Beginners: Learn from my mistakes!

[who_dat73]

That being said, ebay has some great prices, but what should one look out for?

I know when I first got started I would see somthing I wanted real bad on Ebay and end up paying 3 times the going price because I didnt have any idea where the LHS was or how to get the Walthers Cat.
Always check your prices and look things over well before you bid on Ebay so you dont end up paying two and three times the price...

 

[tillsbury]

So, the moral is: Learn before you buy - you can save a lot of expense and frustration!

Lots of good advice there, certainly. What's interesting is that you have quickly learnt what I discovered from experiences outside the model railroad hobby -- if you get the best stuff you'll have fewer problems. I researched things on the net first, but mainly to find out the best prices on the most expensive equipment. I chose and stuck to the best DCC kit I could find, Peco 55 track, Kato locos, MT couplers, and so on, and haven't had any of the great list of problems that seem to fill up forums.

Same as the rest of life, I suppose. The reason the most expensive stuff is expensive, is because it's better... cheaper things cost more because you have to replace them with ones that work.

You can save a whole lot of money learning that lesson.

Charles