Chris, don't feel alone. I have purchased train items, then found that I already had the very same thing, tucked away in Briggadoon I think.
Mick, I like to keep things as simple as what's in between my ears. I try using whatever I have on hand in my modeling. The stakes on these cars are 10 penny finish nails. I have loads of them leftover from my forty plus years working. In fact, some of the hardware I have has become obsolete [e]180[/e]