What's The Best Deal You've Found At A Train Show?

York, ....Mr.Steve aka Mr.Muffin had a 3rd rail Super Hudson, maybe about 2 years ago??......he had an incredible low price on it, .....and like an idiot, .....I pondered on it,.....duhhhh move,....it got snapped up 30 minutes later,.......and Mr.Steve was a gracious host, took the time to talk to me about and all,....and yet I still froze ,......I kicked myself all the way home!...That was the best deal I’d ever seen on one,...🥲

Pat

The best deal I've had at a train show happens at every train show.  A variety of vendors offering a large variety of hobby related items in one place.  I don't have to drive to three or more train stores and there is no way I could ever drive to all the vendor's home to see what they have.  I have a shopping list and granted, if something not on the list catches my I it may go home with me.  I don't have a latent psychological need to beat down a vendor on the price.  There is an olde English proverb, "Gentlemen have gentlemen pay a fair price."  What the fair price is may be hard to define but the seller and I each have a price in mind and I've found they are usually very close. John in Lansing, ILL

April York many moons ago, months before Weaver closed,  At the Weaver both they were discounting engines big time.  Picked up a B&M pacific at a very nice price.

Lionel postwar 746 Norfolk and Western in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition.

It was at the Big E train show in Massachusetts 2 years ago. It did not involve a model train.

It was during the last hour of the show on Sunday afternoon. The Big E has a lot of scenery products, figures and other things for model railroading as well as trains. I saw some very nice model boats in different scales for sale, and complimented the man behind the counter telling him I thought his models were beautiful. He asked me if I was interested in buying any, and I replied that they were too expensive for me. Then, he showed me his least expensive boat, asked me what I thought of it, I told him it was gorgeous, then he offered it to me for a small fraction of the price on the sticker.

It was too good a deal to pass up.

I thanked him and bought it.

Arnold

Double A Penn F3 circa 1980 for 90 bucks. Brand new or nearly so.

At York got a circle of Ross 088 track for $20.00.

Back about 2014 I went to the Great Train Show which I believe was at the Anaheim Convention Center that year.  One of the regular vendors had his usual large display.  He uses post-it notes to price his wares.  In with his NOS locomotives was a Lionel RS-3 8804 Soo Line diesel.  The post it note said $50.  Upon closer inspection, the body was seriously warped.  I walked away.  As I was leaving, I decided to have one more look at his booth.  The engine was still there but the price was down to $20.  I asked the seller how badly was it damaged and he said "It runs great, I left it in my car and the body warped from the heat.  I feel stupid every time I look at it, I just want it to go away."

I found a replacement shell (Union Pacific) on the bay for $30.  It has dual motors and will probably pull every piece of rolling stock I own!

John

Not a train show but....

A number of years ago.

Sidetrack Hobbies had some scale Lionel steelsided reefers on sale for $17 a piece.

My best deal ever ,during my 16 years in O guage.

Weaver brass N5C for $15.00.. I have scored some great deals on the web as well

I have had many good deals over the years.  The ones that stand out are 3rd Rail PRR Gas Electric for $400 and a 3rd Rail Q1 for $500.

I was able to get a Standard Gauge McKeen Motor Car for $400 in excellent condition and runs like a top.

Bob

@CP BOB posted:

I was able to get a Standard Gauge McKeen Motor Car for $400 in excellent condition and runs like a top.

Bob

I’ll trade

Back in 1981 or 1982 I purchased (4) Fort Knox gold bullion cars and (2) green New York Central bay window cabooses for $25.00 each. The bay window cabooses were from the New York Central Empire Express sets. The Fort Knox gold bullion cars were from the Southern Pacific Limited set. The dealer I bought them from was in the yellow hall. He and his wife were from New York. They were always set up in the right hand corner right when you walked in the door.

CA John's post reminded me of a deal I got about 8 years ago.

There were Lionel Postwar GG1s for sale in very good condition at a train and hobby store I visited. The prices ranged from $500 up to $3,000 depending on the condition.

One looked very good for $750. I had never spent that much on a locomotive before, so I thought long and hard about it, and decided to take the plunge. A 5 striped Brunswick green Lionel Pennsy GG1 from the early 1950s with Magnetraction was an item I had wanted for many years.

Two days later something happened that made me feel a lot better about my purchase. The owner or an employee of the store called me and told me, "you know that GGI you bought, the price was mis-marked. It was supposed to be offered for sale for $1,500, and you got it for $750."

