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Reply to "Lionel O gauge Trains were expensive in the middle 1950s"

@bigkid posted:

Over time what will happen is the common postwar stuff, the runners and even stuff that has been collected, won't be worth much, whereas specific, rare items might fetch a lot, like the "remote control' sets or the ones that allowed using two engines on the same track

This is already happening—the Postwar market has changed dramatically over the last 30 years.  I remember when I worked hobby retail in the 1990s the gap between Very Good and Like New prices were much narrower.  For example, back then a 6464-1 Western Pacific boxcar would fetch about $75 in VG and $150 or so LN.  Looking on eBay, today the gap is about $35 to $300.  Auctions had something to do with that but much of it is a slow motion sorting of the market, due to the emergence of reproductions and demographics.  

Same goes for MPC.  Adjusted for inflation, today top of the line MPC is cheap.   The FMs and GG-1s, which are almost exact replicas of Postwar models less sound, go for around $150 each.   What has instead grown in value over the ensuing decades?  Mint condition starter sets.  I recently saw a sealed 1980 4-4-2 set go for $450.   If you want a real collecting challenge, try to get all of the early ‘70s starter sets in LN condition.   It’s about impossible.

I think we’ll see this continue.   Postwar and low-quantity MPC in LN/MT will continue to escalate while the prices for runner-condition pieces will stay stagnant or decline, with attrition slowly wearing down the total available.  It’s fascinating stuff.  

Last edited by Tommy_F

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