Guess I Missed The eBay Memo...

 

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...that promoted touching up locos with a black magic marker before taking pictures. I recently purchased a couple of cheap postwar locos from different sellers that appear to be touched up using a permanent black magic marker. 

 

This problem is not specific to Ebay. People offer retouched trains without notice at every venue. Sometimes the work is good, sometimes bad. Even some hobby shops do it. I guess its worse on Ebay, because all you have is a picture. But some train shows are poorly lit, and it can be difficult to tell there too.

 

One has to be carefull no matter what venue you are using to acquire trains. I agree that Ebay is especially bad.

I bid accordingly.  You really have to assume that any equipment will need some mechanical attention / repairs and is at the lower end of any cosmetic representation or expectation.

I use a Sharpie to touch up small nicks, not big chunks.  I find that if I do the touchup and then quickly rub it with my finger, the sheen mostly goes away.  I do it so they look better, I don't like chips in things.

 

I always knock one grade off anything I bid on sight unseen.

Back when I was working at CBS-FM I bought a #675 from the Red Caboose.  Half way home on the LIRR I started to notice the black shoe-polish was coming off on my hands...

 

Jon

 

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Back when I was working at CBS-FM I bought a #675 from the Red Caboose. 

 

Since you mention the LIRR, I assume it was the Red Caboose in Manhatten (45th st?).

I think there was a store called the red caboose in Huntington too.

Manhattan.  45th Street or so?  CBS-FM was at 51 West 52nd Street on the 17th floor back in those days.

 

Jon

Here's a thought, are you allowed to clean your trains? If so, to what extent? Are you allowed to use a cleaner or just a dust brush? How about waxing, espically on tinplate? When would you consider it a modification of the item and need to note it or when would it be just cleaning and no note needed???? Just what do you think the limit is?

 

Al

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Here's a thought, are you allowed to clean your trains?

You can do whatever you like to your trains. The problems arise when you go to sell or trade them.
IMHO, old school collectors would not have any issues with a train that was cleaned. Opinions on polishing are probably vary.

 

But everything really boils down to grading and desirability. A train that didn't need cleaning would be better that one that did (assuming one could tell). A train that didn't need polishing would be better than one that did not, and so on.

 

 

Since they were CHEAP postwar locos, it seems that you got what you paid for. 

I have been buying & selling on Ebay for over 10 years. It seems in the last 2 years some people have became "dense"(stupid)! I list my items with as much info as I can so the buyer knows exactly what they are buying.

 

I have received a lot of questions about items where it is clearly stated in the description but people seem just to lazy to read the full description where it is laid right out in front of them.

 

If I do touch up an item it will be noted in the description.

10-4!  The locos were priced right. If I did have a problem, I would have contacted the sellers.  My attempt at posting a humorous observation may have struck a chord in a few folks. From some of the comments here, I'd say that there are those who are compelled to reply to every post.

 

Anyway, I'm now searching for the "perfect" black magic touch-up marker. Off to Staples in the morning, then back to Allentown to try to find some last minute deals!

From your professional paint guy, here is a heads up. The product known as "pledge wax" contains silicone in its formula, that's what gives it that slippery feel. if you touch anything on that train table after handling silicone and ever have to repaint it including that engine, the paint will get craters in the finish we call fish eyes,that piece of equipment can never be properly painted again because it is now contaminated and handling the silicone sprayed stuff will contaminate every thing else you touch! handle with care. In my restoration work, when someone waxes over a varnish job on the antique boats i refinish or furniture, i will never do dining room tables because the finish will never lay down and "moon crater" when trying to lay on the new finish! Just sayin, Gman.

What do you recommend using to clean the silicone contaminated plasitc or metal surfaces before refinishing?

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I have been buying & selling on Ebay for over 10 years. It seems in the last 2 years some people have became "dense"(stupid)! I list my items with as much info as I can so the buyer knows exactly what they are buying.

 

Maybe they are asking the questions to make certain they understand your description. By doing so, they have a positive record that can be used to back up a complaint.

While I am certain nobody participating on this board falls into the catagory, there are a lot of Ebay sellers who are not completely honest in their listings.

 

With the economy being as tight as it is , people want to make sure they are getting exactly what they are paying for. I am one of those!

 

I am talking about the people that ask a question regarding an item and you can cut and paste that answer right out of your description to satisfy their question.

 

 

Here's a thought, are you allowed to clean your trains? If so, to what extent?

If collecting / preserving (not restoring) is your goal, then there are limits to cleaning. Creating a luster the train never had or lightening graphics are two issues that come to mind. Seems most cleaners are designed to leave a shine. Many trains of the postwar era had a frosty satin look to them. So far I have not found one method that does everything.

I have yet been able to undo the damage caused by silicone contamination,if some one sprays it as a lubricate on a boat mast(rigging) and the overspray hits the paint, its toast. short of a total strip job, Acetone sometimes works but will pretty much kill or dull any painted or varnish surface.it sounds extreme because in the paint trade, it is. check your products ingredients on the labeling, wax can screw things up too but not as bad. painted finishes will never last for ever, so when it comes time for a redo,no wax or polish will insure a solid high adhesion paint finish.stripping die cast or brass is a option but considered only for a total paint job and contaminated plastic...forget about it! Galo 3rd.

I would prefer the scratch over a magic marker...do the sellers not get that?  Original vs tampered with is superior.