Stout Auctions

Steve,

Most of the information is on their website or somewhere in the auction listing information.   Basically,  they accept visa/mastercard,  personal checks and money orders.   No Paypal.   When you pay by personal check,  the buyers fee is reduced to 16%.   No taxes unless you live in the same state where the auctions are held(or are a dealer with a valid resale tax id number).   like all shipping today,  the cost involves size,  weight,  and distance.   Shipping cross country in either direction just isn't cheap anymore(I'm looking at your Ca address and their auctions are in Indiana and Penna) and I think their shipping charges are on a par with everyone else's. Shipping may take up to several weeks depending on the time it takes them to email the invoices(normally 2-5 days) and the payment method involved.   They are a reputable outfit.

Nick   

I'll admit that I was concerned about the open-ended nature of the shipping charge.  That said, the shipping charge for the last item I won (less than a year ago) was very reasonable.  The shipment was prompt after they received my check, and packed well.  

Have had several disasterous experiences with various auction houses. By contrast, Stout is rock solid and never disappoints.  When I have had questions or issues, they have responded immediately to emails and straightened things out with no hassles.  The on-line real-time bidding system is the best I have experienced, easy to follow and know what is going on.  It takes them a few days after the end of the auction to send you your invoice by email.  Send them a check and save $ off the premium.  Their packaging is the gold standard for shipping trains, all compartmentalized and boxes within boxes.  Other than that I would agree with Nick's points above.  No surprises.  Also, their condition grading is accurate or even a bit conservative, they do not inflate the grade.  

Arno had a habit of calling up auction houses when they were listing MESG and had their facts wrong.  He got laughed at and hung up on a lot.  Not Stout – they changed their listings accordingly and it reached the point where they were calling him when they weren't sure. So they learned a lot about MESG and as a result they tend to do better than others, know the difference between Daniels Railway and JAD, and so on.

david

You'll be in good hands with Stout Auctions. They "came to my rescue" after I had a stroke and decided to sell my extensive collection of Rock Island O-gauge trains and many accessories by several manufacturers  I didn't want that sell-off task to fall to my widow, who is not a train person but understands my fascination with and involvement in the world's greatest hobby.

Stout sent a two-person crew to Conway, AR, gathered all my train stuff stored in three locations, and carefully packed it all in a cargo trailer. The job was done in about six hours. Then they hit the road for Indiana. In preparation for an auction of my RI collection, accessories, and stuff, they took pix of every item, wrote product descriptions, and posted the info on line. The actual auction was scheduled on a Saturday, and during that designated day nearly everything was sold - except for a few items that were sold later. Amazing.  I received a check about a month later.

When I first looked at the Stout Auction advance web posting, I saw that every item had a $10 opening bid amount - shocking to me, since many of my high-ticket train sets were worth more than $750 and some were worth even more than that. But as the auction proceeded, the bidding quickly escalated. The general consensus is -- an auction sale may generate winning bids of about one-third of the current market value, with special or unusual items excepted. Every aspect of the Stout Auction transaction was described in writing in advance and was honorable, reputable, and fair. They understood the reason why I offered the collection for auction, and respected the medical sensitivity and underlying necessity of the deal. There was never an attempt to "take advantage of a seller under duress."

After a full recovery, I realized that I "dodged a bullet" and may have acted in haste to dispose of a collection worth about $60K. It took me 25 years to acquire it all. But what was done, was done. It had to be done sooner or later, so that source of stress was quieted.

I toyed with the idea of writing an article for publication in a hobby pub about DECOLLECTING, but after thinking it through I dismissed it as probably too depressing a topic.  Most of us don't want to think about end-of-life issues; especially one's own.

Mike   (ritrainguy)
mottlerm@gmail.com

like most auction houses, i believe that they have a shipping min, so if you buy a single item you may be a little shocked, but in comparison, Stout is definitely one of the most fair all around.

Mike H Mottler posted:

You'll be in good hands with Stout Auctions. They "came to my rescue" after I had a stroke and decided to sell my extensive collection of Rock Island O-gauge trains and many accessories by several manufacturers  I didn't want that sell-off task to fall to my widow, who is not a train person but understands my fascination with and involvement in the world's greatest hobby.

Stout sent a two-person crew to Conway, AR, gathered all my train stuff stored in three locations, and carefully packed it all in a cargo trailer. The job was done in about six hours. Then they hit the road for Indiana. In preparation for an auction of my RI collection, accessories, and stuff, they took pix of every item, wrote product descriptions, and posted the info on line. The actual auction was scheduled on a Saturday, and during that designated day nearly everything was sold - except for a few items that were sold later. Amazing.  I received a check about a month later.

When I first looked at the Stout Auction advance web posting, I saw that every item had a $10 opening bid amount - shocking to me, since many of my high-ticket train sets were worth more than $750 and some were worth even more than that. But as the auction proceeded, the bidding quickly escalated. The general consensus is -- an auction sale may generate winning bids of about one-third of the current market value, with special or unusual items excepted. Every aspect of the Stout Auction transaction was described in writing in advance and was honorable, reputable, and fair. They understood the reason why I offered the collection for auction, and respected the medical sensitivity and underlying necessity of the deal. There was never an attempt to "take advantage of a seller under duress."

