How Is Your Luck Buying Used Stuff?

been working for me for 25 years.......

By and large I've had good experiences; at worst I've had to replace couplers or a cracked handrail.  I've never (knock on wood) gotten anything with mechanical issues beyond normal maintenance.  This includes both HO and O gauge purchases.

Been working for me for 30+ years too. 90% bought used  are in excellent condition anyway. In fact I just purchased the whole Atlas O scale Amtrak California Zephyr at Approximately $83/car for 18 cars!

Only issues were with people NOT knowing how to pack for shipping, which is why I will not buy without original box,
unless it is a deal which is too good to pass up.

Agreed! And I will NOT buy Weaver Models  freight cars unless made after 2009 with the clam shell packing too! You will not believe the amount of people who don't think the broken grab rails on a Weaver freight car is any significance! 

Never had a problem seller that I did with were always honest.
Seems that since last December prices have been on a slow increase with tinplate even during the summer. Do not know what is happening.

Almost all of my postwar purchases have worked great and still are working well. I can recall having only one postwar engine that did not work and that was sent back to the seller for a full refund including all shipping charges. Currently I would say that most of my purchases are postwar.

Majority have been good.

Only issues were with people NOT knowing how to pack for shipping, which is why I will not buy without original box, unless it is a deal which is too good to pass up. Last bad purchase the  locomotive was not wrapped in foam or cellophane wrapping, but just set in foam box and was able to slide back and forth inside foam packing - Both front and rear handrails were off and a few other detail pieces were all loose inside box.

PS - This is not limited to trains, I purchased a used digital camera from a so called business on the bay and it (the body) arrived without the lens cover and wasn't wrapped but just thrown in Nikon box

about 80% Ok, the rest folks lie and get rid of their problems. I only buy from folks I know now, there a few on ebay I would not buy from and Dash.

All my purchases have been great, except one engine I bought off the forum.

Generally excellent. I seldom buy new any more The electronics now are sharp, I guess, but TMCC or ERR upgrades do all I ever want to do. Been ripped off only 2 times, and I have been buying used/online since the late 90's. Lots of transactions. I upgrade/fix things (I love to find nice steamers, for instance, that "won't run" or are a "little damaged").

Someone mentioned seller packing; yes, a problem from time to time. Generally I request and get a partial refund, then fix it. Rather not, but there it is.

Some sellers are clueless about basic physics. I do not know how that is possible. They'll wrap an 8 lb locomotive in newspaper, then ship it loose in the box. Then blame "the Post Office".  Yeah. Right.

Maybe about 50-50, so I don't buy much used anymore. If I ever do buy used again the price will have to allow for repairs of what ever I think It might need or I will pass.

Overall very good. I buy stuff that is dead knowing it....but willing to fix for the price offered. The only burn was a ebay buy of a MTH Q2 PRR loco offered as mint. It arrived with no box and dead as a door nail......all electronics fried.  I could have returned it under ebay/paypal policy but took the hit and kept it.....I wanted one badly and they do not come up often. Yet to gut her and run it. 

Buying used doesn't bother me.  But as the price goes up, so does my requirement to buy it in person and see it operate on a test track or have a guarantee.  

Anytime the deal is too good, I usually pass it up.  Inquired about a post on OGR for the newer PWC 3520 searchlight car that has the control electronics inside it.  Upon close inspection of the photo, the car in the picture had markings for a 3620.  I asked the seller to verify that the electronics were present under the car and got several evasive answers.  So I passed

Another deal for some Lionel Santa Fe blue/yel F3 ABA diesels had a price that was really a good deal.  In emailing the seller I determined that the seller was kind of holding an auction on OGR by pitting potential sellers against each other through emails to raise the eventual sales price.  I never made an offer. 

I've never bought trains off of ebay.   Had a bad experience on buying something on ebay back in 1996 and never used it again.

Shipping damage is one of the bigger problems.  Bought some cars off of the forum a while back and the damage to the boxes and the plastic clamshells was surprising.  The plastic is usually resilient.  Luckily the actual cars didn't get damaged.

There were four cars with damaged boxes similar to this.  The outside box did not have any obvious damage.  All the damage was to cars in one corner of the box.

For train items with heavy or sophisticated electronics, I would need close proximity and a good guarantee before considering buying.  I just don't want to pay a bunch of money and then deal with the problems that get listed in droves on this forum.  Postwar, MPC and LTI are much easier to diagnose and fix if needs be.  Parts are usually very available.

The OGR Forum buy and sell list has been great for years. No surprises and good communication between both buyers and sellers. If you want to avoid shipping damages be willing to pay for "box within a box" shipping and insist that you are willing to pay for any insurance added to the UPS, FedEX or USPS shipping costs. For $1.00 per hundred of valuation it is great peace of mind. If you use the post office, only ship Priority Mail so you can insure and track your package. Insist also on numerous photos or videos to document condition and whether or not an engine actually runs before shipping. These can be emailed or texted to the buyer. The best surprise is NO surprise.Also, pay with Paypal and offer to cover the 3% added for protection.

