C W Burfle posted:They're stuck in the mindset that folks think there's VALUE in a rare postwar Jersey Central FM with a maroon vs. gray roof. Variations like that are part of the "collector's mentality" that has fallen off dramatically as many enthusiasts have evolved into operators who don't give a hoot about variations -- at least not in a sense that they're willing to pay a premium for them.
There are still folks who care about variations, and assign higher values to certain ones. They don't attend every show, and if they participate here (probably don't) they probably keep it to themselves because of the ridicule they'd receive.
That written, I'll agree that the market is shrinking, and there are fewer people interested in such things. Many of them already have those "rare" variations, so the demand certainly is low.I think that a lot of people are missing the thought that many of the folks setting up a train shows are not dealers nor are they running a business. They are hobbyists looking to sell off some stuff. They don't need the money to pay the bills or be able to buy dinner. Or even to be able to afford their next train fix. So they set the price where they feel it should be, and don't care whether they sell the item or not.
If you don't sell anything, you cannot have "sellers remorse".
"...The last part of that sentence screams of begging the question as to why even bother attempting to sell in the first place." --posted by John Korling.
These two posts got me thinking. I think C.W. Burfle has got something here. Maybe the dealers/hobbyists (and obviously it isn't every dealer at these shows) that don't seem to mind taking the trains home and back again to the next show do it for several reasons. Assuming that they don't need the money which is entirely possible, maybe they do it to hang out and socialize with their friends, get away from the wife or the in-laws for a weekend, go out to dinner, and overall maybe just maybe they have a good time doing it. Either that or perhaps they are stubborn and will wait until they get their price on an item but surely any logical person would add up all the costs of attending multiple train shows such as gas, tolls (if any), food, cost for the table and their own personal labor and time in setting up their table and loading and unloading their car.
One time I was at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ for their automotive swap meet. A guy had a 1/18 scale Barracuda I wanted to buy. It was in nice condition but it had no box. I asked how much it was and the guy was actually kind of annoyed at me just for asking. It was like I was bothering him. He and a bunch of his friends were sitting around a table talking. He said, "$30". I said would you take $25? I felt that was fair offer since there was no box and I don't feel like I was beating him up. He refused right away and I walked away. He obviously didn't care if he made a sale or not. Some people are stubborn and don't care what the market is for something (I had bought a similar 1/18 with no box at an earlier show for $20). They have to get their price no matter what yet I always get the feeling that if they were buying from me whatever price I ask for something will always be too high. Was he a guy who goes to shows to hang out and socialize with his friends or someone who is stubborn and won't sell anything unless he gets his price? I don't know but perhaps it is a little of both?
