Did You Ever Buy An Engine You Didn't Need Because It Was A Good Deal?

No.

+1

"YES"

YES

Sadly, yes.   However, I developed a "need" for it soon after.

 

Yes - too many times which is one of the reasons that I have too many engines.  

 

I have also done this with other train items.  I always thought - I might need that "someday".  "Someday" never seems to come.

Yes, too many times. I get my wants mixed up with my needs or I don't know the difference sometimes.
Ray.

I bought a Lionel Railscope G gauge locomotive at York a couple years ago because it was only $15, so yes.

 

Jerry

No, if am very particular about what I buy and if it does not fit into a need or a strong want, I have no problem just passing it by regardless of the selling price.

All the time!

Yes, but I sold it soon after and got my money back for it. Didn't need to branch out to a third road!

Yes Yes Yes, and Yesterday MTH PRR Torpedo

Whether it was a deal or not, every engine I've ever bought is an engine I didn't need but an engine I liked enough to take home.

Joe 

Yes.

Absolutely. NIB WbB's under $100 and I'm like a large mouth Bass hitting an earth worm!

Boy, a couple of initial NO's and then it was the YES men all the way!

 

Yes Many Many Times.

I'm glad my wife doesn't read this stuff...........

Once they hit a price point of 10-15% of what was "retail", I usually pick them up if its something I can use (units that are noted for design or wear problems don't get the second look).  And if they are like new, its even better for me.  They are usually cheaper and will get run on my layout.  I have a phobia about running brand new engines.  And at a price that low sometimes I buy on the thought of getting them painted to something not currently offered or swap the shell out with a custom painted shell I have picked up.  Road names don't matter to me if I like the paint scheme.  So certain paint scheme engines of the U.P., S.P., Santa Fe, PRR, NYC, CNW, Wabash, B&M, G.N., and Southern are welcome any time.  I don't restrict my layout to any one road name.  I also don't limit tempting purchase to engines.  If I get tired of them, then I can more easily resell them, usually for what I paid maybe some extra. 

Not yet.

Too many, but I've pretty much stopped doing it. I passed on an Atlas Dash 8 the other day for about $140, shipped. It was mint but I just didn't see myself ever having the time to repaint it, so I let it go. I've been doing that a lot lately, looking at really good deals and passing them up. That's what an excess of trains and a lack of storage space will do for you. 

Not anymore.

<GRIN>

I bugged the guys at the Williams display at York to paint a GP9 as Minneapolis & St. Louis 2348. When they did I felt obligated to buy one. Later, I received an email from Walter Matuch about a sale on his RMT (formely K-Line) streamliners. Surfing the Web, I came across photos from CJB Custom Painting & Designs. Her work was awesome. Then a light bulb clicked on in my head. I bought a set of streamliners from Walter and CJB painted them to match my GP9. Here is the set on Loose Ties Model Railroad Club in Columbia Mall north of Bloomsburg, PA. The catenary and PRR position light signals work.

 

 

It should be yes for all of us on this forum.  Non of us "need" any of this stuff.  Now to get off my soap box, I have bought an engine or two because the price was to good to pass up. I still have a few and some have moved on to other owners.

James

 

NO.

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs and wants.

A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need or want just to get a bargain.

Yes

Guilty!

There have been times when the lure of a great deal edged out common sense with short lived guilt pangs following.

Unfortunately....yes.  

Yep! and I'm gonna do it again with the Signature Texas Special set.

 

I need an intervention.

 

Mike

If it was on sale AND had flanges... yes.

Of course not; don't be silly. And if you believe that, I've got some swampland...

About six years ago I bought two. I didn't need the engines, however, I needed all of the vintage parts for repairs to more valuable engines.

haha yep 

Paul,  for anyone who's been around this hobby long enough... the honest answer should be a resounding YES... if for no other reason than none of us "needs" ANY of the toy trains we buy.  

 

But even if you get past the "need" vs. "want" semantic, the answer is still YES.  And dealers -- including forum sponsors here -- count on this each and every time they offer inventory reduction sales.  One forum sponsor is currently offering a liquidation sale that will likely prompt even the most stubborn thinker to buy something they really never planned to purchase.

 

That's my story... and I'm stickin' to it. 

 

David

David,

 

I can tell you from long experience that both sexes will pay $1 for a $2 dollar item that they don't need or want just to get a bargain.  This is what drives black Friday and other big retail sales with people rushing to buy stuff just because it is a bargain.  Heck, people stand in line for hours, even days, to be the first to rush in the door.

 

NH Joe