I said in response that I appreciated him telling me that and it was a pleasure to do business with you. LOL, Arnold

At York on a Saturday morning, from one dealer 5 new MTH Premier PS2 UP diesels for $500.  I thought the person who sold them to me would be fired.  But he has been working with the same dealer for every York since then.  The best deal I passed up at York was slightly scuffed up olive 3349-100 launcher for $25.  I hesitated and someone else grabbed.  I also hesitated on a nice $200 black 6817 flatcar with no scraper at York.

Many years ago, pre-eBay and at the height of the PW price craziness, I attended my one and only York.  Was passing one of the least attractive train displays (made of used bricks and dirty/warped 1X12's) and almost missed the CP 2373 AA's and 4 CP 25XX passenger cars haphazardly positioned on the middle shelf amongst other dusty PW items.  They too were dusty, but showed little evidence of use.

Bought the set for $400 and was thrilled to have this sought after set.  However, when I got it home and cleaned up, it didn't do anything for me--nothing at all.  A phone call to a local   LIONEL dealer and I doubled my money.  Wish the set would have rocked my train world, but it was dead on arrival after all. 

Like several, the best deals were the ones I passed on, then went back a few hours later and they were gone!

I got a Lionel Hotbox for 20 dollars. Brand new and never used.

@Pingman posted:

Many years ago, pre-eBay and at the height of the PW price craziness, I attended my one and only York.  Was passing one of the least attractive train displays (made of used bricks and dirty/warped 1X12's) and almost missed the CP 2373 AA's and 4 CP 25XX passenger cars haphazardly positioned on the middle shelf amongst other dusty PW items.  They too were dusty, but showed little evidence of use.

Bought the set for $400 and was thrilled to have this sought after set.  However, when I got it home and cleaned up, it didn't do anything for me--nothing at all.  A phone call to a local   LIONEL dealer and I doubled my money.  Wish the set would have rocked my train world, but it was dead on arrival after all.

Wish it was me

A original American Flyer Gabe the lamplighter needing rewiring, a roof and a spring to operate Gabe correctly for $4.00

@Nairb Rekab posted:

A original American Flyer Gabe the lamplighter needing rewiring, a roof and a spring to operate Gabe correctly for $4.00

No email in your profile Brian. The titletown train show contact doesn't work. Is the spring show on?

About 15 years ago I purchased a K-Line GP38-2 at a show for $25.00. The vendor said it did not run.  I got it home and took the body off.

The engineer had got up from his seat and got stuck in one of the motors flywheels.  I removed him from the flywheel and put him back in his seat in the cab.  Put the GP38-2 on the track and it ran like a top.

These weren't the greatest deals in the history of toy train collecting but, taken together, they made my day.

I was at a NETCA show back when they were held in the Marlboro, Mass. High School gymnasium.  I used to like shows there because the space was nice and the high school students used the event as a fundraiser for their sports teams by selling coffee and donuts to a bunch of old train guys.

I looked at a postwar Lionel 2065 steamer on a guy's table that had no tender and may or may not have been a repaint.  I was looking with no real interest to buy.  The seller said, "Show Special: I'll take $25".  I picked it up and looked at it closely and rolled the wheels on the palm of my hand to make sure it was properly aligned and not seized up.  Even though it was a good deal already,  I said, "How about $20?"  He accepted and I put the engine in my bag.

As I made my way around the room, I noticed a black plastic 1130T Lionel Lines tender on a guy's table.  While this tender is not correct for a 2065 (e.g., slightly shorter, no whistle), I picked it up to see if it had a price and the seller said, "Gimme $5."  I replied, "I love haggle-free pricing"  and took it.

So, I walked out of a show with a nice die-cast, magnetraction locomotive and tender for $25.  It's actually an excellent, smooth, quiet runner and smokes like a champ.  I get a special kick out of it each time I run it.

Steven J. Serenska

As a collector of prewar trains, I would say the best deals I have found at train shows are those items that are coming fresh from the original owner's family, which means they are fresh to the market with few or no alterations.  It does not happen to often anymore, but in 2015 I found the following boxed 1908 set, which was fresh out of the family's home, to a dealer and then to me. 

Was it a good deal price wise? I thought so, but it was not cheap!

