Some Things You Can't Giveaway

Man I'd be all over that, even though it's common stuff. I collect all scales of trains, though I specialize in Pre and Postwar O and O27, and we don't get ads like that here, in any scale.

The problem with offering stuff for free is, folks tend to think there is something wrong with it.  Instead, set it out on the curb early some evening with a "For Sale" sign on it.

When you wake up in the morning, it will probably be gone.

The red box Varney car might be interesting depending on what it is.  I don't turn down HO when it's offered for free.  It sells well at swap meets when I can't sell any of my post-war Lionel that came as parts of Auction lots for something else I was interested in.  Even at $5 a car I can't sell that stuff while the HO often goes for that price. 

In recall my grandfather having said something to the effect like, “If it’s free, it’s either worth nothing or there is a catch - so just be careful.”

People saw the brass track and passed it by.

We put an old picture tube TV out at the curb with a free sign on it.  It sat there Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday.

At 4pm my wife changed the sign.  It now said TV $25.

In less than 30 minutes it was stolen.

Have Fun.

Ron

Are there any HO modelers in the neighborhood?  You can't give away fishing gear to golfers ;-)

Different results when I lived in Memphis.

In the very upscale neighborhoods, people set out old furniture, old lamps, old anything that was not garbage, on the sidewalks in front of their houses on Friday evening.

Starting Saturday morning, poor people from the projects or blue collar neighborhoods would start driving through the neighborhood, stopping in the streets and  looking at these things.

If they saw something they wanted, they wouldn't just take it.  They would politely walk up to the front door, and ask if they could please have it.  (Robberies are extremely common in Memphis, and virtually everybody is armed, so nobody wants to be accused of trying to steal something in a wealthy neighborhood.)   The owners would of course tell them yes, to please take whatever they wanted.

By Sunday afternoon, virtually everything was gone.  And everybody felt great.

Mannyrock

@wild mary posted:

This is listed as FREE on our neighborhood social media forum with no takers.  True it's HO but you'd think someone would snatch it up.   

My HO model railroad club gets this kind of stuff donated all the time.  We have a hard time selling it and giving it away.  Track and transformers are almost worthless.  

Most kids (anyone under 18) that are into HO model railroading have better equipment that many of us old timers.  Parents and grandparents pick up the tab.  The new models of engines and cars are super accurate.  Engines come with DCC sound, smoke, and light effects.  The special features of new HO engines are as good if not better than Lionel's and MTH's offering.  Best of all for youngsters, they can run their trains at the club using their cell phones.   NH Joe

Even if it’s free, you can always buy it cheaper.

I sense that the "nostalgic interest" is much lower in HO than in O and S.

Old HO is for the most part just "old HO."

Some American Flyer and Lionel HO remain desirable to collectors.

The power pack is worth having, and the brass track has "brass value" - that is, the rails are handy little I-beams (more or less), useable for project raw materials. I just found some in my "track stash", though I kept it for the raw materials, not as track.

Flatcar loads are done to death - guilty - but some HO pieces can find an entertaining home there.

@New Haven Joe posted:

My HO model railroad club gets this kind of stuff donated all the time.  We have a hard time selling it and giving it away.  Track and transformers are almost worthless.  

Most kids (anyone under 18) that are into HO model railroading have better equipment that many of us old timers.  Parents and grandparents pick up the tab.  The new models of engines and cars are super accurate.  Engines come with DCC sound, smoke, and light effects.  The special features of new HO engines are as good if not better than Lionel's and MTH's offering.  Best of all for youngsters, they can run their trains at the club using their cell phones.   NH Joe

This is very true. Recently, I was considering upgrading a HO Athearn blue box locomotive to DCC and sound. After doing some research I found that the cost is almost as much as a new locomotive which would be better detailed and a better runner. Then I found a MTH GP38-2 with PS3 on the Bay for $140 (includes tax and shipping). I could not upgrade my old locomotive for that price. Primarily because besides electronics it may need a motor upgrade. Looking at the picture I don’t see much of any value. Maybe the power packs could be used for accessories and as D500 said the brass could be used for raw materials. The trains could be used as a wreck scene  

One time a co worker gave me something similar. Basically, HO junk trains. No power pack. I let the kids play with it a little bit and then I think it got thrown out.

Years ago, we used to use old brass HO track as power bus under the layout. The brass track and joiners were very easy to solder. Not too easy to fish through holes, though....