Need Some ONCE IN A LIFETIME Advice: Selling a Layout

[rickb773]

Gentlemen, I need some advice:
1) How does one go about selling a 4'x8' layout?
2) Is it feasible; is there a market?
3) What venue do you sell it on (eBay, Craig's List, Classifieds...)?
4) When to sell (before Christmas)?
5) Realistic price?

Background: Here's my situation: Had to move due to wife's medical condition so I lost my old home (and basement) and had to cut up my old 18'x19' layout (see: http://myrrlayout.com/R/Aspfiles/DetailPage.asp?Xfer_Code=20001280 or Nov/Dec 2011 N Scale Magazine)

After 30 years of armchair railroading (and raising 4 great kids) I got back into the hobby by building a 4x8 layout (see: Sept/Oct 2012 N Scale Magazine). It survived my move to a 55 and older community. Instead of a 22x32 basement I now have a 17x12 loft which doubles as the computer room (built in wall desk). The 4x8 made it to the loft as I began my next project, 3 years ago, the 1950s Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in Westville & Woodbury (see:
http://rickb773-prsl.blogspot.com/ ). I have 3 sort of completed modules in the loft and 2 more in the garage ready to move to the loft. BUT I have no room for them until the 4x8 is removed.

I have an attachment to the 4x8 and would like to find it a good home. It can run 2 trains unattended or do some serious switching. Having been out of work for 20+ months I would like to get something for it. The dilemma is how do you sell something that size (and move it)?

I am thinking eBay. I plan to remove the autos and many of the buildings (leaving the station, mine, freight warehouse (with diesel horn), small tower, and Pennsy position signal and possibly throwing in some DPM kits.

Do I offer that on eBay starting at $299 of do I throw in a transformer and small train and ask $399? Or ...

Your serious advice would be appreciated.

[MichaelT]

Was just reading the article a couple nights ago; nice looking layout!

[Lemosteam]

Why not post it on the RW Trading Post?  I'm sure there are some that may be interested in an instant layout, and here you are among anscle friends, so a great chance of it finding a suitable home, and one where you might even get to revisit with the proud new owner!

[Roger Holmes]

The fact that your layout was in the magazine can lead to a price premium.  A few years ago I sold some buildings on eBay that had been on the cover of RMC.  I mentioned that in the listing and they sold for far more than I thought they were worth.

eBay certainly gets you your largest audience but the problem is shipping.  Most of the layouts I have seen are "local pick-up only" which then limits your market.  I have seen some that are willing to ship but that need to safely crate it and then ship by truck is very expensive.  But for a published layout someone might pop for the added shipping expense.

I have no expertise in whether or not UPS, Fed Ex etc would ship something that large, but that might be worth checking into.

Good luck and don't overlook Lemosteam's suggestion that you offer here in the Trading Post first.

[Brakie]

I sold several HO ISL over the years and find a local newspaper or cable TV community board listing works best for me.

I once put a HO ISL up for grabs in my wife's yard sale(included in her yard sale newspaper ad) and it sold in less then a hour.

On the down side I find selling  N Scale ISLs harder then HO.

However..

Since you have a publish layout I would work that angle with the issue containing the article.

[Dave Schneider]

I would also try Craigslist for your local area. I wouldn't undervalue the layout in a CL posting. Just see if someone locally wants to bite. I would think that including the buildings would be important (or replacing them with something) since the buyer of a finished layout may want a turn-key operation. Same thing with including some basic, consumer-grade rolling stock.

Best wishes, Dave

[mecgp7]

Rick,
If you were closer, I'd be all over it. I have three grandsons. For the $ figure you want to start with, I think it'd sell on ebay, craigslist or through the newspaper to someone in your area. I strongly recommend tons of quality pics in your online listings.

Best of luck and if you want to deliver to Maine..............

Clint

[PAL_Houston]

You are under-valuing it.
I sold one via craigslist a few years ago, to a local guy.
Make it ready-to-run, and play up the Christmas gift angle in your listing.
Good luck.

[peteski]

Rick,
you are way undervaluing it. Mark (Spookshow) inventoried the items on his layout which has similar size to yours and the cost was much higher.    It is documented at http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/layout5.html . Check the Bill of Lading on th bottom of that page.  Mark also had some interesting adventures trying to sell it.

[Rossford Yard]

Have bought and sold a layout over the years.  Tricky proposition. 

I agree your best market is local, and in addition to local lists, putting a flyer with picture in the LHS would be a good idea, since interested buyers are likely to hang out there.

Value isn't in what it cost, a la Spookshow's $4024, value is what someone will pay.  In general, they do look at the approximate cost of total parts, and for my money, $4K of parts already assembled would be a deal, but most would want a discount of 50% or more,  not unlike selling used locos or cars (which go as low as $0.20 on the dollar.  Maybe less, as there are few existing layouts the are "perfect" for what another railroader might want.

Add in that its a lot to spend on an XMas present, for even the most train starved little boy (or his grandpa reliving his youth a bit) and I would guess the typical layout like that would have trouble selling for more than $750-800.  I would start around there, and take whatever counter off someone makes if you want it to go quickly to a good home!

Just my $0.02

[davefoxx]

How about $50.00 raffle tickets?   

[MichaelWinicki]

Value isn't in what it cost, a la Spookshow's $4024, value is what someone will pay.  In general, they do look at the approximate cost of total parts, and for my money, $4K of parts already assembled would be a deal, but most would want a discount of 50% or more,  not unlike selling used locos or cars (which go as low as $0.20 on the dollar.  Maybe less, as there are few existing layouts the are "perfect" for what another railroader might want.

Add in that its a lot to spend on an XMas present, for even the most train starved little boy (or his grandpa reliving his youth a bit) and I would guess the typical layout like that would have trouble selling for more than $750-800.  I would start around there, and take whatever counter off someone makes if you want it to go quickly to a good home!

Yeah, if I recall, Mark took a beating on his most expensive layout build when it came time to sell it.  And the last one, while smaller and less elaborate hung around for quite a while before he got it sold.  And that's the other factor in this, how badly does Richard want to get rid of it?

I don't think selling a layout is an easy sell in the best of circumstances.

[Rossford Yard]

I remember putting an offer on Bernie K's steel mill layout years ago when it was for sale.  A real classic, and he started out offering in the thousands.  I don't recall the exact number, but if he asked $6K, I offered about half (yes, I wanted it that bad) and he seemed offended.  (perhaps partially because email etiquette hadn't been established and I may have come off as rude....)

I was flabbergasted to see it sold for in the hundreds later on.  I bet he wished he would have taken my offer.  That said, I still wonder if it could have been transported from VA to TX.

Short version, like any other MRR sales, you try to recoup some of your losses, not all.

[rickb773]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their advice. I never got to post it for sale. A gentleman in Alabama found out it was available and drove 18 hours to New Jersey to get it this morning. It is nice to know it went to someone who appreciated it. (Now I'll go off in a corner and cry about missing it. )

[GaryHinshaw]

Wow.  Congratulations and condolences Rick.