I have bought for re-sale a couple of times. Years ago the Little Choo Choo Shop in Spencer was blowing out lots and lots of trains. I purchased quite a few trains them and sold on Ebay. The money I made on those paid for the trains I kept.
Last December I bought several items from the Lionel sale and flipped them on the Buy-Sell Forum and on Ebay and that paid for the items I kept. If my wife knows that more money is coming in than left she is a lot nicer about the trains I decide to keep.
Scott Smith