Soooooooooo..............I wonder which one did better over time? The Lionel General or the $30 savings bond?
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Originally Posted by Grampstrains:
It is a tie. Old trains aren't worth as much as they used to be and the interest on savings
Bonds has also shrunk.
You just reminded me, Lionel gave out $100 savings bonds to those who bought the JLC Y-6.
Joe
As far as I am concerned, toy trains are not an investment.
Bonds are.
In 1961, bonds paid a fixed interest rate. A series E bond paid 5.97 percent. A $25 bond (cost $18.75) would be worth about 197.18 today. It would have stopped accumulating interest in 2001.
Just curious, what series bonds were available for $30?
Just sheer curiosity on my part, as I saw the ad as part of a TV show last night.
The bond wins!
Originally Posted by Grampstrains:
It is a tie. Old trains aren't worth as much as they used to be and the interest on savings
Bonds has also shrunk.
Indeed, a tie or very close. My 2528ws set cost $37.50 in 1961, same as the savings bond. For argument's sake, let's assume January 1961. Current realized price for a C7-C8 set is about $400 (I paid $450 for it in 2003, but I'm not selling so it doesn't matter anyway). According to the US Treasury Savings Bond chart, a $50 Series E issued in January 1961 has a cash value of $394.36. Personally, I'd rather have the General Set, I've had a lot of fun with it over the years, while that $50 bond is hidden away in the safe, and stopped gaining interest in 2001. I'm still interested in the General set, LOL!
Here is a free saving bond value calculator, provided by the US Treasury Department:
