Been looking for my dream loco for a while.
Notice one on the O gauge section of that certain auction site and was nearly caught out.
Listing was HO BLI PRR 4-4-4-4 T-1 WPs2 loaded buy now $289.99
Well what a great price I thought and only after my excitement had died down and reread again & again I notice the "HO".
Have any of you have been caught out buying a wrong scale item listed in the O section?
I suppose its always the same buyer beware James

Got me the other week and I agree it is our own fault for not looking closely enough. I bought an Atlas A&P Reefer brand new in box for 23.95 and sur nuf it is HO.

I almost got caught on a LIONEL #2332 GG-1. Only by blowing up the picture could I see that it was a Hallmark ornament GG-1!!!

The bidding had already gone up to real GG-1 heights, so I don't think I was the only one.

Jon

I bought an HO steamer on ebay thinking it was O. Some how my search took me into HO. Anyway, I managed to sell it at a train show for almost what I paid for it as it was high quality but I did feel stupid for not paying more attention. Now I double check when something looks too good to be true: the gauge; the seller; how it's described:

"......I don't know much about trains, I'm selling this for a friend. I can't test it so I'm selling it as is; looks RARE, a few scratches and the paint is missing on one side but otherwise in mint condition........No returns."

It happened to me about a week ago. I went on ebay and saw a brass Diamond Scale coaling tower and the auction had 15 sec. left. I did a quick scan of the listing and bid, Yep HO. It's on the Buy/Sell board now. I'll probably put it back on ebay in the fall.

From the title, I thought that this thread was going to be about sneaking trains into the house.

As for the purpose of this thread, I've nearly done it with both Ho steamers and large lots of train stuff. Thankfully, I didn't bid on them.

quote:

From the title, I thought that this thread was going to be about sneaking trains into the house.

Scott Smith didn't start the thread so I knew it was something else.

Lionel OO gauge catches me now and again.

I bought an ho container thinking it was o gauge.I didn't realize it until I received it.It said ho in the description but somehow I missed it.However,it gave me an awareness and kept me from making the same mistake twice.So far.

I got caught on eBay with a Gulf tank car that was listed as "MTH Premier O Scale". Turned out to be Ahearn HO. The picture didn't show the couplers. Fortunately, the seller took it back and refunded my money.

Gilly

Always read the entire auction description on ebay.

I've sold a bunch of stuff on ebay, and I'm amazed (annoyed!) when someone (and it happens alot!) asks me a question that is clearly answered in the description.

Kooljock's experience is fairly common. I have 3 of the Hallmark locos,the 726,the 746,and the GG1. They are nice but definitely static HO size. Unfortunately the literature that comes with the locos give the actual Lionel model stats. Here is the problem. Sellers on ebay will sometimes post those figures without mentioning Hallmark and that can catch folks. Worse,a person just looking at auctions can't contact the potential buyers because of ebay rules.

Almost got a "Like New, Original Box" last winter. Starting bid was $150 for a loco that would go for $180-200. Photo showed the loco and the box, and both looked "like new". Description included all the right details, but seemed like it was transcribed from... the box. Several questions about the loco were dutifully answered (test-run only, everything works, the usual). I asked the seller if the price included the box in the picture *plus* the loco in the picture... game over.

I'm building duplicate cuts of Lionel Chessie System ACF hoppers (17100-17105) for one of my grain trains. A few weeks ago I went on an Ebay binge, buying cars to make up yet one more matched consist to bring the total up to 32 cars.

Although I had two 17101 hoppers that were "odd man out" with no accompaniying sets, I pulled the trigger and bid on yet another one. I noticed this after I had won the auction and sent my money order.

Oh well. I'm still looking for a 17103, but the Ebay supply of these hoppers seems to have dried up for now.

(Edit: Rats. I seem to have missed another one just now)

---PCJ

Bob, that definitly sounds like deceptive practices to me. I would have reported it ebay. Even if it states that the train is not included, having it in the photo is enough to fool people. That tool knew exactly what he was doing!

Red all-metal SP caboose... turned out to be HO, listed under O.. now I've had my one learning experience and now this emptor is much more caveat.

I saw this topic a while ago while it still only had one reply and didn't want to fess up until I saw it wasn't so uncommon.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Snyder:
Kooljock's experience is fairly common. I have 3 of the Hallmark locos,the 726,the 746,and the GG1. They are nice but definitely static HO size. Unfortunately the literature that comes with the locos give the actual Lionel model stats. Here is the problem. Sellers on ebay will sometimes post those figures without mentioning Hallmark and that can catch folks. Worse,a person just looking at auctions can't contact the potential buyers because of ebay rules.

Forgot about that one.I ended up with the HO version of the static NYC F3`s when it was clearly stated O scale with sound all copied off the literature that came with the set.
Too good to be true $35 plus $35 post! so the seller refunded the post as it would have cost the same to return to the states.Now I have an HO set in a display case with no where to display it.James