train collection on ebay

[Railphotog]

Too many people, especially non model railroaders, automatically think that older train models have great value.  No doubt because of stories that go around about very rare collectible Lionel stuff; they assume all old trains have great value.  They are just toys!

A friend heard of a widow wanting to sell off her late husband's trains.  He took a look and he determined most of it was cheap old toys, and was prepared to offer the lady $200.00 for the lot.  Before he could, the lady commented that the trains wouldn't leave her place until she had $2000.00 in her hands.  I imagine she still has them.

At at train show our local club operates we had a request for a table from a young fellow in his late teens.  He wanted to sell off his old trains to help him pay for schooling.  He showed up with a bunch of military toy trains - the kinds with big guns on them, all decorated for the army, really no real interest to model railroaders.  He left in the middle of the afternoon pretty disgusted, don't think he sold one thing.  Again he assumed his old toys were valuable and that he'd make a fortune selling them.

 

 

[ICRR1964]

I don't know what the deal is, the seller really thinks this is all high priced items, If he would have started the bidding even at $1000 and set some sort of reserve, it might have sold. Personally I really don't think the person selling really knows what it is worth. Some one has advised them I think of the price and they are trying to move it.

I aquired a small collection awhile back from a family that had the same idea this guy had, tried to sell it for a small fortune, but nothing ever came of the sale, about 6 months later they asked me if I was still interested in it. It contained, AHM, Athearn, and Atlas items, loco's cars, buildings, track, you name it. Allot of the items were damaged while in storage in a damp basement and the packing. There were some good items, but allot of cleaning and repairs were needed. I ended up with the small collection for about a 1/10th of what they were asking. Thats why I instructed my daughters and do keep a record of what and about what all my train items are worth. I do have some brass, but I told them to have a auction when their mother and I are gone. I keep my data base up to date on what I have, what I bought and so on. I figure if they get a 1/4 of what I paid for all my MR items they will be doing good.

I have seen this before though with entire train collection, it involves someone who does not have 2 nickles in their pocket and want the collection at new retail price, they do some reserch and advise the family it is wirth "this".

What are our new items, with DCC, Proto's, Rapido, Atlas, and other items going to be worth someday? Who knows!

[rolleiman]

'Cause it's Cherry!!! 

[CAZEPHYR]

This has got to be a commercial seller and not an individual -- has been a member of e-Bay since 1999 with a 100 percent rating.  Only 4 days left and still no bids.

 

The reason I think he has no bids is the starting price is about $4500 higher than the price the older junk is worth.    This is not a collection that anyone I know of would consider.  Out of the total models, eight of them are useable on a good layout. 

When they offer the lot at $1500 to $1800, someone will probably pony up.

Just my thought on this.  Decent brass is purchased in this size lots for peanuts on the dollar when an estate is sold.   Why would anyone pay good money for mostly Old Rivarossi and Bach.

[CAZEPHYR]

This collection HASN'T sold, as yet there have not even been any bids, even at the REDUCED (obviously still too high price) of $5900.00

                         Doug

Rivarossi with high flanges just don't bring good prices, and as a group, they bring less. 

I count less than six good models in the whole lot that could be run and enjoyed.   I can't image this collection not including TYCO, but there is a Texas Chugger, which is a Santa Fe Texas with a NYC tender. 

 Now that is the Cat's meow.    

 

[challenger3980]

This collection HASN'T sold, as yet there have not even been any bids, even at the REDUCED (obviously still too high price) of $5900.00

                         Doug

[CAZEPHYR]

That looks like a typical GATs train show table, only in vertical format. One thing is missing, the A Team Tyco set.

Jim

 

Nothing like old Junk Rivarossi with the large flanges.  I did notice the C&O 2-6-6-6 and one of two others like the BLI PRR T1, but for the most part, they are display only.

It is surprising they sold for the high price that was bid.   Correction, it did not sell and is still way too high.    Dealers would pay about $25 to $50 each for this group as a lot.  

 

 

[SteamFreak]

It's been relisted with a starting bid of $5,900. If you can't wait a week, it can all be yours right now for $9,500. Fantastic HO Train Steam Engine Collection Many Rare NR

[dale8chevyss]

No bids, and the auction has ended.

 

 

HAHAHAHAHHAHAA 

[dinwitty]

people whose items didnt sell sometimes relist with changes.

 

[Railphotog]

Anyone surprised this $8500.00 collection DID NOT SELL on eBay?  Not me!

 

 

[cacole]

This has got to be a commercial seller and not an individual -- has been a member of e-Bay since 1999 with a 100 percent rating.  Only 4 days left and still no bids.

[Budliner]

I bet he's rethinking his shipping policies

[Ted Marshall]

Some sucker will buy it eventually, but not until the asking price is substantially reduced.

[oscaletrains]

putting money into old trains is only worthwhile if you put it in o & standard. prewar or rare postwar.

[loathar]

 Now if you brought everything up to RETAIL (which few people ever pay), it might be $8,500.

Really? Even at the prices those things sold for in their day??

I was looking at some similar trains on E-bay last night and was surprised how cheap some of the old stuff was going for.

