EBay madness

[MrWolf]

28 minutes ago, GMKAT7 said:

Good afternoon folks,

 

The 'great unwashed ' attendees at model railway exhibitions also have twins/doppelganger types who attend real ale festivals too!

 

In fact, there may be a crossover between the two, since some of the beer festival types also attack all passers by with their backpacks.

They also resemble the once numerous 'bashers', who seemed to travel the NE/SW route every weekend in search of Peak haulage and smelt as though soap was a deadly chemical 😂

 

Cheers, Nigel.

 

 

Same types appear at autojumbles, you can tell a mile off that they're hoarders. Dressed in smelly rags, but the watch / chains / rings give them away.

They'll rummage something out of a box, check it over with a micrometer they carry in their pocket and then offer you £2. (And have you got change for a 20?)

[longchap]

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1534583/hornby_r9302_po02_thomas_and_friends_old_slow_coach_pre_owned_face_missing_good_box/stockdetail  Price £37

 

Although not on ebay, this from Hattons' pre-owned listings today, nicely captures the spirit of insane madness. Try and figure the pricing strategy . . . original good condition Triang GWR short wheelbase brake third clerstory coach, say a generous £12 (I rarely pay more than £9); premium for two girt big holes in coach end and missing Thomas and Friends face from coach end less £9; leaving a sizable premium for obtaning what the seller thinks the empty slightly distressed cardboard box is worth.

 

Will some sucker dedicared collector actually buy this rubbish? Probably !

 

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by longchap

[rab]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Then offer you £2. (And have you got change for a 20?)

To which the seller replies, "No, but I'll give you £2 change from a £20".

[gwrrob]

7 minutes ago, longchap said:

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1534583/hornby_r9302_po02_thomas_and_friends_old_slow_coach_pre_owned_face_missing_good_box/stockdetail  Price £37

 

Although not on ebay, this from Hattons' pre-owned listings today, nicely captures the spirit of insane madness. Try and figure the pricing strategy . . . original good condition Triang GWR short wheelbase brake third clerstory coach, say a generous £12 (I rarely pay more than £9); premium for two girt big holes in coach end and missing Thomas and Friends face from coach end less £9; leaving a sizable premium for obrtaing what the seller thinks the empty slightly distressed cardboard box is worth.

 

Will some sucker dedicared collector actually buy this rubbish? Probably !

 

 

 

 

 

I like the way they describe the body as pristine when it clearly isn't.

[Paul H Vigor]

12 minutes ago, longchap said:

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1534583/hornby_r9302_po02_thomas_and_friends_old_slow_coach_pre_owned_face_missing_good_box/stockdetail  Price £37

 

Although not on ebay, this from Hattons' pre-owned listings today, nicely captures the spirit of insane madness. Try and figure the pricing strategy . . . original good condition Triang GWR short wheelbase brake third clerstory coach, say a generous £12 (I rarely pay more than £9); premium for two girt big holes in coach end and missing Thomas and Friends face from coach end less £9; leaving a sizable premium for obrtaing what the seller thinks the empty slightly distressed cardboard box is worth.

 

Will some sucker dedicared collector actually buy this rubbish? Probably !

 

 

 

 

'Face missing' - oh my!

[MrWolf]

26 minutes ago, longchap said:

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1534583/hornby_r9302_po02_thomas_and_friends_old_slow_coach_pre_owned_face_missing_good_box/stockdetail  Price £37

 

Although not on ebay, this from Hattons' pre-owned listings today, nicely captures the spirit of insane madness. Try and figure the pricing strategy . . . original good condition Triang GWR short wheelbase brake third clerstory coach, say a generous £12 (I rarely pay more than £9); premium for two girt big holes in coach end and missing Thomas and Friends face from coach end less £9; leaving a sizable premium for obrtaing what the seller thinks the empty slightly distressed cardboard box is worth.

 

Will some sucker dedicared collector actually buy this rubbish? Probably !

 

 

 

 

 

Now that is definitely overpriced junk.

 

You have to wonder what you would be offered for that model as part of a job lot if you walked in off the street with it.

[longchap]

4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Now that is definitely overpriced junk.

 

You have to wonder what you would be offered for that model as part of a job lot if you walked in off the street with it.

 

There has been a marked difference in the pricing and description of Hattons' pre-owned stock over the last year or so.

 

Previously, I've collected probably 5 or 6 Triang brake thirds from Hattons at a consistent price of £7.50 for future projects use, which will give hours of enjoyment. Current pre-owned prices are often close to new, while multiple photographs of stock are largly missing (it takes more effort to list the item correctly), items often listed with just a single shot of the stock inside the box, hiding all sorts of 'no-way / no- go' warnings for purchasing a probable return item.

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by longchap

[Hroth]

Hattons have been hiking their prices for old Hornby "Thomas" merch over the past month or so.  In particular, any loco with more than six wheels gets listed for a three figure sum, even elderly tender drive examples...

 

And a "Spencer" or a "Murdoch" will be upper three figures!

 

[MattR]

Quote

There has been a marked difference in the pricing and description of Hattons' pre-owned stock over the last year or so.

 

I found this to be true on certain items. Most mineral wagons and box vans are now in the £16-£20 range these days, often even old Wrenn and Mainline models. Lima GUVs seem to have gone up from around £12 to £18-£20 recently. And a lot of Lima diesels that were running around £30 at the beginning of the year are now closer to £50.