After a full recovery, I realized that I "dodged a bullet" and may have acted in haste to dispose of a collection worth about $60K. It took me 25 years to acquire it all. But what was done, was done. It had to be done sooner or later, so that source of stress was quieted.

I toyed with the idea of writing an article for publication in a hobby pub about DECOLLECTING, but after thinking it through I dismissed it as probably too depressing a topic.  Most of us don't want to think about end-of-life issues; especially one's own.

Mike   (ritrainguy)
mottlerm@gmail.com

Your words are heartfelt and it's a fate we must all eventually face. I know it must be hard on so many levels and when "life happens" prematurely it, I'm sure, is not easy to deal with. I'm not quite sure what happened to you that made this sell have to transpire, but I will say this Mike, I am very thankful that you are still here to type those deep words in this sister/brotherhood of modelers.

On a lighter note...

I'm stuck on your collection of RI equipment. One of my top 3 railroads but not easy to find the red and yellow paint scheme in O Scale. I wish I had known you before you sold the equipment. You+Me+Back Then=Best Friends

I must admit, their offerings are definitely of excellent quality and their photos are top notch. I often collect their photos and selling prices for my own curiosity.

Mike H Mottler posted:

-- an auction sale may generate winning bids of about one-third of the current market value, with special or unusual items excepted.

I don't know. I don't much follow their auctions anymore, because I've found that almost always there are no deals to be had.  Prices always seem to escalate significantly above what I think the market is, and certainly what I'm willing to pay.

There was a thread sometime back with comments about the bidding at Stout. A number of people expressed surprise at the bid prices there and the money some people pay for some of this stuff, and there were other comments about how  lots of deep pockets shop at these auctions. 

I've had nothing but good experiences with Stout Auctions.  Their presentation (in terms of photos) and written descriptions are well done, the trains are well packed and I have no complaints about the shipping costs. 

  I agree that some of the final hammer prices are, shall we say, impressive but then the quality of those items I have followed that reached impressive levels were basically as good as anyone could expect. 

  For example, a couple of auctions ago they had an unbelieveable number of mint, boxed postwar Lionel sets which were complete in every detail and all of them did go for very high prices.  The key issue is,  if that kind of condition is what you are looking for - where are you going to find another one like it?  Under those circumstances all it takes is two individuals with those collecting aims to push the price to the levels they attained.

breezinup posted:

Mike H Mottler posted:

-- an auction sale may generate winning bids of about one-third of the current market value, with special or unusual items excepted.

I don't know. I don't much follow their auctions anymore, because I've found that almost always there are no deals to be had.  Prices always seem to escalate significantly above what I think the market is, and certainly what I'm willing to pay. ...

high end Lionel is still generating premium bids and with a box, it often gets ridiculous.  a few years years ago i wanted an example of a post-Ives Lionel clockwork set and cringed when i saw they were all in original boxes.  i still got one, but for a price about double what i thought it was going to be.

common pieces in excellent condition from other-than-Lionel manufacturers can still be had for a bargain on occasion.  one thing i will also say for Stout... an advertised C7 piece will be a solid C7 by anyone's standard.

good luck...gary

Mike H Mottler posted:

...After a full recovery, I realized that I "dodged a bullet" and may have acted in haste to dispose of a collection worth about $60K. It took me 25 years to acquire it all. But what was done, was done. It had to be done sooner or later, so that source of stress was quieted.

I toyed with the idea of writing an article for publication in a hobby pub about DECOLLECTING, but after thinking it through I dismissed it as probably too depressing a topic.  Most of us don't want to think about end-of-life issues; especially one's own.

Mike   (ritrainguy)
mottlerm@gmail.com

You really should write that article, as it seems that you have a good perspective regarding what's involved.  Our eventual and ultimate mortality is something that should be discussed more openly.  Most of us want our trains to be appreciated after we're done with them, and we don't want to place the burden of dealing with them on a loved one who might be prey to an unscrupulous buyer.  If you wrote such an article, one major positive aspect is that you can demonstrate from first-hand experience that it is possible to de-collect and still remain active with the hobby.  I'm sure you could find a train publication willing to publish such an article. 

breezinup posted:

I don't know. I don't much follow their auctions anymore, because I've found that almost always there are no deals to be had.  Prices always seem to escalate significantly above what I think the market is, and certainly what I'm willing to pay.

There was a thread sometime back with comments about the bidding at Stout. A number of people expressed surprise at the bid prices there and the money some people pay for some of this stuff, and there were other comments about how  lots of deep pockets shop at these auctions. 

It's helpful to understand a couple of reasons why you can't really compare prices at the auction houses like Stout or Maurer with the prices on eBay or at a local train show.

The first is that as compared with train shows or on-line sites, the big auctions houses receive a disproportional number of large collections to disperse. Large important collections usually include scarcer items and items in better condition grade.

Probably 90% of what you see on eBay and at train shows is either fairly common, or if scarcer, does not exceed C-6 grade.

