'Rare' or highly desirable today?

I'd like to think that the second dome car from K-Line's aluminum Golden State set, the K4632-29841 "Golden Outlook" is another rarity--I don't even see them on Ebay. In fact, I don't even see photos of it anywhere--the image below I saved from the last Ebay auction I ever saw one on, which may have taken place while K-Line was still in business:

I see the base six-car set here and there, sometimes the RPO or observation, but never the second dome car. Not even at York. (And I've been looking all these years, since I have the rest of the set).

---PCJ

I love how the prices for K-line 21" car are "stupid" or "ridiculous" yet the prices just keep climbing and climbing...guess there are lot more suckers out there than sane people. On the other hand, I was once told that if you're the only sane one left, perhaps you're not.

Look at the highly problematic ABS 21" cars from Lionel, they are roughly half the price of the K-lines. The K-line cars however are well known for their highly reliable running, and aluminum bodies. Maybe those idiots who love them do so for a reason.

I would not call them "rare", but hard to find and "highly desirable" based on resale prices are the MTH Premier M1A Abrams Tank flat cars. 

Cataloged in 2007, the 20-98580 (European green) and 20-98603 (Desert) flat cars, as well as individual cars from 20-90361 and 20-90402 6-car set breakups, are regularly reselling north of $150 each on the big resale site.

Steve Glynn's MTH Product Reference Guide shows "Average" production for the individual cars and "Below Avg" production on the 6-car sets.  

It will be interesting to watch how that resale price is affected by the new individual M1A Abrams flat cars and 4-car set releases from the 2019 v1 catalog.

K Line's NYC 28th anniversary set seems to be fairly rare. I bought a set 2 years ago for short money and hardly ever see these cars for sale. 

John 

One thing I learned a long time ago in a different collecting hobby is that it is REALLY EASY to find out what is rare and desirable. Just look for what you DON'T SEE AND NEVER SEE on eBay. That is the stuff that is rare. It never makes it to eBay. These are the train show transactions that never make it out of the parking lot--the ones where the guy can't even get his car unloaded. These are the antique transactions from estate sales that take place from one estate liquidator to another or to an auction house long before the estate sale is ever made "public". 

Desirable is discovered by checking professional, off-line auction results (not eBay). When the auctioneer's catalog projected the selling price range as $6,500-$9,200 and the final bid was $15,900, you are getting a good measurement of "desirability" of that item in that condition and possibly in that region or country.

I'm no expert. But close observation will usually reveal what we want to know.

Don

Railride,   I have the Golden Outlook Vista Dome, and the additional 8, for a total of 9 cars in my Golden State consist.  My Golden Outlook Vista has the catalog number of K4632-2984.  Yes, I was a member of the KCC and acquired my set through the membership.  Mine also has the same car number of 2984.  For motive power I purchased the Rock Island E8s A-A with TMCC/RS, and although semi-scale, the S.P Pacific with Vanderbilt tender, K3388-2488IC.

Thanks to all for the interesting topic and information.

Jesse   TCA   12-68275

laz1957 posted:

Lionel scale GGI,in Penn Central, only 90 were made.

Not sure where that quantity came from, but it's not right.

TRW

texastrain posted:

Railride,   I have the Golden Outlook Vista Dome, and the additional 8, for a total of 9 cars in my Golden State consist.  My Golden Outlook Vista has the catalog number of K4632-2984.  Yes, I was a member of the KCC and acquired my set through the membership.  Mine also has the same car number of 2984.  For motive power I purchased the Rock Island E8s A-A with TMCC/RS, and although semi-scale, the S.P Pacific with Vanderbilt tender, K3388-2488IC.

Thanks to all for the interesting topic and information.

Jesse   TCA   12-68275

I also was in the KCC, and acquired the bulk of my set that way. Some cars I got through the "member store" at their Toy Fair open house. That's how I found out about the second dome--but they were already sold out by then. Since that point, I've only come across the Golden Outlook once on Ebay soon after, and bailed out of the auction when the bids exceeded $100 (the GS cars were going for about $60-ish at the time). I have the E8 locos, but passed on the SP steamer and express boxcar.

So figuring that I my never get my hands on the dome in question, I elected to add a trio of MTH Golden Rocket cars (I think they were unboxed production samples, which is why there were just three) to my consist.

---PCJ

Apparently this Lionel No. 35454 Amtrak Amfleet Cab-controlled End Car is very scarce, very high dollar.

Finding late production K-Line O42 switches with the motor not the solenoid has gotten to be quite a hunt, especially in the O-27 rail profile.

MTH Country Depot Railking 30-90303 2008 due to some kind of court settlement. No longer will be produced.

 stock online photo.

My K line 11 car SF passenger set pulled by MTH's A-B-B-A set video:

Got them when they were produced.  Always thought K line had the best passenger cars. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr5wq5dQx2k

RailRide posted:

texastrain posted:

Railride,   I have the Golden Outlook Vista Dome, and the additional 8, for a total of 9 cars in my Golden State consist.  My Golden Outlook Vista has the catalog number of K4632-2984.  Yes, I was a member of the KCC and acquired my set through the membership.  Mine also has the same car number of 2984.  For motive power I purchased the Rock Island E8s A-A with TMCC/RS, and although semi-scale, the S.P Pacific with Vanderbilt tender, K3388-2488IC.

Thanks to all for the interesting topic and information.