NWL

I have my dad's Meccano erector set from around 1920. Pretty much complete, but missing the motor. Found one at a TCA meet about 25 years ago for about $15. I was thrilled to get it, and I'm sure that the owner was thrilled to get rid of it.

I picked up a real nice Flyer Husdon Smoke in Tender engine for 20 bucks.  The seller was a Lionel guy and said he hated the Flyer stuff.

Probably around 5-8 years ago, as a vendor at the White Plains (NY) Toy & Train Show, I wandered around ahead of the opening and stumbled upon a new vendor, one with railroad and subway signs.

Not sure if it was at that point or later...I found this beautiful porcelain Penn Station subway sign just sitting there. I picked it up then made the mistake of putting it down. Out of nowhere, some guy then picked it up. Lucky for me he then put it down. I was very glad to quickly snatch it up and for what I thought was a reasonable price...I think it was around $50-60. Looking back, if my brain was fully functioning, I should have been willing to pay around/at least $200, since it is not like these things cross my path every day.

Tom

That's an easy question for me......York, April, 2014....White Hall.....I passed a table that had a sign that essentially said:    ......going to all Legacy, TMCC engines all for sale.....

I got this beauty from the 2001 catalog for $360!

6-28072

It needed a new smoke unit which cost me $25 for a local repair.

It runs and sounds great!

Peter

Several years ago at York (Red hall, if I recall) I bought an absolutely beautiful 746 Norfolk & Western "J", with a LONG stripe tender, from an elderly couple, for the $450. they were asking for. She insisted that he sell as "he does not play with his trains anyway".

I was happy already but became elated when they went to wrap them up and pulled the original boxes from under their table!

Looks and runs great. It usually heads up a string of 7 Lionel "Baby" Madison passenger cars

My story is a little different. I was always interested in Lionel Postwar and started buying some higher end MPC items in the early 80’s. It was back at the 1984 Spring York show. It was my fiancé first York show. She has always loved antiques.  That is where she first saw Lionel prewar Standard gauge and insisted that I buy some. We walked the halls and found an older gentleman who had a lot on Very Good grade original items. After some negotiations we walked away with 514 Boxcar, 514R Refrigerator Car, 513 Cattle Car, 512 Gondola, 520 Searchlight, 515 Tank Car, 511 Flatcar and 517 Caboose with a box load of track. All of this for $180, which started my love of Prewar Standard and O gauge trains.

I picked up this tin horse car at the Erie PA. show a couple years ago. All the dealer had to say was he thought it was old. I  would argee, about 120 years or so. I didn't quibble with his price of 2 dollars.

The same seller also had this steel "hill climber" locomotive for 3 dollars.  Again, I didn't try to get a better price.

-Mark

Picked this up at a Great Train Show in Pomona CA. The price sticker is what I paid.

Steve

At the Metca show last November.

From 2014 a Canadian Pacific Legacy FM for 225.00

and a CNJ Legacy A-B-A F3 also from 2014 for 280.00

At the 2017 Spring York show I was at the Nicholas Smith booth. I was looking to purchase a Legacy SD60E Veterans or First Responders engine for under $400. After looking at quite a few vendors I came across a Go Rail SD60e that was marked $260. I asked one of the Nicholas Smith employees if that was the correct price, he said yes it was so I said sold. A year or so latter I pitched up a Veterans SD60e on the forum buy/sell forum for $350. The Go Rail engine was my steal of the century. Love both engines

JohnB

At the Monroeville Greenberg show, I managed to get a 2353 AA set for 195 dollars. Everything works, lights up, has two motors and magne traction a the D cell battery horn still works.

At the 2015 "Big E" show, my first Big E show I scored a used Weaver Models E8 AA set for $100.00 and the MTH premier non powered Trainmaster for $145.00 [no box but still hard to find!]

I was originally going to say a Lionel Reading T1 for $200.00 at the Deland, FL train show when the usual used price was $400.00+ but then I remembered  a group of Weaver two-bay hoppers with Weaver trucks and couplers for $1.00 each that I got at another show. Plus the same seller had some other, mostly Weaver cars for ridiculously low prices, none over $10.00.

These two at the Monroeville Pennsylvania Greenberg show.  Legacy GN GP7 and non-powered GN GP7.  Both for $150. Missing short hood cover and other cosmetic damage fixed with $30 of Lionel parts.  The Legacy unit runs great, sounds great, and smokes too.  Total spent was $180.