I see some complaints about poor packing. I received a car today just wrapped in brown paper. Amazingly no damage. 

I have my best luck buying used.  It's always preferable to do a hands on inspection but you can't do that with Ebay.  So I make sure the seller has a reasonable return policy and they post enough detailed photos with the listing to make an informed decision.

So far I've had pretty good luck buying used. My whole O gauge collection is used and there are very few regrets. 

I've had overall good luck with buying used (both on Ebay on the Forum). But I'll only buy from sellers that provide good, clear photos of the item and those that have good feedback and a return policy. It's easier to make a good decision with postwar as it lacks the electronics, but with modern stuff, the return policy is essential for me.

Roger

I can remember being burned on two occasions by close-up photos of an item. In one case, the broken area was strategically just barely out of the frame; in the other, the same side of the item was shown twice.

Other than that, I have done very well buying used items, and I have bought quite a lot of them, though usually older pieces without much in the line of electronics.

Good luck so far

Brent

Buying 2 rail in the hope to convert it to 3 rail has been a flop. Otherwise, no worries.

Knock on wood!  really good!  Especially here on this forum.  :-)

I have made my living selling used trains for over 45 years, mostly, as many know, post-war restorations. If you are a SELLER, I recommend you adopt this philosophy which has served me well:

GUARANTEE everything you sell.  Period.  Tell your customer EVERYTHING that's right [or wrong] with their potential purchase. If there are problems with the piece LET YOUR CUSTOMER KNOW what they are- all of them!

Give your customer your contact information and OFFER a full refund for 30 days if not satisfied.  As a seller, always remember, a happy customer WILL come back and spend more money with you!

If shipping, always DOUBLE BOX heavy items. If the outer box is smashed by one of our wonderful shipping companies, chances are the inner one will protect the item.

DON'T tell your customer "uhh....well, that's the way I got it" or "I don't know if it's original- it could be" and if you are selling AS IS items, TELL THEM - it may not work, it could have major problems, etc., and BE UP FRONT - point out ALL the cracks, dings, dents and rust because eventually your customer will find them all on his own - and won't be very happy about spending more money with you if you weren't fair and honest.  As a customer myself I hate unpleasant surprises.  As a seller, you'll get a good reputation - or a bad one for that matter-and fast -depending on how honest you are.

AND AS a buyer, insist on these conditions-  or go elsewhere.

And for both buyers and sellers - especially on E-Bay-  communicate!  The more information you have, the more satisfied you'll both be. As a buyer, you'll have the item you want; as a seller, you won't risk negative feedback or the possibility of a returned item- and no sale!

Good luck!

Best wishes to all

Len Carparelli

Better on here than ebay. Old advice I was given, buy the seller...

I have had good luck purchasing used.  Prices keep me from purchasing new scale steam, so I hit the secondary market for those.  All of my scale steam, except for Lionel PM/PE 1225, were purchased used.  A few PS2 and TMCC diesels were used as well.  All are great, as described.

I've had good luck buying used even off e-bay.  Have probably had more issues with new purchases off the internet than with used.

Except for a handful of items, all my stuff is prewar and as a result, was built around 20 years before I was born. I have no complaints. Everything was made in the USA, my locomotives have all the detail that I need and were finely crafted like a German clock. So, most are now 70-ish years old and can last another 70 years properly maintained. Most were bought on eBay and sent via US Mail...both worked well for me.

Tom 

Hello guys and gals........

I purchase a MTH Railking Reefer car #30-78078 for 10 dollars but had to pay 15.40 USPS for shipping from Ebay and got it pretty fast in 3 days.  I guess I was lucky because for 10 dollar car, I was expecting it to be dirty, beat up and or broken off parts or ciggy stink smell on it but when I received the package and it was perfect (the shipping box, box where it hold the car and the car itself was mint, from smoke free home) !!!  My eyes pop when I got it .  This must be the best 10 dollar car I ever had !!!  It was the nicest reefer car to boot.  Sometimes I just don't understand why this happens when I was expecting the worse of it.

Tiffany

Purchased a number of Weaver PS-1 boxcars on ebay, sold as new/used based on condition, seller prices were good, car condition description and pictures represent the car, no misrepresentation, car quality no damage/breakage, cars packed well for shipping, good delivery schedule.  

My success from buying from Forum members is 100%!  I have been very pleased with every deal.  One deal was impulse, and I wish I didn't get it, but it wasn't his fault, it was mine; so I didn't count that one.

From other sources my success has been about 90%, which isn't bad!  I have learned a bit more to be cautious about, so I will cautiously buy from other used sources.

I have about 20 locomotives now, and only one was bought new, a rather inexpensive but rarely offered engine.  All the rest were used, and I have only had minor problems.

I find it hard to buy on the forum because items go quickly. The few items I have bought were without a problem.

