My nephew sent me this photo this evening asking if I knew what it might be worth. He was given a box full of "old trains" from a barn and has no information at all about it. I am not at all familiar with tinplate items.
Very nice example of Marx 4-wheel freight set. The cars are going for about $10 each on ebay, the tender a little less - maybe $5. The loco 15, maybe $20 tops. The marx main street light around $15. They are common pieces, but they look like they are in very nice shape - no rust or bends, sharp litho. And they make a nice set, which you don't see so many of. I'd say the high end of Steve Eastman's estimate - you may have as much as $60 - $70 there.
Value also depends on whether the engine is operable. Sometimes zinc castings deteriorate even though the outer shells may look good. The items look pretty good in your photo but are the back sides in the same condition? A collector friend has some items that look good in the box, but the other side is damaged from laying in a damp box for a long time !
Thank you all for your feedback. I'll let my nephew know. He is 35 but he has an nice appreciation for the older stuff and is fairly good at restoring things. He'll be happy.
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