Posted by admin | Posted in Model Railway | Posted on 16-07-2009
Tags: agriculture, biofuel, car, climatechange, design, energy, grain cart manufacturers, grain cart scales, grain cart tarps, grain carts, grain carts for sale, grain carts used, inspiration, web
Looking For Grain Car ? Then This is Where You Want to Be
 |
 Auto Car Wood Grain Lid Cigar LED Light Plastic Ashtray $8.82 Time Remaining: 3h 11m Buy It Now for only: $8.82 |
 Pneumatic Railcar Grain Chute Door Opener Air Operated Rail Car Gate Release $3,999.99 Time Remaining: 4h 45m |
 IHC International Hobby Corp CENTRAL SOYA Grain Car HO Ready to Roll $8.95 Time Remaining: 6h 47m Buy It Now for only: $8.95 |
 1963 Press Photo New Grain Car Texas Door Portion Fery $24.88 Time Remaining: 8h Buy It Now for only: $24.88 |
 new 316L casual stainless steel grain design genuine leather roundel keyhole car $0.99 Time Remaining: 15h 51m Buy It Now for only: $1.99 |
 hot sales luxury design genuine leather grain style stainless steel car keyring $0.99 Time Remaining: 15h 51m Buy It Now for only: $1.99 |
 NEW Canadian National Grain Car $9.99 Time Remaining: 15h 58m |
 pontiac steering wheel wood grain fits many cars from 1966 1977 $91.00 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 18h 38m |
 Lincoln Town Car Executive 2001 LINCOLN TOWN CAR EXECUTIVE ONE OWNER FL CAR WOOD GRAIN SUPER CLEAN LUXURY $6,989.00 Time Remaining: 20h 59m Buy It Now for only: $6,989.00 |
 1956 Chicago IL Glidden Co Grain Elevator Link Belt Car Dumper Press Photo $11.33 Time Remaining: 21h 56m Buy It Now for only: $11.33 |
 O Scale Brass Grain Car 12 Underbody for Weaver C Hop $250.00 Time Remaining: 22h 1m |
 Pecos River HO Scale Trinity 3 Bay Grain Car Grey wData $150.00 Time Remaining: 22h 6m |
 ATHEARN 40 GL GRAIN LOADING BOX CAR CBQ BURLINGTON RTR HO MODEL TRAIN U EXC $4.95 Time Remaining: 23h 35m Buy It Now for only: $6.25 |
 Con Cor GUILFORD DH DELAWARE HUDSON 50 MODERN GRAIN BOX CAR N SCALE $14.87 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 1m Buy It Now for only: $14.87 |
 luxury design genuine leather grain style stainless steel car keyring for unisex $1.99 Time Remaining: 1d 7h 42m Buy It Now for only: $2.99 |
 3pcs Weave Grain Car Vehicle Steering Wheel Cover $7.03 Time Remaining: 1d 17h 39m Buy It Now for only: $7.03 |
 Wood Grain Red Back Guard + Car Charger for iPhone 4 $6.59 Time Remaining: 1d 19h 41m Buy It Now for only: $6.59 |
 VTG HO SCALE ATHEARN GRAIN ATSF 21889 PLUG DOOR BOX CAR MODEL RAILROAD RR EXCLNT $3.75 Time Remaining: 1d 20h 21m |
 14 BLACK LEATHER GRAIN HALF WRAP BILLET STEERING WHEEL CAR TRUCK MARINE GOLF $42.99 Time Remaining: 1d 21h 52m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
 Marklin Grain Car $11.98 Time Remaining: 1d 22h 22m |
 Atlas HO Thrall 4750 KCS Grain Hopper Cars 3 pack 27 $48.45 Time Remaining: 1d 22h 24m Buy It Now for only: $48.45 |
 Front Range HO scale 305114 AFC 3 Bay Grain Car Kit $12.00 Time Remaining: 1d 22h 30m Buy It Now for only: $12.00 |
 INTERNATIONAL R SERIES GRAIN TRUCK 1 34 MODEL CAR $41.75 Time Remaining: 1d 23h Buy It Now for only: $41.75 |
 ATLAS 1462 2 Lincoln Grain ACF Centerflow Hopper Car Weathered w Grafitti $49.99 Time Remaining: 2d 2h 57m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
 Thomas the Train Wooden Grain Feed with Grain Car Rare Retired $39.99 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 3m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 CAR STEERING WHEEL LEATHER COVER BLACK WITH PLASTICS WOOD GRAIN M SIZE $32.99 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 52m Buy It Now for only: $32.99 |