[UNIONPACIFIC4018]

I think we all suffer from "overpriceitus" at some point.  I have seen other modelers purchase something for a few dollars only to later list it at an incredible price and I ask why and they haver some fantasy belief that its "rare" or "valuable".  Due to changes in my life I have had to list a bunch of my train stuff on ebay and I think I list it pretty fairly.  Now I do have some pieces I would never part with no matter how much money you threw at me because of sentimetal value. Yeah they may just be old riv pizza cutter passenger coaches but they are lettered for my grandpa's model railroad.  Mostly it seems if I list it for like a dollar starting price I end up with way more than I expected and I think that is attributed to the auction frenzy.

[ARTHILL]

I come from the other side of this fanticy, if someone gave this to me what would I ever do with it. It does not fit on my layout, I have no place to store it, selling on Ebay is NOT my hobby. I could take it to a flea market and get a few hundred for about 1/4 of it and then what to do with the rest. Collectibles presuppose another collector to sell them. I hope he finds one, but I am into building a layout and running trains. I don't even want to unpack that many boxes.

My kids will have the same problem, what to do with all my foam mountains. The answer - rent a dumpster.

[Darth Santa Fe]

I went ahead and calculated how much you could get selling all those in separate auctions. It came up to about $4,000, and that may even be generous. Now if you brought everything up to RETAIL (which few people ever pay), it might be $8,500.

[jondrd]

 The clincher for getting the $8500 is when he adds a comment that one of the engine tenders has a weathered pattern that looks like the Virgin Mary and one of the weathered cars has a pattern that resembles Christ.

Actually he may have done some research and observed how many bidders submit winning bids that are over prices you could buy same item via mail order. The $8500 is just his way of fast tracking(sorry couldn't resist) them to their eventual overbid.

 

 Jon

[steemtrayn]

I just noticed that the "Triplex" has two fireboxes.

It needs 'em to make all that steam, Lack of an extra firebox is what did in the Matt Shay.

[SteamFreak]

I just noticed that the "Triplex" has two fireboxes.

[Anonymous]

Looks like a bunch of junk to me.The only locos that are worth anywhere close to anything are the Riv Allegheny and the recent production stuff.All that other stuff will have pizza cutter flanges.I guess it may be worth something to a collector but I dropped Riv years ago after a few quality issues.Dan

[CP5415]

Does the pool table come with it?

Gordon

[Midnight Railroader]

so good luck on getting rid of your collection that you think you will retire on, but think of the fun you had "playing with trains" remember, it's a hobby.

Lucky I didn't get into this hobby with the intent of making a profit, then.

 

 

[wjstix]

It will be interesting to see - after it doesn't sell - if he breaks it up and sells it one piece at a time with shipping allowed outside of Texas. Some of the items aren't that bad, the more recent (1990's) Rivarossi engines looked pretty good and really ran OK too, although they tended to be a little light. For a decent price I wouldn't mind the Milwaukee streamlined 4-6-4 or a NYC streamlined Hudson (not the streamlined 4-6-6-4 though).

[Driline]

Tatans, who gets into a hobby to make money?  To be honest I can't think of one that I have that I may actually make money on if I ever turn around and got out of it.  As for my train collection I would guess that it is probably worth 1/2 of what I paid for it.  The only thing I can think of that maybe worth something is my Athearn Genesis Ontario Northland 50' boxcars and my Proto 2000 Ontario Northland gondolas, they seem to get double what I originally bought them for when I see them on Ebay.  I've noticed Kato CP AC4400CW's going for over what they were new as well. 

Try boating as your hobby. Have you priced new boats lately and then checked to see what they're worth a few years later!

$30,000 for a nice 7 passenger speedboat.

Worth $15,000 2 years from now.......

Even less as time goes on......

My brother in law did that exact thing. He uses it 3 or 4 times a year. Is that worth it? I guess to him it is, but think what kind of equipment and train layout you could have for that kind of money. Man, that could keep you busy for 20 years.

[Driline]

Interesting comments, mostly on the downside as to the value of this collection, would be of interest to find out what others would get if they sold THEIR trains, you may be in for a big surprise, I attended an auction of a guy who thought he was going to make a wad of money on brass locomotives he had bought over a few years, he showed me the receipts at @$125,000 (there were a lot of locos) at the auction a lot of train buffs were there, but, I think were only curious and the result of the auction was just over $35,000 and he had to pay an auction fee, so good luck on getting rid of your collection that you think you will retire on, but think of the fun you had "playing with trains" remember, it's a hobby.

I agree with your statement. Only a fool would think they could actually make money or retire on brass locomotives or any other model choo choo. Think about it, how many financial advisors you know said, "Hey go out and buy loads of choo choo trains" they'll double in price some day

I buy trains to play with. I know they won't be worth squat 20 years from now. Now my matchbox 1968 diecast car collection, well....thats another story. Could be worth more money later, or possibly not. I don't care, because I enjoy them.

My moneys in a 401K that my employer contributes 150% towards. Now thats something that may accrue in value. (Or not depending on the stock market )

[tatans]

Interesting comments, mostly on the downside as to the value of this collection, would be of interest to find out what others would get if they sold THEIR trains, you may be in for a big surprise, I attended an auction of a guy who thought he was going to make a wad of money on brass locomotives he had bought over a few years, he showed me the receipts at @$125,000 (there were a lot of locos) at the auction a lot of train buffs were there, but, I think were only curious and the result of the auction was just over $35,000 and he had to pay an auction fee, so good luck on getting rid of your collection that you think you will retire on, but think of the fun you had "playing with trains" remember, it's a hobby.