Your Best Buying Deal Ever?

Paul, you should've posted this on a different forum. This forum is for actual items that are for sale/trade. All this post is doing is pushing actual for sale/trade posts down the page. I've reported it to the moderator for removal.

 

Regards,

 

Tom 

I can't really answer........biggest discount......rarest item........a personal favorite.....'best deal' can mean many things. My Lionel 1st gen Big Boy for $500 was a deal for me.....others would not pay half that for it.  I got a mint box car body for free one time....made a chassis/frame for it from plastic I had on hand....old set of trucks from parts box......nice MTH box car for almost free a good deal??? It boils down to POV.......

 

This B&O box car was my freebie.....

I always get great deals. Probably the summer blowout of legacy engines from Nassau hobbies. Bought about 7 engines. Best deal ever IMHO.

Thanks Tom, I didn't know you were the post police.

 

Regards,

Paul

AMCDave,

Who made that B. and O box car in your picture. Is that a Marx car.

seems that there are a lot of police here, there must have been a new hiring. can't wait for my number to be called

It had MTH engraved on the inside. 

That is a neat car if MTH offers it still. Looks like traditional size not true O scale. Great find. Now I gotta find one on feepay...

Paul,

     The best O deal I ever had was when Sun Manufacturing was blowing out Kline Scale K4 and Berkshires. Charlie Nassau was the one who notified the forum of the blow out sale and hats off to him as I am sure he had a few of these engines sitting on his shelf at normal prices. I picked up a TMCC Kline Scale Postwar K4 for $350. Great engine still have it today, put some repairs into it but nothing above the normal stuff. 

 

      As far as Forum Police we are all part of the police force as the moderators have asked to keep Posts on their correct forums. Best deal was not even close in the Sell/Trade forum. You are new so no harm done and you will become more used to all the different forums.

 

JohnB

ZW-L for $500.

I responded to a promo for a 3 year subscription to the other train magazine.  For a 3 year paid subscription, you got a commemorative reefer.  I was expecting a modest freebie but it was an Atlas O car with superb graphics and all the detail Atlas is noted for.  I was thrilled and it was free.

I did win a k-line PRR Mikado years back which were about $500 when they came out.  but for actual purchase, I bought the childhood trains of a friend of the family's boss.  Sight unseen but he gave me the numbers on the cars (lionel postwar cheap scout) with the story that he got them for Christmas, set them up, and the transformer blew so they've been in storage ever since.  I had intent of reselling and he knew that so I told him sight unseen so the best I could offer him was $30.  We made the deal.  Turns out the set was mint in the box and the flat car had the original truck to go on it and an extra truck.  also included was a beat up marx clockwork passenger set and some cheap Japanese battery tin set.  Ended up making almost $300 of everything, so turned out to be a good find

3 mint 3 volt ps2 B&O diesels from Nicholas smiths close out table at the last York ...125.00 a piece

I paid less than $300 (I think far less, don't quite remember) for a scale MTH Union Pacific coal turbine in perfect cosmetic condition.  It had mechanical issues: fired up, lights worked and it smoked, hissed and roared as it should at idle, but it would not run.  No matter, its not just the biggest loco I own (much bigger than a big boy), but far too big to run - taller, longer, wider than anything else.  But I wanted it just to display, and it looks perfect alongside all my other UP turbines . . . and for just $300.

Another deal, this one a purchase for my collection.  Bought a group of postwar accessories on ebay for short money.  If I remember correctly it included, barrel ramp, gateman, semaphore, cattle corral, operating freight station, and the tower/metal block from a culvert loader.  Spent about $10-$20 in parts, kept the barrel ramp and semaphore for myself and sold everything else.  I made a small profit even after the parts.  So I basically got two accessories for free (or a couple hours labor if you want to look at it that way, but I love tinkering, so it was fun for me!).

I love giving my fellow toy train buffs a good deal when thinning out the collection.  That said, my best is finding my personal 'holy grail' a #96 (manual, pre-war) coal elevator for $15.

Last year, I won a lot of about 15 boxcars (mixed scale and traditional sized) at an auction, half of which had apparently never been out of their boxes, and after the fees and taxes, they averaged out to $7.50 each (apparently no one else bid on that lot).  Now that in and of itself is pretty good, but the kicker is that, according to the 2015 Greenberg price guide, one of the boxcars is listed as being worth $300.00 (not that I place much faith in price guides).  I did not know it at the time I bid.  I bid on that lot because I wanted the scale cars and figured I could sell the traditional sized ones later.  Now I just have to find a buyer for the "valuable" car so I can buy more trains.   And no, I don't expect to find someone that will pay $300 for it.  I had $150/O.B.O. on it at York just for giggles and it still came home with me.

 

Andy

Through the great-heartedness of a fellow member of this forum, I managed to acquire a Lionel 18024 T&P 4-8-2 AND the 7-car set of K-Line Heavyweights that were part of a custom run painted to go with it for $550.  It's a beautiful set, good running and impressively long.

