Fantastic that the number is still visible by the pilot! Helps a ton. Just type in “American Flyer prewar 4670” in google, check out a couple sites, and you’ll be able to Ball Park monetary value or “worth”. Personally, came across something similar- a prewar Lionel steamer- a couple weeks ago, for $25, and it’s monetary value was well in excess, but it’s worth, at least to me, has me teetering on whether or not to sell it. Even though I don’t usually run steam locos, my appreciation for it has just grown tremendously after the response from the members of this forum.
Im gonna preface this paragraph with a TLDR: some old toys or items, despite their possible monetary value, are worth more. Further, what you might think is “old”- even if it is- and thus valuable, isn’t always true. Even then, that value won’t trump its worth. If your friend does sell, tell her to think about the memories that her or any close relatives may have regarding an item. I’m not discouraging nor casting judgment, just giving my opinion from a similar situation which is below.
So, these aren’t yours, they belong to a friend. People deal differently with loss, pain, and what to afterwards. My grandfather had(past tense only b/c he passed away in June 2017) a significant antique collection in his basement and attic(some toy trains, B.B. guns, Auburn rubber vehicles, tin vehicles, wind-up of birds, Santa, cars, Americana, Railrodania, J. Chein toys and banks, other banks,cap guns, Marx toys(from tin to plastic, real rifles, WW2 memorabilia)- you get the picture, I always knew about 5% of what was up there since we spent a lot of time together when I was growing up. 2018 comes around, no one in the family(my father, my uncle, my siblings) are taking anything. Pop always told me, then us, “that’ll all be yours” and then once my siblings “that’s all for you 3”, then my cousins “that’s for all of you kids to split”. I miss him so much, his diagnosis and passing was so sudden, I’d give it all away to have him back. That said, going up to the attic to go through his incredible collection from over 50+ years of yard sales, antique shops, flea markets, etc...puts me back to the times when we’d play together up in the attic- whether it was toy soldiers, westerns, this bowling game, and more. Anyway, in 2018 I would take items and keep and inventory of them and then decide what should go to who based on what he said, what I knew or what seemed appropriate. My Grammy found a person who was interested in local memorabilia and I was there the whole time(except ONCE/ I told her to contact me if he ever stopped by) to make sure she didn’t get ripped off. That time I wasn’t there, he bought the old ice cube crusher that my dad, uncle and brother all remember being a staple in the living room. That hurt. Generally, he was a good guy- said he’d call her back to schedule another time, but hasn’t contacted her since.
I’m the only one in the family who has gone down and carried things home- always with Grammys approval. They end up somewhere on display in the basement- on the layout, clock or beer sign hung on the wall, beer serving trays, etc... I don’t plan on selling a gosh-darn thing. But wouldn’t judge someone who did
Main message: refer to the TLDR