The other thing many collectors don't fully grasp is the impact of each step of increase in condition grade. While there may be thousands of an item that grade C-6, there may be only a few hundred that grade C-7, and only tens that are C-8. It's something like a factor of ten each time you go up one grade. Logically, that could translate into a factor of ten in price as well.

So to see a train go for $100 on eBay, and then see "the same train" go at a big auction house like Stout for $1000, and be stunned by the big price, is to miss what is really happening. The real bargain may have been the Stout train.

A few years back I bought a Gauge 1 Ives passenger set from the 1910's, stated by Stout to be C-8, at an auction for the estate of a well-known collector. Yes, it was pretty expensive. When it arrived I could find no reason it could not have been graded C-9 or even 10, the lithography is perfect, bright, like it was made yesterday, the train has obviously never been run and there is not a flaw on it. You are not likely to find such a thing on eBay or on a table at a train show. I have not seen one since that even comes close. 

There is also another dynamic at work. Most collectors at a Stout auction are looking for scarcer items or higher condition grade to fill in their collections. For this reason, ironically, there are often great deals to be had when a C-6 or common item is included in the auction; most of the high-end bidders there will pass on it, and I have picked up great trains during Stout auctions for less than average eBay prices.

david

Steve "Papa" Eastman,

     Many good opinions from those above, may I add two more thoughts concerning all auction houses. First, I would only bid "live," by doing so, you have a potential opportunity of winning an item with a smaller bid rather than "showing all your cards" at once. Secondly, if possible, remain calm, the heat of the moment can result in bidding too much for an item, almost like bidding against yourself.

     Good luck with your Stout adventure...

I've been buying from Stout for a number of years now, and I've found that I can consistently get a higher condition for lower prices than almost anywhere here on the West Coast. I can pay a lot more for poorer condition at meets, even the TCA ones. If I buy bigger lots and sell off the duplicates or excess I have no problem moving them as I  price them to cover my costs and most are impressed with the condition at that price point. I enjoy the variety as there is stuff you just won't see here . I don't buy that much every time but I've found that I have to put bids in on a half-dozen items in order to win a couple. I'll bid more live if my absentee bid is overtopped and I still feel that the item is worth obtaining. Sometimes the shipping is like "eeek" as it's an unknown until you get the invoice, but it's the cost of doing business. Items from the Indiana location can be a little cheaper than from Pennsylvania.

I have bought lots of trains from Stouts Auctions over the last five years. I have been pleased with all of my purchases. The are extremely fair to deal with. Very professional on all levels. Their shipping prices are extremely reasonable and they ship immediately after receiving payment. Their descriptions are fair and accurate. They stand behind everything they sell. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to all for the replies. As originally stated, I was not concerned about their reputation, just some of the details for a potential first time user.

Steve

Steve,

Did you get what you were looking for? 

I had a bit of a problem after the 3rd auction. They showed one loco but described another (Sunset E7s). I won the bid but had first emailed about and was told no problem as they were aware of it. Well, sure enough, I got the wrong pair of E units as did the gentleman bidding on the next one in line. Got it, opened it and called right away. They acknowledged the goof, sent a return UPS tag as did the other person and in about a week I had the correct one. Most pleased with the service from Stout.

Dick

Joe Lyons posted:

Steve,

Did you get what you were looking for? 

 

Joe, I bid a few times, but the price went stupid, at least for me. Guess it's time to dig out the yellow and blue paints and make my own.

steve

If you are talking about the TTOS circus engine, I agree. It's the last piece I need for my set but the ending price was really high.

Joe Lyons posted:

If you are talking about the TTOS circus engine, I agree. It's the last piece I need for my set but the ending price was really high.

That was one of them. Got a spare TCA engine and some good pictures of the graphics so I'll make one.

Steve

I gave up on their auctions when they stopped holding them in Indy. But in the live ones l saw dealers with deep pockets...still lamenting missing one item in an Indy auction years ago...No, another has never surfaced...they sound like the one to SELL your collection....although l've had Ted Maurer recommended, too ...comments?

Several years ago I attended the Stout Auction held in conjunction with the TCA's York Meet.  I believe it was the first Stout auction authorized by the TCA in conjunction with York.  It also was the first toy train auction I had ever attended and I knew I had a lot to learn.  It was an impressive event! 

As I recall the auction took place in the White Hall.  The several hundred items up for auction were neatly arranged on tables located around the hall for the bidders to view before the auction began.  In the mix were a variety of rare classics and rare MESG trains.  The former were out of my price range but the latter included a Liberty Lines NYC Hudson and a Liberty Lines Milwaukee Road Bipolar in a tri-color paint scheme.   I wanted both but only had the funds to bid on one.  Needless to say, as a Milwaukee Road collector I let the Hudson go and saved my funds for bidding on the Bipolar, which I was fortunate enough to take home.  

During the auction and while paying for the Bipolar, I found the Stout staff very professional and easy to work with.  I would highly recommend them and their auctions to anyone.

Bob Nelson

Perhaps it would be best to call them directly and ask your questions?

The above post comparing ebay items to Stout's nailed it in my opinion.  Well said!