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We have developed this page to aid your navigation of our website and to address questions that we have frequently received. These questions in the "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)" section listed below, may address some of the issues and concerns that you have.

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Navigation, Problems and General Comments

Problems?: If you encounter any problems whatsoever as you browse through this website, please contact us immediately. You can do that via E-mail by clicking Tandem Associates here or you can contact us by other means by clicking here: Contact Tandem Associates LLC.
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Navigation: To explore Tandem Associates, click on any of the specific menu links in the upper left frame on those pages, like this one, that concern general site content. On other pages links are provided at the bottom of all of this site’s pages.
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Links are also provided in the form of the following graphics that will allow you to quickly reach the top or the bottom of these pages:

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The RED light at the top of this block signal head will take you to the top of the page.
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The BLUE Arrow pointing up will take you to the top of the page.
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The BLUE Arrow pointing down will take you to the bottom of the page.

Search and Sitemap: For your convenience, a sitemap and a search function are provided with links at the bottom of every page to help you quickly find what you’re looking for. To keep the sitemap within a reasonable length, the site selections are compressed and go to the main pages of the various sections of this site.
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New Windows: If you have enabled JavaScript, some internal links will open in a new "pop-up" browser window, most notably when you view an enlarged image of a photograph.
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Links: Tandem Associates has designed this site so that all external links will open in a new browser window.
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Labeled with ICRAFamily Friendly: This site has been approved for all ages by the Internet Content Rating Association®.
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Suggestions & Contact: If you have any suggestions on how we can improve our website, you can communicate them via E-mail or letter. We always appreciate positive comments about our site, but we especially like to hear constructive criticism. It is our desire to have the easiest to navigate site about Lionel, American Flyer and Plasticville on the net. We can only do this if we hear from our visitors. You’ll find a Contact link at the bottom of every page on our site, along with links to our Copyright and Privacy Statements.
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Welcome... We hope that you enjoy your visit to Tandem Associates’ website.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Q: I would like to sell the trains that I have. Does Tandem Associates purchase toy trains?
A: Yes, we buy trains all during the year! If you have a list prepared and know how much you want for your trains, we would be happy to talk to you. Please click here for more information.

Q: Are the pictures shown of the Plasticville kits the actual pictures of the item?
A: We use standardized pictures of the Plasticville box covers to aid you in finding the kit you are looking for quickly. We occassionally show additional pictures, but in general we rely on accurate descriptions to describe each item.

Q: Could you tell what is the best way to place and order?
A: Certainly, the quickest way to pay for an order is through PayPal. If you don’t have a PayPal account it’s easy to establish one. Just Click Here to begin. The quickest way to hold any item that you wish to purchase is to email us. The reason that we suggest this is because we may have only one of these items available. If the item is still available, we will set it aside for you and advise you by return email. If the item was sold, we will get back to you and advise you of this fact.

Q: Why do I get an error message when I try to send an E-mail to Tandem Associates directly from this website by clicking on tandem@tandem-associates.com?
A: Most of the time this is caused by your Internet browser not being set up as your default mailer. This is most common at large software providers. To send us an E-mail message, just use your E-mail software and address it to:

tandem@tandem-associates.com

Q: What payment methods does Tandem Associates accept?
A: In addition to personal checks, business checks, certified checks, and money orders, we accept payment through PayPal.

Q: Does Tandem Associates ship outside of the United States?
A: Yes! We have been shipping internationally for years!
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Q: Why are all shipments within the United States sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS)?
A: Tandem Associates location is conveniently close to the post office which allows us to ship items quicker. Click Payment and Shipping Information for more information.

Q: Are all packages shipped by Tandem Associates insured?
A: All orders for Plasticville kits is insured for 100% of the value of the contents. We will not ship any of these uninsured. Orders for Plasticville parts require payment for insurance should you so desire. For more information go to Payment and Shipping Information or, for parts orders, Payment & Shipping Information, and read these pages for more information.

Q: What are the procedures in the event of something being damaged in transit?
A: Only very rarely will this occur because of our excellent packing methods. If, however, this happens the first thing you should do is get in contact with us. We will provide you with a 100% refund promptly and then process the claim. We do not keep our customers waiting if something like that occurs.

Q: What assurances do I have that the descriptions are accurate?
A: You may want to click Guarantee & Return Policy here and read that page, but here is a brief summary of our grading philosophy: We want your purchasing experience to be without problems because we want to have your business for the long term. For this reason, we try to provide you with a very detailed and accurate description of the items that we have for sale. We grade every Plasticville item according to PCA Standards and we will also tell you if there are any significant flaws or non-original parts on any item. We believe that our reputation is on the line with every transaction.
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Q: What do the different grades on the "For Sale" pages mean?
A: You may want to click Grading of Plasticville Items & Accessories, Boxes, and Paper here and read this page, but here is a brief summary of what the grades represent. The Plasticville is graded from "Mint" (a perfect piece that was never used and is complete in a crisp, clean box) down to "Poor" (an item that is good for parts). Most of the items that we offer for sale will be in the "Excellent" range (collector quality: very clean, with little evidence of use). The grading of boxes and other paper items while different from the Plasticville pieces themselves, are also graded similarly.

Q: What are the four digit numbers that follow the "Details" of each item that is listed for sale?
A: Because of the turnover of kits that we’ve experienced we needed to list inventory items for quality control reasons. These numbers, for example: [2402], are simply for our own use to insure that you receive the item that you order.

Q: What do the different abbreviations used in this website mean?
A: You may want to click Grading of Plasticville Items & Accessories, Boxes, and Paper here and read that page, but here is a brief summary of some of the more common abbreviations that we use:

Abbreviations Used on this Site
Abbreviation Explanation Abbreviation Explanation
M Mint P Poor
E or EX Excellent VG Very Good
G or Gd Good F Fair
O/W or o/w Otherwise Repro Reproduction
N/A or n/a Not Applicable VAR or var Variation
OB Original Box NB No Box
Lt Light Dk Dark
W/ or w/ with W/O or w/o without
  + better than grade condition   Minus less than grade condition

Q: Does Tandem Associates have a layaway policy?
A: The Plasticville items that we sell are getting more difficult to find every day, and as a result, most of the quality items are in short supply. Unlike retail dealers, we can’t request additions to our inventory of these items, and we have found that it is a lot easier to sell these collectables than it is to obtain them. For this reason we do not have a layaway policy and expect all purchases to be paid for within 10 calendar days.


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