I'm with Rich. It's even more a boat anchor than it was before. Maybe the seller should change the road number to a lower one...
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
SeeYou190It looks like it has fallen off the shelf a couple of times and somebody spilled a sticky drink on it.
A rather crude way of weathering the engine to make it look as a valuable, antique item.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Dunno, at the time it didn't seem worth $500 to me, let alone $4,500. Now, it doesn't seem worth $50.
Rich
Alton Junction
It has been six months since I first saw this neat locomotive in the antique store.
.
I stopped in yesterday, and it is still there. Same $4,500.00 price tag.
Unfortunately, it is ruined. It looks like it has fallen off the shelf a couple of times and somebody spilled a sticky drink on it.
The beautiful old patina the finish it had is now chipped, scraped, and just terrible looking.
I wouldn't give $50.00 for it now. This is a shame.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Eilifbut if you're in there and willing to speak to him I think we'd all love to hear some context for this item. We have alot of conjecture and opinions, but we don't know who made it, how old it is, where it is from, etc.
My only contact with the actual seller of the item has been by email. The item is in an antique mall, and the seller has an un-manned booth.
The email back-and-forth was quite long, so I will abridge the content.
Basically, I told him it was not a live steam locomotive, a scale model, toy, or brass collectible. I doubt is an instructional prop.
I said it looks like an interesting metal craft project. It has a lot of charm, and I think it would look great in my living room.
I tried to probe and find out his reason for the high price. I asked him if it was perhaps made by a known folk artist, or prominent modeller. If so, could he provide provenance to justify this claim.
Basically his justification of the price was like that line from Jurassic Park... Is it heavy? Then it is expensive.
It is hard to get context of commentary from emails, but I think this item has deep importance to the seller, and he was very insulted that I did not see the same value he did.
I seriously doubt the Atlanta auction story. I have attended a few auctions in Atlanta and never have I seen an art piece bid over $1,000.00 at one.
I am further confused by the way it is displayed, just sitting on a light wooden bookcase. If it really had high value, it should be in a display case.
SeeYou190 He told me that he had the item in an antique auction in Atlanta last year with a $4,000.00 reserve and it was bid up to $3,700.00 and he would not lower the reserve to make that sale.
He told me that he had the item in an antique auction in Atlanta last year with a $4,000.00 reserve and it was bid up to $3,700.00 and he would not lower the reserve to make that sale.
I understand if you have no desire to talk to him again, but if you're in there and willing to speak to him I think we'd all love to hear some context for this item. We have alot of conjecture and opinions, but we don't know who made it, how old it is, where it is from, etc....
Alot of folks seem to think it's not worth much, but if the dealer is to be believed, someone thought it was worth $3700! Now we don't know whether that person was an informed collector of such things or just someone with deep pockets who liked the look of it, but I think there's more to this story.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
riogrande5761 time to tap those Ruby shoes together and come back to the real world. Oz is cool. There are lots of neat things I'd like to have too but at some point ...
I have no idea what you are trying to say with your reply.
SeeYou190 It is a shame the seller has such an unreallistic price on it. It has a loveable quality to it, and very rarely does my wife like anything train related as a display piece. - Kevin
It is a shame the seller has such an unreallistic price on it. It has a loveable quality to it, and very rarely does my wife like anything train related as a display piece.
- Kevin
Ok, time to tap those Ruby shoes together and come back to the real world. Oz is cool. There are lots of neat things I'd like to have too but at some point ...
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Sorry Kevin about the locomotive. I have this piece of art by Howard Fogg. (Don't know if its copied.)
On the bottom it reads The New Texas Special, M-K-T No. 1-Christmas, 1965
In a 22.5" x15.5" frame that my mom found at a craft fair.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
TBat55I believe it is a live steam project that was abandoned.
I think the same thing judging from the boiler and the frame. It might even have been a live steam kit of some sort.
Kevin said "any help would be appreciated". Your reply is neither.
Terry
TBat55 I think the seller is who made it. $4500 for 150 hours of work. I would say $400, minus shipping cost of $100, minus cost of decorative steel display stand due to weight, minus insurance if it ever falls on someone. A lot of people could make one of that quality, and far less weight. I believe it is a live steam project that was abandoned. Current scrap steel is ~$2 a pound, so $200 is the real value.
I think the seller is who made it. $4500 for 150 hours of work.
I would say $400, minus shipping cost of $100, minus cost of decorative steel display stand due to weight, minus insurance if it ever falls on someone.
A lot of people could make one of that quality, and far less weight. I believe it is a live steam project that was abandoned.
Current scrap steel is ~$2 a pound, so $200 is the real value.
Wow Terry, that is quite a crystal ball you have from one photo and one brief second hand conversation......
Sheldon
I doubt that - live steam engines require precision engineering and top notch machining!
Current scrap steel is ~$2 /100 pound, so $2 is the real value.
I am afraid I am not much of an "artsy" character. I do like paintings, especially those of Turner, Sisley, Monet, Manet and Renoirs, but I don´tr thrive to own one. I´d never "invest" into a piece of art, hoping that it will eventually appreciate in value - once I am dead.
If I had money to spare - it´ll go into model railroading!
tstageWell, I would take that story with a grain of salt.
Yes, I take that story as "just a story" as well.
Tinplate ToddlerFor the price he is asking, you can get a Gauge One live steam USRA Light or Heavy Mikado made by Aster.
Or I could have a lot of very nice things.
I would be willing to pay $4,000.00 to $8,000.00 for certain orginal paintings by Boris Vallejo, but those rarely are for sale and are truly works of art, and able to be insured as such.
Could you imagine what my insurance agency would say if I said that thing had an insurable value of $4,500.00?
Kevin,
That´s a wise decision! For the price he is asking, you can get a Gauge One live steam USRA Light or Heavy Mikado made by Aster.
https://www.accucraftestore.com/g1-aster-mikado
These precision engineered beasts do not only look good, they work like a charm. However, live steam is highly addictive!
SeeYou190He told me that he had the item in an antique auction in Atlanta last year with a $4,000.00 reserve and it was bid up to $3,700.00 and he would not lower the reserve to make that sale.
Well, I would take that story with a grain of salt. More importantly, your $400 ahead in your bank account.
Well, I heard back from the seller today. He countered my $400.00 offer with an offer to sell at $4,250.00. Needless to say, we are too far apart.
If that thing actually got bid to $3,700.00, and he did not take it, well that was his decision to make.
It is only worth $400.00 to me, and after talking to him, I kind of lost interest in the item completely.
So the saga ends.
Well, to each their own.
It took me years to dissuade my children and other relatives from buying me that sort of stuff just because it is train related........even if it only costs $10 at the Goodwill or TJMaxx.
Art? I would rather not go there. But as a music fan I remind people all the time that "Classical Music" (some of which I like) was just the pop music of its day.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and value is set by the desire to own, and the desire to be rid.
If Kevin can obtain this item at a price that suits him, more power to him. I for one will not be in the bidding.....
Trainman440 Doughless Sure you can buy a CAD designed, perfectly tooled and assembled accurate model from a factory.....but anybody can have one of those if they want one. The appeal of models as works of art diminishes tremendously once there is more than one exact copy. Then over and over and over. While a piece like this is one-of-a-kind and, therefore, makes it more valuable, you must keep in mind, this is made by an (probably) unproffesional. If a kid made a single model locomotive out of cardboard, it's also one-of-a-kind, however, not valuable. Similarly, if this $4500 engine was put together with, say, Elmer's school glue, and about to fall apart, It's not worth much. However, if it is well built, smooth rolling and sturdy, then the "this is the only one ever made" argument holds some weight. Just a little more. I wouldn't pay anything over $200 for it. (the same price I'd pay for a brass engine.) Charles
Doughless Sure you can buy a CAD designed, perfectly tooled and assembled accurate model from a factory.....but anybody can have one of those if they want one. The appeal of models as works of art diminishes tremendously once there is more than one exact copy. Then over and over and over.
Sure you can buy a CAD designed, perfectly tooled and assembled accurate model from a factory.....but anybody can have one of those if they want one. The appeal of models as works of art diminishes tremendously once there is more than one exact copy. Then over and over and over.
While a piece like this is one-of-a-kind and, therefore, makes it more valuable, you must keep in mind, this is made by an (probably) unproffesional. If a kid made a single model locomotive out of cardboard, it's also one-of-a-kind, however, not valuable. Similarly, if this $4500 engine was put together with, say, Elmer's school glue, and about to fall apart, It's not worth much. However, if it is well built, smooth rolling and sturdy, then the "this is the only one ever made" argument holds some weight. Just a little more. I wouldn't pay anything over $200 for it. (the same price I'd pay for a brass engine.)
Charles
Lots of ifs as to quality. No way to judge from here. Its folk art, and by its nature its probably one of a kind. Folk art has value because its collectible as a genre, and that genre is different than a well engineered and assembled equal. In some cases, "lower quality" makes it more desireable.
