How to sell premium N gauge items

[njee20]

How does that maths work?

£120 loco
£90 decoder
£250 repaint

That's £460. Did you pay £290 postage...? Even assuming a bit to fit the decoder, plus a speaker I'm really struggling with how those are £750, or even the £600 you listed then at. Why wouldn't you just buy CJM ones?!

[MJKERR]

How does that maths work?
£120 loco
£90 decoder
£250 repaint

£90 Farish model, £5 postage
£90 decoder, £5 postage
£110 Decoder fitting and postage
£300 Mercig Studios repaint and detailing and postage
The actual costs vary slightly from than that, and are included in a spreadsheet 

Here are the summary of costs on the locomotive profile, which excludes any postage costs :
https://glasgow-queen-street-n-gauge.co.uk/rolling-stock-47709.html

[njee20]

Well you're nothing if not thorough.

[MJKERR]

Well you're nothing if not thorough.

It's part of my job, and the research for the models shows this
They aren't perfect, but they are as close as you can get
I used to have hundreds of photos from between 1984 and 1994, this included locomotives, DMUs, EMUs, and coaches but I disposed of them

[njee20]

The layout is part of your job, or the website, or cataloguing stuff?

[MJKERR]

cataloguing stuff

My job involves making sure things for "space-opera related Lucasfilm" films (and we are just about to finish the fourth and start on the fifth) are made available in time, transported, then returned for future films (if required) or destroyed and certified

[Newportnobby]

cataloguing stuff

My job involves making sure things for "space-opera related Lucasfilm" films (and we are just about to finish the fourth and start on the fifth) are made available in time, transported, then returned for future films (if required) or destroyed and certified

Not that it's the business of anyone else. Don't feel pressured to respond to such questions.
@MJKERR

[njee20]

Yes, sorry, not interrogating, mere intrigue. Glad you sold your locos for what you wanted.

As you were.

[daffy]

I have sold many things in my life via various methods, and I have never been asked to, nor never would, justify my asking prices. If they sell I'm happy, if I have to modify my pricing to suit the market, them again I'm happy. I just try to ensure I have listed at a fair price (based upon my own criteria), and not give away things for a song, particularly as some folks will buy just to sell on at a higher price.
So thank you NPN for your last comment.

@MJKERR  - I find your candour refreshing, and glad to hear that you have achieved some of the sales you were looking for. How much detail is given in an 'advert' is always difficult to determine, but the fact that you have detailed info to hand if it is called for is admirable. Good luck with future sales.

[njee20]

I've no problem with blatant profiteering - if Marcus could sell the locos for £1000 then best of luck to him, it was just because he was providing the broken down justification I was genuinely intrigued by how he was getting to the figures, he provided that information. I am sated. It wasn't a request to justify himself, so I apologise if it came across like that.

It's a sellers' market, there's a long wait for those models, some people will pay a premium for that. I'd capitalise on that were I selling! One of the things I really like about model railways is that stuff often increases in value in a very short space of time, I'd go as far as to say a lot of stock is a reasonable investment!

[MJKERR]

there's a long wait for those models, some people will pay a premium for that

It's more of a compromise
If you order from Mercig Studios, then you get EXACTLY what you want (and wait about 3 months)
If you find a second hand Mercig Studios model, then you are getting what someone else specified, so it may not include all the options

As an example I have seen several locomotives which are detailed at both ends
Great for a layout based on a depot, but not much good for trains with coaches / wagons

I could have asked £750 per locomotive, but that would basically make me a reseller of Marks Trains / Mercig Studios, and I would not do that (and they would probably not perform any future conversions for me!)

Equally, I have been transparent about the costs (they appear on the locomotive profiles) so that anyone else considering a similar conversion (sound / Mercig Studios / both) can see what it is

[njee20]

Yep, I certainly found that insightful, people seem to think there was malice in my posts. Perhaps my usual bristly tone