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Any recommendations for Model Shops buying collections?


TomMcG
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I have got a huge 1/76 scale bus collection which began with the Dinky Toys buses. The Exclusive First Editions are works of art and I thought that they were worth a lot of money.

 

I took some to a local auction house in Poole and the lady who ran it said that they would only fetch £2 each. I also visited a model shop in Poole and they were selling recently produced model buses with a recommended retail price of £30 for £10.

 

I think that the best way to sell them is to make an inventory and sell them at a toy fair. E Bay seems to be a good alternative but I have not tried that as it is beyond me.

 

If you have a wide audience you will find someone who may want a bus for sentimental reasons. For instance I bought a Guy OS London Transport country bus on the 471 Pratts Bottom circular route from Orpington to Cudham and Knockholt. I grew up in Orpington and once I spent my weeks' pocket money of 1s 6d on the round trip.

 

A few buses are valuable such as one of the Southdown coaches so it is worth researching the prices.

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The best way to find an objects value is also ebay.

 

They have an option to search completed items and sold prices.

The way to do this is search for the item as you ordinarily would.

post-20773-0-48357600-1546510076.jpeg

 

Sort by price and note the options for completed and sold.

post-20773-0-24230200-1546509904_thumb.jpeg

 

Here is the option showing sold, lowest to highest.

 

post-20773-0-47687600-1546509956_thumb.jpeg

Here is completed, highest to lowest.

If the price listed is green, the item sold for that price. If it is black, the item did not sell.

If the price is struck thru, a discounted offer was accepted.

 

Finally when searching, if you find one that matches the description press “sell it yourself”, it copies all the settings into your listing.

I found it easier to keep the description simple, but use all 12 free pictures, from all 6 sides, plus the box...

 

I found a lot of people stick a finger in the air price that is way over optimistic.

I don’t get why people do this, you see 30 identical items, from highest to lowest, which will you chose to buy ? You see the same item listed month after months unsold, but others are sold at lower prices, sometimes several times prior.

 

If you really want to sell, sadly it is a race to the bottom, I tended to scroll half way down the “sold prices” and set a buy it now at this mean / median area level, with an offer option.

The discount I was willing to accept was a realistic appraisal of the items condition, if it really was mint and perfect box I found interest was higher and need to discount was less. I made a rule that whatever price I accepted wasn’t the lowest sold price, unless the condition dictates it.

 

If it was a mess, unboxed, broken etc, I just went straight to auction at 99p start, everything finds its true price.

 

The longest an item took for me to sell was actually an Athearn WP F7, which took a year, and occasionally I would get a surprise, a Proto 2000 GP7, which I had to replace the cracked axles, but still had a badly damaged body was listed around £35 (average price for a very good condition one was £50). I got an offer (from someone who later referenced it in his blog here) for £25 for the chassis, so I accepted and thought i’d Use the body as a piece of scenery, instead I did a 99p start and the body, box and parts bag fetched £33 +£15 p&p to someone in Italy...I confirmed with him first he understood before I shipped it and he was fine, and left good feedback a few days later.

The disappointment was generally the newer stuff that was still in shops, Radial, K2 ,71 especially, I’d only bought them for my father as a present a year earlier, watched the price halve and bought a duplicate for myself as a result. When he passed I just couldn’t add yet another of each to my own collection, especially a duplicate... I couldn’t sell them as new, as I wasn’t a business and couldn’t offer any warranty... it was a waste.

 

Lima in the end fetched more splitting the body and chassis, though I did bundle them in 4’s (4x chassis 1.8kg and fits in RM small parcel). This was practical also, Lima has a big lump weight in it, which if dropped can crack the body shell... it was therefore less risky to sell Lima as parts.

The other aspect to not underestimate is boxes.. boxes sell well, but keep the parts bags separate, they have a value too, but together they do not, and a parts bag will go in a 1st class letter.

 

Finally the last rule wasnever throw anything away, i had all kinds of wrecks, seized black 5 chassis, broken frames, half parts of motors,plastic wheels, loco wheels, split axles, everything... i put them in a box, 99p start and the complete box of scrap fetched £50, even a dozen broken points fetched £30... trust me everything I could fix I did so if it made it to that box it really was broken.

Edited by adb968008
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I have got a huge 1/76 scale bus collection which began with the Dinky Toys buses. The Exclusive First Editions are works of art and I thought that they were worth a lot of money.

 

I took some to a local auction house in Poole and the lady who ran it said that they would only fetch £2 each. I also visited a model shop in Poole and they were selling recently produced model buses with a recommended retail price of £30 for £10.

 

I think that the best way to sell them is to make an inventory and sell them at a toy fair. E Bay seems to be a good alternative but I have not tried that as it is beyond me.

 

If you have a wide audience you will find someone who may want a bus for sentimental reasons. For instance I bought a Guy OS London Transport country bus on the 471 Pratts Bottom circular route from Orpington to Cudham and Knockholt. I grew up in Orpington and once I spent my weeks' pocket money of 1s 6d on the round trip.

 

A few buses are valuable such as one of the Southdown coaches so it is worth researching the prices.

