Have you acquired a lot of junk over the years?

Yes.

Rusty

Nope! In the early days I did collect and restore both O gauge and standard gauge trains. Had several prewar boxed sets. Later got into new LGB and my OCD really kicked in, and subsequently all my modern O gauge, live steam and MTH repro acquisitions were new and shiny and it has been that way for a couple of decades now. No more patina, scratches or dents on my trains and accessories; just new out of the box!

I have too many items that were package deals. I may have wanted one or two out of the deal and got 5 or 6 total. Thinking well if I sell these just for $5 - $10 each I can get my money back or if I fix that I can get my money back and have this or that for free. The reality, I was lucky to get what I paid for parts back. But it gave me something to do and to keep busy. And when you're retired sometimes that's enough. 

I have more postwar and modern stuff that millions were made that you can't even get $5, to be honest. I like building original sets. Usually, I'll get an engine in and that will be the start of it, ( ie I got a 1656 with a 6403B tender, it had most of the cars but a couple where in bad shape so I bought an auction that had a better 2555 & X2458 than I had and about 6 other cars, which all turned out to be like mint but a run condition. I'll still be lucky to get $5 - $10 apiece for them. 

Yes I do have too much that is actually junk. Mainly cars I replaced because I didn't want them. 

YES!!!!! but I love it....my latest 

Ahhhhhrrrggh...l don't want to discuss it!

Of course not. Most train guys are neat, tidy and prone to throwing things out that haven't been used in 6 months.

I have a friend with an N-scale "hobby shop".  It's located in his house.  It's packed from floor to ceiling with anywhere from 2 to 4 or 5 of everything N-scale ever produced since he got started in the business back in the late 70's ~ early 80's (he's a bachelor, of course).

Strangest hobby shop I ever saw.  Nothing's for sale.  He only buys.  And buys.  And buys.  And continues to buy to this day.  And I thought I had a lot of stuff!   

They were all treasures when I bought them. Now when they are for sale, they are junk.

No...

Now there is junk that is "junk" for sure. But there in no such thing at "train junk"!

(Despite what my wife might have to say on the matter.)

Rod

Yes. But i do sell so its not as bad as others seem to be on this forum.

@TedW posted:

No...

 

Wow! WHAT a C.B.L.!

When I started, I was into HO, and childless. I bought boatloads of stuff for a layout, and started building one. Kid came, so I tore down the layout to finish the basement. Built the new layout as more of a toy train set up, so I could use the bench work for other things if needed. Eventually switched to O, but still have toy train style layout. Sold almost all of the HO trains, but still have tons of scenery materials and tools. Keep saying I will use it someday. I won’t. 

According to my wife it is all Junk!  She is not into the hobby at all but I just have to point at her book collection to stave of any severe criticism about my train collection.

Seriously though I do have much more than I can ever run or even display.  I guess it is time to start paring down and getting to the just the stuff I really want.

Rolland

Well, I've been through just about all the "male" hobbies and I had to move about 7 years ago. Do you accumulate excessively? Do you want to straighten yourself out? Then MOVE. Pack it all up yourself--no fair hiring anyone to pack for you! In very short order, you will have a WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE on accumulating!

Another point rarely pointed out is that it is FAR EASIER TO BUY than it is to sell. Buying takes 90 seconds. Selling can take YEARS. And finally, the hardest lesson I had to learn was that after a while, buying and selling IS the hobby. Trains? Layout? Hah--that's next week. This week I am shopping for XXX and I need to sell YYY to pay for XXX.

It has taken me YEARS to sell out of my other hobbies--and there's STILL some "treasures" around here taking up space. But I'm almost 68. I don't buy anymore. Instead I BUILD. And by God and all that's holy, I WILL enjoy running trains on this layout before the bucket and my foot connect.

Old dogs CAN learn the errors of their ways. I am living proof. And in that regard, my best to all of you caught in the buy/sell perpetual reverse loop!

Don Merz

@D500 posted:

Of course not. Most train guys are neat, tidy and prone to throwing things out that haven't been used in 6 months.

@Don Merz 070317 posted:

And finally, the hardest lesson I had to learn was that after a while, buying and selling IS the hobby.

You would have a hard time convincing me otherwise based on the preponderance of communications on the OGR Forum.

What, me worry?

I often buy junk or broken train gear and fix it up or use them for parts.  I often look for reduced or free defective items I think I can fix like a Lionel Gantry crane with a broken leg with the part and many others.  Almost all of them have been patched up and are running or on the layout.

Buying new is my last option.  I have one new engine of the 50 or so.  I have not bought a new car since 1969 and never a new house of 5.

I like used parts too like trucks, wheels, shells, bodies, couplings, frames, old eUnits, Plasticville parts, people etc.  I have a shoe box full of trucks, wheels and couplings.

I have lots of storage space in three attics.  I hate to have to go buy some part or to have to wait for it arrive but love to go to my bone yards and find it. 

Charlie

@Alfred E Neuman posted:

You would have a hard time convincing me otherwise based on the preponderance of communications on the OGR Forum.

