When you know you've reached your limit with models

[F-UnitMad]

I'm the same, specials seem appropriate only if you are either a collector or have a very large stud so it can disappear for a bit.

 

Although the same can apply to named locomotives - 47555 had quite a long name in a unique position as did Isambard Kingdom Brunel.  I didn't by 47408 in N because it was named and more often than not 47s didn't have names.

Although Heljan's O Scale 47 had other issues as well, I wonder how sales were hampered by them choosing IKB for one of their models? I seem to recall they started offering their diesels un-numbered or named shortly afterwards.

[Jim76]

When I recently moved house and realised I had too much 'stuff'. Models in boxes that I hadn't even opened...

[tractor_37260]

An interesting topic..............

 

It's all too easy to buy far more items than you'll ever probably use -  thankfully I got most of what I need can use before the last big price hike - that really helped with my big "reality" check ! ...... with sound fitted locos going from £100 odd to nearly £250  em no thanks, the exception being of course the new SLW 24 - but it's in a different league altogether, sound and quality wise.

[YesTor]

I think there is a real issue that the hobby faces now, which is that we are largely saturated with product - and this stuff just isn't going to go away. It is potentially a huge problem for the RTR manufacturers: if we are all gorged on RTR and rising production costs are meeting price resistance and resulting in dwindling demand , how can they all carry on?

 

Fair comment I guess, however what we must remember is that not every modeller is at the same stage of their modelling 'career' (for want of a better term) at the same time.  I'm guessing that most people on here have been modelling for quite a few years.  So, what we must consider is that for each individual posting in this topic with similar feelings of over-indulgence, there will be another new, or relatively newer modeller, who most likely owns very little stock and cannot wait to 'fill his boots', as it were.  And those guys are the ones who will be spending the bucks to keep the manufacturers afloat I would have thought...

[Fat Controller]

I'd say that finding space for seven drum kits was DEFINITELY a "First World Problem".... I had a "purge" on musical instruments over the winter, I was at home for over four months and all the banjos I have scattered about came home to roost as projects ended, and containers were emptied. Sold four...

 

When did the term "First World" come into use? I'd always understood the definition to be Old World (Europe, European Russia and the Near Eastern Ottoman Empire), New World (The Americas and Australia/NZ) and the Third World (Africa and Asia). But I find a quite different "Three Worlds Theory" dating from the 1970s

It's a concept that dates back to at least the 1960s:-

First World were the developed 'Western' nations, with nominally 'Free Market' economies

Second World were mainly the Soviet Bloc countries, with centrally-planned economies.

Third, or Developing, World were the rest.

[F-UnitMad]

I would consider Japan a First World country.

But as that Tsunami showed a few years ago, a big disaster can knock parts of a First World country right back to Third World real quick....

[Nile_Griffith]

I'd say that finding space for seven drum kits was DEFINITELY a "First World Problem".... I had a "purge" on musical instruments over the winter, I was at home for over four months and all the banjos I have scattered about came home to roost as projects ended, and containers were emptied. Sold four...

 

When did the term "First World" come into use? I'd always understood the definition to be Old World (Europe, European Russia and the Near Eastern Ottoman Empire), New World (The Americas and Australia/NZ) and the Third World (Africa and Asia). But I find a quite different "Three Worlds Theory" dating from the 1970s

 

 

Oh the first world problem extends beyond seven drum kits!!!! There is all the latin percussion stuff and a couple of Bass Guitars and amplifiers into the mix too!! Oh and a small audio post production suite also...........

[John Tomlinson]

To come back to the original question, I'm not sure how anyone really knows if they've reached a limit, as something unexpected can always pop out of the woodwork such as the forthcoming RTR B12 (I model the ER).

 

I have a number of items in my head that I'd buy if I saw one on offer, or indeed a decent secondhand item.

 

What I do know for sure is that I'm really glad I've got far too much stuff, nearly all bought at much lower prices than presently ruling!

