Counterfeit Trains?

[Sascha]

Hello there. I was shown a Train that cost $600

http://www.newhallstation.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/33_44/products_id/986

I think thats a lot of money to pay for a Train, so I am wondering if people make counterfeit Trains, and if so how can I find out if they are in fact fake?

[bill937ca]

Its not counterfeit.  Its just Micro Ace doesn't reissue and Newhall Station is a ripoff.

[Sascha]

Its not counterfeit.  Its just Micro Ace doesn't reissue and Newhall Station is a ripoff.

I know that its not counterfeit,it was just an example for the pricing. I was wondering if people do make counterfeit Trains.

[Matteo_IT]

This train is so expensive as is so ugly... :)

[Melandir]

I love it, especially the red version, but not at that price, I'm waiting for Microace to release it again

[bikkuri bahn]

Counterfeit model trains?  Maybe when people start wearing them on their wrists, or draped over their shoulders :lol:

[cteno4]

Sascha,

 

Nope never seen any counterfeit trains,just places like newhall station that try to jack prices up as far as a few who don't know better or have too much money to care. There wew some unmarked tomytec buildings and scenery items in kong kong. It was thought they might be extra overruns that fell off the back of the truck so to speak, but turned out to probably be subscription items not sold.

 

Many Japanese trains, especially microace, are done in very short runs and thus can become rare very quickly and thus drive up the available stock market price. As you see in your searches there can be quite a range out there. Many like newhall troll for the few they can get to bite at very high prices. Lurking on ebay for a while can usually find some better deals or using yahoo.jp auctions in Japan using a broker (like modeltrainplus) for a fee can sometimes find the rarer things at more reasonable prices or things that never hit ebay.

 

Not to say you should always be cautious with ebay as folks do try to deceive from time to time, but I've not it happen with a couple hundred Japanese train items bought over ebay in the last 15 years or so.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

Edited October 18, 2014 by cteno4

[railsquid]

I imagine anyone going to the trouble of learning how to build model trains in order to counterfeit them half-way convincingly would find it not worth the effort (they'd probably get a better return on their investment by setting up as a legitimate manufacturer).

[Sascha]

Glad to hear that. So can get on with my shopping spree.

[railsquid]

I think what it comes down to is common sense - know the products you're buying and what kind of price range they should be, and avoid buying from people / places you can't find any positive information about.

[E6系]

One is currently for sale on Yahoo Japan for ¥49,000. 

[Richard W]

This train is so expensive as is so ugly... :)

Reminds me of 1950's American TV show "Flash Gordon"!  I would have purchased had the model been glossier like the real thing.  I wonder if Micro Ace will do the red version (although I prefer the blue.)

[cteno4]

I've thought of trying a little futura acrylic floor shine on the rapit to match the prototype better, but a little shy of doing something to it as it is hard to replace! Do love the design, buck Rogers meets nemo's nautilus!

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

I imagine anyone going to the trouble of learning how to build model trains in order to counterfeit them half-way convincingly would find it not worth the effort (they'd probably get a better return on their investment by setting up as a legitimate manufacturer).

It has been said that the only way to make a small fortune in the model train business is to start with a large fortune.

[Keikyu]

Could using a 3d printer be considered 'counterfeit'?

 

I haven't used it or anything so I'm not endorsing it, but that Shapeways site could print off trains for you, you'd just need to paint them right?

[railsquid]

Could using a 3d printer be considered 'counterfeit'?

 

I haven't used it or anything so I'm not endorsing it, but that Shapeways site could print off trains for you, you'd just need to paint them right?

And add motors, chassis, wheels, couplings and any other metal bits. And decals, numbering etc. And windows.

[kvp]

Counterfeit is when someone sells something under a different brand or product name or if something looks like a real product but it's fake. Like selling Atlas ornamental locomotives as working Kato locomotives. Selling old Kato trains in Tomix high grade boxes and calling them Tomix also belong to this category. Both happen from time to time on the european ebay sites, but it's realtively easy to spot.

 

Selling rare items at an extra high price is sadly legal, but it's also legal to 3D print and sell your own trains as long as you don't copy someone else's design and don't sell the trains as a different brand than your own. You might or might not be allowed to use 3rd party parts in your product, so adding a Tomytec motor to a 3D printed train could make it illegal to sell it commercially.

[cteno4]

I see the 3d printing increasing for things like specialty shells (already happening a lot in n scale traction) and detail parts (happening a lot on shapeways). eventually they will be sold more like etched metal and light metal castings are today from companies directly (by doing larger runs on their own and selling small amounts) rather than only thru the shapeways store. Of course its great there is a shapeways store option so that when someone makes something special they can easily share it with the few others that might want it as well and maybe make a couple of bucks.

 

jeff