 30289 03 04 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 19m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30299 03 04 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 19m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30309 03 04 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 19m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30319 03 04 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 19m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30329 05 09 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 19m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30339 05 09 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 20m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30349 05 09 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 20m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30359 05 09 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 20m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30369 05 09 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 20m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 30379 05 09 Lincoln Town Car Aluminum Chrome WOOD LHD RHD Dash Trim Kit $152.47 Time Remaining: 2d 6h 20m Buy It Now for only: $152.47 |
 Intermountain CP Rail Grain Cars x2 PWRS Special Run VGC Boxed HO Scale $5.03 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 11h 54m |
 Athearn 2091 40 Grain Box Car Burlington 52656 NIB $7.99 Time Remaining: 2d 21h 59m |
 HO Athearn GREAT NORTHERN 40 Grain loading Box Car $0.99 Time Remaining: 3d 47m |
 INTERMOUNTAIN Lincoln Grain 4750 CuFtRibbed Side Covered Hopper Cars w 3 s $28.99 Time Remaining: 3d 2h 33m Buy It Now for only: $28.99 |
 BACHMANN TRAIN 55 GRAIN CAR GOVERNMENT OF CANADA HO SCALE 43 1031 G7 $19.95 Time Remaining: 3d 2h 33m Buy It Now for only: $19.95 |
 INTERMOUNTAIN 45204 GNGrain Loading 59 NatlCar Cylindrical CovHopper Car $31.99 Time Remaining: 3d 2h 39m Buy It Now for only: $31.99 |
 P3833 Train Car Advertising postcard Grain Wagon UK $20.00 Time Remaining: 3d 2h 48m Buy It Now for only: $20.00 |
 Lionel Reading Grain Car 027 scale junkyard $0.99 Time Remaining: 3d 3h 16m |
 RCR MDC 54FT GRAIN CAR PROJECT 5 CARS $19.99 Time Remaining: 3d 3h 37m |
 HO scale Athearn SOO Line ACF grain covered hopper car train unit $10.50 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 4h 13m |
 HO scale Athearn CSX CSXT transportation ACF grain covered hopper car train BO $2.24 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 4h 14m |
 HO scale Athearn Seaboard Coast Line LN Family grain covered hopper car train $5.50 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 4h 16m |
 HO scale Athearn SOO Line P S grain covered hopper car train unit railroad $15.00 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 4h 18m |
 HO scale Athearn Pomeroy Knoke CO OP Iowa grain covered hopper car train unit $11.50 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 4h 20m |
 HO scale Athearn Farnhamville Iowa P S grain covered hopper car train unit $16.01 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 4h 21m |
 INTERMOUNTAIN 45300 Grain Train Yellow 4750 CuFt Covered Hopper Car 1018 $29.99 Time Remaining: 3d 4h 25m Buy It Now for only: $29.99 |
 HO scale Athearn John Deere Green Tractors 40 grain box car train billboard $9.38 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 4h 47m |
 HO scale Walthers Pacific Grain Farmer City Illinois covered hopper car train $15.75 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 5h 14m |
 N Scale Saskatchewan 55 Cylindrical Grain Hopper Car MP 3491 NEW $10.99 Time Remaining: 3d 5h 36m Buy It Now for only: $10.99 |
 Rare Thomas Train Wood Sodor Grain and Feed Grain Car $37.99 Time Remaining: 3d 6h 8m Buy It Now for only: $37.99 |
 HO scale AHM Cargill Grain pneumatic discharge covered hopper car train $7.19 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 6h 33m |
 Vintage Rice A Roni Cable Car Music Box San Francisco Treat Golden Grains $12.99 Time Remaining: 3d 6h 40m |
 1955 LAND ROVER 86 WHEELBASE Car Auto FARM WORK GRAIN HORSEPOWER JOB TRUCK MOTOR $21.95 Time Remaining: 3d 6h 50m Buy It Now for only: $21.95 |
 1955 LAND ROVER 86 WHEELBASE CAR AUTO SACK GRAIN MOTOR TRUCK WORK VEHICLE FARM $21.95 Time Remaining: 3d 6h 50m Buy It Now for only: $21.95 |
 Light Brown Wood Grain Cover + Car Charger for iPhone 4 $7.28 Time Remaining: 3d 17h 45m Buy It Now for only: $7.28 |
 HO classic era 5 car lot reefers and grain Athearn and Walthers $12.49 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 19h 41m |
