How are you influenced to make a purchase?

I consider myself to be primarily a collector.

The items I find interesting to collect are those that have an interesting history and/or are somewhat difficult to find.

I don't think my train purchases are influenced by this forum.

However, I have purchased some tools / supplies based on what I've read here, and I have picked up some repair tips.

All other factors aside I am a sucker for a great bargain.

I'd say in the vast majority of cases, it's because the item was visually appealing to me.  Not too much different from when I was a little kid looking at a department store display!  

And to a lesser extent, I also like having a miniature version of something I might see in real life.

- Mike

I only buy new so I'm interested in the catalogs.

I have gotten some good ideas on this forum, but.....I know what I like and want, and,

generally, it is not made and not demanded by the mainstream.  I collect within a certain theme, and I model within a certain but different theme, so that which is the current rage, often well discussed on here,  is usually of no interest to me.

I stay current with the manufacturers' catalogs, so for the most part my purchase decisions don't come from the Forum as I have seen the items before a photo is posted here. Having said that, the Forum has been a wonderful resource to acquire train related items on the Buy Board. As an example, I needed a set of B&O F3s to go with my K-Line Columbian passenger set and very quickly found the ABBA combo I was looking for.

So in a way, the Forum has played a very important part of the acquisition process.

In the past I purchased things based on visual appeal and good price, so I have an eclectic collection of trains and related items. But since I started reading posts on this forum I came to realize how much others collect specific items to enhance the road name, scale and era they model, so I had to think about what I am interested in focusing on. Since I have lived my life in Florida and seen railroads and car lines that run in Florida, I plan to build a layout and focus it on lines that ran or currently run in Florida in O and S gauge (I can't say that everything will be to scale). I appreciate the focus and feel like I have more of a mission now. 

For me, the most beneficial aspect of the forum regarding purchases has been the reviews posted by other members having experience with an item I am contemplating buying (new or used).  With my limited experience in the hobby,  I would have fallen victim to the "marketing" efforts of retailers without the warnings about inferior or poorly designed products from those on the forum who have already had experience with what I was considering for purchase.

Steam Rules

"a country boy can survive!"    (Bocephus, 1981)

Defintely have been influenced by comments and reviews here on the forum. It's not absolute but if I'm on the fence on something, postive comments here can put it over the top. Example: Wasn't all that interested in the Lion Chief Plus line of locos, but after seeing many positive reviews here ordered one of the new NW-2 switchers coming out next year.

Years past a lot of stuff in the catalogs would get me to buy. Now it is more of just buying something I did not have. A few example would Lionel's scale auto racks. With the latest catalog it is the scale 89' box cars plus the South Buffalo switcher. I had ordered one but just called to order the second one. I do like the Big Boy but not enough to buy it. Reviews on the forum do not make me want to buy something. If I truly want it I will buy it.................Paul

If I like it, and it fits my budget, I consider buying it. 

I'm sticking mostly with East Coast railroads, but I do have the Vision Line Big Boy on order.  I also have a nice SP Daylight passenger set.  I guess maybe I do each coast...

#1 - Do I really need it?

#2 - Can I afford it?

#3 - Is it worth the price?

#4 - Can I fix it if it breaks?

The one thing that influences me---money. Without the money nothing else matters. 

Amen Brother!

A few factors help me decide

price

conventional control

mostly traditional sized as I don't have a lot of room

prototype--trying to keep to LIRR, but the amount of fantasy painting and cars available helps me to limit my purchases

but mostly "does it look like something I could enjoy running?" like my RMT Bang

Scotie

Yes, articles / pictures / videos from here on the Forum have resulted in my considering engines and rolling stock that I might not have otherwise noticed.  I have also purchased from forum sponsors that I saw here for the first time. Actually buying big ticket items came down primarily to whether they run on my layout, availability, and what they cost.  I have been more heavily influenced by forum posts that talk to ways of mounting / installing track, accessories, lighting, etc. that have resulted in buying several smaller ticket items that have made my operations look and work much better.

Is it scale?

Is it Santa Fe? (or western road big steam)

Is it something I don't have already?

I'll figure out a way to pay for it.

No, not at all.

Since everyone seems to be listing their personal criteria, here are mine:

1: Can I afford it?

2: Is it something that interests me?

