If I were to sell my layout...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So I'm thinking about starting a new one (thinking about...) and to do that I'd need to dispose of my current one.

I'd hate to just toss it, since I think it still has some "legs" to it, but I don't have the room to have two.

So, just as a ballpark, what do you all think I should think about asking for it? I know we've seen stuff come up on ebay, but generally they're honestly not that great, so it's tough to base expectations on that.

I guess I'm kinda just thinking out loud here, but do any of you have any experience with this type of thing?

[3rdrail]

It depends, if you go to have one built, it'll cost somewhere around $250 per square foot. But, if people know you're trying to get rid of one to build a new one, they expect to just "take it off your hands". If it's not finished, and from what I've seen on here, yours isn't, there isn't really much of a market.  Best bet is take it to a train show, run it and put a sign For sale $2,000 or make offer in front of it. And, run a train of a locomotive and cars you're prepared to "throw in for free".

[asciibaron]

it's foam - cut the cool part out and make it a diorama. reuse the other parts.

-Steve

[tracksentinel]

Donate it to a museum or old folks home and declare a $5000 tax credit for it next year:~)

[wm3798]

Take lots of pictures, capture all the magic memories.  Then gut it.  Reuse, Recycle, Save Money.

I have the bones of several layouts that have been incorporated into my current edition.  If you try to sell it, you'll just feel dirty.  No one will want to pay you what you think it's worth, and they won't love it the way you do.

Plus, you'd have to commit time and $$ to finishing it to get anywhere close to what you think you can price wise...

So... want to plan a research trip to Seaford, then?

Lee

[chuck geiger]

I sold my HO layout in Wichita before moving to Fresno. It was fairly smooth. The price is higher with structures and rolling stock. But if you pull everything but track and scenery the price becomes attractive to someone that doesn't want to go through the hassle of building one. I was asking 3k for everything I got 500.00 for just the sections of tracked and scenic layout portions. I advertised in the local paper and the LHS.

[wm3798]

Then again, there's alway's Ed's celebrity factor... could run the bidding up considerable!

Lee

[DKS]

Take lots of pictures, capture all the magic memories.  Then gut it.

This is what I'd do. Way less work than selling it.

[tom mann]

Ed - hold on - I have a brilliant idea!  You could - wait for it - donate it to a hospital!

The junk that shows up on ebay goes for serious coin, but only because of quad tracks with 1 million pieces of **rare** bachmann equipment.  Your layout doesn't have the "lionel catalog" look to it.  I mean crap, Bernie didn't get too much for his layout that was featured in MR.

I think you may be better off with advertising at MBK.

[Ian MacMillan]

You'd also owe me a certain percentage for "scenery materials" ;D

[asciibaron]

You'd also owe me a certain percentage for "scenery materials" ;D

dude, my Malcolm Furlow comment was a joke.  i don't think he would waste shake on his layout - he'd save it up and then pull some tubes

-STeve

[sirenwerks]

Trying to get out of tree duty, eh?

[John]

You could incorporate it into the M&O, and it could live forever .. or at least a week ..

[up1950s]

Chop it into 3' x 1' sections and sell as dioramas for photo shoots . Much easier to ship as well .

[Chris333]

I say take it to a show and see what happens, maybe trade it for a new GP15.