Are people crazy or What??!!

[Dave Harris]

I can't believe this!!
Some body just paid over 96.00$ for 4 ( yes FOUR) Precision Scale Beartrap Smoke Stacks on E Bay


Brass HOn3 Loco beartrap spark arrestors 4 total Item number: 290252906183

Take a look if you don't believe me, don't blame you if you didn't.
Precision Scale still makes this , Walthers shows a Oct delivery date expected for them & they are $6.75 apiece!!
When I built my 4 Class C Climax locos , I had one & wanted another so I built another -- nothing to it really .
I just can't even begin to fathom why $ 96.00!!!

But then , I just bought 2 KaDee 107 disconnects from my LHS for 20.75 each, with the HS owner remarking they had gone up about $4.00 since I got the last set from him, but that should not be a problem cause I could always put 'em on E Bay & get 35 -40 bucks for them---- I came home & looked & HE WAS RIGHT -- people were paying that plus 5 -6 more for shipping. ??
I'll keep mine, I buy a set every time I see them in his shop , when I finally retire & build what I want I'll put them all together , got about 20 or so now.
I like Ebay but If I can get it from my LHS & at a better deal to boot --why?
There is a lot of one of a kind bargains on E Bay but not like this!

 

[MasonJar]

Yes, that seems a bit ridiculous to pay that much... However, I can think of a number of factors that might lead one to do so...

- Walthers delivery dates are not always reliable
- They don't realise that the part is still made
- Money is no object
- They need the part now (I mean NOW!)
- They want that exact part (maybe vintage stock?) rather than a new one

Andrew

 

[Colton_modeler]

Another possible reason:

- They're caught up in "winning at eBay"

 

[Dave Harris]

I had thought of that Colton & you may very well be correct.
Then I thought of another possibility, one that I may be facing myself in a year or so --- location.
It could be that the buyer is in some remote place where he can't find any other source than thru E bay or other online venues. I will be living in a very small town -- village?-- in the high mountains of Colorado before too long . That would put the nearest hobby shop about 3 -4 hours away in Denver & with 4.00$ gas ??
But even then one should be able to contact a LHS in some city & let your Uncle Sam send one his courriers out with your treasure.

 

[nachoman]

i have seen similar before. It's not just with train stuff, either. And I don't get it. For example, I have seen the same item sell for more on ebay than at the wal-mart down the street. I figure the buyer may not have a wal-mart near by.

But I must admit, I have probably overpayed for a few ebay items. Not hundreds of dollars, but maybe paying 35 for something that I may have had for 15. But, to find it for 15 may have meant spending half a day on the phone, calling all over the country, paying long-distance fees, for a rare no longer in production item. In other words, I had a broken auto, needed to get it fixed quickly, and ebay was most convenient.

But a brass detail? I see brass detail parts sell all the tiem for rediculous prices. For something like this, I'd at least attempt to scratchbuild the part before I am wiling to pay an exorbanent price

Kevin