Scotie posted:I've always been puzzled by the concern for future resale value of our trains.
I know plenty of people who are concerned about that, in regard of what the sale will net their family afterward. I've made it clear to my wife that there is generally not a huge aftermarket for used model trains. It's my WW2 collection that she will likely do well with getting ride of if she outlives me and finds a good buyer. But many of you Lionel collectors have an equal chance for the survivors for them to sell the stuff after you're gone. That's a collectible as opposed to just a second-hand thing...
As for brass in general, a pal of mine has dozens of HO brass locos, and he knows it's worth a fraction of what he paid for it, even comparing dollar-to-dollar (not even adjusting for inflation, which really shows how much the value has dropped). Let's face it; brass was popular in an era where most RTR stuff required a lot of work. Brass did, too (remember all those articles in the magazines on how to get brass running well?). Then, you had to pay someone to paint it as nobody seemed to know how to take the things apart and have them still running once they went back together. Heck, most of the RTR stuff you can get in about any scale these days is as detailed (maybe even more so) than brass was back then. it's no shock that the bottom has fallen out of the brass market.
