low train prices on e-bay.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone noticed the prices of toy trains on e-bay lately. Prices for Lionel and American Flyer seem extremely low. Can't figure out why. Maybe spring fever has got buyers thinking more about outside activities than trains. Maybe the economy has scared off some buyers, but whatever it is, now's a good time to buy those otherwise unaffordable toy trains. What gives?

[Frank53]

I was just talking about this, however, I am only interested in post war Lionel, and I question the authenticity of low priced items.

Buyer Beware when sailing the Beigh of Eigh.

[iguanaman3]

I have noticed a price drop in some of the "middle age" items (1995-2000) Postwar still seems about the same. There is bound to be a glut sometime for these "boomer" trains. The newer ones are more desirable now with their spiffy features. There are some bargains out there. I saw a 3Rd Rail J1e go for $450! Too big for me, thankfully. But I just got a 1999 Scale Pennsy K-4 with TMCC for $209. I hope it runs on Super O? Its hard on budget though, I just bought the Trainworld Mikado! I'm glad to have some postwar to sell and balance the books.

Neil

[Anonymous]

It seems that the prices of mint postwar stuff in original boxes hasn't suffered at all. But anything less than that has really taken a beating. You might be right about the authenticity of some of these items. Most of the lower priced pieces seemed to be of lower quality also. They all tend to have some kind of problem.

[Anonymous]

Iam not into Lionel trains but I gotten some good bargains on e-bay.I purchased a few ho scale locomotives in the past 2 months and what i paid for it (won the bid )I was pleased with it.

[Anonymous]

The toy train glut of recent years (new production), combined with the "I have all that I want or need" satiation point met by many long-time collectors and operators is bound to impact the market. There really is, in my opinion, no way for prices to go except down--except for those few pristine examples of highly sought-after pieces that are still floating around out there.

[Jumijo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Frank53

I was just talking about this, however, I am only interested in post war Lionel, and I question the authenticity of low priced items.

Buyer Beware when sailing the Beigh of Eigh.

As a new comer interested in purchasing post-war items, I'd like to know what you mean by questioning authenticity. Do you mean people passing off restorations as high grade originals? Are you just questioning locos or rolling stock as well? Please fill me in before I make a purchase I regret.

Jim

[Dave Farquhar]

I've never had any reason to question the authenticity of the majority of toy trains on Ebay. You can safely assume that none of them are properly graded (most people grade mint on a curve, for instance--they take "mint" to mean "striking," when, frankly, a car that can only be properly graded "fair" can still be striking), and because the photographs generally are taken by people who have no great skill in photography, you should assume that the train is not in the condition that the photograph suggests, and bid accordingly. I've bought trains on Ebay that were in worse condition than the photograph suggested, and trains that were significantly better than the photograph suggested.

As far as prices, think about supply and demand. This is the time of year when people are cleaning out their attics and basements and garages and selling their trains. So supply is up. But demand is down because many of the potential buyers are too busy working on non-train spring/summer projects to spend a lot of time buying trains.

I don't know if the low pricing is necessarily completely out of line. Consider a Lionel 2026 that doesn't run, with a body in reasonable shape but missing one or both trucks or or a drawbar or some other part. What if it sells for $30? A repair shop might charge $75 to repair the motor or e-unit and replace the missing parts. Thinking about it that way, it's not much of a discount. It's a better deal if you can fix it yourself, but you still should put value in dollars to the time involved.

[Dr. John]

I agree with Dave. A lot of the pricing depends on supply & damand as well as condition of the item. I don't mind if an engine has some blemishes or needs some work. To me, that's part of the fun. I don't shop for high-end collectibles on Ebay, although there are some to be found. I usually look for good runners or easy fixer-uppers as well as the odd tender or body shell. If the price seems reasonable, I bid. If not, I pass. I haven't really noticed a great change in the overall offerings or prices.

[Anonymous]

Hello All: I have to agree the prices have dropped on general market stuff, The highly sought after rare stuff will maintain it's value, because alot of non train people like it on display & when you venture into that type of collectable the market becomes a different place. As we discussed a few weeks ago the reproductions have made a big impact on old vs. new repro ( I think the majority liked the new, GOOD solid feedback on that post people). I picked up four MPC brand name boxcars last week, I have a liking to that brand name stuff. I also think a lot of non train people have ventured in after cleaning out Mom & Dad's possesion's, which expanded the amount of seller's, in turn flood's the market, & they are happy to get what they can for it. Kind Regards to all Steve

[Anonymous]

What we are experiencing right now on eBay is the normal seasonal cycle of events. It’s been my observation that the amount interest in all sorts of Collectibles and Hobby items, including O-gauge trains declines right around this time in mid spring and remains flat until mid to late August. This decline in interest equals a decline in prices for the more common items. However, prices always remain strong for rare, scarce or very desirable pieces.

BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[Anonymous]

I agree with BillFromWayne, this isn't the time of year to sell trains, especially the common stuff. However, if you see a bargain, go for it.

[3railguy]

I am in agreement that desireable quality postwar Lionel in true excellent condition or better has held it's price. Ebay dealers are notorious for grading very good items as excellent. They only get very good prices which is why the prices appear low.

I also agree that much of MPC and LTI has taken a nose dive in recent years.

[underworld]

One word..........economy. Actually the economy. I have friends that sell many different tyoes of items on eBay and for many things selling prices have been down for some time.....not everything though. This is good if you are looking for a bargain.....so if you have any available ca$h..........my advice is to
buy!!!!!

underworld

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