Skip to main content

Closed87 replies

How many of you are train acquisition junkies?

jd-trainjd-trainOGR Forum Member
Train acquisition junky - no. Wink

After several years of planning for a bigger layout, I finally built it a couple of years ago. My layout has sidings for 11 strings of passenger and freight cars and a turntable area for 12 engines. Even when I filled up all the sidings, I still had a lot of stuff in the original boxes under the layout. Since I don't enjoy having stuff in boxes, I began selling off most of the stuff under the table (thank goodness there were several junkies who needed more stuff!) Razz

I do still buy new items, but I usually make an evaluation if something else on the layout should go first. One exception, is that I have a couple of sets of prewar trains that I hope to run on a future small layout.

Jim
BillyBillyOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
UPS just drop off my acquisition as i just open this post.it's been about 1 engine a month for last 6 years in the acquisition hobby.I think i may have a problem!! and i always say I will sell the one that i just do not run that much for the one that i just payed for still has not happen yet.there is this high that i get when looking or on the hunt for that that next buy.

toy,toy trains and a choo choo
D500D500OGR Forum Member
It is hoarding. It's a bit disturbing, and doesn't really seem like hoarding at first,
because the items aren't cereal boxes or junk mail flyers or old panty hose. (Those things are at least
cheap.)

When it comes home to me is when I look through my things and consider parting with some of them, and always
come up with a pitiful few, and "maybes" at that.

I have another dimension (dementia?) to my hoarding: I'm a hi-railer/scratch-basher/builder, and even when I
find something that I could sell (locally - where?), I then look at it as a parts supply for all those projects
that 2 people wouldn't live long enough to do. So I keep it. Certain true train collectors - not the restorers - at
least don't have the "project" problem.
LORDtryzAlotLORDtryzAlotOGR Forum Member
If there is a point to where you feel that you are satisfied I'm still waiting I have now been collecting for over 35 years and have filled my finished basement and almost another home I have a few rental properties and when a tenant moved out some years ago of one of them I took advantage of that and talked it over with the wife about using it for a layout and storing trains she eagerly went for it as long as they werent in our home ha ha didnt last long. Oh well I'm having fun for now.
TraindieselTraindieselOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
Junkie? That's a bit harsh. Smile

Problem? Well, I eat well and I'm not in danger of losing my house or anything else, so it's all good, not having to take from anything else. Smile

Disease or sickness? I never smoked, never did illegal drugs and I rarely drink, so buying trains seems to be an ok past time. Wink

No need to analyze it. I just enjoy the heck out of buying trains I like and running them, while I can. The day I can't buy anymore won't be the end of the hobby, I'll just enjoy the bounty that I have. When I get too old, I'll just make sure my grandkids have a train running around my drool bucket! Big Grin Razz

Brian said it best earlier, you never get over the thrill of buying a new train!
DR Dennis RempelOGR Forum Member
It hasen't been mentioned that before the 90's most trains were expected to go up in value or at least hold their value. So therefore you could rationlize buying all you could afford or wanted. I have slowed way up in buying but still check eBay once a week. It does bother me that I have a lot of stuff stored away, bought years ago that I may never do much with.
Marty W.Marty W.OGR Forum Member
quote:
like posting pictures of our hoards instead of layouts.


If I post a picture of my hoar (sic) here....the wife might find out!

Actually, I'm sure with all the beautiful layout pics on the forum, everyone's got a room or some room or area that would offer a peek into the world of mass disorganization.

I know I do!
LT Lenny the LionOGR Forum Member
quote:
Originally posted by 56f100:
I like Tiffany's post--I've been through the same thing. So when I feel an urge to "order something" I just pull out some I already have, put it on a short piece of track, and admire it.

Owning your trains, that's one thing....but when they begin to OWN you...sounds like a problem.


