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jlong
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 Posted - September 30 2006 : 11:40:19 PM
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There are two signs of aging. First is those gray hairs that keep popping up. Second is those post 1969 modern era brown box Tycos popping on ebay and pegged "vintage Tyco" Or "Grandpas Trains". My how time flys. I absolutely refuse, however, to refer to anything made after 1969 "vintage".
John Long
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on January 31 2007 11:12:45 PM
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 Posted - September 30 2006 : 11:59:13 PM
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Antique by definiton is being 30 years old or older as in most states you can obtain antique auto tags for your vehicles if they are 30 yrs or older.
What is definition of vintage in terms of years? 15-20?
The term "Grandpa's trains" cracks me up when listed on ebay as i too have seen it recently. No offense to anyone nor is offense intended. Stating that they were grandpa's is different than listing them as grandpa's and i am not trying to be politically correct as this country has gone bonkers on politcally correctness which i personally can not stand.
Edited by - Brianstyco on September 30 2006 11:59:52 PM
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Posted - October 01 2006 : 10:29:37 AM
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As a kid who cut his collecting teeth rescuing the likes of Lionel, Flyer, Ives, Dorfan and the odd-occasional Bing or Carlisle & Finch from musty basements and dusty attics, I find this entire topical thread uncomfortably surreal. Webster's defines "vintage" as "characterized by excellence and lasting popularity."
What's next? "Vintage" pet rocks?
The 1000 year old man,
Magnolia Academy
weird... weird... weird...
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Posted - October 01 2006 : 5:50:06 PM
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Antique cars are generally considered regusterable as such beyond 25 years old. At least, that's how it's been in IL, KY, and AZ - where I have direct knowledge of the policies there.
"Classic" is altogether different. And "Antique" car is not necessarily a "classic", although the terms are often intermixed. "Classic" requires a certain, if often intangible mystique. Sometimes this is attained through appreciation bought with age, sometimes things are born as classics. A 1971 Pinto may be an antique to the state, but a classic to few.
"Vintage" seems to reconcile the two terms, to me. You have something old, but with more value perhaps than age for the sake of age... yet not quite as gilded as a classic. Lionels are classic. "Vintage" as used in wineries purley donets the year... and lends a whiff of mystique beyond "old", more servicability than "antique"... but not enough to be "classic".
This is all purley subjective and debatable of course, and will go out the window the first time I hear Nirvana on the local "oldies" station...
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Posted - October 01 2006 : 9:42:23 PM
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John says there are two signs of aging: grey hairs and "grampa's trains" coming into usage describing brown box Tyco.
I think there must be more than two... or at least three... the third being not giving a crap anymore how anyone defines your collecting habits...
VIVA, "VINTAGE"!
I'm gonna start hoarding Corkey's Carnival sets, Toys R' Us "exclusive" sets and anything carrying the someday-valuable description "made in China." THERE, DAGNABIT! I'm ahead of the collecting curve again...
cranky curmudgeon in Magnolia Academy
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jlong
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Posted - October 01 2006 : 9:53:57 PM
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I wonder where the tooling for US1 trucking is. They should bring it back on the market.
John Long
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Posted - October 01 2006 : 10:00:01 PM
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John:
As ideas go, I'd say reviving US Trucking might qualify as a good one--given what the stuff seems to bring on eBay and other internet auction sites. US Trucking seems to have gathered quite a following. Just make sure you have 'em crank out plenty of the highway/rail crossings for us frustrated road n' railers.
Magnolia-A
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jlong
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Posted - October 01 2006 : 11:48:26 PM
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I see the track and rail xings on ebay but haven't paid attention to what they close at.
Another ebay auction I get a kick out of is the guy who gives a brief, vauge description of an item in small print and doesn't know if it runs. OK. Fine. But you scroll down and they blast you with 10 paragraphs of terms in huge bold print. "YOU AGREE TO BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...... YOU MUST BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.... YOU ARE BOUND TO BLAH, BLAH, BLAH....."
LMAO!
John Long
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Posted - October 02 2006 : 12:26:56 PM
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quote:| Another ebay auction I get a kick out of is the guy who gives a brief, vauge description of an item in small print and doesn't know if it runs. OK. Fine. But you scroll down and they blast you with 10 paragraphs of terms in huge bold print. "YOU AGREE TO BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...... YOU MUST BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.... YOU ARE BOUND TO BLAH, BLAH, BLAH....." |
I see those guys in person at most of the shows I go to.
You know the type - the guys with tons of loose cars in cardboard soda crates giving you the stinkeye when you HAVE to dig through there, where every car is $10 despite missing axles and couplers and trucks (but you can buy the box of those parts for another $10)... with rows of dusty open ho-hum clunker locomotives starting at $50 while brand-new modern stuff flies for the same price two booths away... And they're always the last ones packing at closing time looking miserable, "why did I waste my time"... so they sell their stuff to each other and appear at the next show without fail. You'd think they'd figure it out sometime!
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jlong
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Posted - October 02 2006 : 9:48:00 PM
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quote:I see those guys in person at most of the shows I go to.
