dumbest purchase ever??

As an active member of my TCA division auction committee, I often throw out the first bid just to move the pace of the auction forward.  About 50% of the time I get stuck with the item for that opening bid.

That is why I have 20 sets of 022 Lionel switches that will never be used by me as they don't work well with 21" scale cars or with my 2 rail trains.  However, I'll say this, I got it off the table quickly and our Division makes it a habit of moving 350 lots of items in about 6 hours because I'm not the only one who has this practice.  When our esteemed auctioneer requests an opening bid, just say yes and hope that someone outbids you!  Otherwise, the opening bid drops, people get dumb and compete on it, and 10 minutes later that item sold for more than the opening bid.

An Atlas Oil Pump rig, for nearly $100.

Sound like a meat grinder when running.   Louder than any engine I have.

Fence is made of plastic so thin, that it will break if you breath on it.

Mannyrock

No, I'm pretty sure that someone here will exceed you in that department.

I believed a seller when he described the condition of an engine.   Pure deception,

This one was totally my fault. Seller described it fine. Just lack of knowledge on my part.

Dumb, I purchased a Standard Gauge 353 set, and don't run Standard Gauge.  Now I have two #8 engines, neither run, and an extra box car to boot.  Dumb.  Pretty stuff, but still not my brightest day.

Years ago, I purchased an admission ticket to a train show which had been highly acclaimed.  Turned out to be predominately HO(inexpensive brands), and the smattering of O gauge items were of poor quality and condition.  I still rate that ticket price as my dumbest purchase but a cheap way to learn.

Ordered some 1950s model automobiles, all metal,. looked in great shape, a nice addition to my layout.   Worse yet- I ordered them through an auction and paid tax plus a buyer's premium.  Turned out they were 1/18th friction drive cars.  I have an O scale layout.  Ugh.

I have been giving them away one by one, to grandsons for several years now.

Hold On, my friend, . . . you got off cheap!  :-)

Mannyrock

Just yesterday I stupided up and bought a prewar Flyer 0 lumber car when I thought I was buying a SG car.  *sigh*

As soon as it shows up, it will appear on the For Sale forum.

@GG1 4877 posted:

As an active member of my TCA division auction committee, I often throw out the first bid just to move the pace of the auction forward.  About 50% of the time I get stuck with the item for that opening bid.

That is why I have 20 sets of 022 Lionel switches that will never be used by me as they don't work well with 21" scale cars or with my 2 rail trains.  However, I'll say this, I got it off the table quickly and our Division makes it a habit of moving 350 lots of items in about 6 hours because I'm not the only one who has this practice.  When our esteemed auctioneer requests an opening bid, just say yes and hope that someone outbids you!  Otherwise, the opening bid drops, people get dumb and compete on it, and 10 minutes later that item sold for more than the opening bid.

Well if you're looking for a good place to use them...

The Louisville & Cincinnati RR here at my dad's basement could benefit from two RH O22 switches.

Just sayin'

J

"Dumb purchases" at a train show, auction, or eBay can be sort-of-undone; however, often at a loss. Just honestly describe and photograph each item with and cite a low opening bid amount on eBay. Then wait and see.

Donating an item(s) to a 501-c-3 organization is a good hearted gesture, and it might boost the hobby -- though a train club, a museum, or Boy Scouts. There are three rewards for such good works ... it feels good, it does good, and it may be tax-deductible.

Mike Mottler   LCCA 12394

If you are going to donate be careful, I spent a lot of time volunteering in 501-3c thrift shops. There is a group of people who will come in

and grab something and then try to lowball you. Dealers.....  I was fairly knowledgeable on a lot of things so they avoided days I was there.

I would come in and see something gone and one of the volunteers would say "this really nice man offered us $2 for it." There wasn't much

you could do if you weren't there. If finally became a rule if I priced it, there were no markdowns. I think the worst case was when I

got a really nice Rolling Rock pool cue with case and accessories. I came in and and the case was laying on the table closed. I opened it

and the cue was gone. I inquired of the other volunteers about it. Apparently a guy came in, stuffed the cue into a case with a much

cheaper cue and walked out with it for a couple of bucks. When the nice old lady volunteer described him to me, I knew exactly who

it was. I had taken a picture of the cue, so I made a flyer with his description and posted it in every pool hall within 20 miles. Most everyone knew

him. Got some very nice suggestions of what they would do with the cue if they saw him with it. Stealing from a thrift shop helping single mothers

is about as low as it gets.

In the rural areas in which I have lived for the past 20 years, thrift shops never contain trains or anything nice whatsoever.  Folks in the country use stuff until it is totally worn out, and then use it again for 5 years, and then donate it to the thrift shop.  (Easier than driving it out to the county dump.)

I guess my runner up for dumbest purchase ever was a new HO Bachman Gandy Dancer Handcar, that I paid about $45 for with shipping.  (Yes, it is in my O Gauge layout, but looks pretty neat. )

It will run at a medium speed for about 90 seconds, and then slow down and stop.  The little motor heats up and then seems to seize up and shut down, even if it has been well lubricated.   I have to let it cool off for about 10 minutes before it will run again.  (What a rip-off.  Not what I would have expected from Bachman.)

Mannyrock

I'm an operator.  So I don't buy anything I'm not going to run.  I've gone backwards from the norm.  Sold our home and all my O-Gauge stuff and am now running HO since we live in an apartment now.  Love it.  I'm also all MTH DCS.  Love it.

Dennis

I got a brass butter dish milk car for a good price on eBay. The seller was local, so I went over to pick it up. When he brought out the box, I went "uh oh!".  It was HO and not O. That's why the price was so good.

Don't know if anybody has noticed,but prices in "thrift" stores are approaching retail...gone way up....

Many

Larry

My dumbest purchase wasn't what I bought, it was what I accepted from a seller.  Six or eight years ago I bought a MTH 0-8-0 Railking switcher on everyone's favorite auction site. It looked like a nice used locomotive-- sounds, command control, nice B&M livery, etc-- and had everything except the original box. I paid a relatively high price for it since it was advertised as tested and seemed to be in good order.

When the engine finally arrived I discovered that the seller had thought that a couple winds of bubble wrap would be enough to protect a heavy diecast model train locomotive in a flat-rate shipping box. The locomotive had rattled around and the front headlight and most of the boiler trim had gotten smashed off in the process!

I corresponded with the seller and eventually accepted a small refund to cover parts for the repair. Of course, I discovered as I worked that the damage was far more extensive than it first appeared. The linkage was all bent out of shape, most of the broken parts were hard to find and the locomotive had a dead battery besides. At the end of the month, I was out a couple weekends of work plus a pile of parts for a heavily-used engine that I could have bought brand new for the same money! I didn't enjoy the locomotive much anymore. I set it on the shelf, ran it briefly on rare occasion and eventually sold it just to get rid of it.

What I learned from my dumbest purchase is a) never ship modern locomotives without their original box and b) if you open the box and find a train wreck, just send it back!

@joe krasko posted:

Don't know if anybody has noticed,but prices in "thrift" stores are approaching retail...gone way up....

No doubt

The Acela was dumbest for me. The Lionel Century Club snow globes was less expensive but almost as dumb.
Scott Smith

The little Lionel Lines O27 Alco. Best (and worst) $85 I've ever spent. Best because it rekindled a passion for electric trains... worst because it rekindled a passion for electric trains.

Even better still it combines the antique thing with the train thing and costs me EVEN MORE MONEY.

At least it's not on nefarious things like diecast cars. 😜