discontinued locomotives

[sedfred]

is it possible any of these engines will return in a future run?    1. spectrum 4-6-0    2. spectrum 2-10-0     3. spectrum 2-10-2     4. specrum 4-8-2,    these are all engines i would like to get,   are there any sites that ship to canada that have these locomotives still in stock at a decent price? are any of these engines going to come back?                                                                                                                     

[davidone]

As have seen most of what you want on ebay.  I don't think Bachmann is in any hurry to re-release these locomotives especially under the spectrum label.

[Trainman203]

Maybe if  Bachmann doesn't want to produce these locomotives, which fill a void that no one else is filling, they could sell the tooling to someone who "would" produce them.

eBay is not a good place to buy model locomotives or anything else you need to operate well.  Out in the country, we'd call it "a pig in a poke."

[jbrock27]

eBay is not a good place to buy model locomotives or anything else you need to operate well.

I don't believe this to be a true statement and obviously, I don't agree.  It can and is, a good place to buy locos; you just have to have a clue about what you are doing, know something about what you are looking for, have a little bit of savy and be able to handle "situations" that can and do arise.  I am not saying it is the end all be all place to shop or the only place to shop, but in some cases, it can be a place to find things that are not easily found elsewhere. 
To be fore informed is to be fore armed.

[Trainman203]

What if you get a broken engine,  Brock?  What if it's been misrepresented?  What is your recourse?

I've already gotten burned buying something on the net, the guy never sent me the item and has walled up.

Also, in another pastime of mine, bought an expensive vintage Gibson mandolin on line, only to find out structurally, but not visibly, it was a wreck, needing LOTS of BIG COIN to make right.

I'm done buying from anywhere except a reputable dealer.  I'm too old for adventures.

[jbrock27]

What if you get a broken engine,  Brock?  What if it's been misrepresented?  What is your recourse?

Plenty of recourse (see prior notation about being able to handle "situations" that can arise).  I don't view it as my job to provide "trade/consumer secrets" out here in the open but for anyone who is interested in them, feel free to PM me.

I've already gotten burned buying something on the net, the guy never sent me the item and has walled up.

Also, in another pastime of mine, bought an expensive vintage Gibson mandolin on line, only to find out structurally, but not visibly, it was a wreck, needing LOTS of BIG COIN to make right.

Were all the purchases you are referring to, made on Ebay?  As someone who has been burned, and I am sorry to hear your experiences were poor, I can understand your negative attitude toward Ebay.  Ebay is clearly not for everyone, but that does not make it not for anyone either.  A lot has to do with how much effort you are willing to put in and of course, your tolerance level among the other things I mentioned previously.

I'm too old for adventures.

Well, some folks like to make sport of it, as you know

[electrical whiz kid]

Trainman;
Sorry to hear about your Gibson Mandolin.  My former brother-in-law has one-and it is called "the Gibson".  Last summer, I decided to look around for a pedal steel.  I found an Exel on Evil-Bay, and bought it.  To say I got handed a bill of goods would be an understatement.  I just chalked it up to experience-and do not plan to buy from evil-bay ever again.  It is actually, a good steel, but needs a lot of work-but so don't I...  Sight unseen? CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!

Rich C.

[Len]

My only comment on eBay is beware of any descriptions that start out with, "Rare and hard to find..."

And that's all I'm going to say on the matter.

Len

[thewizard]

Or "new in box". The last "new in box" item I got was a passenger car with after-market couplers, custom decals, and a scruffed roof.

[Irbricksceo]

more than half of my locomotive came off of ebay. I've had a few issues now and then but the sellers always handled it well. I did have one locomotive that came with issues, my IHC pacific. Fortunatly I had another one that was a mess. I had intended to repair it but it needed so much work I just put the parts from it into the newer one. for about 35 bucks I got a nice Pacific that, while not as nice as my other locos, is quite handsome.

[jbrock27]

Sight unseen? CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!

I would NEVER make a purchase sight unseen from anywhere, any time.  Why you would in the first place is beyond me Rich.  This is what pictures are for, this is what the ability of the shopper to ask for additional pictures is for as well as the ability to ask the Seller questions.  One should base their decision to buy, or bid, in large part on the responses one gets to said questions. Kinda common sense   I bet for every "I got ripped off story" (and I will add there are likely many factors involved with such an event) there are many times more "I got a good deal" stories or "I found something I could not find elsewhere" stories.

...beware of any descriptions that start out with, "Rare and hard to find..."

Agree, mostly bc the item is usually is waaayyyy overpriced.

The last "new in box" item I got was a passenger car with after-market couplers, custom decals, and a scruffed roof.

I can tell when looking at something in it's box, if it has been modified (this is where having done your research helps you).  If I can't see or tell, I ask (see above point).  I don't get my answer, I move on.  Wiz could you not tell from the pics there had been mods done?  Did you ask any questions before buying/bidding?

Brick brings up another good point/aspect of Ebay; good place to look for parts that can't be found elsewhere.  Or something to cannablize for parts (so it may very well not matter if it doesn't work or not).  I know at least one of the particpants on this topic are not so "hands on" with mechanical things and they have someone else do motor jobs, decoder intalls etc., but for those of us who like to "get our hands dirty"...

[electrical whiz kid]

Jim Brock;
I looked at the photo they had.  They did a switcheroo on me.  If I cannot touch, smell, feel, taste, or any other options for the real thing, I ain't-a-buyin' it, no-siree!!!   It is called 'lesson learned'.

Rich C.

[jbrock27]

Mr. Cormier, if that is what happened and in the end you are saying you still got ripped off, then it does not sound to me like you explored all the options available to you to make it right.  Like I stated earlier, a lot of one's venturing and conducting business on Ebay, has a lot to do with ones tolerence level and ability to handle "situations" that arise. 

[RAM]

What gets me about ebay is what people will pay for junk.  Old pancake motors locomotives.  pictures of locomotives with the tender backwards.  Look at pictures, read everything about the model and the seller.  Problem, contact seller and  Ebay.  In the end, you get to rate the seller.

[jbrock27]

What gets me about ebay is what people will pay for junk.

Gets me too.  But not enough to let it bother or deter me from shopping there.  It also does not prompt me to act stupidly just cause the other guy does.  Like Kenny Rogers sang, you have to know when to fold 'em and know when to run...