One cold Sunday afternoon years ago I was walking out of a Model Train Show (flea market) in Dover, NJ with my father and we were passing some of the vendors’ vehicles in the parking lot on the way to our car. This was before EBay was a household name. One of their vans had a bumper sticker that read “He who dies with the most trains wins!” There isn’t one model train enthusiast that wouldn’t get a chuckle out of that. If it’s your goal to fulfill the mantra of that bumper sticker or if you are looking for that weird out of production piece or heck even something brand new to the market EBay is a great resource. My father proclaims that EBay killed the local train show (and has a lecture stating so ready at a moment’s notice). He might very well be right. Fact is the online marketplace isn’t going anywhere so I figured I would share some of my tricks with you-and I won’t tell him if you won’t.
You need to have an EBay and PayPal account, and since you found us here at Model Trains and Things I am going to assume you are internet friendly and will leave out all the basic keystrokes.
Let’s start with an example of an item you are looking for to complete a collection, a proto 2000 Lehigh Valley fa2 locomotive. The first step is to put that exact, long phrase into the search box. It is a very specific search term. If you see anything resembling what you like, note the item numbers or add the items to your watch list. You can go to your watch list later and compare. EBay also now has a shopping cart where you can put all the items you like and compare later. This first salvo using the most descriptive item search only takes care of items listed for sale properly. Most people stop here. That would be a HUGE mistake that might cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars over time.
Now the fun begins. This is where simply buying a train on ebay becomes an art form. Now you begin to start searching for items that are really a proto 2000 Lehigh Valley fa2 locomotive, but that have been listed improperly or without all the specifics like the road name or proper manufacture name etc. What you have to remember is not everybody selling trains even knows what they are. They may have inherited the stuff or got them in an estate sale or grabbed some from Tony at the diner who knows? Even if they are a train guy they may not be great EBayers. So you can’t count on them for describing the item perfectly or completely or even spelling the name right. I have found some real gems that were mal described in one fashion or another. Think about it if they aren’t described properly or with a lot of detail then how is someone finding it…luck and patients. So if it gets less traffic then you can win it at a cheaper bid price.
Using our example I would then search for proto 2000 fa2, then Lehigh valley fa2, then proto fa2, then proto 2000, then proto Lehigh Valley, then Lehigh valley locomotive etc. Start very specific then get more general with your searches. I always end up going 4-6 searches deep before giving up.
Now that you have found a bunch of listings for what you want to buy you have to start comparing. There are 2 basic ways people list items “buy it now” which is a one price take it or leave it or the typical auction. Honestly these days the gig is up on the auction listings and usually if a few people are bidding on an item it will go right up to the average selling price or above. If no one is paying attention or if the item isn’t easily found you might be able to get it at the starting bid price.
When you compare items make sure you can distinctly tell its condition. If it’s anything but new in the box stuff you want them to describe the item’s faults and show you them in the pictures. This way you can accurately figure the value of the item. Do not be afraid to ask the seller questions. You will want to note the sellers return policy if any and what their feedback score is. Don’t forget that shipping plays a huge part in the overall cost of the item.
Now that you are armed with a few of my tricks have at it. Add that hard to find out of production locomotive to your fleet at a low or below average price tag. If you are ever looking to sell any of your model trains (which I know is a sore subject around train guys) keep in mind all of my buying tips and your item will more than likely sell at an average or above number. Either way make sure you don’t tell my father about it or else be prepared for a stern talking to.
