Help please

Jujub

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Hi, really looking for help regarding my late husband's garden railway stuff. No idea what is what and now after 9 years need to part with it. I know there are engine and rolling stock? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thought about sending to sale room
Many thanks Julie
 

dunnyrail

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Sorry to hear of your loss.

Perhaps the best thing might be to post some pictures of what there is on here, we could then I am pretty certain between us give you an indication of value that may permit you to sell via this forum if that is what you would wish to do.

I recently was asked by a Gentleman who had a lot of G left by his sadly deceased Wife’s former Husbands line. The Locomotives, Wagons and Buildings he sold by EBAY and I lifted the Track for an agreed price. I also helped him out with some other stuff around the Garden in the day I visited. Most of the Track went to people on this forum. Either way selling individually may be more than you are wanting to do.

An Auction House May work, however you do need to know that it will have more than 1 interested in Model Railways on the day of sale otherwise your return could be very low.

Perhaps another option might be to get a dealer that would visit you and give a price for the lot. I just had a visit from one of those types, the price was less than I wanted but better than I might have got at an Auction. If that interests you I could let you have his contact details, he hails from Doncaster so your way may be ok for a visit by him.
 
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mike

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Good advice above
 

PhilP

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Sorry for your loss.

Did your late husband know of any other garden railway 'people' in your area? Did he ever go to others gardens, or was he in one of the societies?

You could also try contacting them (friends), a local railway or model engineering society/club, or if he was a member of a society, an email to them may find some help as well.

Good luck with this. I am sure the items will all find new homes.
PhilP.
 

Jujub

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Thanks so much for all your advice, when I can get it all together out of the garage I will post pics and see if anyone is interested. It seems a shame not to be used.
 

tac foley

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Please be advised that getting a used model railway buyer in, as Dunny notes, might give you the biggest disappointment in your life, as well as serve as an eye-opener. Last year I got one of the people who advertises in our press as the 'very best prices for your much-valued models!!!'

I was trying to move on a LOT of H0 stuff, a lot of it brass - all mint and boxed. As an example, just two of the numerous locos had cost me almost £1800, and the brass cabooses, at around £300 each, made their own pile, as did the thirty-something passenger cars. In all, there were over a hundred items of mint rolling stock and locomotives. I was expecting, having seen his retail prices, to have been offered around £3000 or so, and while I would have been downhearted, would have understood that he had to 'make a living, gov''.

I was gabberflasted at this offer of £600.

One of the locos like mine was sold on the usual online site for £1100 recently.
 

Jujub

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Please be advised that getting a used model railway buyer in, as Dunny notes, might give you the biggest disappointment in your life, as well as serve as an eye-opener. Last year I got one of the people who advertises in our press as the 'very best prices for your much-valued models!!!'

I was trying to move on a LOT of H0 stuff, a lot of it brass - all mint and boxed. As an example, just two of the numerous locos had cost me almost £1800, and the brass cabooses, at around £300 each, made their own pile, as did the thirty-something passenger cars. In all, there were over a hundred items of mint rolling stock and locomotives. I was expecting, having seen his retail prices, to have been offered around £3000 or so, and while I would have been downhearted, would have understood that he had to 'make a living, gov''.

I was gabberflasted at this offer of £600.

One of the locos like mine was sold on the usual online site for £1100 recently.
Thanks for that, I think I will try the private sales route first, see what happens. I can understand your feelings, hope everything turned out ok for you
 

Gizzy

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So sorry to hear of your loss.

I was also asked to help a lady sell her late husband's LGB.

One of my suggestions was to enlist the help of a reputable Auction House in Suffolk, which she eventually did, as her husband also had some HO equipment.

They came and catalogued all his stock, and she was very pleased with their assistance....
 
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tac foley

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Needless to say, MY less-than-useful contact was NOT the 'reputable auction house in Suffolk'.
 

dunnyrail

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Another though comes to mind ‘Carnforth Midels’ not too far from you may take some off your hands if the Forum does not move much along for you. Website


Noting what Tac says, yes there are some scam artists about which is why I thought about the guy that dealt with me. However it must be remembered that Second Hand prices at best should be around 2/3 Max of new price and that is if you are lucky. Dealers have to factor in Travel Costs, Time it takes to sell which can sometimes be a year or three during which time his Money is tied up in Stock. The other thing to remember as I said earlier is the fact of moving it all on in one hit with no faffing around listing, packing and posting.

I have done a lot of ebay selling and used to do around 12 items a week at a time cost of 1 day for those 12. Any more listed and the management of the process gets quite absorbing - not in a nice way.

Good luck with your process, I am sure you will get a result one way or another.
 

Jujub

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Another though comes to mind ‘Carnforth Midels’ not too far from you may take some off your hands if the Forum does not move much along for you. Website


Noting what Tac says, yes there are some scam artists about which is why I thought about the guy that dealt with me. However it must be remembered that Second Hand prices at best should be around 2/3 Max of new price and that is if you are lucky. Dealers have to factor in Travel Costs, Time it takes to sell which can sometimes be a year or three during which time his Money is tied up in Stock. The other thing to remember as I said earlier is the fact of moving it all on in one hit with no faffing around listing, packing and posting.

I have done a lot of ebay selling and used to do around 12 items a week at a time cost of 1 day for those 12. Any more listed and the management of the process gets quite absorbing - not in a nice way.

Good luck with your process, I am sure you will get a result one way or another.
Thanks so much for help. Doug used to go to the model shop on Carnforth station,will give them a ring
 

Dan

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In the USA there are several choices.
Try a local train club first. No fees (ebay/paypal) packing/shipping, buyer sees what they are getting thus eliminating returns.
Craigslist No fees (ebay/paypal) packing/shipping, buyer sees what they are getting thus eliminating returns.
Table at local train show now you have table cost but no packing/shipping costs
Ebay 10 percent sales fee, paypal approx. 3.4per cent fee, packing/shipping fee, possible shipping damage.

dealer Low $$ to you, you would be lucky to get 20 % value of your goods


Auction house. More like 30-40 % return. Buyer pays auction house fee ( I paid 17 percent on my purchase plus state tax on goods and fee) SO a 100 dollar bid was $117 plus tax of 6.25% on $117).