# Prices going up



## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I have only been watching prices on ebay for a little over 1 year.
It seems to me they are going up. For the past month I have been trying to buy a nice 293. They have been going for more than I want to pay. I just lost another one. LOL, and lost big. This
one included an oval of track, a very small AF transformer, and 3
pieces of rolling stock. A 804 gondola, a 925 tank car, and a 806
caboose. I could care less about the track and the transformer. I
would use the cars. The 293 was very nice. Good paint and good
graphics. I thought I bid a good price. Plenty really. It did have
free shipping. I bid 96 something (only because of free shipping
and the stuff with it). That stupid thing went for 127 something.
I had 4 bidders over me. Not even close. For 127 I want a decent Hudson. Still lots of AF locos for sale so its not that they are rare. Has anybody else noticed the higher prices? I will bide my time.

I still think a nice 293 should go for 55 to 75. Just my opinion.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

mopac said:


> I have only been watching prices on ebay for a little over 1 year.
> It seems to me they are going up. For the past month I have been trying to buy a nice 293. They have been going for more than I want to pay. I just lost another one. LOL, and lost big. This
> one included an oval of track, a very small AF transformer, and 3
> pieces of rolling stock. A 804 gondola, a 925 tank car, and a 806
> ...


I have a 293 and it is one of my favorites! Good runner and smoker. Keep on looking Mopac. I use a sniping program and if I really want something, I bid via the program, my upward price. I like it because I don't get into a biding war and just inflate the ending cost.


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## dooper (Nov 9, 2015)

Us old guys must be bidding against each other?


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

There's lots of 293's for sale on the bay, your price range of 55-75 is on the low end based on what shows on completed and sold items. Condition is still the driver as far as prices are concerned. Sometimes it might be better to just look for the engine itself instead of grouped with other items. If you assign 40 dollars to the three cars and trans. and track you're down to around 87 dollars to the sale you didn't get, so not far off of your estimated price. Sometimes it's not a bad idea to look for buy it now also if the engine looks good even if it might be slightly higher than you want to spend. Based on my observations I think prices are down some over the last few years. There's a lot of Flyer on sale now in part because people are thinning their collections or family members dumping what was left after someone passed on. There is a lot of really nice stuff on sale right now that wasn't available just a few years ago. All this is just my opinion of course, but watching ebay I'm seeing a lot of Flyer come up for sale that in years past you just didn't see. The quality of these items is much nicer in many cases then in years past. Patience as you say and you'll get one at the price you want.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

I was watching a 4-piece boiler 302 last week. There was no tender, the boiler face was missing, and the seller said it didn't run. It went for $37 bucks!!!!!! Some people have more money than brains....


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

flyernut said:


> I was watching a 4-piece boiler 302 last week. There was no tender, the boiler face was missing, and the seller said it didn't run. It went for $37 bucks!!!!!! Some people have more money than brains....


That's always been the case in lots of folks buying habits. I still scratch my head at some of the asking prices for items you see. But, there are also some great deals out there. The pool of buyers is also shrinking in respect to Flyer so that can effect prices. Again, this is just my opinion and that and 2 bucks can get you a cup of coffee.


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## flyguy55 (Apr 20, 2015)

I have to disagree with prices rising.Having sold trains for over 20 years I have never seen prices lower.I do think prices drops have slowed down a bit.And what is true as in all collectibles is that quality pieces bring quality prices.Post War Lionel is a dead market and post war Flyer has always been a much smaller market.A good example is starter engines.The last running Casey Jones I sold was $10 or $15.Almost any running Atlantic will not bring over $20 or $25.There so many common pieces out there that they do not bring prices up.Last show I did the vendor next to me had a very nice #336 for $285.....he let it go at the end of the show for $225.I cannot say I wasn't tempted.My best advise when looking for a single piece is to buy a set or a lot.The 293 lot when the dust settled for $125 may not have been a bad buy.Depends on condition of the engine and with ebay that is sometimes a crap shoot.Patience always wins out.In the case of the 293 keep watching ebay there will be another 5 or 10 up for bid in a week or two.....


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Plenty of 293s for sale. Actually plenty of any engines. The 293 I bid on was a very nice
engine. Great paint and deserved a premium price. I will get one. Its not like I need it.
I can be patient. I try to be a cheap buyer. I watch for nice ones at an average price.
I threw that plan out on my northern. I paid the load on that one. But it is nice. One of
the few engines that ran really well right out of the sellers shipping box.


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