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How to value a model for selling?


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  • RMweb Gold

Hi - firstly, apologies if this should be somewhere else - I couldn’t see a relevant forum area to post it but will happily move it if I’ve put it in the wrong place.

 

My question relates to a part-finished model that I’m not able to complete due to a house move. It’s about 18ft N gauge model of a current day Whittlesea (with an extra siding for more operational interest).  It has hand built points and easi-trac on the scenic section and code 55 peco in fiddle yard. It is wired for DCC with digital cobalt motors and a homemade panel using dcc concepts alpha equipment. It is fully working but does not have any scenic work started yet.

 

Sadly, I won’t be able to continue with this and don’t know if there’s a market for this kind of part-completed model and if so, how do you value it to get a fair price? Or is it more sensible to break it up and sell the cobalt motors, alpha units, hand built pointwork separately?

 

There are a couple of videos of it here and photos below. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks  

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DDDC8A34-A78C-4AA8-889C-73225A8EB213.jpeg.ef70bde3c977de5a149459f5a1d792e9.jpeg

 


 

B489E9D8-F96C-42DE-8B55-A0AEBCA6452B.jpeg.5bf9505b5efa09496be3a9e478d22c14.jpeg8BDC6091-831C-4E2F-BCE0-0B4A1BBE09B5.jpeg.ede706e64a2cd1efc6af6dc5b3916144.jpeg74D7A91D-3683-4D65-9C9B-D52EDCC97A4E.jpeg.76f220564fac2c7747d712df9ef7808c.jpeg

 

 

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  • RMweb Premium

There does not appear to be a big market for part completed models, as such you are unlikely to get as much for the layout as you would for the components alone. 

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1 hour ago, Kris said:

There does not appear to be a big market for part completed models, as such you are unlikely to get as much for the layout as you would for the components alone. 

Not even completed layouts sell for anywhere near the value of the component parts. Even second-hand/salvaged track doesn't really sell, although points might.

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  • RMweb Premium

Sadly I think it'll be a case of break it up and either keep the parts for a future project in your new home or sell them on.

 

The point motors and other control electronics should sell quite easily, the points probably but at a significant loss. You might struggle to give away the plain track.

 

Steven B.

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I would stick it on eBay, ideally when listing is free. Try a couple of grand and a 7 day auction and allow offers.  Generally if they sell at all, simple layouts with scenery sell for more than the value of the parts and the rest don't.  Used points struggle t get 25% of retail especally if they have been ballasted, plain track has been in short supply recently and fetched 33% to 50% or so of new, but prices are lowering as lock down ends

Don't include the rolling stock.  Sell it separately and not in big lots, only dealers can afford big lots and they aren't exactly generous...   Good luck.

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You can certainly try listing it on ebay, but don't hold your breath.  The problem is that your available space is a different shape and size from the next man's.  This means potential purchasers will say it won't fit my spare room/shed/garage/loft  because it's too long, needs to fit round a chimney breast, would block the door etc.

When it fails to sell after being listed a couple of times, you're back to selling it piecemeal. 

Sorry, but it's a general problem with all layouts.

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I was lucky enough to sell a completed On30 layout (8x4) on eBay.  I only had one serious enquiry and the buyer collected and took it a thousand miles away to display in a themed restaurant.  This was three years ago.  Anyway, I priced it based on the cost of the parts, including some stock and the starter DCC controller.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi and thanks for all the replies. I might give it a go in eBay as there’s nothing to lose I guess and I will be ready to accept that it might not get any bids and will then dismantle and sell for parts. 
 

just feels a bit disheartening dismantling years of ‘work’ but guess that’s the reality of a relatively niche hobby with a wide range of specific requirements and interests. I’m starting a new 00-sf layout instead so could keep electrics to reuse. 
 

Thanks again

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Hi Harry

 

I have just recently sold my previous layout on ebay, had a lot of people asking questions than after re listing it 4 times, i got a interested person willing to commit, but couldn't come to the price i wanted, than an hour before the auction finished i got full asking price i wanted from  a different bidder, plus than after speaking to the person, they wanted the additional buildings so that bumped up the price by another £300. 

 

As people have said you don't get back what you spent on it, let alone the hours worked on it. (if i was to work out the hourly rate than add it into the price probably be worth more than my house). 

 

So i think overall i broke even on the price with the baseboards and track and most of the scenery items. So wasn't to disheartened.

 

Just also watch out ebay charge seller fees also so you will lose around 10-12% of the final sale price also. 

 

So with the money i got i have now ordered new track and baseboards for my new layout. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

eBay is probably the best bet to reach a large number of possible buyers. Don't put too much on the amount of watchers, many watch with no intenion of bidding & in the case of the above post the real bid is made during the last hour.

 

At the end of the day it is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. A gfew years ago I bought a relatively good layout for the value of the poarts the builder would have used on his next layout.

 

Good luck.

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