 O SCALE MTH 20 97401 North American 4 Bay Cylindrical Grain Hopper Car L N $49.99 Time Remaining: 3d 20h 53m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
 HO SCALE AHM GRAIN RR CAR WITH 4 POURERS NEW IN TH E BOX FROM19718 IN LONG $8.00 Time Remaining: 3d 22h 10m Buy It Now for only: $9.00 |
 HO FRONT RANGE SANTA FE 3 BAY GRAIN CAR KIT 4066 NEW OLD STOCK $6.99 Time Remaining: 3d 23h 27m |
 HO Scale Athearn Burlington Route 40 Grain Loading Box Car $15.00 Time Remaining: 3d 23h 54m Buy It Now for only: $15.00 |
 Roundhouse HO scale fsm 36 box car Peavy Grain Line built up $23.99 Time Remaining: 4d 1h 32m |
 Grain of wheat mini lamps for HO slot cars trains toys $8.95 Time Remaining: 4d 2h 39m Buy It Now for only: $9.95 |
 Early 1900s Ludington Harbor Grain Elevator Car Ferry RPPC Ludington MI $29.99 Time Remaining: 4d 2h 57m |
 Clay Center KS 1910s Snell Mill Grain Co Building Rail Car Along RR Tracks $3.99 Time Remaining: 4d 3h 10m |
 Womens Juniors STREET CARS Jump Brown Grain Leather Shoes Size 7 M NEW IN BOX $28.97 Time Remaining: 4d 5h 12m Buy It Now for only: $28.97 |
 Athearn 40 Grain Box Car Trains In Minature 2095 48383 $4.99 Time Remaining: 4d 15h 41m |
The Truth Behind Making Money at Police and Public Car Auctions
I've bought and sold over 500 vehicles at various car auctions since 2002. Police auctions, Bank-repo auctions and State & Local Government auctions are all fantastic places to buy cars at wholesale prices. Like anything, however, not every car at these auctions is a winner waiting to be purchased for pennies on the dollar. Finding the best deals at the best auctions takes a little research. But, the fact remains, you'll never find a better deal on a used car anywhere else.
Why are Auctions such a great place to purchase a car?
The biggest reason, of course, is the price. It is very common to get vehicles for 50% below retail. Especially, given the state of the economy, people want to buy reliable, fuel-efficient cars at great prices. If you can do the leg-work to acquire these cars at auctions...you can quickly start making a very good income for a few hours of work a month.
The other big draw to car auctions is that there are no dealers to argue with. Used car dealers are notorious for doing anything to sell a car. They have this reputation for a reason. By buying at auctions, you don't have to worry about haggling over prices or having a salesman follow you all over the car lot.
Despite the obvious advantage of buying at auctions, I'm amazed how many people stay away because they think that the vehicles are in poor condition or that there's some big 'secret' to finding these car auctions.
These are the two biggest and most expensive myths about Car Auctions....
Firstly, are there junky cars at these auctions? Yes. But are there great cars in great condition? Absolutely.
Over the years, I've bought many low-mileage seized autos that were in excellent condition. They were seized from a drug-dealer (or whatever type of criminal) by the police and auctioned off to help the local government raise money. I've also found a lot of great deals at Bank-repo auctions. Great cars in great condition that were simply repossessed by the bank because the person didn't make their payments....and I was there to take advantage of a great deal. I've bought a lot of higher-end cars from these two types of auctions (especially BMW's) because criminals tend to drive nice cars and banks repo cars that someone thought they could afford but really couldn't.
Another great source of what I like to call more 'functional' vehicles are government agency auctions. A lot of state & local agencies are constantly buying new vehicles for their fleet and selling off the old ones. Not just police but, environmental agencies, department of transportation, city inspectors, etc. all drive government owned cars. These are traditionally very well taken care of (they're required to by law) and have relatively low mileage. These make great resales because they're cheap, reliable cars and people (especially in this economy with these gas prices) are always looking for such cars.
