Brass Locomotive Catalog or Database

[tcf511]

I need to research some brass locomotives from an estate. Can anyone recommend a good book or website as a starting point? I know the variables of condition, original box, etc. but would like to get some idea of which ones might be more common or rare. I've found reference to a Brown's book however I can't find one published more recently that 1993. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[tatans]

Becoming an expert on used brass and the variables in pricing from a book would be a very tricky situation as these things fluctuate in the market like yo-yo's (just look at ebay prices) I would consult a brass seller who will charge a fee but I would feel a lot closer to reality than trying to second guess the brass market. ( I bought a berkshire brass loco from an auction for $35.00 as the auctioneers and the public had no idea what they were even looking at.

[Anonymous]

The 3rd edition Brown book from 1993 is the most recent available for published references on the entire brass market however, the prices are way off. Overland has published their newsletters with their own models but those newletters are relatively expensive in my opinion and have no real market price information.. It's always been rather surprising to me that the active importers don't even bother to list their older models let alone provide pictures and descriptions. They seem to remove all references to their models from their websites as fast as they arrive.
Brass on Ebay is highly sought after and gets a lot of attention. You have an excellent chance of getting a decent price there. It's virtually certain to be a better price than a dealer would pay also.

[ARTHILL]

Unless you want to be a collecter, know what you want and buy it if you want to afford that piece. Understanding it is a different hobby that MRR.

[tcf511]

Thanks for the various replies. Actually, this is all brass that has never been run at all. Some is a couple years old but most is much older. I'm not looking to collect. I'll be helping someone sell some of it. Ebay is an attractive option but you need to have some kind of idea for minimum prices. I actually have Model Railroaders back to the 70's so I can do some research there. I was just hoping there was some kind of book newer than the Brown. So the brass market is pretty much based on whatever the market will bear with no guidelines?

[Anonymous]

Actually, I have seen many brass locos sit on Ebay with no bids if the starting price was close to the expected value or too high. I have seen some of those same engines put back on Ebay with a much lower starting price (as low as $.99) and sold for much more than the original starting price of the no bidder auction. Unless you have an obscure very scarce model that most people don't really appreciate, you will get a decent price from Ebay. Why don't you follow the usual advice and start looking at Ebay auctions and checking used brass dealers listings? You could also post the model's here and maybe some people can give you a ballpark price estimate. Remember that engines that are several years old are not new - they may have operating problems, defects, loose or failing solder joints, tarnish, etc. With all those variables, you are never going to get an exact value or price anywhere.

[Berk-fan284]

I second the above posts, provided you you don't have your pants on fire to sell your brass locos,etc. check Ebay to get an idea on availability and price for your examples in comparable condition. You can also try these hobby shop/brass dealers their websites have photos,prices and usually dscriptions of the model(s): Mitchell's at WWWmitchells.com (ph 800 726-2119), Don Black Brass Trains at www.donblack.com (866 462-7277 or 914 347-3971 9am-7pm Eastern Time), Piermont Division (a division of Dan's Train Depot) at 352 236-4555 or www.brasstrains.com/inventory. I have bought from these three dealers so I think they seem to be pretty straight shooters to deal with for an honest answer. You can also try Caboose Hobbies at www.caboosehobbies.com they have an extensive website in general.

[CNJ831]

tcf - Reference-wise, there is only one accurate source for HO brass info - John Glaab's The Brown Book of Brass Locomotives, 3rd edition. However, current values is another question altogether. Pre-eBay the pricing was fairly homogeneous across the brass market because the dealers monitored selling prices. Since eBay has come into the picture, pricing for a given item can to be all over the map week to week!

Monitoring eBay selling prices only serves to indicate what someone was willing to pay when the last (or last couple) of a particular item came up for sale. If several fellas happened to be looking for that loco right at that time, selling prices could go way over what most would consider a reasonable figure. On the other hand, if the item wasn't being sought by anyone right then, it could go for a song (unless there was a reserve). So, chance timing can be a really big factor. And don't believe anyone who says that the new plastic-brass is causing a dramatic decline in the brass market and values, that's utter nonsense. What has happened is that the market has contracted to a great degree relative to the past and pricing has pretty much reached a ceiling for those remaining in that aspect of the hobby.

Your best bet would be to start by getting a copy of The Brown Book. Place your eBay auction ads with a starting price of 2/3 - 3/4 the listed Brown Book "average condition" value and let it go from there. It may be necessary to place the item up for auction a couple of times to get a good price (or you may striking it rich on the first shot!) but being patient certainly pays in the long run.

CNJ831

[tcf511]

Thanks very much to all. We've got time to be patient and I've followed that strategy on ebay when selling some glassware that my wife inherited. This kind of research is a lot of fun for me actually. Cataloging, researching the history, etc. can be tedious but rewarding when you find what you are looking for. I'll definitely watch for a 1993 copy of the Brown book just to better understand brass in general.