 

Thanks again, Dewey!

our local flea market has consignment auctions 1 or2 times a month.3 years ago , i picked up a boxed 125w lw lionel transformer for a $2 bid. no other train stuff there that day. also have  made a couple of poor choices when i got back in this hobby in the 1980s. about the worst: a beatup  postwar 2055 steamer no tender, at an estate auc., $150-jim

The best "deal" I ever got was several months ago.  It was more timing than anything.

 

Someone on here was talking about the 610 Erie NW-2 switcher.  I had read an article on the low-line switchers in the other mag a few months before that, so I decided to see what they were going-for on the 'bay.

 

About 4 listings down was a listing not only for the 610, but it had the exact cars with it that composed my original train set, purchased when I was 1 yr old.  I had that set basically from birth into my mid-20's when I had to sell all the trains due to a failed starter marriage.  The kind of special thing about it was that the 610 was not issued in a set - the catalog showed the cars with a note something along the lines of "kids, see your dealer, who can put together a set for you with cars like these!".  Yet the seller had the exact cars I had!

 

My keeper wife said, no question, buy it!  Even better was that I won the auction for somewhere around $54.  A little cleaning and lube, and she runs like a top.  Sits on the top shelf of my display case.

Probably at the most recent York Meet where I found a rare K-Line 21" passenger car at a sensational price.

I’ve gotten a few locos at half price.

 

A Williams Reading U33C (NIB) from Nicholas Smith - I think Chris had just bought the inventory from a store that was closing and wanted to clear the Williams stuff out.

 

An MTH PS2 PRR P5A Modified from Buford, Georgia. - It was 12 years old at the time, but had only 12 hours on the chronometer.

what would you rather had him do?

 

you posted in the incorrect place....

if some can't follow the rules how would you handle it?

My best deal? Vince's Trains @ York. TrainPop hooked me up with a scale Lionel N&W "A". I have never seen a better deal on this locomotive anywhere. Mine was truly NIB right down to the shipping carton.

 

The only downside, 5 minutes after opening bell @ York I was reduced to Bathroom and snack money.

 

"Honorable Mention": Considering the resale price, I'd have to say my first Natty Boh car!

 

I have also sniped several WbB engines well into the sub-$100 category on eBay.

Arguably, it was very recently when I scored an MTH Premier PS2 Light Mikado from 2007 on the bay in Mint condition for $475. Most of the time I'm seeing people ask for much more for these engines. It's undergoing an extensive repaint, but still is a beautiful engine that I feel I got the most extra bang for the buck.

How about actual $ figures for those leaving them out?  ("I got it at a good price" is hardly enough info to land in the "best deal" hall of fame!  )

 

I've got a few contenders:

• On a tour of the Weaver factory about 10 years ago, a very good deal was offered to tour participants on 2 high end steam engines.  I seem to recall I bought a Reading G2sa for around $350 or so, MSRP was around $900, I think. 
• The Santa Fe Heavyweight 7 car set (4 pack/2 pack/StationSounds, 6-25503/4/5) from around 5 years ago that goes with the Santa Fe E6 Atlantic (6-11117)Legacy engine.  MSRP for the set would have added up to $1055.  Got all 7 cars for $350.

Monetarily, those are probably the top ones I've got (at least off the top of my head).

 

-Dave

 

 There is no question in my mind regarding the best deal I ever found and made; actually stumbled upon would be a more accurate phrase.  I won a post-war Lionel  Class J 746 Norfolk and Western 4-8-4 in excellent plus to like new condition on an E-Bay auction about two years ago for a little under $400.00. The seller had posted this item in the modern era listings rather than the post-war listings and not a soul bid on it except me. Ironically, at the same time under the post-war listings there were several 746s being auctioned for at least twice what I paid and they weren't in nearly as good as condition as the one I walked away with.  There were a bevy of bidders for those 746s.   I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Sometimes it pays to just browse around. 

Thank you AMCDave. Your B. and O. box car caught my eye. Really nice.

I dont know if this would count as "best deal", but I think I have had more than my share.....

1.  When I was in college, my girl friend's (now wife) best friend's parents mentioned they had a lot of Lionel trains in their attic that they would like for me to have.  So arrangements were made for us to come over and go through them.  I brought the then current Greenberg guide to buy them.  We went through the inventory (all these were new in the box, and were post war.  2 Burro Cranes, 2 Picatinny Arsenal Switchers, Fire Car, Tie Ejector, Ballast Tamper, 646 Engine, Culvert Loader, Barrel Loader, Oil Well, Coal Loader, matching operating cars for the accessories, various signals, a number of box cars and other rolling stock.  A "S gauge" Missouri Pacific ABA, a couple of other S gauge engines, and more.  According to Greenberg at the time the value was over $3000.  I could not afford it all, so told them I would help them sell everything.  They didn't want to do that and wanted me to have them, so I told them the best I could do was offer them $800, which I said was not fair, and unreasonable. (we had a wedding date set).  They insisted and would only take $400.  I still have 90% of them.