How do you find the good deals at these auctions?
A lot of people are still scared away from auctions because they think they have to be a mechanic to be able to separate the good cars from the "lemons". I admit, I fell into this group when I started. At almost every auction you can inspect the cars before submitting a bid. While you won't be able to take them for a test drive, many will still come with a manufacturer's warranty. I've bought a lot of 'government' cars without even seeing them because they are always in such good condition. But here's a quick checklist which I recommend for anyone just starting out - this will help you avoid getting a 'lemon':
1. If possible, start the engine and listen for anything unusual (or to see if it starts at all). Note most auction sites will sell these cars "as-is". If you're able to get a look at the car while the engine is running, you'll be able to tell a great deal about in what condition it's in. Check the exhaust to make sure it's clean, check the air conditioning, heat and all the power options (windows, seats, sunroof, etc.).
2. Check for water damage under the seats, floor mats or in the trunk.
3. Lift the hood and check the oil. Check for white bubbles on the dipstick (this means there's likely water in the oil tank) and check for any grains (i.e. sand or sediment). If the oil looks think and pasty it's likely the car wasn't regularly maintained. These aren't necessarily deal breakers but I'd adjust my bid accordingly.
4. Check the transmission fluid too - you'll want to see that's it's clean and not dark or sticky. Look at the tailpipe for excessive soot.
5. Check the exterior as well. This is easy and you're really just looking for what condition it's in. Is there rusting? If so how much? Look for paint bubbles or welding marks. Also, keep an eye out for slightly different shades of paint, rough surfaces or body panels out of alignment. Also, make sure and check the engine compartment for new bolts or bolts which don't match in color.
As you get more comfortable with buying at car auctions you'll learn what's a 'dealbreaker' and what's not. As I mentioned, unless a government car looks really bad in the picture, I'll submit a bid without even looking at it. Even if a car I've just bought needs a tuneup, new brake pads or an alignment, I keep that in mind when I'm bidding. If I can make $2,000 on a resale, I'm happy to spend another $300-$400 to get it into shape. You're still getting a great deal because of the purchase price.
I would also recommend (especially as you start out) getting a CarFax or AutoCheck vehicle history report. These are cheap ways to get a lot of information on the car you're interested in.
When I started out, I got an AutoCheck report for every vehicle I was interested in and it gave me more than enough information to make an informed decision.
Even if you DO end up getting a 'lemon'...i.e. you didn't get an AutoCheck report and bought it sight unseen and it needs a new transmission that you don't want to spend the money on? Then you can always sell it at the next auction. Someone will always want to buy it and fix it up...
How do you know what to bid?
Before bidding on any car you should know the "comps" or resale values. Look at Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds.com, the NADguides, the MMR prices (check out our website for more on this) and, of course, ebay motors and autotrader.com. Look for comparable cars with similar mileage and establish a range of prices. The low end of this range is you target bid price.
If the bidding gets too high just walk away...I remember something an experienced auto trader told me at my second auction when I was getting worked up about a BMW I was bidding on. "don't get to excited kid...In this game, you always have another 'at bat' ". What he was saying is: don't spend too much on a car because there is always another deal out there. I ended up letting that BMW go to someone else but I got another one a week later for several thousand less. I always try to remember that bit of advice.
How do you find these auctions?
A lot of these auctions can be tough to find. Only very recently have they started advertising online but most have had websites up for years. The result is...a simple "Google search" isn't going to turn up anything.
You can always find some local auctions in the paper which is a good place to start. I've spent years compiling a list of these auctions by state which is another good resource to save you a lot of time and money. Check out my site for more.
The bottom line. You can't afford NOT to look at Car Auctions.
I've been amazed at some of the deals I've found over the years at these auctions. It's been enough to surpass my day job and for much less work. Even if you're interested in just buying one car for yourself, you can't afford NOT to look at a Car Auction. So what are you waiting for?!
About the Author
Chris Chamberlain started going to Car Auctions in 2002 in the hopes of getting a good deal on a car for himself. Several years and hundreds are cars later he's made a small fortune flipping cars. Check out
http://www.officialgovernmentgrants.com
to learn more on this and his other streams of income.