I have another question. Do you know any websites that have really good train prices? I already knew that scenery stuff could be expensive, but as I start to really use it the point is really driven home . Thanks.
On the other hand, if you're not very experienced, you can get ripped off on e-bay too!!!
As far as websites go, I buy from people like Trainworld, Modeltrainstuff.com, Toytrainheaven.com and HObbiesUSA.com. I've been dealing with these people for many, many years and they have never done me wrong. I also like to buy at train shows. There, you can comparison shop, and see the actual product before you buy it.
The trick of getting a good deal on eBay is doing your homework. I've found many times where the starting bid is higher than retail price. When I find something that I am interested in I go to several dealers web sites to find what the item or items similar to it retail for. That tells me what price is a good deal. Of course you have to take into consideration whether the item is out of production or if there is some other availability issue. Another thing to do is check out the completed listings category and find out what other similar items have sold for in the past. Also be sure to check out shipping costs. Some sellers will price an item low and then make up the difference by charging high shipping and handling charges. For a list of dealer web sites click on the Model Railroading link in my signature and look on the Hobby Shop page. That will give you a good idea what that little gem is really worth.
A lot of the scenery materials you can make yourself at home, or find in the wild. If you use real dirt and sand, just make sure you run a magnet through it to get out any iron particles. Many weeds and plant trimmings can be used to make trees or bushes. You can make your own ground foam in a blender. You would probably want to pick up a cheap blender from a discount store or even used from a second hand store rather than using one that is used to prepare food. Take a look at the thread in the ho scale section titled "best form of laying grass, dirt, and other ground cover." Look at Shaygetz pic and description of what he uses.
Thanks, I have bought from ebay a few times, so far I haven't had any problems. I love to go to train shows, but they come to my area so rarely I need somewhere else. I will try the sites you suggested, thanks again.
The first one I have ordered from. They are fine, the stuff just doesn't come that quickly. But everything else was fine. The second one is cheap, but I haven't ordered from (yet).