- Douglas
Track fiddlerI would pay 350.00 for that easily. If it spoke to me loud enough, I might go as high as 10% of his asking price. Who knows, it's the end of the month, he might bite.
I stopped at the store and offered $400.00, which seemed like a fair offer based on what I learned, and from your comments in here.
The seller could not be reached, so I headed down to Florida.
Final outcome is still pending I guess.
Good evening all. What a beautiful evening it is. I've been a little sparse lately. How's everyone been doing?
[user="SeeYou190"]
I stopped at an antique store in Georgia and found this magnificent beauty.
I WANT IT!
The problem is that the seller has a price of $4,500.00 on it, which seems way out of line to me. Especially since there is no explanation of why such a high value. I think they just saw the number 4500 on the cab and said "hey, that sounds like a good price".
[/quote]
This Thread came about and jumped right down the rails. Kevin I can completely relate to this kind of thing.
It looks like how you said, "I WANT IT" all in Caps, the item spoke to you. I am so familiar with that, not often, but when something does speak to me..... I can tell you I feel less bad when I paid too much then when I fumble on the price, go back and it's gone.
Don't get me wrong, that beautiful piece of work is not worth $4,500 but it may have spoken to you.
You're probably right. The antique dealer is not real interested in selling it. We have a lot of antique dealers in Stillwater Minnesota. Judy and I often go through these shops when we're there.
The thing you got to remember, it's getting towards the end of the month and these merchants have to pay their monthly lease payment soon. He could be running a little behind this month on sales. Everytime I'm in these shops, I don't see tons of people buying stuff.
I would pay 350.00 for that easily. If it spoke to me loud enough, I might go as high as 10% of his asking price. Who knows, it's the end of the month, he might bite.
I look at it this way, Judy and I have had a $100 fancy dinner many of times and have nothing left over when we're done. Something you really like and pay $100 too much for, stays on the fireplace mantel for a long long time
TF
If I did get it, I'd leave all the years of dust and Grime on it. Makes it look even better
Has anyone mentioned the term "folk art" yet? If you do buy it, make sure that you take it to Antiques Roadshow if it ever comes to your area.
Russ
Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ. Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/
riogrande5761when she moved to the good ol US of A about 8 years ago, she used to frequently say "only in America"
I was born here 72 years ago and I say that every morning after I read the paper.
Tinplate Toddler riogrande5761 By what definition? I think some could argue it's art. Often art immitates real things. Maybe a form of impressionistic art? This is a cultural issue. I know that the folks at your end of the Big Pond have a rather liberal attitude towards what is art and what not. But in my neck of the woods, not all crafted things are considered art, even in a very loose interpretation of the word. Same goes for the use of the word "antique".
riogrande5761 By what definition? I think some could argue it's art. Often art immitates real things. Maybe a form of impressionistic art?
This is a cultural issue. I know that the folks at your end of the Big Pond have a rather liberal attitude towards what is art and what not. But in my neck of the woods, not all crafted things are considered art, even in a very loose interpretation of the word. Same goes for the use of the word "antique".
I get what you mean but this discussion centers around the new world "art", not the old world "art".
And I'm not expecting you to go along with the liberal crap that stretches the meaning, often to the point of absurdity. Remember the Maplethorpe controversy back around 30 years ago?
My wife is from the old world, in this case England, and when she moved to the good ol US of A about 8 years ago, she used to frequently say "only in America". There was a British series a few years ago where some Brits travelled around the US and did features on various things they came across which essentially illustrated that phrase my wife used to utter.
It's a nice locomotive. I'll probably pay $100 for my impulse purchase.
I rather have that NYC Hudson in Brass but I couldn't afford that price tag either.
SeeYou190 Tinplate Toddler Same goes for the use of the word "antique". -Kevin
Tinplate Toddler Same goes for the use of the word "antique".
Enjoying yourself there?
One could argue that in the US, many things have lost their meaning, but that doesn't mean you have to agree to abide by those meanings. Remember when Clinton said, "It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is.
I'd hazard there are some genearlly accepted meanings to the term Antique among those who specialize in such things and simply "used" is probably not what they haven in mind.
One accepted definition of Antique refers to something that is over 100 years old.
The Antique Automobile Club of America defines an antique car as over 25 years of age. ...
SeeYou190que". . Antique has no meaning in the USA. It has becom
Or New Old Stock.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"