Recently I was asked by a friend to help and elderly friend of his wife's family. The friend has some American flyer rolling stock and an engine PRR 312. There is also a complete Louis Marx train set standard gauge. What would e the best way to cell these for this indivdual.
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I found one of those auction platforms to be the best way to sell surplus stock. MAke a number of good (!) photos of each item, so a potential buyer gets a a good picture of what he is bidding on. Always tell the truth! Sell each item individually - you will get a much better price!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Tinplate Toddler I found one of those auction platforms to be the best way to sell surplus stock. MAke a number of good (!) photos of each item, so a potential buyer gets a a good picture of what he is bidding on. Always tell the truth! Sell each item individually - you will get a much better price!
Cliff Notes:
- Ebay reaches the biggest audience. Pros: fastest way to sell items priced well, Cons: the fees and time to photograph and list items individually or in groups. But photo's (good photos) help sell anything no matter the avenue.
- Email lists aimed at advetising items to sell (example: HOSwap for HO items, not sure if there are lists for S and/or vintage toy trains). Pros: no fees Cons, may take longer to sell and honor system - no legal protections.
- Facebook also has special interest groups for items to sell. (I don't use Facebook but my wife does and she has tried advertising some of my "for sale" trains and I've had no success - only lowball offers. I've had good luck selling on the email lists and have sold almost everything I've advetised over the past 5 or 6 years.
Lastly, there are vendors or indivituals who will buy collections, but typically you won't get as much payout from them.
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Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761...Ebay reaches the biggest audience. Pros: fastest way to sell items priced well, Cons: the fees and time to photograph and list items individually or in groups. But photo's (good photos) help sell anything no matter the avenue....
I agree - good photos are a must. Another option is train shows, but if you're not "into" trains yourself, you could end-up as the lamb among the wolves.
Another tip might be to research the items themselves. A friend came into some American Flyer equipment, and, not having a computer, asked me to find info that would help him to determine a reasonable selling price. While most of it was run-of-the-mill stuff (with prices to match) I was surprised by some items listed as "rare" or from a particular set or year of manufacture. Pretty-well everything should have a number printed or stamped on/into it, which will aid in your research.
Wayne
A friend found or was given an old Lionel HO set. He, of course, thought it might be worth a small fortune, but in the end he go $20 for it. The engine didn't work, and only a gimmick afficionado would have wanted a nuclear waste car, a helicopter car or a giraffe car.
I sold them for him at a Greenberg show. That is one way to get a single lot price and not have to spend much time or effort.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The Classic Toy Train forum might be able to give you more info - the more you know, the more likely you are to get a fair price for the items.
It appears per the web that the PRR 312 4-6-2 was S scale, made from 1946-51. Appears to be reasonably accurate version of a Pennsy K4.
https://thegilbertgallery.org/Engine%20Gallery/engines-Pacific2.html
I don't think Marx ever made 'standard gauge' (2-1/8" gauge) trains - wonder if you meant O gauge (1-1/4" gauge)? By the time Marx started making trains in the 1930's, standard gauge was already dying out.