Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

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Chris Webster
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Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby Chris Webster » Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:37 am

The "O Gauge Menards Seed & Feed Building Prototype" that has been continually listed on ebay for the last year or two has finally sold for $250.

I presume the seller got it as part of one of those "Mystery Boxes" that Menards was selling for $99, IIRC.

Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:50 am

Good grief!

Just goes to show that I charge way to little for custom building, :mrgreen:
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robert.
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby robert. » Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:28 pm

Probably something that was returned to Menard. I remember OGR people saying " The truck frame sags, My windows fell out and the lights don't work.
Rufus. I was trying to tally the price o a built kit. I will have $130. into a cabin car. Without any hourly wage thrown in. Per car price will go down if i build more than one. With many detail parts coming in bags of 25. That price can be spread out some. If my paint last for more than one model. That would bring the price down some. My initial start up cost start up cost is a little pricey.
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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Mon Jan 04, 2021 1:47 pm

robert. wrote:Probably something that was returned to Menard. I remember OGR people saying " The truck frame sags, My windows fell out and the lights don't work.


They are a whiny collective. :roll: :roll:

Rufus. I was trying to tally the price o a built kit. I will have $130. into a cabin car. Without any hourly wage thrown in. Per car price will go down if i build more than one. With many detail parts coming in bags of 25. That price can be spread out some. If my paint last for more than one model. That would bring the price down some. My initial start up cost start up cost is a little pricey.


Okay, you can't consider your hours/time. You'd starve.

$130 is a lot; does depend a lot on detail costs and when/where you got them. For example, I've spent years just buying box lots of parts at meets, and then reselling everything I can't imagine using and generally coming out ahead. I also buy large amounts of stuff that I will commonly use for projects. Like nbw castings, or brake wheels, or stirrup steps - I'll just buy 10 packs when my stock gets low. I dump stuff like that into a separate "consumables" bin on my bench that's the go to location for stuff like grabs, brake parts, and routine freight car details. More specialized stuff has it's own home in my shop. I also usually have 3-4 projects running at a time, so my operations may not translate to others....

I'd mail you stuff, but it might not get there for a month or 3. :roll: :roll:
Conservatism: The intense fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is inferior is being treated as your equal.

gregj410
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby gregj410 » Mon Jan 04, 2021 10:30 pm

Okay, you can't consider your hours/time. You'd starve.


You can’t? So I can buy any kit, send it to you and you’ll build it for free and send it back? I’ll get the shipping....sounds like a deal.

Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Tue Jan 05, 2021 8:55 am

gregj410 wrote:
Okay, you can't consider your hours/time. You'd starve.


You can’t? So I can buy any kit, send it to you and you’ll build it for free and send it back? I’ll get the shipping....sounds like a deal.


There's no points given for being deliberately obtuse. You can't consider your time for your own projects that you do for yourself - that was painfully obvious.

But if you really want to hire me, I'll send you my contract, and charge you my full professional hourly rate.
Conservatism: The intense fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is inferior is being treated as your equal.

J. S. Bach
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby J. S. Bach » Tue Jan 05, 2021 6:29 pm

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen:

gregj410
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby gregj410 » Tue Jan 05, 2021 6:30 pm

There's no points given for being deliberately obtuse. You can't consider your time for your own projects that you do for yourself - that was painfully obvious.


Glad to see your putting your PhD to good use there whetstone boy.
I know there’s big words in there like start up cost and hourly wages you might struggle with.

Robert’s post lead me to believe that he was possibly embarking on some sort of a business model by his comments below.

Rufus. I was trying to tally the price o a built kit. I will have $130. into a cabin car. Without any hourly wage thrown in. Per car price will go down if i build more than one.With many detail parts coming in bags of 25. That price can be spread out some. If my paint last for more than one model. That would bring the price down some. My initial start up cost is a little pricey.

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robert.
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby robert. » Tue Jan 05, 2021 7:02 pm

No business venture here. Start up cost referred to. Not having years of stuff. Every time you buy some odds and ends. it adds ups. 50 bucks for trucks shipped and taxed. If you went to a show you might find them for $12.00 or less. Under a table on a broken car.
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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Tue Jan 05, 2021 7:16 pm

robert. wrote:No business venture here. Start up cost referred to. Not having years of stuff. Every time you buy some odds and ends. it adds ups.


All too true. Years of accumulation has paid off this past year for me and going forward still.

Only someone who is really accomplished and 3/4 crazy goes into business building for others; I'm merely adequate by my own assessment. I built for others for a while and it was painful and only mildly compensated. I have my other business to tend to and that takes time but is better compensated.

50 bucks for trucks shipped and taxed. If you went to a show you might find them for $12.00 or less. Under a table on a broken car.


Pricey! Last set I has I sold for $30 thinking I'd not need them for any more PRR cabin cars. But I have a MG N6 that I keep forgetting about that needs some soldering attention.

Yes, if you were very lucky; pretty stiff competition looking for those cheap ones under the table; if you were the 1st in the room checking out the table you might score. I just got some brass brake parts delivered (USPS does deliver!) that cost me about 10% of retail through eBay.
Conservatism: The intense fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is inferior is being treated as your equal.

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robert.
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby robert. » Tue Jan 05, 2021 9:44 pm

I have been looking through detail parts online. trying to find what i want . Only gives me a headache. I'm looking for one source for all the parts. just to save on shipping. PSC, Cal scale and P&D all have 5 out of 8 things i want. To get all 8 items. i would need to order from each and have 3 shipping charges.( I'm cheap) Yet i hate wasting 3 nights to find one vendor that has everything.
I spend entirely too many hours a day tying my shoes

Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Menard's Seed & Feed Building Prototype

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:06 am

robert. wrote:I have been looking through detail parts online. trying to find what i want . Only gives me a headache. I'm looking for one source for all the parts. just to save on shipping. PSC, Cal scale and P&D all have 5 out of 8 things i want. To get all 8 items. i would need to order from each and have 3 shipping charges.( I'm cheap) Yet i hate wasting 3 nights to find one vendor that has everything.


You've discovered one of the problems of O scale - there is no single source for everything. And, being frugal on shipping makes you normal. PSC also used to have minimal order requirements, too. Easy to get over those given costs of brass parts, but not is you only need one small item. I've never ordered anything from Cal-Scale or P&D.....
Conservatism: The intense fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is inferior is being treated as your equal.


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