3: Is it N/LN condition?

4: Can I control it conventionally?

#2 generally means a northeastern road.  Right now, that means PRR, NYC and RDG.

I am not an impulse buyer.  Never have been.  I'm very sales resistant.  I can pass up all kinds of bargains, if it's not something related to what I am doing.  I model Texas & Pacific and Missouri Kansas Texas railroads for the 40s and 50s, so only those cars and foreign cars that would realistically pulled by them are within my parameters.

I was influenced by Lee's book on "streets", but only because I was not satisfied with my streets and highways, and didn't understand how "streets" worked, until I read the book.

I am tempted sometimes to buy the older Scale K-Line cars, whether I need them or not, but it's got to be a fit.

Bob S. --

I am with you on this, this forum through member postings, photos, and videos have greatly expanded the items I had to have. Having re-entered O scale in the fall 2009, not having looked at or played with a train since about age 8, I could see all the current stuff through the catalogs, but anything pre-2009 was discovered through this forum and the auction sites. K-Line was gone by the time I came around, I saw them on the auction sites, but it was not until I found this forum and saw the K-line passenger cars in action that I had to have them.

The photos of layout also have had a huge influence on me, I would have been a happy little railroader with two sheets of plywood in the basement, but seeing the wonderful layouts here inspires and expanded my idea of what a layout could be. While I will not ever likely have a mega-layout (unless I choose the layout over my wife), but the two sheets of plywood has given way to 16" X 36".....OGR Forum strikes again! 

Then again, had to expand to have room to run all those 21" passenger cars I didn't know I "needed" before....

Good luck with additional will power, perhaps we can start a support group

Best,

Jason

1. A visual rendition is a must! If I don't see a picture of it or physically see it at a store, I won't get the urge.

2. Milwaukee Road

3. Can I afford it.

4. Tie-in with layout. ie. Beer reefer(s) to go with my brewery.

5. Does it catch my eye? Ties in w/number one. Example: I just bought an MTH F3 ABA locomotive set along with 7 Kline 15" aluminum passenger cars and 1 express boxcar. To me it is a beautiful passenger consist. (Will the Passenger Train Collector agree?)

6. There are probably more smaller reasons but I can't think of them right now. 

I started off as an Impulse buyer. And I still have one engine from that time.

Now I only go for items that fit my Road Preference and Time Frame.

I have sold or given away to kids most of the early acquisitions.

I do look at items referred to in the forum, but I rarely buy on that due to the above limits.

I find something that I like, then I research it, then I compare prices and buy the best buy.

Of course, I can't give up a good buy either....so I have plenty of stuff I don't really want from auctions lol.

By my wife...............

I think it's the voices I hear... whispering in my head... buy me...

I hear the same voices......................

Seeing a photo of an item here on the forum sometimes influences me to go looking for it, or order it, but only if the item is something that I would have wanted had I seen it in person, or in an OGR ad or a manufacturer's catalog.

Andy

I buy 95% new items, haven't had real good luck with used stuff, so the catalogs are my main source of finding most all the items I purchase. I have found a few items here on the forum that I had missed in the catalogs or were un-cataloged items and ordered then because of that. I still try an occasional used item if the price is very good, some have been good deals.

And then there was the recent RailKing Scale Interstate Alco RS-3 that I had safely passed by in the catalog. Then along came a thread I read...and someone kept posting pictures of that RS-3, then explained the Interstate RR to me (I goofed up what it really was when making a post to the thread), I finally caved and then just had to have one. Then there were the cars that went with it...you get the idea. 

That's not the chosen road name that I try to stick to, but it is a really nice looking engine. Great looks, great sounds, I really like the color scheme and I wanted an RS-3. My chosen road name had/has no RS-3's, so it is leasing this one from the Interstate RR with an extra LONG term lease agreement.

I like to think I'm financially secure, so I have a tendency to impulse buy.  What keeps my buying under control is the limited theme of my layout:  100% Command Control, PRR in the very late 40s.  Good reviews on the forum have never influenced my buying, but bad reviews definitely have.

My latest impulse buy happened at York last week.  Was only looking for a few cars needed to complete some sets, and a RCS double crossover.  Came home with a 3rd Rail brass Brill Gas Electric.  Nice thing about the gas electric is my wife thinks it is much cuter than my other engines.

