So.
Most all Model Railroader hobbyists are also “collectors”.
They (read: “we”) either collect engines (locomotives), passenger cars, freight cars, or even things called “structure kits” (various types of buildings you put together). We usually do our collecting via eBay, or at the local model railroading flea markets, etc.
Sometimes, we even collect “track”.
(to run our MRR collection on…🙄 )
Most of these guys have hundred upon hundreds of freight cars, and dozens upon dozens of locomotives, or even (maybe), dozens of structure kits.
(The majority of MRRs do not collect a lot of passenger cars. I’m kinda an odd ball in this respect.)
Hello. My name is Brian. I’m a Model Railroad Collector.
<…group response: “Hello, Brian! Welcome to Model Railroaders, Anonymous”…>
For the past ten – twelve years or so, I’ve been creating “my collection”. Everything mentioned above, except for “freight cars” – I only have a handful of those.
I collect mostly, locomotives, European and Japanese bullet train passenger car sets, and lots and lots of “structure kits” (always intending on building each and every one of those purchased kits).
There comes a point in a MRR’s life, that they decide, enough is enough, and they start thinning out their “collection”.
This point, for me, came about nine months ago.
I’ve been slowly parting with my various locomotives, my bullet passenger train sets, and my structure kits…
In the beginning of my “thinning”, it was easy – you see, when you first begin to “collect”, you really don’t know what the hell you’re doing, and you don’t have a plan, or know what it is you really want in your collection.
Later on, after several months, you figure all of this stuff out – what you like (steam locomotives vs. diesel engines or electric bullet trains, “Penn Central” vs. “Western Pacific”, or “Santa Fe”), and what you don’t like (freight cars).
Anyway, those first few items you collected, usually are the first to go.
Yup, out the door they went.
Easy, peasy.
Next are those items that you truly like, but are ok to part with. Those went out the door next.
Easy, peasy.
Almost.
(Actually, it was pretty tough, figuring out which ones I could live without.)
This is usually about 65-70 percent of your collection – following the bell curve, with the left side of the curve being the junk you bought in the very beginning, and with the right side of the curve…
Your extra special items. Either they are very rare, or they have a special place in your heart – for whatever reason (we won’t be going into these reasons – suffice to say, MRRs are a very sentiments bunch (…of fools)). These items are the ones that are truly hard to part with.
So, in the last nine months, I guess I’ve gotten rid of about 85-90% of my collection, leaving only the truly rare and/or special items. It’s really, really hard to part with your very first locomotive (ha ha).
But, the real reason for this story: In the beginning of my selling last October, I had this box of old newsprint (actually, it’s packing newsprint from u-haul), but it’s this thin stuff you can crumple and use to stuff in your shipping boxes for safe packing of your items. I first bought one box ($5-10) of this stuff, then half way through, bought another box.
Last month, I ran out.
I really didn’t want to go buy another box (not because of the cost, but because I don’t think I needed a whole box of this stuff, for these very last few items), so I started using a different packing material.
Now, this is a secret, and I’m sharing this with you on one condition – you do not tell any of my fellow model railroaders of what I’ve done.
Got it?
Promise me, now, damn it!
Ok.
Thank you.
You see, I had this old stack of model railroader magazines laying around.
And.
I.
Started.
To.
Use.
The.
Torn.
Out.
Pages.
As.
Packing.
Material.
That is what would be called blasphemy in the model railroading world!
(actually, it’s not blasphemy – I just looked up that word – blasphemy is spoken irreverence)
But, to use your old MRR mags in such a way – other than to read them, over and over, referring to vintage articles from the ’80s, the ’70s, or, dare I say it, the oh, so rare, issues from the ’60s, as well – well, you are talking sacrilege!
(yup, that’s the word I wanted in the first place)
OMG.
I’ll never live this down.
Especially, when my eBay buyers (true model railroaders themselves), open their newly arrived toy (I mean shipment – oops), to find that I’ve stuffed their box, with CRUMPLED pages of their dear to their heart model railroading magazines.
Oh no!
I can hear them swearing at me now.
I guess that that’s the reason why I’ve been getting so many negative feedback reviews during this past month on eBay.
Huh.
(I’ve now been interrupted twice by a couple of recruiters calling as I’m writing this last part, and now have freaking lost my train (lol) of thought.)
(Ironic, ain’t it?)
(me, losing my train of thought, while talking about trains)
Ok, I think I’m going to hang up now – my work here is done. Me thinks I’ve entertained the BSW Fans long enough, with this MRR rambling post.
If I remember what else I was trying to say with this long post, I’ll just create another posting.
(Stop that! I can see what you’re doing – rolling your eyes!)
🚂🚝🚆🚅🚃🚉
🙄😉🤓
