Thank ya, thank ya, thank ya!
Prawnie, yes I do search eBay for PVC figures from time to time, as well as whenever I have a chance to go to a second-hand or thrift store like Goodwill and such; as for other props, I also check craft stores periodically, particularly in the railroad setup/miniatures/dollhouse accessory departments - come to think of it, that's where I managed to find the assortment of crates that are usually stashed off to the side of 123.