 

John.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Still got stuff unopened from two house moves ago.....

 

Last buys were those Hachette Mk1s and some of the Great British Locos.

[HillsideDepot]

To come back to the original question, I'm not sure how anyone really knows if they've reached a limit, as something unexpected can always pop out of the woodwork such as the forthcoming RTR B12 (I model the ER).

 

I have a number of items in my head that I'd buy if I saw one on offer, or indeed a decent secondhand item.

 

What I do know for sure is that I'm really glad I've got far too much stuff, nearly all bought at much lower prices than presently ruling!

 

John.

 

Having previously said that I'm "fully stocked" I certainly agree with 'something unexpected can pop out of the woodwork' although in my case it tends to be the discovery of a photo on the web and thinking "that'd be good to model".

 

I'll put a 2-tone green class 25 (two photos of one with full yellow ends at Bristol TM), a very scruffy green 37 (probably 70% green, 30% white!) and some late surviving green 08s in that category. Arguably they shouldn't be modelled as they aren't typical, being as unusual as the ex-works namer which might attract others.

 

I too am very glad that I was able to build up [too much] stock before prices reached their current levels, but arguably I could easily manage with half the fleet, bought at twice the price.

 

 

[John Tomlinson]

 

Having previously said that I'm "fully stocked" I certainly agree with 'something unexpected can pop out of the woodwork' although in my case it tends to be the discovery of a photo on the web and thinking "that'd be good to model".

 

I'll put a 2-tone green class 25 (two photos of one with full yellow ends at Bristol TM), a very scruffy green 37 (probably 70% green, 30% white!) and some late surviving green 08s in that category. Arguably they shouldn't be modelled as they aren't typical, being as unusual as the ex-works namer which might attract others.

 

I too am very glad that I was able to build up [too much] stock before prices reached their current levels, but arguably I could easily manage with half the fleet, bought at twice the price.

 

 

The accountant in me suggests that you could now sell half your fleet, and that the proceeds would probably cover the cost of all your prior purchases, so that your remaining  (half) fleet would be effectively free!

 

John.

[brianusa]

Perhaps a little different from a tinplate point of view.  It started with Lionel trains; on joining the TCA, you learn there are certain engines that one has to have.  In those days there wasn't many so I got them all.  We were all assured that they would continue to appreciate in value and we could all retire on the proceeds.  So we collected every piece of rolling stock as well assuring us we could spend it all on a condo in Florida!.  Sadly it was not to be.  The collector craze broke and so was I, stuck with all this stuff.  But it wasn't so bad as I had a railroad empire to play with and a room full of trains.

 

Then I remembered the Hornby O gauge of my youth.  It was still around and promptly did the same thing so now I had a lot more trains and now I had twice as much for the same layout and the room it was in.  The walls came in handy for shelving but when that and the layout appeared full, I realised that I had enough.  I still peruse E Bay for the odd item that catches my eye and my train account has recovered but I've got nothing to spend it on!

 

Brian.

[andyman7]

It's a concept that dates back to at least the 1960s:-

First World were the developed 'Western' nations, with nominally 'Free Market' economies

Second World were mainly the Soviet Bloc countries, with centrally-planned economies.

Third, or Developing, World were the rest.

So, like on the railways 'Second' has basically been abolished and we are left with First and Third 

North Korea and Cuba are the equivalent of boat trains....

[rockershovel]

The drum kits and percussion, another "First World Problem" is seeing discussions of stuff that you can't even identify..

 

I've definitely come to feel "fully stocked". I bought two On30 MMI locos because I was just so impressed with them, plus assorted 2-8-0 and 2-6-0 types in a spirit of enquiry, and because again, I was impressed with them. I've bought various stock on the same basis. I sampled a couple of clubs, found one I like and spend time there when I'm home, getting to grips with various issues like DCC, minimum radii and couplers. One of the 2-8-0s and one if the moguls have made tours to work with me, they are the sort of toy engineers rather like.

