Model Train Journal

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-LIONEL ... 3566355570

Seriously? They even considered putting it up for bait?
It's a stinking 2037!
Crosshead guides gone, along with hardware for them. It appears both pistons are there. Lead truck missing, truck retainer/lamp in backwards. Of course, no tender.
There isn't enough paint left to paint an N scale 0-4-0.
Forty bucks BIN, no bidding. Twelve to ship.

Five bucks in the junk bin at a train show, max, and only if you needed parts.

I think you're confusing greedy with stupid.

I dunno.....some clown has this pile, thinks of all the money he can make.....and uses "VINTAGE" (all in caps), and "Lionel" in header......looks like more greed than anything else.
Seller is counting on possible "winners" to exhibit the "stupidity".

ScaleCraft wrote:I dunno.....some clown has this pile, thinks of all the money he can make.....and uses "VINTAGE" (all in caps), and "Lionel" in header......looks like more greed than anything else.
Seller is counting on possible "winners" to exhibit the "stupidity".

Has anyone been buying any of this stupid stuff that you have been posting about ??

ScaleCraft wrote:I dunno.....some clown has this pile, thinks of all the money he can make.....and uses "VINTAGE" (all in caps), and "Lionel" in header......looks like more greed than anything else.

Check the seller's other listings -- 800+ listings of which less than 200 are model train related. Using those terms just like all the rest of the yard salers and storage unit pirates selling - they don;t know what they are selling so they copy each other.

Seller is counting on possible "winners" to exhibit the "stupidity".

Seller is counting on buyer that are as stupid as themselves - get down on the same level.

The number of these types of listings (and the ridiculous prices being asked) doesn’t really make jive with the shrinking NTT population and huge amounts of older product still out there, does it?

George

G3750 wrote:The number of these types of listings (and the ridiculous prices being asked) doesn’t really make jive with the shrinking NTT population and huge amounts of older product still out there, does it?

Does anyone have any real numbers to make up an answer?

nope. So I point out the idiotic end of the equation for all to see and marvel upon.

I don't think that parting it out would get your money back.

ScaleCraft wrote:nope. So I point out the idiotic end of the equation for all to see and marvel upon.

Nope. That's just the beginning -- the end is if/when it actually sells. Need the buyer to complete the equation.

When I first got into buying trains it was back in 83 I developed buying fever like so many do. Fortunately I am very thrifty and quickly learned what was a acceptable deal and what was not.
On OGRR forum buying fever is prevalent and I kind of laugh at it now.

v8vega wrote:On OGRR forum buying fever is prevalent and I kind of laugh at it now.

It's freaking hilarious!

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

ScaleCraft wrote:nope. So I point out the idiotic end of the equation for all to see and marvel upon.

Nope. That's just the beginning -- the end is if/when it actually sells. Need the buyer to complete the equation.

Ah. Depends on which end you are gazing upon at the time.
Consider straight line development of the phenomena. These things have a defined beginning and ending. Since most of this stuff we have not seen the full development of stupidity, namely the buyer (winner?) completing the equation, we only have the other end...which is by this specific definition, the "idiotic end", where "seller" asks ridiculous money for partial items with sometimes hard to believe damage or missing parts, often staged to hide said damage and/or missing parts...hoping for "winners" to develop "stupid".

I stand by the statement.....the beginning of most of this stuff I post is the "idiotic end". And so you feel better, there are two "ends" to the line.....one known, the other not, while the stupidity runs it's course.

Someone asked if any of it sells. I have seen a lot of listings "ended". Not "sold", I have seen a substantial amount "re-listed", some one would suspect collusive shill bidding ended up with no hooked mark to absorb the artificial pricing. Some (like the dummy alleged E-units with wood nose and such from Trainz) apparently damaged in shipment when someone thought they really were 'vintage! rare! Collectible!" and returned them when they were not...hence re-listed.

How many folks really need a plastic Lionel caboose with no ladders, toolboxes, brake wheels, smoke stacks, window inserts, one coupler, AND broken roof corners or entire roof ends?

To say they are worth what someone will pay for them isn't really correct, as I used to pick up boxes of those for free at train shows (where I then re-purposed them to fabricate cab ends).

Sellers.seem to be able to convince the clueless to spend money on this garbage.

If a person did not live through the time before evil bait and American Pickers, with Pawn Stars thrown in for good measure, they might just think the current state of affairs is normal..and fair.

ScaleCraft wrote:Sellers.seem to be able to convince the clueless to spend money on this garbage.

Only 1/2 of it again - buyers are also at fault for being clueless. If they are as dim as the average sheep and wish to part with their money, that's just capitalism in action where it's immoral to let a sucker keep his money.