The thread titled "HO Manufacturer History Needed" started by Mike W. rekindled my interest in obtaining certain older, long out of production HO models so I guess it's fair to say the forum has influenced some of my purchasing activity.

Bob   

There's no better motivator for making a train purchase than somebody else's recommendation. Shortly after the Lionel Legacy Milwaukee Road GP-35 came out somebody here (N.Q.D.Y. I think) posted a video of the loco in operation. I originally passed on ordering one because it was too expensive but when I saw the engine in the video along with the owner's favorable comments I decided to cough up the bucks and get one. Almost waited too long (as I did with the Weaver Milwaukee caboose) but I scored the GP-35 a couple weeks ago.   

I've limited my RR to 1950 and to the Milwaukee Road.  So, if a manufacturer produces a scale sized, correctly detailed Milwaukee Road engine or cars, they are sure to get some of my money.  Last engine I bought was the Milwaukee Road S-3 from Lionel.  Great engine, great details, etc. had it weathered and it is regularly seen on the road.  Lionel is going to produce the USRA Heavy Mike, and when they do it in Milwaukee, they have my attention. 

Meantime, I've picked up an E-7 A-A set from Williams and had TMCC installed.  Regularly sees service pulling my passenger consists.  Of course, I own MTH's BiPolar and Boxcabs, from the Road.  And Weaver has offered a great "Little Joe" with TMCC (best pulling engine I own) plus some diesel switchers, a nice little die cast 2-8-0, which find regular use on my RR.  Of course I own both of Weaver's Milw Rd rib sided cabooses, at over $500 for the pair.

So, I can say that price is probably not as much of a factor as if a company offers an engine or a piece that I can use.  Occasionally, I digress and pick up a C&NW engine, car or other piece, but those don't get run as often.

Manufacturer is unimportant for my needs.  I operate using TMCC, DCS and now, Legacy depending on the engine running.  So if it is a good, Milwaukee (or maybe a C&NW engine or train) I'll find a way to add it to the roster.

Paul Fischer

Not finishing H.S. and going to work at sixteen money has always been hard to come by. Don't get me wrong, I had a good life and live well but having to work hard for my money I think hard before I give it away. I am not an easy MARK.  

Hmmmm....I cant seem to find that thread Bob.

i truly buy only what i need. as i look around my warehouse of trains i surely needed a lot. i try to limit myself to PRR, B&O,ERIE,MILW,AC&Y, steamlined steam and i guess anything else with wheels. lets see i am a train junkie!!!!!!!!

Great thread!

Like it, can afford, buy it...

I recently found some of GRJ's Super-Chuffer videos. I bought a TMCC Camelback just to modify!

This forum has had a positive influence on my purchases over the last couple of years.

I learned here more about 3rd Rail and then ordered a B&O T-3.

This lead to learning about the 3rd Rail/GGD Columbian set which I then ordered.

Leading me to learning about the 3rd Rail/GGD Train or Tomorrow set which I then ordered.

Also, reading about how easy Legacy is to install will soon likely move me from conventional to command operation!

Jim

I pretty much have a list of what I want and buy that.

But then there are times/things I simply cannot explain.  Not often, but . . . 

The most recent are my B&O sharks and the passenger cars they pull.  I'm not sure who posted - I think N.Q.D.Y. - about some Daylight Sharks.  They were so beautiful, I went in search . . .  hard to explain how that led to B&O sharks instead, but I was there and it did.  And they were gorgeous, too, and the whole train -- oh my.  I had to have it.  

So it happens.  

I will always hold an appreciation for the Postwar Lionel stuff.  I will keep those items I do have in my smallish collection.

I keep my interests narrowed.

I prefer modern Lionel scale offerings with some of the other manufactures offerings.

My interests are roadnames that had trackage in Wisconsin.  (MR, CNW, Soo).

I like innovative products.

 Information on this forum makes a huge impact for me.

I don't  things and then figure out how to pay for them later.

Realistic shipping dates.  I can wait a 1 year or a bit more, 3 years however... Milwaukee Road Passenger sets for the S3 come to mind.

In the future,  with the BTO program.  My influences will be:

Seeing a production sample first. or at least a ...3D model. ...or perhaps a body shell.

Manufactures having the above to show at York.

.....Robbie