 

2. (20 years later).  I had joined a local club (AGHR), and my son and I wanted a PS2 Steam Engine, we were not very knowledgeable regarding regarding pricing.  I called all the local train shops and they only thing we could find was PS1.  One store said they had a PS2 Steam for around $200.  That was it!  So we went there, turned out it was a PS1.  A little bit disappointed, but wasn't tramatic.  The "sales person" was very apologetic, as we were leaving he told us to hold on a minute, he might have something in the back room.  He then came back out with a MTH PS2 Rail King Big Boy! (New in the box.)  He offered it to us for $300.  Needless to say we bought it!  Everyone in the store wanted to buy it.  BTW the store was the Whistle Stop in Pasadena.  The sales person was the owner, and I believe he did that because of our positive attitudes and the fact me and my son were there together.  (I didn't realize at the time the deal I was getting, but was very impressed with the "customer care" that he showed!)

 

3.  A forum member who has been a very good friend for 6 or 7 years and has a formidable  collection, sent me to my surprise a MTH PS2 Bantam Daylight train, because it was too small for his layout, and he wasn't into the western trains.  That same person has also sent me 14 Trailer Train cars (2 cars, 4 trailers each), because I helped him design the track plan for his layout.

 

4. Another local friend has given me a Lionel Operating Hobby Store, Operating playground (swings, merry go round, tetter-totter), a TMCC SD70, all of which were not working correctly, and he had duplicates.  I was able to repair all of them, and offered to return them, he told me to keep them.

 

5. Finally, I helped build a layout for a Dr., (I was "hired" by the layout builder to do the electrical.)  Anyway, I introduced the Dr. to command control, and the layout was upgraded to accommodate both TMCC and DCS.  After the layout was operational, one day the Dr asked me, What would be my next train purchase if I was gong to buy something.  I avoided the question for a couple of months, then he pursued with wanting to expand his collection, and wanted to know what I thought would be a good purchase, base upon my desires.  I replied the MTH PS2 Climax, a month later it showed up at my house.  I was overwhelmed, tried to return it to him, but he said it was an appreciation for introducing him to command control.

 

So all in all, I definitely feel that I have received a number of "good deals" !!!!

Last Saturday at a Fire House show i picked up two MTH Preimer Boxcars for $40.00.  I unpacked them last night.  The boxes were a little tattered, but the cars looked like they had never been out of the plastic bag inside the box.  Paul I think you posted in the right spot, your not selling anything here.  Tom needs to chill out.

 

FREE is good!!

1)  AA postwar Lionel Santa Fe F units #2343.

     Friend of mine walked up to my board at

     a show, set them on the table and said,

     "you can use these more than I can".

     AND

2)  Friend from the OGR forum had a MTH loco

for sale. was getting ready to send out payment

and found out I had made a mistake at the bank

and didn't have the funds. had to send an email

backing out of the deal. 2 weeks later I get a large

package in the mail with a Christmas card attached.

it said, "you need this loco more than I do, Merry

Christmas".

At present that I can think of A guy had a set of 2356 southern engines ( postwar A-B-A) for sale with misc. cars ( how advertised) pics were not great other than of the engines and they looked great so I bought them for $600 what came was the whole set with all boxes except set box plus set box and all the cars to 2265W missing engine & tender  ( 736 & 2046W and there boxes) Which I obtain very shortly afterwards with there original boxes. 

10 post-war locos and assorted accessories and pre-war and post-war rolling stock for $500 (personal, not for resale). Worst deal I ever made! It got me back into model/toy railroading and has cost me a LOT more since!

Three months ago I bought the book "Hiawatha: First of the Speedliners" for $30.  The cheapest one I see, on-line, is $699!

Paul,

    The best deal I ever got for my O gauge layout was at the Adamsburg Fire Department

Trains Show.  It was late and the vendors were breaking down their booths, I needed another old Lionel KW Transformer for part of my layout with a train and Street Car line.

Ace was breaking down his booth, he had 4 different completely rebuilt KW's he was having to move, original price was $70.00 for which ever one you wanted, I had $40.00 on me and Ace sold me the completely rebuilt KW for the $40.00 I had in my pocket, so he did not have to box it up and transport it back to his shop in Pittsburgh, Pa.  Now buddy that is a serious deal.

PCRR/Dave

 

I've never had a great deal. Usually buy high and sell low.

A trade for an Lionel EVO ES44AC, for a Lionel BNSFES44AC, even up.  Made trade with another Forum member, both of us are real happy with these engines.

My 2 cents...

Saying that the moderator has been asked to remove the thread came across as a bit heavy-handed, especially when posting it in the wrong place did not appear to be an attempt to take advantage of the forum.  Asking for it to be moved (as was ultimately done) would have been more polite.