[MrWolf]

2 hours ago, MattR said:

 

I found this to be true on certain items. Most mineral wagons and box vans are now in the £16-£20 range these days, often even old Wrenn and Mainline models. Lima GUVs seem to have gone up from around £12 to £18-£20 recently. And a lot of Lima diesels that were running around £30 at the beginning of the year are now closer to £50.

 

It doesn't make sense when some of us have Mainline and Bachmann wagons on there at £8 plus 2nd class post for months on end.

[Paul H Vigor]

4 hours ago, Hroth said:

Hattons have been hiking their prices for old Hornby "Thomas" merch over the past month or so.  In particular, any loco with more than six wheels gets listed for a three figure sum, even elderly tender drive examples...

 

And a "Spencer" or a "Murdoch" will be upper three figures!

 

'Christmas is coming, and Hattons are getting fat, ...'

[kevinlms]

8 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

'Christmas is coming, and Hattons are getting fat, ...'

How are they getting fat, if everyone follows the advice here and just ignores them? Fact is they must sell many items, otherwise they would need a bigger warehouse!

[Sjcm]

I think Hattons has a different customer base than say Ebay. There are bargains on there usually down to their lack of checking the stuff, but the majority of buyers probably aren't the type searching for a bargain. If you want something, don't want the hassle of bidding on ebay and missing out, then paying 10-20+ pounds over the odds is fine if you have the money. They also have the time to leave their tat on there for months waiting for "that" customer.  Plus you have their no quibble tat return service. Tbf, even on ebay the prices have noticeably jumped the last 2 weeks in the run up to christmas and I went to a small exhibition over the weekend and bargains were very thin on the ground in the stuff I was interested in.

[Michael Hodgson]

8 minutes ago, Sjcm said:

Tbf, even on ebay the prices have noticeably jumped the last 2 weeks in the run up to christmas and I went to a small exhibition over the weekend and bargains were very thin on the ground in the stuff I was interested in.

 

They have to put up prices so they can reduce them for "Black Friday"

[Sjcm]

Seems to be demand led. I had some tat on sale that I thought I'd get  around 45 pounds for in total  but made 75. On the buying side quite a few job lots I was following went miles over any sort of actual real value for the items - probably would have been cheaper to buy seperately. I've given up buying now till after christmas and concentrating on flogging the stuff I have.

[Paul H Vigor]

3 hours ago, kevinlms said:

How are they getting fat, if everyone follows the advice here and just ignores them? Fact is they must sell many items, otherwise they would need a bigger warehouse!

 

[Hacksworth_Sidings]

4 hours ago, Sjcm said:

to their lack of checking the stuff.

Can confirm, I’ve had either the biggest bargains ever or the biggest duds ever, here are two examples of my own:

 

Triang “Hiawatha” 4-6-2, the early type with the small, solid drive wheels, but having a polystyrene body instead of acetate, acetate tender though, £6 (£10 accounting for shipping), only fault was a damaged rear bogie, and guess what? They never described it as having such an issue! Thankfully a fault I was able to rectify, but I reported my findings to Hattons and got £5 off shipping on my next order.

 

Triang 3MT 2-6-2T, boxed, non runner, £36 (£40 accounting shipping), arrived with a damaged front end which must’ve been down to them sending the item in its original box with no extra padding, again, reported this and got free shipping on the next order.

 

Main point is that they either don’t list faults, or they cause faults due to insufficient packing, for a £6 Pacific I can hardly complain, especially when it’s an easy fix, but a £36 Prairie with a smoker and a somewhat decent box? You’d expect them to take more care when handling something like that.

[Enterprisingwestern]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

It doesn't make sense when some of us have Mainline and Bachmann wagons on there at £8 plus 2nd class post for months on end.

 

Ah, yes, but what condition is your box in?

 

Mike.

 

[Hroth]

36 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Ah, yes, but what condition is your box in?

 

Mike.

 

 

Isn't that a bit personal?

 

🤪

 

[Paul H Vigor]

49 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Ah, yes, but what condition is your box in?

 

Mike.

 

Not a cricketing question, in this instance??

[Paul H Vigor]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125837813483?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338365712&toolid=20006&customid=EB163458589&

 

Saw this and thought of MrWolf! 😉

What an addition for one's Wolf Cave!

Edited November 17, 2023 by Paul H Vigor
to add information

[MrWolf]

2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Ah, yes, but what condition is your box in?

 

Mike.

 

 

I didn't come with a box, I came with the thing you put in a box....

 

As for the wagons, both the cardboard container and the contents were like new.😃

[MrWolf]

29 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125837813483?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338365712&toolid=20006&customid=EB163458589&

 

Saw this and thought of MrWolf! 😉

 

I think I might just get into trouble if I bought that as a modelling desk!

 

Mostly centring around "I bet you could have built it yourself for £200".

[Paul H Vigor]

2 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

I think I might just get into trouble if I bought that as a modelling desk!

 

Mostly centring around "I bet you could have built it yourself for £200".

Just think what you could do with any left over bike parts!? Turn them into desks and next year you'd be an ebay millionaire! 

[TinTracks]

1 hour ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Saw this and thought of MrWolf! 😉

 I've just had a look at this sellers other items. There's a fair few car badges and forecourt signs etc. Then I looked at their address. Pickering N Yorks  YO18 8NA (about 90 mins across the moors from me)

 Just a bit more info. Mathewsons (Bangers and Cash on the telly) has another site in Pickering the postcode of which is YO18 7NA , more or less next door. Coincidence ??

 Regards, Rich

Edited November 17, 2023 by TinTracks