Best Prices: Ebay or TCA Meets?

electroliner,

Jim & Debby Flynn are still around and active. Their eBay store (jdpltd) has a steady supply of Marx be it prewar, postwar and of course their own.

I hope "The Moderators" leave this post in place. 

Ebay of course!

Without leaving the comfort of your home, you can shop the entire country. This can be done at your leisure and continuously, as opposed to specific dates. There are no dues, and no travel, and with shows there's always the possibility of getting skunked, with nobody having what you wanted anyway.

It's not always about price. Just don't forget about the hidden costs.

In 2- rail, prices for most stuff are much lower at shows.  But you might factor in gasoline, hotel costs, and meals.

My favorite example is the lowly All Nation box car.  At shows they go for ten bucks. On eBay there is always a selection of 20 or so, ranging from about $30 to $49, with one seller marking them $150.  Shipping is generally $12.  If I buy just one at OSW, the total approaches $600, when gas/hotel, etc., are added.

I take comfort in buying from a TCA member.  Of course if the Ebay seller is TCA then that works too.  I got an excellent deal at the Denver show last year.

Having done both - so far, TCA!

I got deals at York that I would have never gotten on eBay, so I'd say train shows.

I hate non-answers, but here are two examples that I have come across that have been on my wish list, and the answer is "it depends" - you need to know what you are willing to pay to walk away satisfied.

Lionel 6464 Vapor Records Halloween Car: 6-29818:

Ebay - anywhere from $5-20.

York - Saw more than one person wanting $70 last week, and most were $50-70.

EBAY was the clear winner.

Lionel LITTLE Club Navy Flatcar with plane: 6-58556

Ebay - regularly ~ $100.

Annapolis TCA Meet = $43

TCA Meet was the clear winner.

Dave

I agree with John.  The best deals I get are from York or our local Fort Pitt train meets.  Yes, York does cost money to get there and stay, but what I purchased there, my shipping cost on ebay would be well over $100.00 and you can't put a price on all the other fun and fellowship York offers.  $100 is about what I pay for gas and tolls.

I stayed one night for $65.00 total but several cars I bought would have cost me close to double on Ebay.

I have to agree, I have done much better at York than E-Bay.

Scott Smith

On average, Ebay will give you a more consistent market price.  If you are looking for real deals, you can find them at York.  York pricing is, in my experience, more volatile in the sense that probably 3/4ths of the member hall merchandise is optimistically priced, but then there are real deals mixed in as well.  Ebay, given that it is an electronic platform and market information is thus more consistently available, will, on average, give you a good price but you are less likely to find a seller who will under-price the market by a significant margin because market pricing is more widely available. 

Its more a matter of luck and timing than venue. I have gotten great deals at train shows including York as well as eBay and other auction sites. A great deal on the bay with a Buy it Now price may only last a few minutes so its easy to miss them. Same at a train show. How many have walked away from a deal looking for a still better price only to find the original item had been snapped up when they return?

Pete

electroliner,

I thought you were wanting to match the engines you restored.

It's a toss up between eBay and TCA shows. It all boils down to, what are you looking for exactly? AND, Where you are located in the United States? I've done well at the Cal-Stewart Shows here in California. And yet they are different animals(TTOS). I collect Std & O-Gauge prewar only. For the rest of the year my better choice is eBay.

I just came home from a TCA train show in Raleigh. Prices at train shows are always better than ebay mostly due to postage.

I bought this bridge NIB for $25; it's definitely a buyers market right now.

Ebay, no one on there seems to want to pay anything. 

Gandy

I don't see a clear choice here. Depending how lucky you are on a given day the prize could come from either one.

Mixed bag, IMHO.  No easy answer.

However, at the April York I rounded the bend following the arrows in White Hall and what to my wondering eyes should appear?.....a Lionel B&O I-12 caboose, red, in a crispy box...$30!  Best Ebay price in a long time?.....$70+.  Well, duh!!

So, if the Ebay thingy is a BIN (Buy-It-Now) at an incredible price and you're wiki-wiki to make the picky, that's a good thing, for sure!!

But, if the Ebay thingy is on a regular auction, currently at an incredible price with less than a minute to go before closing......and there are 50 people watching this auction...it'll probably close at a not-so-incredible price after the snipers get through in the last fraction of a nanosecond!

Ergo....luck + speed + no one else=bazinga bonanza!!

Not much help, I know.

KD

I can't speak for trains, because I've only bought 2 Lionel postwar metal caboose on eBay. At a show you can give the item a CLOSE look as well as use a test track.

For other things I collect, like vintage 3-D slides, or old postcards, eBay is hands-down MUCH better for price and selection vs. shows, even considering postage. I go to one huge postcard show each in year in York just to see $60-$100. postcards for sale that I got for $12.-$18. on eBay.

TCA has value beyond merely providing a venue for buying trains.  Nice museum, publications, promotion of the hobby, complaint resolution process, and grading standards.  If it's just about acquiring stuff and the heck with everyone else, then by all means, don't bother renewing.

TCA, hands down! For one thing, no shipping!!!

Gilly

York has way better prices, no shipping fee, or sales tax.

However, at York you have to deal with the cropdusters.

Ebay is far easier when it comes to finding stuff, but if you are in competition with other bidders, you are usually going to pay a higher price than if you did the leg work to find the same item at a TCA meet.  The only times I've had real TCA-level bargains on Ebay were the times I ended up being the only bidder.

Andy