What, me worry?

I'm 100% with Don.  

@Don Merz 070317 posted:

Well, I've been through just about all the "male" hobbies and I had to move about 7 years ago. Do you accumulate excessively? Do you want to straighten yourself out? Then MOVE. Pack it all up yourself--no fair hiring anyone to pack for you! In very short order, you will have a WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE on accumulating!

Another point rarely pointed out is that it is FAR EASIER TO BUY than it is to sell. Buying takes 90 seconds. Selling can take YEARS. And finally, the hardest lesson I had to learn was that after a while, buying and selling IS the hobby. Trains? Layout? Hah--that's next week. This week I am shopping for XXX and I need to sell YYY to pay for XXX.

 

Don Merz

I'm 100% with Don on that.  Buying other peoples "junk" - usually cheaply, rehabilitating and selling for much more is tremendously satisfying.  And the profit buys my own collection and covers train meet expenses.

Yes, and I love it all, the junk as well as the good stuff, and I have never sold anything. Indeed, over the long term, I find that even the junk becomes useful, ie., the junk is good to model junk, which real railroads have along the right of way.

However, I buy a lot less in my 6th decade than I did in my 3rd, 4th and 5th decades. Arnold

No.  But, I accumulate resources.  Right now I have a large quantity of resources with little monetary value.

Tom

I have bought plenty but then I work with my club friends to repurpose some, restore some, and still keep some of it just because it is nice to have some extra parts and potential projects sitting around.

If I arrange it carefully....behold! My junk becomes a .....a collection!

Having just moved, we donated or tossed 50% of the stuff in our house, I really don’t feel the need to buy ANYTHING. 
 

Yep....here is some of mine. Not too organized. 

Donald

Acquiring to much junk? A hilarious example can be seen at York meets over at the Blue Hall (or is it Silver)?

There is always two adjoining tables with a pile of old trains...track...what- have- you. That pile must be  close to 2 feet tall by 6ft long...lol.  A York landmark!

I accumulate so much junk in a few months that I have to have a junk lot sale every so often on "America's Favorite Online auction." I toss old tarnished bent track into the metal recycling bins and take burned-out old transformers to the electronic recycling collection site.  It is natural phenomena for active buyers to accumulate lots of "stuff" like this. 

I have never, never acquired any junk.    However, I have accumlated a lot of junque -  much better stuff that will be useful someday for sure

@prrjim posted:

I have never, never acquired any junk.    However, I have accumlated a lot of junque -  much better stuff that will be useful someday for sure

There can't ever be too much junk if, like me,  you're in the repair and rehabilitation business on stuff from 40's and earlier.  Some piece in that pile is worth its weight in gold, but I don't know which.

Yes, but I sell a lot of it. One man's junk...

Well, with the way I buy trains, I definitely pick up what a lot of people would consider "Junk." Didn't really become apparent until I lost my work shop, and now have my stuff spread between my grandparent's spare house and a 40 ft beer trailer.

Hah! You guys make me laugh. I've been all down this path in other hobbies. I THOUGHT I had learned my lesson. But now that the layout has taken form and the track is all laid, I see that I bought TWICE as much stuff as a 16x17 foot layout can absorb! Ugh. Here I go again, selling the surplus on OGR and eBlah. COVID cannot kill me--I'm too busy.

Don Merz

do I have a lot of junk - as the saying goes, "does Carter's make liver pills" ?

Nothing I bought was ever junk when I bought it.  Some became junk over time as my vision of what I wanted in my trains changed.  Now though some of those same junk items are going into the train I am assembling to give my adult daughter for her Christmas tree.  Her standard is does it look nice and does it operate well.  A gondola to put candy in is a plus.

over the years, I have never bought junk intentionally, lol.

I have ten large bins of structures, trains, Postwar accessories, and associated stories with each and every item.  None of it is junk in my opinion.
don’t need a junk yard dog either!

I have one thing to say to this thread..."Thank the stars for eBay."  Albeit not all of my discard items (aka. junk) sell.

Anthony

I have a lot of Stuff.
I do not want to call it junk, just future projects🤪

Question: Does buying used lower my carbon foot print?🤔

I run postwar/ conventional. Junk! I've learned to keep everything because you never know when something is needed!

I haven't "acquired" a lot of junk, but I have made a lot of junk.

Converting 24 engines to BPRC I have bags of parts, electronic components and boards, middle pickup rollers, and whatever else wasn't needed during the conversions.  Even have DCS and TMCC systems in boxes that I don't use.

2-3 buildings that are not on the layout and likely never to get used again.

Most junk I made was tearing down the old layout and 3-rail track (actually 3 layouts if I count the HO layout in a shed, a 3-rail layout in the garage, and a 3-rail layout upstairs) and replacing it with Mianne benchwork and 2-rail track, I try not to think of how much $$$ went down the drain on that endeavor even though it was well worth it.

I run all my rolling stock, so have none I would consider junk, same with engines.

Oh...and boxes, I managed to get rid of the rolling stock boxes but I still have engine and passenger car boxes, have no idea why I'm keeping them.