O Scale 2-rail Brass Estate train values

https://www.brasstrains.com/BrassGuide

Regards

Fred

to raise the most money, take them to an O scale show, but that involves travel time and costs and is not much fun if you arae not interested in the show anyway.

Another choice would be list them on on "O Scale Yard Sale" groups list which is mostly 2 rail.     Or just put them up on Ebay as "O Scale Brass".    

The OGR for sale forum is a possibility too, but since it is mostly 3 rail stuff, 2-railers don't visit it as often.    

A hudson in decent shape should draw 500 or more I would think.    I have not idea about the other one, but it is a newer model based on brand,   so might not be as much as the hudson because of popularity, but close because a newer, more detailed model.

Dear Tim,

It appears your friend has already made arrangements with the auction house to liquidate these and other pieces.

I am assuming he is a adult in sound mind. 

Stay out of it unless you have a financial interest which appears you do not.

John

Thanks all!  John - probably good advice!

I have bought some cheap brass O scale at local auctions, two rail cabooses and snow plow, that l converted to three rail . Conversion unlikely for locos, but they were CHEAP, so l would recommend another venue for SELLING, say a train specialist auction house, or as mentioned, a (sadly) infrequent, and possibly distant O scale show.

Timpix posted:

Thanks all!  John - probably good advice!

Or, buy them cheap at the auction and sell them high at the right place. 

George

There are train auction houses.     It sounds like this is a generic estate sale auction.   

If  you want to help  your friend out, handle selling them on Ebay under O Scale Brass.

How about Brasstrains.com or Bill Davis (americanscalemodels.com)?

  Maybe I was naive, but I have seen stuff sell on the Stout Auction site for way more than I thought they were worth.  And I have bought many items from Stout and resold them on ebay...so I do think a train auction house such as Stout would be a better venue than a regular auction house.  

When my father passed, we used a local auction house for the furniture and other odds and ends no family members wanted and we were very pleased...even with the auction house fees.  We also sold some of my dads G gauge stuff...nothing major a Bachman set and some other odds and ends...got nothing for them really.  I kept a few freight cars and sold them on Ebay for much more than the uneducated auction house.

If he is selling more than just the trains at the Auction house, hold back the high ticket train items and sell them on ebay or Stout...but it is a hassle to list and ship and worry about breakage in route, etc, etc.   Or tell him to list them today on Ebay...and if they don't have bids by Tuesday cancel the auction...nothing lost!

With a little experience with estate auctions, l like the modifier "uneducated" on auction house, as  used by "Roll The Dice".  Stout,  Maurer, other train specialists, know which is the engine and which is the caboose.

colorado hirailer posted:

With a little experience with estate auctions, l like the modifier "uneducated" on auction house, as  used by "Roll The Dice".  Stout,  Maurer, other train specialists, know which is the engine and which is the caboose.

Well said...much more succinctly than I! IF they don't know an engine vs a caboose vs which scale...run far run fast.

roll_the_dice posted:

   ...snip... Or tell him to list them today on Ebay...and if they don't have bids by Tuesday cancel the auction...nothing lost!

Bad advice, on some ebay auctions no action takes place until the last few minutes. Let the auction run its full course, there just might be a surprise waiting at the finish line.

PRRMP54 posted:

roll_the_dice posted:

   ...snip... Or tell him to list them today on Ebay...and if they don't have bids by Tuesday cancel the auction...nothing lost!

Bad advice, on some ebay auctions no action takes place until the last few minutes. Let the auction run its full course, there just might be a surprise waiting at the finish line.

most eBay auctions work this way. I have seen valuable items increase seven fold in the final fifteen seconds.

George

PRRMP54 posted:

roll_the_dice posted:

   ...snip... Or tell him to list them today on Ebay...and if they don't have bids by Tuesday cancel the auction...nothing lost!

Bad advice, on some ebay auctions no action takes place until the last few minutes. Let the auction run its full course, there just might be a surprise waiting at the finish line.

True, but but nothing ventured nothing gained...nothing lost though is the point because if no one bids, you have no idea what would have happened.  Otherwise list them on ebay and let it run its course....can always take them to an auction house.

  I have been looking for a good brass engine for a while and when I look on ebay, most of them have bids fairly early.  Might get heavy bidding at the end, but I have noticed over the last few months that 1-3 bids winning most of the brass engines.  There is one I am watching that has 1 1/2 days left and has 16 bids up to $881 and the starting bid was $100.  If the auction price is low to start bidding seems to be more steady...only if the starting bid is close to full retail will bidders wait til the last minute...IME.  Your mileage may vary.

5 of the 13 2 rail brass locomotives on ebay right now have bids...

Ebay will give you the best audience. Downside, you have to pack them (presuming they sell).

Simon

Timpix posted:

HI,

A friend called asking for help with some O scale trains.  The trains are part of an estate he is liquidating.  Anywhere I can find current values on a few brass locomotives?  Two I noted are a Max Gray J-3 Hudson and a Precision Scale 4-6-0.  Both are painted.  They are currently scheduled to be auctioned at a local auction house Tuesday but I am concerned that might not be the best course of action.

Thanks

Tim

Where might this auction take place so we may partake in it?

Hi,

Sorry for the long delay answering - the auction is starting on-line in a couple of hours.  See <https://mapesauction.hibid.com...le-trains-and-books/>.  I had hoped to offer the trains here first but..well long story.

T

PS Auction runs for a week.

Wow, that's actually a lot of great railroad stuff, not just a few engines. I assume your friend has done his research vis a vis auction houses. 

If you want to help him out at this point, I would suggest you retitle the thread or post a new thread with some auction info in the title and the link in the body to drive some traffic to the sale. Post it on the O scale forum or the for sale forum or both.

Nope, no research - I tried to help but it is a complicated situation that I was invited to a little late. Oh well.

T

@Timpix posted:

Nope, no research - I tried to help but it is a complicated situation that I was invited to a little late. Oh well.

 

T

Well then help him out and post the auction.

@mark s posted:

How about Brasstrains.com or Bill Davis (americanscalemodels.com)?

I would go with Bill Davis.I have dealt with him for many years.

I clicked on the link above and I did not see a Max Gray Hudson but I did see two PSC NYC Ten Wheelers and two Max Gray NYC Mohawks. I bought a MG Hudson at York about 5 years ago. I paid $425 for it. I already have two Mohawks, one MTH and one Sunset but would very interested in one of the Ten Wheelers. There seems to be a lot of interest in those Ten Wheelers. They have 5 and 7 bids on them. I doubt those auctions will end in a price I can afford but I might place a bid on it. Thanks for the heads up.

Hi,

Yep I was torn between letting the forum know or keeping it to myself....but I run S Gauge and would only have kept an item for display.  FYI, looks like there is one MG  Mohawk and one MG Hudson.  Good luck!

@Hudson J1e posted:

I clicked on the link above and I did not see a Max Gray Hudson

What about Lot 45?

@Bob posted:

What about Lot 45?

My bad Bob. I thought that was a Mohawk.

Anyone have any luck with the auction?

T