellers and in person at a hobby dealer.

Internet is the best price, I don't have to leave home, and they're shipped directly to my house or office.

Hobby shop buying can be more immediate (not of much practical value, because it's over two hours drive to my closest one), but I mainly like it to see what else might catch my eye and help support the local (sort of) retailer. Internet may be great in a lot of ways, but just browsing inventory isn't one of them.
 
#4 ·
Another good point Chuck, that definitely should have been in the list.

You're way ahead of me technically, can't speak to your iPad. All I can say is that the system let me check several boxes, and from the numbers, it's doing so for others.

Best,
Cliff
 
#6 ·
I could have sworn that I addressed bartering and swapping, but it's not there... and the list can't be changed. Bummer. But, that makes sense that you can't change the question after the poll is started.

I agree with what you're saying, the trust factor is key. And, to risk a paraphrase, the make-it-work factor is also key, because if you don't have the time to do the tbd repairs (for an ebay purchase, for example), you need to up the trust factor. Meaning, buy new, or from a friend.
 
#7 ·
Cliff

You have got it.

With 30 plus years of fixing our trains I can handle many repairs but many of the questions in the beginners forum come from newbies who lack the experience to deal with their new, well used, purchase.

Let the buyer be aware applies to eBay, Craig's list and other similar types of purchases.

A deal is only a deal if it works and both parties are satisfied.

We are here to try to help get things running if they don't from the start.

Chuck
 
#8 · (Edited)
I buy most thru Ebay, next then would be the local train shows and surprisingly the nearby Salvation Army antiques outlet, which for a time got a supply of train stuff in G, O litho, and HO which I pocketed. I buy very little from hobby stores besides just paint wood and styrene. The only decent LS stores are rather far away so I don't get to them much these days.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Like Chuck I have bought and sold a few things to/from friends. I interpreted local events to include local train shows rather than national conventions. Similar to Chuck I seldom buy anything that is not factory origional and in perfect condition. Unlike some I don't want anything that has been "weathered" or has been cut/chopped to fit Kadees or rewired for DCC etc. Then too my buying/building anything has dropped 90% these days.

As a sign of the changing times my last purchase of three freight cars (Aristo and Bachmann) were from a dealer getting rid of all his G scale and the big mail order dealers (St. Albin's, Ridge Road) are gone now and I know longer go to conventions like NGRC, ECLSTS, MWLSTS, & HAGRS.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Most of my stuff has come from Ebay with local train shows second. 99.9% of my track was bought used at local train shows at an average price of $2.00 a foot. The only new track I can think of, is 4 Aristo 10 foot SS switches and 2 Piko Brass switches. I've bought several boxes of Bachmann metal wheels from Star Hobbies. Kadees and track clamps from RLD. Everything used that I have bought has been well described and worked as expected, Except for one used Aristo Pacific which was misrepresented and turned out to be side track junk. This engine was bought from a person on the G scale buy and sale page on Facebook. Still, I prefer to buy used and save the bucks.
 
#11 ·
So far I have bought most of my stuff from individuals who I have learned of through word of mouth. Most has been new or never ran items, none of the individuals had layouts but had accumulated a lot of items.
 
#13 ·
Almost all of my rolling stock, track, structures and locomotives have been purchased used from locals who were getting rid of their stuff. A few items have been purchased online from retailers. Buying used allows me to accumulate a lot more much quicker. Being new to the hobby but very handy makes this a great personal choice for me. Bill
 
#15 · (Edited)
im with jerry
but once or twice a year, ibuy some things.
saxon ivk, bmann c19 and climax, to keep it fresh.

likewise local shows, which always delight me and inspire me.



i find ebay mostly way over priced, but feel more so about my local,new or consigned. neither insures quality, but my local has good return/satisfaction policy.
 
#17 ·
Interesting results. Thanks for everyone for voting.

Just as an fyi, this test poll was set to be open for a week. So if someone wants to do really "serious" polling, there is the option of lengthening its availability. Also, since the act of voting doesn't bump it up to the top of the thread list, you have the further option of manually bumping it by occasionally adding a post, thereby keeping the thing near the top so that less frequent visitors are exposed to it.

CJ
 
#23 ·
Well darn, polls closed so couldn't put mine in. Anyway, I only buy direct from stores where I can run and test things BEFORE I buy them. I refuse to buy online unless I know it's also regular store folks can walk into, and items can be returned if their is an issue. Ebay, Craigslist and the like, been burned on those several times, so no more from those "used" avenues. If it isn't new I don't want it!

Used to support a mom and pop hobby store, dealt strictly with G scale and a small amount of O scale items, but proprietor fell ill, closed the store and so it's no longer around. Wish it was because it would be a very short walk from my current home to buy things!

His wife tells me there are still a lot of G and O scale items in the store that weren't sold after he fell ill and finally passed away a few years ago.

Been trying to get her to sell some of the items I'm interested in, but thus far, she's been reluctant to do anything with any of the items left over and collecting dust in the store{now more like stoage space}.

I know some of the loco's still there have the old Phoenix '97 sound board in them, and I'll bet the battery is also quite dead, just know all mine are from storing them and none will recharge, even though they were removed from my loco's and sound cars, so I'm sure all those '97 6v batteries in all of the locos or sound cars he made up from rolling stock will have to be replaced.

Lot of AristoCraft and USA Trains loco's and rolling stock in their old store, again, now storage. Don't know why she won't try and sell them, again, they're just collecting dust for now.
 
#25 ·
I prefer to buy from the "Train Shop" in Santa Clara but they don't have any where near the selection of large scale trains they used to. Lately I've gotten deals off of Ebay or other online stores. I love the shop but I figure the state of large scale trains right now is another sign of the times and a still not so recovered economy.
 
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