auction?

[mymodeltrain]

I wonder if there is any live steam locomotive auction available on line?

[Matt]

Vectis is a auction company who hold regular auctions for collectible toys and memorabilia. When they do a trains auction, usually there's a few live steam items on the list, usually at a good price. to bid you have to either turn up on the day and bid in person, or register on the website and make a bid over the internet.

vectis.co.uk

[funandtrains]

There are other auction houses that regularly have model and toy auctions that often have live steam locos. You have to be prepared for the buyers premium which adds 17.5-25% on top of the hammer price. If you watch these you often see dealers putting them on ebay a few days latter for a big mark-up. I few well know 16mm dealers also seem to get some of their stock from these.

[cncmodeller]

I'm on the vectis auction site, but I don't think bidding on line works that well from my experience, you get no feedback at all on your bid and on my last bid it just said 'failed to sell' and no explanation. I usually find the locos I would have wanted at various auctions on google after the event, I'm finding it almost impossible to find out where the auctions might be and 16mm locos to bid on before the auction starts.

[funandtrains]

Most of the online auctions are on the of these sites:

http://www.invaluable.co.uk

http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb

If you want a good deal you reeally need to find an auction that does not have online bidding and go there in person, with the best times being an days that there are big model shows so that the dealers are busy at these rather than at the auction.

I got some good deals a few years back bidding online on live auctions but these days they are well known about and buyers bid from all around the world.

[cncmodeller]

Thanks Steve, that sounds like a good idea.

Regards' john.

[funandtrains]

From what I've seen and heard the best deals are not found in specialist model or toy auctions but in general auctions as these do not attract the model dealers. Sometimes house clearnace companies put them in these not knowing what they have.