Model Railroading > An observation from Springfield...

A couple weeks ago at the Springfield show, I was making the rounds.  Though there were definitely deals to be had for those who looked for them, there was also a fair amount of overpriced junk from the usual vendors.  Some years at Springfield, I'll pick up cheap blue box Athearn 40' boxcars as a fodder for kitbashing, when I can find them cheap.

I ended up not buying any this year, however, as a lot of vendors were asking $10-$15 for blue box cars.  (In past years I've been able to find them for under $10.)  So my question is, are the vendors just trying to recover what they spend travelling to the show, or do people really think a blue box car is worth $15 in today's world?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/20 16:38 by pennsy3750.

I think they're $3-5 each at most shows I've been to.  Usually don't include their box when foolish people discard them though. 

They charge whatever they think people will pay for them. 
Hit them up on Sunday after noon and they will usually bargin since they don't want to pack them back up.

It seems to me that some dealers think they are "rare collectibles" since they are no longer made. The last swap meet I was at they were asking in the $10-15 range for Blue Box kits. Way to much for this old cheap guy. I usually buy them if it is $3 - 5 range so I have not bought many lately. One guy had MDC 50' boxcar kits for $25. I asked if it was .25 cents he said no $25. Of course I said "wow really" he then said he has sold many at that price I asked if he wanted to buy any I would sell them to him for $18 then he could make $7 per kit he glared at me and walked off in a huff. I will say I see the same boxcars on his table at every swap meet he is at so he is not selling all that many I don't think.

Scott O'Dell

The model railroad club I am a member of sells a lot of these cars at shows, the usual pricing is cars with plastic wheels are sold for 4 or 5 dollers each (regardless of whether or not they have a box or kadee couplers) and the cars with metal wheels go for 7 to 10 dollars each. Personally, I have never paid more than 9 dollars for a blue box car.

I am always amazed at a train show by the vendors with too-high prices who have lugged these products from one show to the next, and the next, and the next.
Surely you would tire of that after a while......

TJY

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am always amazed at a train show by the vendors
> with too-high prices who have lugged these
> products from one show to the next, and the next,
> and the next.
> Surely you would tire of that after a while......
>
> TJY

There is a guy who has a long wall of Walthers building kits and rolling stock who is a regular at the Virginia Greenberg shows and Timonium.  Many of the boxes have tons of shelf wear from being hauled back and forth for years and year and years ... and years.  I expect he'll still have 80%+ of that stuff when he retires or passes away.  I just shake my head, but I guess as long as he is around, he seems to have a good selection of stuff but his pricing isn't straight forward either so it give browsers the impression prices are higher than most, and that is probalby part of the reason so much remains unsold.  If he could just take the time to clearly price every thing, he might sell more.

As for the $10-15 Athearn bb kits, I'd guess few sell at that price and most sit and are carried from show to show.  Everyone except noobs know they originally sold for half that or less.  I still have a few blue box at home and the prices printed on most of them is shockingly low comparied to prices we are used to for the past 20 years.  I am skeptical that a vendor was selling "many" MDC kits at $25 ea.  That beggars believe.  And the reaction gotten when offered to buy kits at $18 for $7 profit was "telling".

Anyway, it's up to vendors if they want to sit on stuff and drag it around from show to show to show.  Sounds like self flagulation to me.  Those who want to move product price accordingly, those who don't ...  more self flagulation

>It seems to me that some dealers think they are "rare collectibles" since they are no longer made.

But neither are TYCO, Mantua, Life-Like and other assorted crap....

We have all seen the table of Tyco garbage for phenomenal prices. I think some dealers see what the new top notch detailed cars are going for and think yea these are assembled and all assembled cars are worth a fortune.
After Athearn came out with their Genesis DDA40X model ( a fantastic engine if I say so myself) I saw many Bachmann DDA40X's priced for $150+  only somebody who has no idea would ever pay anywhere near that for a Bachmann.

Scott O'Dell

seod Wrote:
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> We have all seen the table of Tyco garbage for
> phenomenal prices.

I haven't seen Tyco or LL at phenomenal prices but frankly I tend to walk by that stuff fairly quickly with barely a glance looking for things worth looking at. When I have noticed prices, they were accordingly and expectedly in the few dollar price range.

Many shows have seas of that stuff, far more than will ever sell. I expect what little does sell are for parents picking up some cheap trains for their little child so they can expand at little cost.



> I think some dealers see what
> the new top notch detailed cars are going for and
> think yea these are assembled and all assembled
> cars are worth a fortune.
>
> Scott O'Dell

It seems they can think. Then there is reality that may take quite a few shows of dragging the same stuff with next to no sales to finally sink in.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/20 18:21 by SPDRGWfan.