Ever sell your layout?

[platypus1217]

I recently moved to a new, bigger apartment. I have been wanting a layout to run longer trains for a while something my old layout had trouble doing. I am not sure if my apartment is big enough for two layouts, so I have been thinking about selling my current one to make room and raise funds for the new one.

I wanted to hear about other peoples experience selling their layouts. How did you find a buyer? Were you able to get a reasonable price for it? I was going to compute my asking price by totaling the cost of the track and structures on it.

I was thinking about trying eBay but was a little intimidated by the fees and the fact that some of the layouts I have seen on there don't seem to generate a lot of response.

 

[TruckLover]

Thats exactly what i have noticed about layouts on e-bay, they dont generate enough response hardly at all which in return doesn't get you your moneys worth for your hard work.

I would highly suggest just disassembling your current layout you have right now. Take it all apart and re-use some stuff and list the stuff you dont want to keep either here on the Gauge or on e-bay, whcih ever you prefer. Unless you are switching codes in track, i would suggest just keeping all the track since thats the most expensive part. The ballast, maybe try and save some if its not glued down and sift thru it to separate the diffrent ballast colors and grains if you can. And maybe even use the layout base/benchwork as part of your new layouts benchwork and just add onto it :thumb: :thumb:

this is what i have done with my last 2 layouts, each being bigger then my last and i like this better then just selling the whole thing and loosing a bunch of money in the process, Just my thoughts :mrgreen:

 

[Russ Bellinis]

It is probably almost impossible to sell a layout. My local hobby shop built a demonstration layout 15-20 years ago. Then they decided that they needed the space for more product displays, so it was sold. If I remember correctly, it took them 2-3 months to sell it, and they got about $.10 on the dollar for it. If you can get the track up without damaging it, you could reuse the track. You will probably use your current rolling stock. Any structures that you don't want to use on the new layout, could be sold if you have done a good job on the construction. You might even make a profit on a structure model. A few years ago, before he moved to Washington State from So Cal, Galen (Ocaliecreek) built an Atlas interlocking tower, weathered it, and put it on E-bay. He did it because he wanted to build the structure, but didn't have any use for it after he finished it. I think he was surprised at the price he got for it when the bidding was over. Of course Galen is without doubt one of the best modelers I've met.

 

[platypus1217]

I was definitely going to keep the rolling stock. The other scenery was glued to the layout.

I had though about ripping it up and salvaging what I could. That is what I had done on my layout before this, although it had very little scenery on it. This one was much more complete and it seemed ashame to tear it up. But if I can't get enough to cover the materials that went into it then it does make sense to salvage what I can off of it. At least I will always have the pictures of it!

 

[pgandw]

The smaller the layout, the better the chance of selling it intact. The smaller it is, the more chance it has of fitting in a buyer's house. But even then, as others have said, you generally get pennies on the dollar.

Put aside your pride in your creation, and imagine yourself as a buyer of your next layout. What would you be looking for? What are your chances of finding another person's layout having what you are looking for? At the level of craftsmanship worthy of your dollars? Right.....

With that answer, the only reason left for buying an intact layout is to strip it. You have to buy it for pennies on the dollar to make the stripping worthwhile.

Finally, shipping a layout is expensive and burdensome. Each layout section must be crated and then paid for. Which is why selling layouts on eBay is not very productive. That, and sellers don't want to believe how little their layout is worth.

my thoughts, your choices

 

[Ammler]

Most of all the layouts that I've seen on ebay were listed pickup only. Now this is not a problem if the seller is reatively close, but when we are talking several hundred miles, that is a deal breaker.

You might actually do better listing it in your local news paper.

 

[MasonJar]

I have only sold one, partly complete 4x8 table top. The buyer was found through a local club. I got about 50% of the "sticker value" I had in it, and pretty much nothing for the labour invested. But it suited me to move it out, rather than salvage and reuse. And the buyer was happy too.

Andrew

 

[TrainNut]

I tried to sell this one for $750 a long time ago.

I never got a single bite until after I got tired of it sitting in my garage and donated it to the local club. It sold immediately after for $400. $750 was about what I had into it for materials and did not include any labor of any kind. More pictures of the build can be found here.