Thanks

I've learned that I can be just as happy with less stuff!
TiffanyTiffanyOGR Forum Member
hello guys and gals.........
If buying a train on credit card or there's something wrong with it and have to send it back for repairs,that train OWNS you until its fixed or paid for. Its worse if buying a new car or house and the banks OWN you like a slave to debt for long time,no thanks !!!!. When i bought that imperial challenger it owned me for 30 days and then it was paid for and took me year to pay for the 14 operating and non-operating cars and tracks,z-1000,DCS remote commander those are now paid for. Its one of the reasons why dirty banks are rich that they do not deserve for putting everybody deep in debt and i learned to be happy with just ONE engine and set of cars because i OWN the engine and cars,not the other way around. I am happy with my trains. I see pictures in train magazines of people having monster size layouts and wall to wall of expensive train collections and most OWE lot of money on them so how can they be happy with that? My husband and i do not have a bank account and we are doing very well without them for 10 years now.
the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany
Gandalf97Gandalf97OGR Forum Member
quote:
Originally posted by Tiffany:
hello guys and gals.........
If buying a train on credit card or there's something wrong with it and have to send it back for repairs,that train OWNS you until its fixed or paid for. Its worse if buying a new car or house and the banks OWN you like a slave to debt for long time,no thanks !!!!. When i bought that imperial challenger it owned me for 30 days and then it was paid for and took me year to pay for the 14 operating and non-operating cars and tracks,z-1000,DCS remote commander those are now paid for. Its one of the reasons why dirty banks are rich that they do not deserve for putting everybody deep in debt and i learned to be happy with just ONE engine and set of cars because i OWN the engine and cars,not the other way around. I am happy with my trains. I see pictures in train magazines of people having monster size layouts and wall to wall of expensive train collections and most OWE lot of money on them so how can they be happy with that? My husband and i do not have a bank account and we are doing very well without them for 10 years now.
the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany


I'm glad you do what works for you and your husband when it comes to debt and banking. I do think that banks provide valuable services and that making a profit doing so is not at all evil. As far as whether or not the pictures of large collections/layouts you see are paid for or not, you are making a huge assumption that the majority aren't paid for. You just have no way to know. The same is true about whether or not the owners are happy. You just have no way to know. From what I see here and read about in the posts, it seems that most of the people here that are building or running layouts enjoy them or they would go and do something else.
Gandalf97Gandalf97OGR Forum Member
Back to the original question... I don't consider myself a junkie. Even when times are "good" I have a limited amount of discretionary funds so I have to be careful with what I buy. I set aside some of those funds for train stuff but when that money is gone, it is gone and I have to stop spending until I get more. Sticking to that means I often miss out on stuff when it first comes out and that I don't have the "quantity" that some of my friends do but it helps keep things under control for me and I'm good with that.
Gandalf97Gandalf97OGR Forum Member
quote:
Originally posted by Tiffany:
hello Grandalf97.....
Banks DON'T provide a valuable service when "GREED" comes in.
the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany


Hi, Tiffany. "Greed" is relative and the term is thrown around way too much. When you go for a job, you are out to make the best situation you can and it is the same with a business. How would you feel if people accused you of GREED because they were jealous of your success or had some kind of axe to grind? Are there wealthy people who own stock in banks? Sure there are. But there are also other people who also work hard for their money who count on those banks to make a profit so that they will be able to retire someday. Banks are *RESPONSIBLE* to those owners whether they own a million shares or just one to make the best profit they can. Just something else to think about.

Now... Back to those trains!
B BalshisOGR Forum Member
No, I'm not a "junkie." I'm interested in postwar, so even if I were so inclined, I'd have a hard time doing any compulsive buying. I save up a bit each week for my hobby purchases, so when I go to a train show, I always have money in hand. I do have some modern rolling stock, but I don't buy a lot of it. My last locomotive purchase was a nice 2046 I got in October, and I received a Lionel NYC caboose for Christmas, so I don't think I could be considered a "junkie" by any stretch.

I will say, though, that from what I've read on this and other 3-rail forums, it seems an awful lot of people are either orders of magnitude wealthier than I am, or are carrying a heavy load of credit-card debt. So the original question is probably a reasonable one.
PreviousNext
Views: 5,746
Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Ste 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×

Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership

OGR Forum Supporting Membership

Help support this forum with an OGR Forum Supporting Membership.
You will be able to watch the videos in the INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO FORUM!
A one-year OGR Forum Supporting Membership is only $12 per year, so sign up now!


    OR     


Access the ALL the OGR VIDEO FORUMS AND  over 300 back issues of OGR
with a DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION!



$12.00 per 12 Months (plus tax if applicable)
×