Victor, it might.
Providing of course the tooling is “owned” by the USA and can actually be brought back to the USA.
With your government pressuring China to bring the value of the Rmb into the current century, you can be assured that the cost of Chinese manufactured trains will escalate dramatically. If you think that they are expensive now, then wait a year or two. The famous street price clearances will be a distant memory due increasing manufacturing costs and limited production runs.
TonyWalsham said:I would say in most cases the tooling is owned by the customer. As to actually being brought back to the USA, that might be a whole different problem ;)
Victor, it might. Providing of course the tooling is "owned" by the USA and can actually be brought back to the USA.
I once looked into importing a large scale item. After severals months of back & forth communications, I was given a price.
After several more months of back & forth communications, I was finally given a shipping price.
When I was ready to order, I was informed their customer owned the tooling, and I would have to either provide my own tooling
or pay for new tooling 
As you can see, dealing with the Chinese can best be described as “different”, though I would use a different word 
Ralph
I think the only solution is only buy what we can afford. If it’s a lot, great, if it’s not then spend wisely. HO trains can be more expensive that large scale if you go crazy with trains, scenery, huge layouts. I think large scale is still the best buy for what you get. Without question, my second choice would be 2 rail O scale, but I just don’t have the space indoors.
Railroad modeling in any scale is like owning a race horse. A good friend of mine put it this way; “You know how to have a little fortune? Have a big fortune and own a race horse!” Yes Large scale is getting expensive, but like horse racing, if you have the passion, you will find a way even if you end up with a little fortune.
Ralph Berg said:
.......I once looked into importing a large scale item. After severals months of back & forth communications, I was given a price.
After several more months of back & forth communications, I was finally given a shipping price.
When I was ready to order, I was informed their customer owned the tooling, and I would have to either provide my own tooling
or pay for new tooling
As you can see, dealing with the Chinese can best be described as “different”, though I would use a different word
Ralph
It’s what I call modern Chinese water torture.
One drop of information at a time. 
@ Jim K
Way back when (30 years ago) when I changed from HO to HOm I flogged almost all of my HO rolling stock. And with the proceeds I started buying more HOm stuff, piece by piece and only what would be necessary to run prototypical trains for my era.
18 years later when I moved to the West and decided on a modelrailroad in the garden, I sold most of the HOm stuff including large parts of a large layout and started over again in IIm.
I buy only what is reasonably to scale, can be kitbashed if necessary and fits my era. Instead of buying oodles of stuff I buy only what is required to run a proto op-session with the fitting trains.
AND I don’t moan and groan, there is a large order of nickelsilver rail coming up, required to complete what I have decided on building when moving here.
If we think that we are hard done by with escalating prices, then eBay search some prices on ‘h.o.’ scale items. A basic brass truss bridge will cost in the vicinity of $900.00, with a dual track 208 scale feet span bridge $2400.00. Who actually pays exhorbitant prices like this? Of cause, they are very highly detailed and no doubt worth every penny paid, but can a hobby afford such extravagances? Makes largescale seem more like a bargain every day.
There are people who buy that stuff, money is no object. They also buy complete sets of trains in multiples just like the prototype does.
Those that cannot build seem to buy and those that cannot buy seem too build?
I suppose that if a Japanese importer in the 1970’s could command a $4.000.00 price tag for an ‘O’ scale ‘Big Boy’, that same amount for a USA die cast in 1:29 today - complete with a good sound system - isn’t so bad.
I wish I still had the MR or RMC that ad was in.
Bob C.
The prices have been dropping fast on S/H stuff right now, on top of not much really “new” does not bode well right now. I have a bunch of surplus Euro LGB that would be nice to sell right now, but not at the nearly give-away prices on eBay and the like.
The flip side? HO and tinplate stuff is selling like hotcakes, new and used, and new product coming out.
Thoughts? The overproduction, flooding of the market, prices dropping, LGB bowing out, coupled to the downturn in the economy in 2008-2010 did little help to the LS hobby as a whole.
Garrett,
in Australia, there is an eBay seller (legally registered as a brick and mortar seller), who has been flogging off Bachmann largescale at prices seemingly below cost for many months. Suprisingly, even as these prices, the items are not being sold. I believe that he is getting out of this line.
It makes it hard for others who are 'legitimately' selling items to get a reasonable price. The market is such that locally, buyers see Bachmann (with their infamous metal wheelsets) as the equal to LGB, so with the ridiculously low prices 'Buy it Now' on the B'mann items, selling LGB on eBay is a losing concern. Buyers simply will not pay more for LGB than they do for B'mann. They see B'mann as equal quality.
Edit: generally the really good bargains are limited to domestic lower 48 shipping. Seems that if one lives outside the country then bargains are not that plentiful. Generally, if an item is marked as ‘worldwide shipping’ then prices are generally higher. There are several collectors selling off entire collections at very reasonable ‘Buy it Now’ prices, but alas will not ship outside the lower 48. Well, their loss!!!
Gentlemen, I’ve found this all very interesting. I, myself, am in large-scale for life and am fortunate to have accumulated enough inventory to complete my indoor large-scale layout back when things were much cheeper.
But I love running trains outdoors and have started another outdoor layout, as well.
I’m on a limited, retirement income so cost is very important to me. The good news is I’ve found an area of large-scale (indeed, VERY large-scale) where prices are still unbelevably affordable.
The new layout has a track gauge not 1 3/4in but 7 1/2.
I have a 50ft x 60ft oval of track in our back yard (1/2 acer lot) which needs a 50ft trestle to be complete and have a gas mechanical locomotive under (re)construction.
Prices in this size are astounding! Canninball Ltd sells 1in tall aluminum rail for $1.20 / ft.