 

 

eBay has certainly changed the value of model railway items, in the past most items would have gone in the bin or to a jumble sale etc, especially those with minority interest. EM or P4 gauges especially. You have hit the nail on the head, the biggest and widest audience. Try selling a batch of 10, you may not get the best price but far more than selling to a dealer especially when its so specialised.  

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Just a special note of thanks to adb968008.  I think I learned more from you reading the above post than I picked up in the last 2 years of using eBay .   Don't suppose you do tutorials lol

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Just a special note of thanks to adb968008.  I think I learned more from you reading the above post than I picked up in the last 2 years of using eBay .   Don't suppose you do tutorials lol

That’s not a bad suggestion, I could probably put a tips / tricks topic in the ebay section so others can add into it.

I’ll have a go at this later today.

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Just used that guide to see why I couldn't sell my Dapol 26s and 27s - now i know.

 

There is actually one sold DCC fitted in green on the completed listings on the 1 bid at £0.99 - plus £4 postage - bargain!!

 

I've been on the receiving end of such a bargain - for some strange reason it "must've got lost in the post" and the seller refunded my money.  Yeah, right......

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What it has told me is that with my N gauge if I do come to selling the rest of it (and I had it all out recently and i was amazed how much I still have) then it will go to a dealer/shop as it won't be worth the effort for the extra.

 

Selling single items of rolling stock is difficult in OO, very hard in N - sold a complete HST rake at a very good price and then a rake of Mk2s aircons as a whole train too at a fair price but odd wagons even with postage included were just not selling.

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What it has told me is that with my N gauge if I do come to selling the rest of it (and I had it all out recently and i was amazed how much I still have) then it will go to a dealer/shop as it won't be worth the effort for the extra.

 

Selling single items of rolling stock is difficult in OO, very hard in N - sold a complete HST rake at a very good price and then a rake of Mk2s aircons as a whole train too at a fair price but odd wagons even with postage included were just not selling.

 

 

To me eBay comes into its own where railway modelling is concerned and I would think for model buses are concerned, specialist items which easily can be posted using Royal Mail or other carriers, you have however hit the nail on the head when selling cheaper or smaller items, which is the cost of postage

 

I think most of us are happy to pay £5 post and packing on a single loco, however where rolling stock is concerned with the exception of rare or valuable items this cost reduces/makes uneconomic single cheaper items. In this instance selling in lots is the best option and most economic option, even if the buyer only wants one item in the lot they can resell (perhaps even adding one or more of their own unwanted items) what they don't want, thus recouping some of the cost. May sound a bit of hassle to some, but I quite regularly recycle unwanted items from lots I bought

 

The main thing is to understand what you can send at what cost (large letters are much cheaper than small packets), how to make an item better value buy selling in lots and or offering reduced postage for multi buys

 

Where the poster is concerned with the buses, if there are 100 of them sell 2 lots of ten items each week for 5 weeks. This is far easier to control than selling 100 individual items, also makes buying the less valuable items far better value and may entice one dealer to bid against another

 

I know several of us on here will look at lots, even if only one item interests us, the mathematics are simple how much is the item I want worth to me and what's the minimum I would get for the rest. Some of my best buys have been obtained this way, just because something has little interest for me does not mean its valueless 

 

The question is, pay someone else to sell them or find a suitable system which fits the amount of effort you want to put in. The old saying is correct that the more effort the higher the rewards

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If you wish to dispose of a collection in one go with little effort, then selling to the trade will be the answer, though most will only want the larger items normally not wanting parts, tools and sundries. Don't have high expectations as a third party will expect to make a decent profit, by selling items quickly with little effort

 

I am downsizing my collection built up over many years focusing on certain areas and if the item I want is in a lot I will resell the items/parts not required. I try and minimise any issues and never had any real hassels

 

The first rule is not to sell too many items at once, having to pack up several items at once can be a pain if you are not organised

Prepacking during the week can reduce work on posting day

Keep a store of packaging

 

Make a sales template and save it, you can save time by having several of these and all you have to do is to alter the details

Take clear photos so potential buyers can easily see the item and its condition

Leave clear and concise details about the item

 

I find following a few simple rules can make selling both interesting and enjoyable and can be addictive. Certainly maximises income and some items can be quite surprising what they fetch

 

I am always on the outlook for parts and tools, they actually sell better than larger items and I mostly get out bid, dealers will not touch these

 

Example I have over 200 Romford/Markit loco drivers, most of which are unused. I doubt if I paid even £1 each. If bought new they are over £5 each. Unused ones when described properly sell extremely well, motors are the same with can motors selling new for £20, open frame £10 and there is a lively market for older motors, many other items are also well received. The reason I say this is that many items dealers will not take these items, but in the right hands they are valuable. One of my favorite eBay searches is "parts" Now I have let the cat out of the bag

No you haven't! I do the same!!

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I  just finish selling all of my 00 Gauge stuff. After 4 quotes which I believed was well under market value

(2 quote from 2 large shops and a couple from some smaller one) I have managed to sell my stuff within 6 weeks

on ebay.

