Model Railroading > Who's Buying The "Sold Out" new Brass from Overland?

In looking at the Canadian Model Trains website (Overland's largest Distributor) I note that virtually the whole current run of ACE's and Genesis units to be delivered later this year is (has been) sold out for some time with only a handful of units left available. So somebody's buying these, and they're not even the Heritage units or even close. Further since they're priced just shy of $1,000.00 no one's just going to buy them and make a quick buck on EBay or anywhere else. So are you one of those lucky folks who are keeping Overland going (a good thing) and let us know what motivated you to buy one and what you're doing with it. I sold off a lot of older Overland to get one because I opted to model only what I currently see living close to Donner in California, and no it won't just sit in its box, however it will sit in my display case as a work of art along with a few other current ones from UP and BNSF. By the way, I'm sure that Brian Marsh from Overland must be thinking that there's got to be an easier way to make a living.

Regards

Auburnrail

Sold out does not mean every model has a buyer. Dealers have reserved/bought models that they will sell on their websites. Same thing happened on the last run of models. I couldn't reserve a NS GEVO, I was told they were sold out and over reserved. When the models finally arrived, the NS version showed up on ebay, and all the larger brass dealers websites. Needless to say I did get my NS GEVO as well as a UP and BNSF version. They also went for less than MSRP. This time around I plan on buying a Ferrowmex, CSX, and a BNSF version with the newer dynamic brakes. I don't think Athearn will produce these versions, and although I have several T55 kitbash's in the works, these models will be nicely done. I don't plan on a Overland SD70Ace. I don't really care for their looks and BNSF rarely runs them into So Cal. As for the UP version, I'll wait for the Athearn models.

I have 2 of the CSX Gevo's on preorder, a 5400 DC and a 700 series AC. Likely won't be done by Athearn so I will get these 2 to go with the 5200 series Gevo I have and the SD70AC flared radiator unit. I run my units and will have sound and DCC installed...

JRF

I have two of the Union Pacific MK 2-8-2's coming.

Jason

I have to admit to being a little "bass ackwards" than most people in model railroading. I will only buy a plastic locomotive if I don't think it will show up anytime soon in Overland brass. When a comparable model comes out in brass, it's usually bye-bye for the plastic model. The latest generation of brass models made by Ajin for Overland are exceptional. There have been many improvements to these models over the last ten years or so. Needless to say, the Koreans who make these truly amaze me. I am clearly dumbfounded how it is humanly possible to manufacture models of this precision and finish in HO scale. No model is ever absolutely perfect, and these are no exception. You can occasionally find small errors in design or small flaws if you pull out a magnifying glass. But I accept that. Heck, I'm not perfect. Models in my collection all serve time pulling heavy freights around tracks in my home, and in the down time, they are on display.

MARK

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I ordered the NS Gevos and the SD70M-2's, got 1 of each road number. They all run pulling trains. The NS F's will do the same. Not sure why some dealers are showing as "Sold Out" and dumping on e-Bay. To me that's false advertising. If they take a reservations list and someone ahead of them bails, next in line get s shot at it. If you didnt' get a shot at it before e-Bay and were on the waiting list, I'd have a conversation with that dealer as to why I was not given the option and am having to fight for it on e-Bay. I'd also start considering a new source for my brass purchases as well.

NSTopHat

The next run of GEVO's have been sold out at Overland for over a year. Dealers buy them for reservations they get and for speculation. If you check the big dealers some of the GEVOs are still available but the closer to actual release you get typically the higher the price gets. There are so few of these models being built now typically only the number of reservations received by Overland are committed to at the builder and constructed. The Hybrid GEVO and GE test car and the CP rail units will be the first to arrive late this month or early November. This will be the first models produced by Overland's new builder Ajin Model train, given the advertised price, sure hope the new guys do a good job. The sold out status mirrors the trend on ebay as well. Typically models produced in the last 2-3 years sell for very high dollars on ebay at least recently. Possibly due to weak dollar vs. foreign currency many are heading out of the country. There are some that suggest brass models are a good investment, (http://www.brasstrains.com/home.php) maybe so?

Certainly Overland ACEs, 70M-2s and last run GEVOs have done far better than the stock market in 2008....

By the way, by volume "Canadian Model Trains" is no where near Overland's largest distributor, possibly at one time they were but in the era of built to order they are not.

Red_over_Yellow Wrote:
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> The Hybrid GEVO and GE test car and the CP rail
> units will be the first to arrive late this month
> or early November. This will be the first models
> produced by Overland's new builder Ajin Model
> train, given the advertised price, sure hope the
> new guys do a good job.

