http://www.ebay.com/itm/N-Scale-Atl...662768?hash=item237a79df70:g:PiQAAOSw-0xYaT7I Rare Really. Not rare, just a first run.
Back in the late 1970's thru the 1980's, ConCor had pretty much a strangle hold on the passenger consist market and could ask just about 'whatever' for these limited production sets. The cheapest sets (with diesel loco) was about $200... with a steam loco... over $300. I was tempted to buy some back then... but with small children and low income... i was priced out of the market. Since then... ConCor has fallen out of grace with N scalers because of the lower quality and lack of fidelity to the prototype as compared to Kato's offerings. People who missed out on these ConCor sets 30 years ago should be counting their blessings!! Still... if there are some sets out there with a Hudson (4-6-4) class locomotive... it may command the price. These may be the only sets worth buying in todays market... which is why I beg Kato to make an NYC Twentieth Century Limited with a Dreyfuss Hudson... to end ConCor's reign of terror on passenger consists. Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk
Terrible pictures since he wants $1000 for it (and $960 shipping but it says next day...humm): http://www.ebay.com/itm/N-Scale-bui...228670?hash=item3f741145be:g:5J8AAOSwux5YV0p3
Here's a ConCor example: Golden Arrow with a 4-6-2: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CON-COR-N-S...hash=item564b7c0b6d:m:mkm9_c9f6p7YSEan-l0N4_g
I'm all for charity, but the price is a little crazy. I am selling off my youth in the form of excellent N scale rolling stock and accessories that are more reasonably priced. http://www.ebay.com/itm/N-Scale-Woo...104357?hash=item3ad7e35a25:g:GTsAAOSwZQRYf460
New eBay definition for "Excellent condition." "This item has been graded per TCA standards C-7: Excellent. This locomotive has a couple light scratches on the body. When tested the headlamp works but it will not run. The instruction manual is included. The original box is included. This is sold as-is. No returns. Overall condition is Excellent." http://www.ebay.com/itm/Con-Cor-000...227866?hash=item5b32f9605a:g:ns0AAOSw-0xYmTCr At least he starts bidding at $0.99.
Evidently, "condition" doesn't include operability. BTW, these listings illustrate one of my pet peeves - why are the photos taken from a mile away! Quantity of pictures does not make up for poor quality pictures. When you can barely see the item you start to wonder what the seller is hiding. A fancy turn-table display of photos doesn't help if no one can make out what you're actually selling.
This is quite a guy: on eBay since 1997, almost 300,000 transactions, over 80,000 items currently listed (including over 5,000 N scale items). In the last 12 months: almost 20,000 positive ratings and approx. 300 ratings of neutral and negative. He has a long biography on the web site, which I didn't read. To be charitable, he is probably so busy that some unmanaged employee takes the photos for eBay listings and sets the condition rating with a dart board.
Shipping is down to $795.91 but he says "...for pick up only" in Brooklyn. Maybe the $795.91 is the ransom you have to pay to get out of Brooklyn
Shipping back up to 963.01.. you missed your chance! Also 1 day shipping fedex? Who in their right mind would do that?
If true, it says a lot about something lacking there. It could very well be losing them money, potentially significantly. As it does not run, that means it requires restoration. That knocks it down to, gulp, C-3/C-5 range, regardless of appearance.
TCA standards are generally only associated with Lionel and other O scale collectors. Then again, whoever did the determination doesn't know what they are doing anyways. "C-7 EXCELLENT - all original minute scratches and paint nicks, no rust and no missing parts. No distortion of component parts." Funniest thing about TCA standards is there is nothing in them about something that doesn't run, just visible condition (including rust...once again, Lionel) of the train: C-10 MINT - Brand New all original, unused and unblemished. C-9 FACTORY NEW - Brand New all original, unused, may evidence factory rubs and the slightest evidence of handling, shipping and having been test run at the factory. C-8 LIKE NEW - Complete all original, no rust, no missing parts, may show effects of being on display and/or age, may have been run. C-7 EXCELLENT - all original minute scratches and paint nicks, no rust and no missing parts. No distortion of component parts. C-6 VERY GOOD - Minor scratches and paint nicks, minor spots of surface rust, free of dents. May have minor parts replaced. C-5 GOOD - Sign of play wear with scratches and minor paint loss. Small dents, minor surface rust. Evidence of heavy use. C-4 FAIR - Scratched, moderate paint loss, dented missing parts, surface rust. Evidence of heavy use. C-3 POOR - Requires major body repair. Heavily scratched, major rust and missing parts. Restoration candidate. C-2 - Restoration required. C-1 - Junk, parts value only.
Jeff is correct the grading system was originally composed for tinplate trains. Lionel, but also American Flyer, Marx, etc. It's use has spread through the years. As a past tinplate collector/repairer, and a past TCA member, I have a fair feel for how the grading would be appropriately applied here.
I've found that it isn't just eBay that serves up bizarre pricing. Take a look at this Amazon seller offering a Bachmann "Old Timers" gondola for $120.00 plus $4.54 Shipping!? https://www.amazon.com/BACHMANN-1860-OLD-TIMERS-GONDOLA/dp/B0056S7CU2
Sorry, but I am not buying it as "Excellent". This is not an O scale tinplate item - it is an N scale Concor item. People who bid on N scale Concor plastic should not be expected to know that tinplate collectors have redifined the word "excellent" to mean busted mechanism. At least, in this case, the seller was honest about the mechanism. But, with some sellers listing "new" items for "as is - no return" sales, this sort of misleading advertizing should not be allowed, at least not outside its well-defined range of applicability to collectable tin plate.