Yes some time was needed to post and send but the effect was worth it. I have managed to make over £1100 profit (after ebay, paypal and postage) more than my highest quote

which was for a store credit.

Its up to you to decide if these shop are under pricing your models to gain max profit.

I think you know what I think.

I am now a happy bunny

 

Alan

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15 minutes ago, alangdance said:

I  just finish selling all of my 00 Gauge stuff. After 4 quotes which I believed was well under market value

(2 quote from 2 large shops and a couple from some smaller one) I have managed to sell my stuff within 6 weeks

on ebay.

Yes some time was needed to post and send but the effect was worth it. I have managed to make over £1100 profit (after ebay, paypal and postage) more than my highest quote

which was for a store credit.

Its up to you to decide if these shop are under pricing your models to gain max profit.

I think you know what I think.

I am now a happy bunny

 

Alan

Delaers have to make a profit - as has been said before.  They have overheads and there's a risk they could get stuck with items for a long time.

I tend to go down the eBay route myself as I am fortunate enough to have the time to do it, and quite enjoy it actually.  I have never been disappointed with the auctions.  I certainly don't begrudge their fees - where else would you get all those potential customers?!

Alan.  just wondering what sort of stuff did you sell? Be interesting to how big a collection was involved to evaluate the £1100 price difference.  

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Yes they were. If you look to see what Hattons are charging for 2nd items that have issues you can see

the sort of profit margin they are making.

I did sort of work out roughly that I was being offer about 

£35 a loco £5 a coach and 2 a wagon. This does not include 

all the other stuff which include a lot of DCC items.

Just to add a point most of my loco were DCC fitted and all in very good condition with only 2 non runners.

 

Alan

 

 

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I’ve always sold my own.

 

its time and effort, but if you consider the time and effort to find some of this stuff, it’s only equal to the effort when you no longer want it.

 

i don’t begrudge shops making a profit, but i’m able to sell it myself.

 

to keep it very simple All you need to do is :

 

1. research the manufacturer/ running number in the sold items (everything has been sold before)

2. press “sell it yourself”

3. add your own photos

4. make sure it works (or state if it doesnt),

5. refer the bidders to the photos in the text.

6. Set your start price ( I always just put 99p as everything finds its price), set 7 days, start it on a Sunday around 7pm, for 7 days.

 

it doesn’t make a profit, but It minimises any losses.

 

when it comes to despatch, I’ve a busy Monday am,  I use Hermes (I know everyone moans, but no one is prepared to pay any more, and if you charge for a better service, people just lower their bids to take p&p into account), simply use the “print postage label” in ebay and print it.

the local coop scans the lot in a few seconds, job done and the tracking number is automatic.

 

i’m getting a bunch of stuff to clear out ready tonight as we speak, will list it tomorrow.

Edited by adb968008
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I traded my 4mm scale collection in with Durham Trains of Stanley a few years ago and got a very fair price for it. They do buy collections or offer a trade-in option - i did a bit of both. 

 

I couldn't recommend Mick and DToS more highly. He is a smashing bloke and so helpful and friendly. I have no connection except as a very satisfied customer. 

 

Maybe I could have got a bit more by selling privately through eBay etc but the hassle involved in doing that was not worth it from my point of view. 

 

Maybe worth giving Mick at Durham Trains a call...

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On 26/12/2018 at 22:46, Trains4U said:

Also, no retailer would ever pay more than it would cost to buy the same model new from the manufacturer...

 

Especially if still in stock and slow moving.

 

Although sometimes Hattons seem to expect customers to pay more second hand than new for exactly the same thing.

 

On 26/12/2018 at 14:57, Mark Saunders said:

A point that many forget that when dealers sell for every £1.20 you spend 20p goes to the exchequer so private sales will net more if sold for same price!

 

Granted they have to pay VAT unlike a private seller, but can't dealers use the VAT margin scheme and only pay VAT on the difference between sale and purchase price, rather than the entire sale price? 

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On 02/02/2019 at 11:37, alangdance said:

I  just finish selling all of my 00 Gauge stuff. After 4 quotes which I believed was well under market value

(2 quote from 2 large shops and a couple from some smaller one) I have managed to sell my stuff within 6 weeks

on ebay.

Yes some time was needed to post and send but the effect was worth it. I have managed to make over £1100 profit (after ebay, paypal and postage) more than my highest quote

which was for a store credit.

Its up to you to decide if these shop are under pricing your models to gain max profit.

I think you know what I think.

I am now a happy bunny

 

Alan

 

 

You will never get what you describe as marked value from a dealer, they are in business to make a profit and I assume would offer between 33 & 50 % of resale price, store credit is a way a retailer can offer a larger amount, basically by giving you a discount

 

Its also wrong to assume you (or small traders) would get the prices the likes of Hattons advertise, they have built up a reputation so are able to get in most cases premium prices, yet have to discount slow selling items

 

To be quite honest it would be hard not to get better prices on sites like eBay, however it can become addictive trying to achieve as much as possible by the quality of each listing, providing you are not "time poor" and do not do too many items at a time it can be both rewarding and satisfying to the right person

 

Glad you enjoyed the experiance

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