Ebay has been a good source for me and when I get something that isn't as described, I'll send a note to the seller and they usually offer to take it back or give me a partial refund. I'm also careful to check seller feedback, descriptions, photos (a lot of folks use generic photos not photos of the actual item), and recent selling prices of similar items. 

As to the forum, if you aren't an ebay buyer you might be surprised to find that things that are posted here are also posted on ebay, or go to ebay , if not sold here. In fact, I just saw an item I was watching on ebay, that was posted here first, go for $20 less on ebay than the original post on the for sale forum.

Also, just because someone is on the forum it doesn't mean they are any more ethical than the next guy. I noticed an item for sale recently where a guy said he was selling like new item because he had no need for it. I was interested but unfamiliar with the item, so I did a google search. In the search results was a post from months earlier by the same person asking forum members how to address a problem he was having with an item - same one he was now selling. Maybe he fixed whatever the problem was and got it back to mint condition.

Buying is always tricky, but it comes down to value - are you happy with what you got at the price you paid? At York I bought a Lionel Christmas Tree Topper bulkhead flat car for $25.00. I saw one locally for more and it was the last hour of my buying spree so I said, what the heck. Got it home, opened the box, and there was a sticker on the flatbed that said $20.00. What the heck turned into what the ... never mind. I was disappointed that the person who sold it told me gave me a higher price than he had intended to sell it for, but I was still happy with the car and the price I paid - value.  Also had an enjoyable conversation with the dealer that was probably worth $5 bucks.

It's always an adventure, but I wouldn't be afraid to buy used if you haven't. We have easily 3 times the inventory of trains, rolling stock, fastrack and buildings that we'd have if I had to buy it all new.

pennytrains posted:

I have my best luck buying used.  It's always preferable to do a hands on inspection but you can't do that with Ebay.  So I make sure the seller has a reasonable return policy and they post enough detailed photos with the listing to make an informed decision.

Asking questions and checking the seller's return policy are a must on Ebay. Virtually no problems doing that.

Have done both the OGR Forum and e-bay and had very good experiences on both (my guardian angel takes car of me - "she" is a Honey)!  Had one "semi-bummer" - a case where I did not ask the seller prior to buying if the cars came from a smoke-free environment.   Yea, they had a yellowish "glow".  Contacted seller  - he stated he was a "smoker" and he took them back.   

I've always had good luck in the bay.  I've been buying used trains on the bay for years .... locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, Z4000, track switches, diecast vehicles, and have never had a problem. I do always check the sellers return policy before bidding.

I have as a rule gotten what I knew. ie sometimes I buy to repair. I buy mainly from the bay but make sure I know what I'm getting. and know what I'm willing to pay if not. I have gotten junk passed off but they ended up eating it in the end with ebays buyer protection. 

As a rule thou I'm happy with my purchases. 

Today, few of life's best deals come new in a package.

I have no complaints worth mention.

I have purchased most of my train stuff on the bay. I find most people to be honest and fair. Most folks that sell train stuff know what they have and describe the condition pretty well. When it says "picture indicates condition" then I find you have to look the pictures over a little more to make sure. Fuzzy pictures are sometimes risky, just depends on how rare the item is and price to risk. I recently won a K-line 333 like 4-6-2 on the bay that was listed as new. Pictures were a little hard to tell condition but I took a chance. Upon receiving it I found that it was like new, tender whistle worked, smoke worked, but it had a broken plastic eccentric rod piece on one side. I found that the same metal piece off of my Marx 333 fit the K-line, checked Robert Grossman, and ordered a replacement. Couple bucks good as new. The seller was not a train person, appeared to be more of a odds n end seller, who came across this item so I left good feedback and thought it all worked out ok. 

I buy from ebay a lot mainly Engines and rolling stock it's the only way to go for me because of where I live, the shipping hurts but I have no choice in that.

I have met some really nice people on ebay and have bought from them multiple times of course I don't have a clue who they are but as long as I get what I want it doesn't worry me there is nothing wrong with ebay as far as I am concerned I love it, of course not everyone will ship to West Australia and if it's something I really want, I mean really want, then I have to enlist the help of some of my American friends but that doesn't happen very much .

One disadvantage for me is I can never see what I am buying so I have to research the item a lot, (like for example, if an item is scale or not)  of course that's where the forums can help as well, and this forum has helped me in the past to identify certain items and I am thankful for that.

So to get back to the heading I suppose I have had a lot of luck buying new and secondhand items, keep my fingers crossed for the next item having said that!  Roo.

Have bought quite a few used items, probably 60% on-line, 40% face to face. Only had one issue on an item from e-Bay, but worked it out with the seller, who refunded the cost for the replacement part.

I recalled going to a the little choo choo.There was a marx 333 I came real closse to buying it.I did not but I have brought a railking N&W class j.A lots of boxcars mpc a premire 765 and a loinel CB&Q hudson.I have gotten some stuff from guys on this forum.So far I can say its been all good so far.