Thanks for the interesting thread, Mike. I always appreciate the chance to see the perspective of others. . . especially since I'm not a collector. Because of my personal situation, I treat the hobby as a zero-sum game - whatever I sell gives me resources to buy new things. I also enjoy re-doing my layout theme every now and then - so that means I regularly get rid of what I have and look for 'new-to-me' items. Also I usually like odd O gauge items like Hornby tinplate and Western Hobbycraft trolleys.
My observation of the odd or rare items I'm always monitoring tallies with those who see a general softening of the market. There does not seem to be the same number of folks chasing what I am interested in than there were five or ten years ago. It also appears that the secondary market, at least online, is still influenced by the time of the year - eg there is a bit more demand for things that may end up a bit more expensive or higher priced in fall / winter versus spring and summer.
That said, I like playing with my toys - and I really love seeing them go off to a new home when I'm done with them. I personally prefer to give a buyer a great price.
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