Last week I bought the 2011 edition of Greenbergs Lionel Trains pocket price guide 1901-2011. I looked up the Sante Fe 8020 8021 engine & cars I got in a set from garage sale last week. I can find my Pennsy 8203's, DM&IR 8158, but not my 4-4-2 8632. For curiosity I can't find a value on a scale Hudson 5344 which of course I don't own. Looking up modern cars is confusing since I don't know when they went to 5 digit numbers. I can't find my Wisconsin Central 4-4-2 in there sold at Menards about 6 years ago. Anyone remember the number of the DM&IR SD18 or SD28 sold by JC Penny in 1990? At a garage sale today I asked about Lionel trains, Hot Wheels, Erector sets and one of the ladies said I have all of those at home disorganized. She said there are several wind up engines. She will call me in the next 2 months. Does my price guide have prices for wind up trains?
Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
It does get frustrating at times to I.D. an item. Some times it takes some cross referencing in the guides because a Lionel 4 number may also be listed as a 5 number I.D. The Greenberg Guide should direct you from the 4 number to the 5 number.
Per Greenberg, the 8632 is listed as 18632, NYC = $75 to $95, C&O = $75 to $95
For more accurate prices for selling or buying, E-Bay is a better price guide.
Bill T.
In the Greenberg's guide, the term modern is from 1970 to current production, and most items are listed but not all! Post war refers to 1945 to 1969, and pre war is before 1942. A few numbers were used in both pre war and post war, example # 224; either a steam loco or diesel engine, another are some passenger cars both pre war and post war runs but the coupler assemblies are different.
Lee F.
IMHO, the price guides are often overpriced. I buy most of my stuff at swap meets, and there is no possibility that someone selling at a swap meet will get the prices quoted in the price guides.
Going with what servoguy said as I agree price guide is just that a guide to what you could expect to pay but at a retail operation not swap meets or ebay.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
They are good for providing a reference point as to where you should budget (I go with the 75% of the guide price). I use the prices in the guides to revalue my collection when it is time to adjust the insurance.
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