Ebay 613...am I missing something here

[PhilaKnight]

Greenberg's guide puts this engine in the 130 to 322 range. Is there something special about them that it warrants this high price?

http://cgi.ebay.com/613-Lionel-U-P-switcher_W0QQitemZ220551393476QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item3359e330c4

[dougdagrump]

Free shipping !

[Ole Timer]

 Does the ... he never got any bids give us a hint ... LOL .

[Buckeye Riveter]

"....has only a hairline crack under the front mounting screw, very hard to see, if it wasnt some small paint loss under the front headlight, some of the grey, and a little yellow, missing from the rear headlight, also has a little box rub, on top of the exhaust stacks, thats why i will not rate it exec. +, still its a very sharp engine."

I would image the hairline crack at the front mounting screw and the paint loss under the front headlight have inflated the price dramatically. 

(For you newcomers to the forum, it's satire.)

[Hudson#685]

The only thing that you are missing is getting beat. His buy it now price is even higher than the LN price that Doyle set and his guide is high. In the scarcity rating, Doyle rates it t a 6 on a scale of 1 to 8. He is banking on someone who has to have it and it looks as if no one is biting on the opening price.

John

[cwburfle]

Hudson#685

His buy it now price is even higher than the LN price that Doyle set and his guide is high. In the scarcity rating, Doyle rates it t a 6 on a scale of 1 to 8.

I don't know anything about Doyle's ratings. Most of his comments seem to just be repeats of what's been published before.
The 613 is the scarcest model of all the sheet metal framed switchers.
Hairline cracks under the screwhole are very common.
Is it worth what that seller was asking?  ..... not to me.

[lionelsoni]

There's a reason why Doyle's "...comments seem to just be repeats of what's been published before":

David Doyle and Paul V. Ambrose Settle Lawsuit

Pittsburgh, PA, December 31, 2007.

The lawsuit filed by Paul V. Ambrose in late June against Krause Publications and David Doyle alleging that the Standard Catalog of Lionel Train Sets, 1945-1969 infringed upon the copyrights in earlier works written by Mr. Ambrose has been settled by Mr. Ambrose and Mr. Doyle. The Publisher, Krause Publications, Inc., earlier had settled with Mr. Ambrose.

Mr. Doyle has issued the following statement regarding this settlement: "In my preparation of The Standard Catalog of Lionel Train Sets, 1945-1969 and The Collector Guide to Lionel Trains, 1945-1969 I made a mistake. Portions of books previously written by Mr. Paul V. Ambrose on Lionel Post-War Toy Trains appeared in my books. Even more regrettably, Mr. Ambrose's contributions over the past decades to the hobby of collecting postwar Lionel trains was not acknowledged in my books. I have apologized to Mr. Ambrose for my actions and have assigned him the copyrights to these, and other, books of mine as part of our settlement. Mr. Ambrose has graciously accepted my apology. I would also like to apologize to the collecting community.

Other terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

[cwburfle]

lionelsoni

Even more regrettably, Mr. Ambrose's contributions over the past decades to the hobby of collecting postwar Lionel trains was not acknowledged in my books. I have apologized to Mr. Ambrose for my actions and have assigned him the copyrights to these, and other, books of mine as part of our settlement. Mr. Ambrose has graciously accepted my apology. I would also like to apologize to the collecting community.

I wonder whether Mr Ambrose acknowledged the folks who amassed information and wrote the books before he came along. The first reference material I had (other than old magazines and catalogs) was a Ladd checklist.

 

[lionelsoni]

Yes, he did.  The title page of Greenberg's guide to Lionel trains, 1945-1969, Volume I, Motive power and rolling stock by Paul Ambrose has on the title page in large letters "Based on Prior Editions by Bruce C. Greenberg".  A quarter of page 6 is devoted to acknowledgements, including a dozen or so of specific authors and collectors and a blanket acknowledgement:  "Finally, the author is grateful for the information provided by collectors for all previous editions of this reference work."