 

The MMI locos have gone to Paul Martin for conversion to DCC and sound, since he seems to know far more than anyone else on the subject.

 

Beyond that, things are still on the back burner. Work remains busy, rather to my surprise and the half-anticipated semi-retirement hasn't yet happened. Room clearance progresses, slowed by work and various enthusiasms among my children that draw me in to varying extents. So, my main scale remains 12" - 1' with various new Big Boys Toys to play with, most recently laser scanning, and more work in the Caspian

[blueeighties]

Interesting subject. I have always had masses of rtr 4mm, even at one point when I had a large functional roundy roundy layout it was still overstocked.

Times change and tastes change. Recently I have sold a lot of my stock on and used it to purchase a few 7mm locos. These will all be reworked to a high standard, sound and smoke fitted. I'm much happier having quality rather than quantity these days.

 

Regards

 

Lee

[sigtech]

I tend to feel the same and think I fall into the category of having too much stock to be able to accommodate on the layout. This I found to affect the operation with every siding and loop full to capacity there was simply no way to run trains convincingly.

So, I have for the moment put the brakes on and cancelled any purchases that were "in the pipeline".

Not having any spare/safe storage space available where surplus rolling stock can be stored once off the layout after it has had all it's fittings added (so it will no longer go back into packaging) is another problem - after all 10 steam locos, 1 diesel and a railcar, 10 coaches and 36 wagons including 6npccs is more than enough for a single track branchline!

 

Regards

 

SIGTECH (Steve)

[darren01]

When I first got back into model railways again, I did not have any idea what area I wanted to do?, the first loco I brought was the Hornby pug and that was going to be a layout based around this.

 

But it did not stop there, next an Ivatt tank and so on, Then I settled on a layout of a real place and built all my stock for just this line, Now I have got to the point where I do not need anymore rolling stock, loco's .

 

The days of buying something I liked have stopped and I have settled with what I have, in the last two years I have only brought two new loco's and a few bits of rolling stock as I have far to much stock as it is and can not run it all anyway.

 

I did cancel all but one of my per orders this year as I can not give a reason why I want a loco that never came to my area and the only way I could justify it is because I like the model was just not cutting it anymore with me.

 

I am happy to run what I have now, but the days of gay abandonment in buying anything I liked stopped a few year's ago, and I am glade I did stick to only what ran on my line, other wise I be living on baked beans and pot noodles, and my misses got fed up with baked beans.

Darren

[w124bob]

My theoretical limit is 100.Thats the number of Alco C420's I want for my shortline as they are numbered 2xx. Then we start on the 3xx series etc!

[woodenhead]

Ok so it's been a couple of months since my realisation and today I went into the garage and retrieved my boxes of boxes.

 

Turns out I've lost some empty stock boxes so a hunt is required but I have now boxed up quite a bit of N stuff to sell

- a Royal Scot

- a Jubilee

- a B17

- a 61xx

- a Dapol b/g HST book set plus 6 other matching coaches to make up the set

- 8 mk2f

- 5 mk1 Pullmans

- > 10 mk1 coaches in various liveries

- several BG and GUVs in various liveries

- 6 blue riband mk1 sleepers

- 10 Dapol Gresleys in a mix of BR liveries

- assorted Dapol Cargowaggons and tiphook telescopic hoods

- various Railfreight red open wagons (oca, oab,oaa)

- assorted older Graham Farish wagons and a couple of peco

- some liddle end stuff

 

Still under consideration

- 2 class 40s

- a blue grey class 108

- 6 hba/ hsa

- 6 TTA

- 5 cement hoppers

 

You'd think after that list I'd have nothing left, nope, still got more than enough and I've just remembered another 4 mk3s for an abortive mission to create a push pull set of whose location I cannot remember but must be somewhere in the house.

 

Next step to properly catalogue these items for sale then get quotes from a couple of places.

 

Question is, which is better, sell in bulk to someone like Hattons or list small groups of stock on eBay? Is part exchange still possible these days?