It appears that Ajin Model Train is in fact not a new builder but a divestiture and minor restructuring of the model railroad business from Ajin Precision Manufacturing. Ajin Precision is (or was?) also a photo finishing equipment supplier.

Here is the official notification of the change from Brian Marsh at Overland:

http://www.overlandmodels.com/news/?p=121

sasquatch0000 Wrote:
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> I have to admit to being a little "bass ackwards" than most people in model railroading.

Shouldn't that be "brass ackwards" ???


TCS - thread comedy just doesn't pay

So they say, I sure hope so but until the models arrive we won't know.....



sasquatch0000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Red_over_Yellow Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Hybrid GEVO and GE test car and the CP rail
>
> > units will be the first to arrive late this
> month
> > or early November. This will be the first models
>
> > produced by Overland's new builder Ajin Model
> > train, given the advertised price, sure hope the
>
> > new guys do a good job.
>
> It appears that Ajin Model Train is in fact not a
> new builder but a divestiture and minor
> restructuring of the model railroad business from
> Ajin Precision Manufacturing. Ajin Precision is
> (or was?) also a photo finishing equipment
> supplier.
>
> Here is the official notification of the change
> from Brian Marsh at Overland:
>
> http://www.overlandmodels.com/news/?p=121

I'm really curious to see how the present state of the economy well effect the brass model market. A quick check of some dealers show more models on consignment sale than before.

What dealers are you referring to with more consignment models? High quality late run models are still commanding a premium price on ebay and at most of the large retail dealers.



westerntrains Wrote:
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> I'm really curious to see how the present state of
> the economy well effect the brass model market. A
> quick check of some dealers show more models on
> consignment sale than before.

Red_over_Yellow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What dealers are you referring to with more
> consignment models? High quality late run models
> are still commanding a premium price on ebay and
> at most of the large retail dealers.


I didn't say the models were going for lower prices. I said I see more people are selling their models on consignment at dealers. Such as OWS, BLI, BLCo, CH, etc.

OWS had a large estate (untimely death of the owner) consignment come through over the past few months but I haven't seen any of the others with more high quality consignments than usual. Dan's trains is an active buyer of brass collections and he searches the country looking for good collections to buy. He then sells the good stuff pretty quickly for very high prices. Ebay (like it or hate it) has really put a crimp on the consignment brass market for brass retailers. BLCO website hasn't had new models listed in months and Caboose Hobbies consignment page is updated a couple of times a month at most with not much late run high quality stuff. Likewise the Caboose and BPL.

My point is the late run high quality models are still in high demand even with the economy in the toilet. There are obviously multiple buyers out there searching for short run models.



westerntrains Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Red_over_Yellow Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What dealers are you referring to with more
> > consignment models? High quality late run
> models
> > are still commanding a premium price on ebay
> and
> > at most of the large retail dealers.
>
>
> I didn't say the models were going for lower
> prices. I said I see more people are selling their
> models on consignment at dealers. Such as OWS,
> BLI, BLCo, CH, etc.

I don't think most folks that buy high end brass are that affected by the economy. I'll bet more than a few are railroad executives particularly from the UP but I won't tell how I know that.

Well in my case I have a fair number of Overland high end pieces, but in the past I had an even larger number of "lower end" pieces (such as earlier Overland and Oriental). These were bought in the past 15 years or so at swap meets and brass sales (remember those?) when they were still sort of affordable. Well, like spoken earlier most of those went on EBay (like EBay or not, they sure can move the brass) and this raised the cash for the later OMI stuff. I'm sure there's other folks out there who did similar....we're not all big bucks collectors
just willing to do some trade-offs and really do appreciate the work and craftsmanship that goes into these later pieces.

Regards,

Auburnrail

"Sold Out" as listed on Overland's website is the model is not in stock and won't be until Overland does another run. I reserved ATSF Budd Full Dome 60 which is listed as sold out and I have also purchased a NP ex MKT/Frisco 72 seat divided chair car done by Overland. Due to the cost of brass, I only purchase about one model per year. I paid 420.00 for my full dome and 452.00 for the chair car. I still have several more models to get. I refuse to pay 800.00 plus for brass diesels from Overland and will purchase only plastic but, I will buy brass pass/business cars as I only need a small number for the fleet. I just can't see paying 600.00 plus for the new run of cars from Overland that haven't been released.
Charlie