Two rails, 2x2 treated for ties, ballast from the local rock crusher; my track costs less than G gauge.
A number 6 switch frog casting is $20.
When 7 1/2 is used as 3ft narrow gauge, the scale works out to 1 to 4 point 8; exactly 10 times O scale. (Think On3 on steroids!) Narrow gauge cars were usually made of wood. All one needs is trucks and couplers to build a car. Couplers are $40 / pair and a set of trucks runs around $250 / pair. Plus the wood, etc. you're looking at a $400 car. The thing is, I've found as the scale goes up you need less ITEMS to reach a level of satisfaction. ONE engine, 2 or 3 cars, maybe a couple of switches.
Plum Cove Studios has a neat little electric (battery) boxcab starter engine for $1795, kit. I paid $350 for my engine, used. And, YES, these are the trains you can ride on.
My point is, this area of hobby-trains is, price wise, where "G" was 15 years ago. So, as I said, I'm into large-scale for the long haul but any new money spent will be on REALLY large-scale.Well, if it dies out, there will probably be a “revival” in 20-30 years Kind of like Disco
Tim, yes, but there are some surprises on the quality.
I had a 2080D on my sales stand at a show and got a lot of comments like “wow, that weighs more than my Bachmann big haulers” and the like. But I also packed it up at the end of a day, even tho it was priced below eBay prices. Actually, if everyone that had handled the stupid thing at the show had paid me $0.05…I would have had more than what I was asking.
The HO stuff on our table FLEW off from cheapo Model Power to brass, but about 95% of the large scale and about 50% of the three-rail (granted, MPC era stuff) went back home with us, this includes some last minute “dumps” to other dealers at closing time.
But then the 16mm NGM Association in the UK have had the biggest jump in membership in the last few months since their inception in 1977!
Tim Brien said:
Garrett, in Australia, there is an eBay seller (legally registered as a brick and mortar seller), who has been flogging off Bachmann largescale at prices seemingly below cost for many months. Suprisingly, even as these prices, the items are not being sold. I believe that he is getting out of this line.It makes it hard for others who are 'legitimately' selling items to get a reasonable price. The market is such that locally, buyers see Bachmann (with their infamous metal wheelsets) as the equal to LGB, so with the ridiculously low prices 'Buy it Now' on the B'mann items, selling LGB on eBay is a losing concern. Buyers simply will not pay more for LGB than they do for B'mann. They see B'mann as equal quality.Edit: generally the really good bargains are limited to domestic lower 48 shipping. Seems that if one lives outside the country then bargains are not that plentiful. Generally, if an item is marked as ‘worldwide shipping’ then prices are generally higher. There are several collectors selling off entire collections at very reasonable ‘Buy it Now’ prices, but alas will not ship outside the lower 48. Well, their loss!!!
Thats interesting Tim because I’ve seen B’mann BIN stuff at prices every bit as scary as LGBs ridiculous BIN prices.
I honestly think these scary Ebay BIN prices have been a primary cause of the drop off in large scale interest given that Ebay is a big source of first impressions for newbies. They take one look at those prices and their wallets seize up and their interest goes away. If I was getting started today that would be my impression, the shear greed of those Ebay sellers is effectivly killing part of the hobby.
Vic,
there are several sellers on eBay right now selling off LGB collections at prices that seem to me to be bargains. Unfortunately, lower 48 shipping only. What is it with these people? I would have purchased many items from them but alas, they are reluctant to go to the post office and would rather await the brown box truck to pick the items up at their homes!!!
Australia is suprisingly a large market for U.S. sourced LGB sales on eBay and yet very few sellers have awoken to this fact. It is these sellers that are willing to go the extra yard that I generally stick with. Of cause, prices are a little higher, but at least the items are available for shipping outside the continental U.S.!!!!!!!!!!!
One seller who pops up often on eBay and is a regular red box supporter here on this forum, will not ship outside the lower 48. Many sellers cite too many issues with bad buyers as their reason, but I believe it is the inconvenience of attending the post office that is the issue. One seller even tried to charge me $10.00 per item simply for the inconvenience of standing in line at the P.O. He lost my business quick smart. I sell on eBay locally and accept the time taken at the post office as part of the sale.
Edit: the scary U.S. eBay BIN prices are the stores that only sell at full MSRP. Who would pay $104.00USD for a Bachmann Big Hauler coach? Some sellers think that one day someone will. Out here one would be lucky to get fifty or sixty dollars for a similar coach.
Garrett said:Garrett, in Australia, a Bachmann K-27 will cost you $1200.00. There are no discounts. A B'mann mallett will cost you the same as will the new Climax. For $1000.00 one can purchase a new LGB Mogul factory fitted with an onboard decoder or a Uintah Mallett for $1070.00. Today's consumer sees Bachmann as QUALITY.
Tim, yes, but there are some surprises on the quality.
As the old proverb says, "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink."I reall really dislike useing the US Post Offices in the bigger cities myself , they could go to thunder for my part having to deal with them .
As opposed to the small town post office here where I live , its so friendly and easy to use , and they are SO HELPFUL its great to go there . The differences that I have experienced are many many miles apart in service and respect that you receive as a patron .
Charge you extra to use a PO in a big city , you bet , even IF , I would go there at all .
As a sometimes ebay seller, mostly buyer, I too only ship to the “lower 48”. Wasn’t always that way but when every over-seas/Canadien buyer asked for “gift status”, then asked where their stuff was after a week…And then dinged me for slow shipping/high cost…New ebay rules help the seller with over-seas sales but not enough for me to try again.
That said, I would be happy to ship to anyone on LSC anywhere!
Edit: I should quantify. “Every” means two…One from Canada, one from Australia. Non-railroad items. Maybe “train” folk are better…