You know the type - the guys with tons of loose cars in cardboard soda crates giving you the stinkeye when you HAVE to dig through there, where every car is $10 despite missing axles and couplers and trucks |
We have a few knuckleheads like that here in Wisconsin. They aren't what you would call trainheads and see us as cash cows with brains of peas. They make a lot of mistakes in their buying because they don't know parts are missing. They can't understand why Bachman isn't worth Kato money and so on. They are known to throw raging fits at everyone as they pack up at the end of the show. LMAO
I'm getting my feet wet with ebay dealers as I got another shipment this evening. This time I got a stung but only for a few dollars. It's a Hooker Chemical car with a minor scratch and missing the platform around the dome. It was advertised to have no missing parts or damage. My bad as the pic clearly shows no dome. Included was a red GN boxcar with no problems so overall I'm happy with the purchase. It's not worth returning so hopefully I can get a dome platform off a junker at a show. Can anyone tell me if the platforms on brown box cars are interchangable with red box era? Otherwise, purchases have been good and I've hooked up with two dealers whom I look forward to getting more stuff from.
John Long
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Posted - October 02 2006 : 11:28:52 PM
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Sounds like the seller probably did not know that the tanker ever HAD a platform, and "complete" meant no broken wheels, couplers, or missing brakewheel. I'd forgive the error - there are tons of "grampa's trains" laying around that sellers just don't have a clue about.
As for the scratch... call it iffy but I have seen genuine NIB Tycos (and other manufacturers too) with paint jobs that leave much to be desired.
My ebay experience is overwhelmingly positive. just this past week I received a Walthers Brach's 3-car set, listed as sealed intact. But when I got it, one of the contents had been swapped out. The LABEL was certainly intact, but it was clear the seller didn't realize just what was SUPPOSED to be in there. When I politely explained the situation, he refunded the unit price of the duplicate car and let me keep it.
I have a Mantua DuPont tanker with the platform. The platform fits my abused (personal childhood survivor) Tyco GI Joe tanker with no problem... and that's about as far in the red-to-brown box spectrum as you'll get ;)
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jlong
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Posted - October 03 2006 : 12:34:02 AM
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quote:| Sounds like the seller probably did not know that the tanker ever HAD a platform, and "complete" meant no broken wheels, couplers, or missing brakewheel. I'd forgive the error - there are tons of "grampa's trains" laying around that sellers just don't have a clue about. |
Yea, I figured that and left a posative in the feedback but no warm fuzzies. Like I said, the pic cleary shows a missing platform and I can't believe it got past me.
quote:As for the scratch... call it iffy but I have seen genuine NIB Tycos (and other manufacturers too) with paint jobs that leave much to be desired.
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There is also a chunk missing in the second "O" of HOOKER(inside the flag) so it reads "HOCKER". Makes for a unique car.
John Long
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Posted - October 03 2006 : 10:23:29 AM
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John:
Chemical car/tanker car parts interchange from one "era" to another.
As to the discourse on the "charms" of local train shows and swaps: all your discussion of dullards, dirt-bag and ditto-head dealers is sure making me long for a show... it's been a while for me and I'd started to erase from memory all those stellar moments. Ahhh, the nostalgia of dealer and/or dullard abuse!
Magnolia Academy
ps to John: Ebay sure has its own frustrating wrinkles, eh?
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Posted - February 10 2007 : 4:51:47 PM
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It's why it's so imporatant to list the ___holes who rip off people and the goodies that don't.
Thats what Brians Stickie's are for and they get WAY underused!!!
-Gareth
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Posted - February 20 2007 : 5:18:53 PM
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I’m a Grandpa and I have lots of Tyco Brown Boxes and Atheran Blue Boxes, funny thing is I don’t remember being so old when I purchased them, however I do remember the twinkle in my eyes when I took them off the local Karl’s Hobby Store shelves with my saved up allowance money wadded up in my sweaty little hands.
As far as Ebay is concerned I just finally gave up, if you get treated badly and then leave bad feedback the seller just nails you back even though they got paid on time, I call it Feedback Hostages, and Ebay is all about the money no service for the victims.
Anyhow I prefer to buy what ever crosses me path, Arrr Pirate model railroading at its very best. All the shows I have been too in Central California have been adventures in excellent deals and really polite and friendly dealers. The ones that want money for the stuff, have good stuff and even if you don't buy anything are still really happy to talk to you. Allot of them are there for the pre-show deals and just have a table to get in early.
The last show I picked up a Atheran F-45 Blue War Bonnet for $15.00. It didn’t run but I had so much fun fixing it and breathing life into it that it made me appreciate it more, (frozen worm gear bearings). Really I have such good luck and fun at these shows that it takes me back to that kid in the store running around, shouting and buying "Some Really Cool Trains" that makes Ebay but a distant bad memory.
Gee I just got a rush from that last paragraph.
Still I have to tell you all that I am getting it bit frustrated with TYCO Power Stroke motors as all the time I invest in fixing one is for naught! I don’t remember these childhood memories very well, oh wait maybe that switch to Atheran at such an early age.
Edited by - Trans-Slam on February 20 2007 5:54:30 PM
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Posted - February 21 2007 : 01:59:54 AM
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Trans-Slam...
You gave the $64,000 word in your description in that last paragraph: "It didn’t run but I had so much fun fixing it and breathing life into it that it made me appreciate it more, (frozen worm gear bearings)."
When people stop having fun, then is when it's time to worry and seek hobbuchtual help and guidance.
John
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
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