Jesse   TCA   12-68275

I also was in the KCC, and acquired the bulk of my set that way. Some cars I got through the "member store" at their Toy Fair open house. That's how I found out about the second dome--but they were already sold out by then. Since that point, I've only come across the Golden Outlook once on Ebay soon after, and bailed out of the auction when the bids exceeded $100 (the GS cars were going for about $60-ish at the time). I have the E8 locos, but passed on the SP steamer and express boxcar.

So figuring that I my never get my hands on the dome in question, I elected to add a trio of MTH Golden Rocket cars (I think they were unboxed production samples, which is why there were just three) to my consist.

---PCJ

There are actually three dome cars if you count the factory error. I would have to get mine out of storage to get the details, but there were a few domes that were mis-marked and had the number of the set dome, and the name of the add-on dome. This car is really rare but it is not expensive.  Unfortunately, the Golden State had no domes so I'm not sure I'll run my domes.

I'm not sure how rare, but the Lionel scale PRR T1 from 2000 only had one run, and because of the MTH lawsuit it may never be made again.  While MTH has made a zillion (or more) of their version of the two prototype T1s, there are not many models of the 50 production T1s.  And the Lionel version in really good.

Mine is also a bit rarer in that the four inside drivers, which were too wide and shorted on some switches, have been beveled so this is no longer a problem.

Railride,   Yes, like seeing added cars to the 18" GS consist.  I have a set of Williams 18" Rock Island Golden Rocket cars I sometimes add to my GS.  Cannot use the Observation, naturally, but do use the two Pullmans, the Vista and REA baggage cars.  They, too, are extruded aluminum and have same color scheme as the GS consist.  And, yes, the K Line R.I. E8s do pull them well... on a level track main line......

Jesse   TCA   12-68275

texastrain posted:

 And, yes, the K Line R.I. E8s do pull them well... on a level track main line......

Jesse   TCA   12-68275

 

The Lionel RI E6 AA set is also a good engine to pull the GS.  E6s pulled the GS in the mid-late 40s, and the Lionel cab numbers (628, 630) are the engines that pulled the GS.  I bought two sets for two powered A units to pull the GS consist (I have extra GS cars).

Also, the Lionel RI E6s can probably qualify as semi-rare because you seldom see them for sale (it took me over two years to find my second set).  They are currently getting ERR cruise installed so I don't have a good picture, but here is one from a while back.

Ron,     Cannot agree more!  Any consist pulled by E6s is a great looking set of cars.  The profile of all the early E series motive powers are my favorite.  No matter what colors/railroad, IMO, anything from the EA to E6s are favorites.  Need to locate E6s in RI to add to those I have.

Jesse 

Any BLI ho PRR steam loco besides the H10.

CAPPilot posted:

RailRide posted:

 

There are actually three dome cars if you count the factory error. I would have to get mine out of storage to get the details, but there were a few domes that were mis-marked and had the number of the set dome, and the name of the add-on dome. This car is really rare but it is not expensive.  Unfortunately, the Golden State had no domes so I'm not sure I'll run my domes.

Well, if you ever decide you can do without a dome, I'm still looking

---PCJ

dk122trains posted:

NYC superliner set 4 pack 2 pack and station sound car.Have them but rarely seen at shows and crazy prices on bay.

I think you're right about Lionel 18" aluminum Superliners.   Not necessarily hard to find or rare but these days older Lionel Superliners don't show up very often.  Probably because they are aluminum and are the perfect size.  

How about the saga of Right of Way.  Their first big loco-- the C&O 2-6-6-2-- came out at $1200 and sold out.  About 10 years ago I purchased one LN in the box for about $700 and thought I had a great deal until a few months later I bought their B&O 2-6-6-2 on Ebay for $306.  I ended up buying two ROW 2-8-8-0s, a Shay, and a T-1 and I'm happy I did. Of course these brass beauties are technologically obsolete, but so am I.  And many ROW offerings are now truly rare, but few want them. 

Lew

Any MTH 2-rail steam or even some 2-rail Diesels.

texastrain posted:

Railride,   I have the Golden Outlook Vista Dome, and the additional 8, for a total of 9 cars in my Golden State consist.  My Golden Outlook Vista has the catalog number of K4632-2984.  Yes, I was a member of the KCC and acquired my set through the membership.  Mine also has the same car number of 2984.  For motive power I purchased the Rock Island E8s A-A with TMCC/RS, and although semi-scale, the S.P Pacific with Vanderbilt tender, K3388-2488IC.

Thanks to all for the interesting topic and information.

Jesse   TCA   12-68275

I've been looking for that car too! It is rarely listed for sale.

A new BNSF Heritage SD70ACE 6-38741 just sold for over a grand on Ebay. Wish I had one but too rich for my blood.

lewrail posted:

How about the saga of Right of Way...

Lew

Lew, 

  Thanks for bringing up Right-Of-Way. It took me a couple of years, but I found an affordable version of their B&O C-16 Dockside Switcher.

Tom

Weaver has been mentioned. In particular their TOFCs and the ones made for clubs. Many of those are bringing triple figures and most of the ones Weavers sold themselves sell for above list price and certainly above street price when new.

As for the particular K-Line UP Observation Sam started this thread with, its price got me thinking again of Lionel. I purchased a few of the most recent run of 21" cars and found them well built with zero flaws other than the gray paint being too dark for Harbor mist. Hopefully they have turned the corner with their passenger cars.

Pete