What to Do With Unused Accessories?

Myself, I run a tight ship.  I keep very little that I "might use some day".

My club holds train meets three times a year, and I always have a big display trying to sell stuff that I no longer think I "might use some day." Unfortunately, Tucson is a pretty small market and I can't move as much as I'd like to. Sometimes I post on the Buy/Sell board. I should probably double the "sell" pile," but then a lot of the stuff in the closet and under the layout I might use some day (LOL). 

Let it fly! No need to catch more dust with that unused stuff. The only items I keep are ones that I know I'll put on the layout once I increase the size and the ones that are very expensive and hard to replace. Think big operating bridges, etc.

The next time you move you'll be happy you don't have 20 extra boxes of stuff that hasn't and won't be used.

Time to convert those assets to cash.

build a bigger layout and use the stuff.

You could always send them over to me.

You could always put up shelves and display them.  If they are lighted, or animated, they can also be wired up and used.  A shelf of lighted buildings looks pretty neat.

Andy

In the immortal words of Harry Harrison, "Make Room! Make Room!"

Pete

quote:

I don't want to end up on an episode of Hoarders, LOL.  I'd also rather not sell anything just because I might use it someday, Ha!  Some have been hard to find, too.

So long as your plumbing works, you don't have rotting food / garbage on the floor, and your dwelling isn't a fire hazard, you are not a going overboard.

If you are certain you don't want the stuff, then sell it. If you are uncertain, and don't need the space and/or the money, then keep it.

I suspect you don't really want to sell, otherwise you would not have asked.

Maybe find room for a long narrow shelf layout, line them all up there for display and operation along a single track. Or on stacked shelves, maybe connected with switchbacks. Don't just hoard them in boxes!

Lionel Corp.  used to produce their “Dealer Display” layouts back in the day, and one of the primary purposes was to highlight new operating accessories.  Many of them were simple 4x8s or 5x9s.

There have been a couple of threads here over the years about these with track plans, information on building, etc.  Maybe you’d want to consider doing that. You don’t need much room and you could put all those cool accessories to work.

I took Mandy Patinkin's advice and made it so some accesories are interchangeable in terms of wiring and buttons, so that one could be swapped out with another.

If they are new and in the box (and I have no plans for them after hanging on to them for several years), I donate them to the local PBS radio station fund raising auction. 

Jim