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Selling your surplus items.


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53 minutes ago, Porkscratching said:

I'm looking at it from a sellers point of view, not theirs.

 

You are looking at it, and commenting on it, from your perspective; not all sellers or other individuals necessarily.

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I didn't realise rmweb ads were a brand new venture, as you say hopefully they'll pick up a bit ongoing, tho if it's only gold plated members who can advertise, it's restricted itself a tad imho!

The above experience with trying to to sell to the dealers is about what I'd thought would be the case, I'd certainly not even go there!

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I think the trap that we can fall into is to expect a return on investment and in some cases to try and make a profit when we want to sell surplus items. For example a loco that cost £60 when bought new ten years ago could fetch up to £150+ on an auction site if someone is desperate enough. On the flip side you have to factor in 'play wear' if the item isn't new. So the same loco could now fetch less than £20.

 

I took some items to Hatton's last year and had a figure in my mind of what I'd part with them for. They pretty much matched my expectation which allowed me to part-ex. At the end of the day you don't have to sell if the price offered doesn't match your valuation. 

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I once worked for a well known high street photography retailer, perhaps the same one as hayfield, and they had a significant second hand market too.

 

The general principle when buying used items for resale seems to be thirds:

 

The first third is the price paid to the seller.

 

The second third is the cost of preparing the item for sale: advertising, storage, any cleaning, repairs, or restoration that may be required.

 

The third third is the hoped-for profit, possibly with some wriggle room for haggling or even offering a markdown for slow moving items.

 

Seemed to be the way with s/h photography, also antiques, and some cars too.

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I'd think the above thirds rule was probably a basic model for the buying in and selling on trade..

If you want to part exchange you always used to be able to get a ( sometimes much) better deal, presumably as they're aslo factoring in the profit they've already made on the item you're taking in px for yours, plus cash...

 

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3 hours ago, MarshLane said:

 

I think its worth remembering that rmWeb's classifieds have only been going for a few weeks, versus eBay's few years - so thats probably not a fair comparison.  I would expect to see things expand as time progresses to be honest.  But also remember that eBay is well known, anyone can use it - and the associated problems that can follow as have been well documented on here over the years.  The one advantage (and I may be wrong in this) being that there is unlikely to be any rubbish sold through rmWeb, as both advertisers and buyers, will have a decent idea of what's what.

 

I've got some O gauge to put on in a few weeks, so once I've joined the 'Gold crew' I'll give it a go, and see what happens.

 

 

 

I have been using eBay for over 17 years, and as far as railway modelling goes what well documented problems ? (most I recall are with expensive electrical items not model railway related) The worst issues I have come across as a buyer have been the odd poorly packed items. As a seller had one issue with a buyer and 3 lost items the Royal Mail has compensated me for. I usually find the model railway fraternity to be a decent lot and due to the size and weight of most items they lend themselves to being sent by the UK mail delivery systems. Like anything if you know your subject it will steer you away from dubious items

 

To be quite honest I look for bargains so perhaps I should suffer more than most, but my normal experience is to find I get either an item in a condition as described or better, rarely have I bought something which on purpose has been deceptively described, the last thing which came near was a LMS 4F described as a kit built loco, it had an Airfix plastic body, whitemetal tender, milled brass chassis with Romford wheels and a MW 005 5 pole motor. The wheels and motor were worth what I paid for the loco, after a good clean and oil I sold it with a correct description and got my money back including all the selling charges 

 

I agree with expensive electrical audio and photographic items there are many bad practices from both buyers and sellers, plus rogue knockoff international sellers. I keep well away. I used to work with a chap who sold rubbish car accessories, had several eBay accounts closed but still was able to trade openly. But then for these items I use reputable companies.

 

I think I have had better service from eBay (the company) than what I have received from both large UK retailers and utility companies. In those 17 years I have had to contact eBay 3 times with complaints, each time I received exemplary service from them.

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3 hours ago, Winter123 said:

I think the trap that we can fall into is to expect a return on investment and in some cases to try and make a profit when we want to sell surplus items. For example a loco that cost £60 when bought new ten years ago could fetch up to £150+ on an auction site if someone is desperate enough. On the flip side you have to factor in 'play wear' if the item isn't new. So the same loco could now fetch less than £20.

 

I took some items to Hatton's last year and had a figure in my mind of what I'd part with them for. They pretty much matched my expectation which allowed me to part-ex. At the end of the day you don't have to sell if the price offered doesn't match your valuation. 

 

Looking at the old price labels on some parts I buy second hand, what they are worth now is many times the original purchase price, those selling them are not necessarily wanting to make a profit, but its their present day value. Look at the price of Markit wheels £6+ per wheel I have some from Blunt's in Mill Hill at less than a £1 a pair.

