Midland Freight Value? And a MARX wind up!!

[anjdevil2]

Hey!

I was in an antique store today and found a complete O-27 Midland Freight set.  Tube track and blue transformer.  Has a Rio Grande steamer.  Looks complete, the top of the box is cellophaned to the open set, Figured it was from the 70's-80's. There was stuff piled on it, so I couldn't see the price.  Looks like its in good shape, just wondering what it would be worth.  Also found a wind up Marx engine.  Couldn't find a date, but the mark was MAR in the middle of the cross.  Made in the United States of America around the cross.  Marked at $18

Any ideas of value would be appreciated!!  I have no clue at all. 

Thanks! 

[cnw1995]

In my wanderings in antique stores (as compared with flea markets, garage sales, resale shops, etc.) and this is a broad generalization, anything toy-train-related in a shop advertising itself as an antiques store is overpriced. It would be interesting to see what the set was going for... The little Marx engine sounds like a nice deal - wonder if it had its key or if it worked...

[Dave Farquhar]

If it's a Commodore Vanderbilt-type engine, $18 wouldn't be bad. Maybe a little low, depending on condition. If it's plastic, $10 is more realistic. If it's the pressed metal 590-series engine, $10 is more realistic. If it's a CV, whether it works has little effect on value since there are plenty of people willing to pull the windup motor and put an electric motor in. It's cheaper than buying a CV that was electric from the get-go, and there are plenty of Marx electrics with busted-up plastic bodies to be a potential donor.

The books on antiques dealing that I've read say if in doubt, price the item at 3x what you paid. So if the dealer got it for $5 or $6 at a tag sale or from a walk-in, it'd be priced at $15-$18 in the shop. It wouldn't surprise me if the dealer paid $5, then priced it at $18 to give room to come down to $15.

Dealers often overpay themselves when they see trains, so after they add their markup the result is a very overpriced train. The Lionel 8602 set that I saw a couple of weeks ago for $95 would be a prime example. I can see a dealer talking the seller down to $70 or maybe even $50 depending on how late in the day it was, but then after markup, it'll be in the $150-$200 range by the time it reaches the shelf in the antique store or antique mall.

It's possible to find decent deals at antique stores but you have to go a lot. The last time I bought anything that way was probably two or three years ago. It's just not that convenient for me anymore. I used to work about a half mile from a street that had about two or three blocks of antique shops so I could just stop in over lunch or something. There's nothing remotely like that near where I work now.

[anjdevil2]

The Marx is definitly pressed/stamped steel.  I looked for a place to put the key, but couldn't find it.  I'm sure its a wind up, I saw the clockspring inside the engine.  I thought it might be pre-war, but that was pure speculation.  The '50's era stuff I've seen had the MARX logo over the X rather that MAR over the X like I saw.

They also have 2 erector sets and some nice train related items, priced mostly like you would find at the memoribilia shows. 

The Lionel is interesting, only because it looks like a nice complete set.  I figure its worth at least $50, just don't want to look like an idiot or over pay for it.  I should've taken some pictures...!

Thanks for the help!

Rich 

[Jumijo]

The key usually goes in the side of the locomotive to wind the clock works

[phillyreading]

Dave,

I have to agree with you that anytime a Lionel train is in an antique shop the value seems to go sky-high!!!  The local antigue shop in Jupiter FL wanted at least twice the going prices in the Greenberg's price guide, talked to the person in charge and it is like the prices are cast in stone!

Lee F.