Opinions Needed: Baltimore & Ohio, Blue Alaska, Burlington, Fairbanks/Morse

[Anonymous]

Hey everybody! I never knew there were so many train enthusiasts on the web!

I am NEW to train collecting, but have a whole lot of questions. What do you think of these trains and their asking prices?

Fairbanks/ Morse Trainmaster Engine: 2 motors, blue and yellow. The seller calls it a "Virginian." 1956. $600.
Baltimore & Ohio: Engine goes in the ABA format, includes 4 passenger cars (1 is the dome car), and 1 baggage car. Circa 1980's. $900.
Alaska box car, yellow and blue (door has been repainted and doesn't quite match). 1958. $300.
Burlington engine, single motor, silver/ red. Mint condition, all original. $300.

I would really appreciate your feedback. Thanks for your opinions/ advice. And if you know of a site on the internet that would be helpful in answering my questions, would you please e-mail me? Thanks so much!

Mollinska

[Dr. John]

Mollinska,

First, welcome to the forum and to the great hobby of toy trains!

My first advice would be to pick up a copy of Greenberg's Guide to Lionel (or whatever brand you are interested in) that covers the production years and items you are seeking.
You can go to the trains.com homepage and search for these guides.

My first impression is that the asking prices for these units seem high, especially since you have mentioned damage and only "good" condition. Ultimately, it comes down to what you really want and are willing to pay.

Enjoy the hobby and the forum. Check out the "Coffee Pot" thread to get to meet some of the other forumites!

[Anonymous]

one resource I've looked at for postwar items is http://www.postwarlionel.com/

another is ebay. You can do an advanced search for items that have ended and see what other people are paying for similar items.

Welcome to the hobby. It sounds like an interesting story why you go from 0 trains to a set like this...

[Frank53]

welcome

what is your goal - running trains, collecting/, speculating on price appreciation.

The Virginian is a nice unit, but there are also some fakes to look out for. If it was me, I would look for better condition

[Jim Duda]

QUOTE: And if you know of a site on the internet that would be helpful in answering my questions, would you please e-mail me? Thanks so much!

Mollinska

Moll - how can I (we) e-mail you? You forgot to list your e-mail address...

[1688torpedo]

Hello Moll ! The Price on the Virginian FM & The Red & Siver Burlington sound a tad too high. You may be better off to find the reissues that Lionel has made and with all of the Blowouts in the past few years as far as prices go. You may be able to get more for your money. The Alaska 6464 also sounds a bit too high with repainted doors that do not Match. This is another item Lionel has reproduced and you should be able to find one without too much difficulty or $$$$$$ . It would be a shame to find out that you spent too much money and then have the expense of finding parts and maybe repainting these used Trains which would then exceed your original outlay of money. Just my [2c] Check back with us for more help if you want and [#welcome] to the Forum..............Keith

[rtraincollector]

I personally think all is over price a little bit especially scince on ebay there are about 5 that are listed in a live auction in 9 days watch out for the buyer premium you have to pay and how much shipping also as some one said the newer one theres a complete train set with the newer one and 6 coal cars buyit now $300.00 theres an Alaska 6464-825 with 2 other 6464 boxcars with a bid of only $50.00 so far . To me it sounds like your seller is trying to get excellant condition prices out of items that are good or less. feel free to email me if you wish I mainly deal in O/O27 trains and mainly Lionel

[ben10ben]

The price on the Trainmaster would probably be just about right(although still a little high)if it didn't have any battery damage. The battery damage and rust knock the price down a couple hundred. In my opinion, about half of his price would be fair for one in the said condition.

You could buy a brand new comparable passenger set to the B&O set that would be of much higher quality and run much better for about the same amount of his asking price. Many of the trains from the late '70s to the early '90s are considered to be from the "dark days" of Lionel by some, and, as a result, don't command a premium over the older or more modern examples. The damaged passenger car hurts the value quite a bit also. I don't think that the set is worth nearly as much as he is asking for it.

I don't know much about the Alaska boxcar, but I don't ever recall reading about being particularly valuable. Even with extremely valuable pieces, though, repainting is a big no-no. It is better to leave the item in slightly damaged condition than to attempt to repair it. Because of the repainted door, I would not put the value at anywhere near the $300 that he is asking for it.

Check the paint on the Burlington. What you want to look for are signs of tarnishing or dulling. If you don't find any, of course barring any major paint loss or other damage, the engine is probably worth the $300. If it appears tarnished or washed out, it would be worth slightly less, although not much.

[Anonymous]

As others have said, the prices are quite high and unrealistic. The Alaska RR boxcar would be the 6464-825, made in 1959 and 1960. The Greenberg guide gives it a value of $300 in excellent condition. The value given for good condition is $135, so the repainted doors would make it worth even less than that.