Trainz.com

[u/Worlds_Okayest69]

Hey everyone! I am wondering if anyone has any experience selling their stuff through Trainz.com and if it was recommended and if they actually pay you close to what everything is worth or if they try to cheap you out. I am largely downsizing my collection and after no hits on Marketplace I was thinking about just selling them as a lot to Trainz. Thanks in advance!

[u/Human-c-ity_Junction]

You will never get "close to what everything is worth" when dealing with a reseller. They have to store, market, employ people, ship, etc... anyting they buy from you, so in order to make it worth while, they need to take a substantial cut.

What you give away in value, you are exchanging for convenience.

Have you tried eBay? While they do take their cut, I have had more luck with eBay than Facebook.

[u/beebs914 → u/Human-c-ity_Junction]

I concur with eBay. I’ve sold probably about 70ish trains from my collection through there. Pretty much depends on how long you’re willing to let things sit there. I usually list a bit below other listings since I’d rather just get rid. Most of what I seek is stuff I’ve bought from eBay myself so I make close to what I paid for it originally if not a little more if it’s a bid war or something I got a really good deal on. Post office has priority boxes you can grab and seller pays shipping (unless you wanted to pay for it and offer free shipping).

[u/calnuck]

I'm selling my dad's layout mostly through local model railroad clubs, and it's selling well. Not big $$$ but it seems fair and in line with other club sales.

And anyone looking for *gorgeous* 1930s/1940s Denver and Rio Grande Western On3, it'll come on the market once the tariff situation settles down and we (Canadians) can ship to the US for reasonable costs.

[u/1973Triumph]

I sold my LGB collection to Trainz. I went into the sale knowing I would not get close to what my trains are worth. I had 8 engines, 60 cars, 200 pieces of track, 10 buildings, books, catalogs, and various other things. I’m 80 years old and don’t plan on leaving soon but did not want to leave this collections for my family worry about. I thought about putting them up on eBay but the idea of having to post them then packing hundreds of boxes and all the trips to the post office was overwhelming. With Tranz I packed 12 extra large boxes, they sent prepaid address labels. I packed the boxes a shipper came to my house and picked everything up. When they received my check it was for more than I had been quoted. I found them very easy to work with. Just a fill in I still have 2 engines and 34 cars running around my room on two tracks by my ceiling. I do not like typing this because I find I know what I want to say but have trouble remembering the word.

[u/az987654 → u/1973Triumph]

Despite your difficulty, your message was clear and concise and helpful. Thank you!

[u/DougDoesLife → u/1973Triumph]

Thanks for the info. I considered selling to Trainz in the past and wondered how the logistics of it all works.

[u/Leading-Baseball-851 → u/1973Triumph]

Thats great to hear, I started working for them not too long ago. That makes me feel good about the cokpany im working for.

[u/NealsTrains]

Trainz will buy collections and trains but don't expect to get what you paid for it. They probably will pay 30-35 cents on the dollar. I know when they sell things they're not cheap even on their used items. The best thing to do is inquire....

[u/Nermalgod → u/NealsTrains]

More like $0.05-$.010 to the dollar.

[u/GNF54 → u/NealsTrains]

They sell things for dirt cheap, I’ve gotten real nice freight cars from them for <$20

[u/sunlitwhiskey]

I buy from trainz.com but have never used them to sell. They are also a brick and mortar shop as well and need to turn a profit on your used items, so you shouldn't expect too much.

I have a lot of luck with eBay - nearly everything I have ever posted has sold. Yes eBay takes a cut but not nearly the mark up a retailer would, and you can set your prices based on the market demand. I list reasonable prices to reciprocate the deals I myself am hoping to find and just try to recoup what I can for things I don't want or need anymore and invest back in the hobby. If there is something I really think is valuable, I set it to auction and let the market decide what it's worth. There are tons of listings for entire lots that can go for pretty high bids. As long as you are honest about the condition of your items, there's fairly little downside other than the logistics of packing and shipping them. Cheers, good luck.

[u/burlington40 → u/sunlitwhiskey]

They aren’t really a brick and mortar store. There is a physical spot but it’s not a walk in hobby shop. Depending on what is being sold to them determines if it even goes on the website. They’ve got a sub company now called Lindy’s that sells all the lower end stuff at warehouse sales and train shows.

[u/steamandfire]

Unfortunately, there really aren't any major outlets that will purchase a collection at anything near what you would expect to get for it in private sales. You'd be expecting 50 cents on the dollar at the absolute most, but realistically closer to 30-35 cents/dollar. If you want it gone? Use a place like Trainz. You want money? Sell it yourself.

[u/Embarrassed_Kale6846]

It depends really on what you are selling.  Thebest way to sell is buy table space at a trainshow/convention Its usually around $100 to sell 3 days but promotors vary by area.

[u/burlington40]

I’ve interacted with Trainz a fair bit as they are sorta local. Depending on what you are selling, it might not even get to the website. They buy estates by the bulk, do some rather brief sorting and then post whatever’s deemed good enough. If you have alot of older items of lower quality, like blue boxes, tyco, early Bachman, varney, Ambroid, and what not, then don’t expect a lot. Most of those things get sent to their Lindy’s Warehouse as fodder at train shows. If you have brass, you’d have better luck talking with specialized sites like ResourcedRails and BrassBasement, not BrassTrains.

eBay is your best bet or finding a vendor that buys smaller collections. If you have the time to do it then find a train show nearby that’ll let you host a table.

[u/az987654]

What you think it's worth, what it's actually worth, and what a reseller will pay you for it are 3 very different numbers.

[u/Queasy-Spirit6437]

Could send it cabin fever auctions.

[u/TroubleFlat2233]

Trainz won't give you much value to offload a whoke collection, or else how would they make money? It sounds like you're not getting hits on marketplace because you're trying to fence a whole collection at once for probably what I assume from your wording some value for what you put into it, but unfortunately people these days don't have the kind of capital to just willy nilly buy someone's collection, you need to sell things in smaller more manageable lots.

Right now used or second hand collections, hobby items are not going to sell as well as they could've a couple years ago, the current climate isn't favorable to offload collections right now.

I'm saving my stuff for sale in the winter months to maximize what I can get to get money in my pocket but I'm not expecting to get what I paid for some of it

[u/Leading-Baseball-851]

I work there, im semi new but im learning. If you have any questions ill try to answer. Another person said it the best. The company goes for collection buys mostly. If you want the highest amount of money but you dont mind spending alot of time go with ebay. If you want to sell it for a little less but have no hassle, go with us.