Giving up, sort of. Not advertising.

[The son of Triangman]

After 56 years of collecting, I am calling it a day in small scale i.e. OO. My collection except for spare parts is going to a specialist east anglian auction house. I can't live forever and time is against me as I am in poor health. It has been a long winded drawn out decision but no one lasts forever. What will you do with your collection when age and time are against you?

[Moccasin]

I’m sorry to hear this and hope you’re able to carry on modelling in some manner as it’s clearly given you much enjoyment over those 56 years.

I have no children and my nephew shows no interest, so I’ll probably sell what I have when the time comes. I already have some lightly used 00 that I’m intending to sell to fund my new TT habit.

[atom3624]

I've enjoyed reading of your exploits and contributions, and hope they continue for some time.

Logic does get the better of you sometimes, but I hope you can still continue where able.

Personally, I've no idea what will happen to me - build my own pyramid, entombed with my collection? Who knows!!

I'm enjoying most of what I'm doing currently so anticipate to continue as long as practicably possible.

Al.

[Rana Temporia]

SOT sorry to see this post. My father died last year and left an enormous amount of model railway equipment which he’d enjoyed until near the end when he was still collecting. It made him happy. Now the rest of us are trying to dispose of it in a respectful way and I must say it has had an effect on the way I enjoy my collection. I have decided to cut my stock down to just the items I actually want which will be the Triang and Playcraft trains I grew up with. I don’t want my partner and family to be left with a massive amount of items they need to get rid of that has no value to them but they they know were important to me,

Unfortunately most people want me to give stuff away. I have tried several dealers who want to give me less than £10 a loco and virtually nothing for coaches or wagons, so I have gone down the eBay route which is better but takes time I don’t have. I still have a full time job and an incident response role on top of that. I’ve done a swap meet to try and sell some of the equipment off and I won’t do another one after that experience.

I hope the auction house you are using is respectful and treating you fairly, I checked a few out in the NW and quickly realised they weren’t for me.

I know the process I’m in is going to take years and will be difficult but to answer your question I have to start sometime. Better to start while people still want what I have and I am still able to do it rather than force it onto others.

Now then, back to happier normality…..do I really need that Grafar OO Prairie tank that I wanted as a teenager….and it’s only £25………..and I have a spare motor…….

[Bulleidboy]

After reading your posts for many years, I wish you all the best for the future. BB

[What About The Bee]

In a way, I've already been through this, albeit for a different hobby. I had grown bored with the hobby, yet I had several thousands invested in the bits and bobs. It sat, idle for many years.

I finally just placed all the bits on eBay, individually. It was a monumental effort, as each item needed a description. Each item would need be sent to the correct winning bidder.

I did all the work beforehand and then, listed all in sequence, with the ending to happen in sequence, just minutes apart. I set my starting no reserve price at one dollar. Let it go!!

Now bidders after they examine one of your listings, check the others. This is why it all had to go at once. To create the frenzy! They see one, and want more!

I did well. Got most of my cash back for investment in other hobbies.

If the items are to go, Son Of Triangman, then let them go.

Bee

[threelink]

Sorry to read of your decision and the reasons for it. I hope you will continue to post because I have always found your posts informative and helpful. So far as concerns disposal of my junk when I shuffle off this mortal coil, my family can bin the lot - it's given me years of fun but is all made from rubbish, cost peanuts and is not worth a bean.

All the very best for the future.

[What About The Bee]

it's given me years of fun

 

 

That is exactly the right answer ThreeLink. If we wanted an investment vehicle, perhaps a wiser choice would be bonds, annuities or precious metals.

There was a fellow I formerly subscribed to on YouTube, who had loads of beautiful locomotives. They nestled in their coffins, er boxes, eternally. Never played with, never enjoyed. The man simply purchased them to rest on a shelf. His heirs will simply dump them.

Bee

[Tony57]

Hi Sot

Sorry to hear of your failing health and to hear that your collection has to go, I guess we will all have to make decision at sometime,.

If it was mine a guess I would just keep just a couple of my most prized ones just to run on a simple track just to give me an interest. Not that my collection is worth that much.

What are you going to do with your spares collection? Will you keep doing repairs whilst you still can?

[wairoalbany]

A worthwhile question Triangman. I have one daughter and she shows very little interest in trains. I expect my collection will be sold off here and there. That is not sad though as it means the people who will buy them will likely enjoy them too.

I have bought several items this year from a large estate collection. The owner died and I often look at what I bought from the estate and think how much fun he probably had with these very same items. I like to think that he would find my little railway and my local railway club a fitting place for them.