 

17 years ago I was encouraged to sell some of my model railway items by my wife as golf had taken over my spare time and they had sat in boxes for 10+ years untouched.  I put some Airfix (GMR) boxed items up for sale which sold for far more than I paid for them. I was not looking to profit from it as I replaced these items with more collectable items, much as one would do in days gone by in going into a shop and trading old items in for something else. 

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I have to agree with Hayfield above and perhaps I should clarify what I wrote earlier in this thread; my experience as a buyer of model trains has been overwhelmingly positive.  

 

I remember one occasion where a seller had accidentally switched two locos he'd sold between buyers, he sorted that without question.  Selling model railway items has almost never caused a problem, except the above-mentioned issues with postage (there my complaint is more with Royal Mail staff not treating people's parcels with sufficient care).  Where I have made mistakes in the listing - I'm only human, although my wife might query that - I have almost always found the buyers very courteous and in one case I gave someone a full refund for a loco although he said he'd have been happy to have split the cost.  My feedback score is worth more than arguing over a few quid.

 

I have also received the odd poorly-packed item; a child's "laptop" which was covered in dirty fingerprints, loose in a box without any any other packaging, but the seller had the cheek to charge more than just postage to cover the cost of the materials....

 

Absolutely not the place I would sell model trains - although I've been asked if I have some on multiple occasions - car boot sales are the place to meet the real oddballs of society.  I do a couple a year to clear stuff out; the other week I did my usual sale at which I have never had a rude customer, ever.  Just before packing up I had a couple of old ladies ask about something cheap, on being told the price she practically threw it down then selected something else and harrumphed about the price of that too.

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5 hours ago, MarshLane said:

 

I think its worth remembering that rmWeb's classifieds have only been going for a few weeks, versus eBay's few years - so thats probably not a fair comparison.  I would expect to see things expand as time progresses to be honest.  But also remember that eBay is well known, anyone can use it - and the associated problems that can follow as have been well documented on here over the years.  The one advantage (and I may be wrong in this) being that there is unlikely to be any rubbish sold through rmWeb, as both advertisers and buyers, will have a decent idea of what's what.

 

I've got some O gauge to put on in a few weeks, so once I've joined the 'Gold crew' I'll give it a go, and see what happens.

 

 

 

As for car boot sales , my previous neighbour was involved in assisting the local parish church's monthly jumble sale. The church saw it as some form of local function with many coming  just for tea , cakes and a chat, local residents using the place to donate their old unwanted items. Proceeds were used to fund weekly lunches for the elderly

 

Pre selected Dealers came the night before and paid what was thought decent prices, the afternoon sales were just very cheap items, many of the regular buyers used it as a source of stock for car boot sales, 

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I have had some really good buys from club stands, and even some s/h trader stalls. for me its not as said a place to maximise sales, but very useful place to off load items not worth selling on other platforms

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I have been gradually trickling my OO steam stuff onto EBay and it has to be said, compared with the prices some locos (particularly Hornby M7s and Bachmann tanks of various types) were fetching a few years ago, I am almost having to give them away now with free postage just to shift them.

 

One area where I have been doing well is selling off odd bits, spares and unused ancient packs of detailing parts, some from long defunct suppliers. These seem to sell almost instantly. 

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31 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

I have been gradually trickling my OO steam stuff onto EBay and it has to be said, compared with the prices some locos (particularly Hornby M7s and Bachmann tanks of various types) were fetching a few years ago, I am almost having to give them away now with free postage just to shift them.

 

One area where I have been doing well is selling off odd bits, spares and unused ancient packs of detailing parts, some from long defunct suppliers. These seem to sell almost instantly. 

 

Being a kit builder rather than a buyer of RTR items I can only really comment on the former

 

Parts do seem to sell well, I am constantly on the lookout for most items from detailing items to things like chassis hornblocks, which now are sought after. There still is a very robust market for loco kits or kitbuilt items with the exception of the very common items ( some of the K's and Wills tank engines) I would assume if it were an early Hornby M7 then standards have moved on and unless you collect the older items there is not the market for them

 

As for the Bachmann tanks I bought one with a scale etched chassis very cheaply, the chassis wheels motor etc must have set back the builder a £100 cost me in the region of £30 and is a superb runner, similarly I bought a Mainline Pannier with an etched chassis, again superb runner. But for some reason these upgraded models are of no interest to those who like ready to run items

 

The other reason could be is that they are not DCC ready, still not a convert myself but am beginning to get tempted as things like stay alive and better sound systems come to the market 

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