My experience has been that is 1. asking or talking about price on this part of the forum gets yourself scolded and told to go to the auction or sales listings. Unfortunate if you are truly trying to find what value your trains actually have. 2. With the exception of Ebay, trying to sell anything means rockbottom prices because there is no way to communicate with interested people. Might be why I saw and passed up 4 large boxes of Lionel and Tinplate for $50 a couple of weeks ago at the local recycle place
With the exception of Ebay, trying to sell anything means rockbottom prices because there is no way to communicate with interested people
Email can be used for communications between buyers and sellers.
As for discussing prices, I think the context is important. But then again, I am not a moderator.
C W Burfle posted:With the exception of Ebay, trying to sell anything means rockbottom prices because there is no way to communicate with interested people
Email can be used for communications between buyers and sellers.
As for discussing prices, I think the context is important. But then again, I am not a moderator.
I came to realize long ago discussion about collecting in any form on this HI-RAIL, O27 AND TRADITIONAL 3-RAIL O GAUGE forum is an exercise in frustration. The collector crowd is small and getting smaller. Threads like this as so many before it on this forum go mostly unnoticed by those who would appreciate it, roll over into the obscure world of pg 10 and beyond and disappear ... Too bad. Collecting trains is/was an exciting part of the O gauge hobby that really needs to be revived for sake of the hobby. Those interested in collecting trains probably do need a separate forum to communicate.
Joe
Please explain why the Lionel Life Savers car is always $100.00 & up.
The Lionel Amtrak Amfleet cab car. $900 on secondary market
Please explain why the Lionel Life Savers car is always $100.00 & up.
I guess that when a certain piece changes hands enough times, a market value is established.
The Life Savers car isn't on my radar, but I believe it is a popular car that wasn't made in huge numbers.
I think other candy tank cars were made to complement it later on.
My two cents. I have what might be considered "rare" GGD cars that were done in very limited numbers, but they aren't necessarily collectible or worth more than original sales price. My Amtrak El Capitan and VIA Rail passenger sets are both less than 10 sets made in 3 Rail O. I just enjoy them for operating at my club layout.
cpowell posted:Please explain why the Lionel Life Savers car is always $100.00 & up.
there are a few on the auction sites right now well under $100 (trainz & ebay)
My latest quest for a rare prototype Lionel MPC Era Hi-cube turned out too rich for my blood at $650.00, even if would complete my entire run of the 1977-78 Hi-cubes. Tried to obtain 3 years ago as well, at $400.00, and is still owned by the same person and will continue to be. Note the inverted numbers on each side.
I noticed anything Florida East Coast, Seaboard Airline, Atlantic Coastline, or Seaboard Coastline usually hold their value some what since they are not popular roadnames in Ogauge so usually the models produced in those roadnames are some what low production.
I got a "like" on one of my postings from 2014 today and it clued me into this thread being revived.
Since the time of this discussion in 2014 I've been selling off my entire collection. Prices are soft in some cases, but holding steady in others. My attention as waned since I stopped updating my MTH Reference Guides, so I don't have the acute feel for the market as I did then, but as a general rule I see some areas of "collector" interest showing both continued interest and softened interest as well.
As for "market value", a curious thing for me in my pursuit of selling has been the good fortune I have in owning (or having owned) earlier production items (circa 1998 through 2005) that were valued at a significantly less MSRP than the subsequent rise that came over the next decade. In many cases, freight cars and other items saw their "replacement value" rise significantly. Here's an example: The Premier Autorack cars made around 2002 or so had a MSRP of about $44.95 and the car has basically remained the same but today the same car style has a MSRP of $89.95. Many of the early Autoracks are sought after and in many cases a justification can easily be made for asking prices that are significantly above their original MSRP issue prices. This same dynamic is at work for other styles of rolling stock and especially for dummy diesel engines.
The adage that "you'd be lucky to get 50% of what you paid" doesn't necessarily hold true. It hasn't for me. Engines are a different matter, as the electronics and the perception of them has a very dynamic effect on who is interested in buying and what that buyer is willing to pay. With MTH's DCS system also providing odometer & chronometer information, this also lends itself to further (and well applied) scrutiny and price negotiations.
I would not say these are rare, but each of these cars took several years for me to find.
Lionel LCCA NS PS-1 Boxcar. Now this is a hard one to get.
These two MTH cars are my rarest, hardest to find cars. Not many of each were made.
The topic wanted Lionel and MTH, but these two Atlas are definitely on the hard to find list.
There should be a lot of these Atlas Middle Division Exclusive PRR X-29 Express Boxcars since at least 8 numbers were made, but some of the numbers I just can't find.
After looking over two years for this hard to find Atlas Hooker tank car 1940s paint scheme, got two a few months ago. Yeah!
Attachments
Images (4)
I think the MTH Plum Creek Lumber Thrall 55' all-door box car is rare to find. Serveral years ago I decided to collect all of the MTH all-door box cars that they had released. The Plum Creek Lumber car was one of the most difficult ones to acquire.
Larry
PSAP2010 posted:I think the MTH Plum Creek Lumber Thrall 55' all-door box car is rare to find. Serveral years ago I decided to collect all of the MTH all-door box cars that they had released. The Plum Creek Lumber car was one of the most difficult ones to acquire.
Larry
It is. Very hard car to find. Preordered and produced in very low numbers.
The Lionel Amfleet Cab Control Car
Attachments
Images (1)
C W Burfle posted:It's been over two years since this thread was started. IMHO, the market for "O" gauge trains, both old and new, has softened. Some of us have long advised against considering Toy / Model trains to be an investment.
I wonder where the prices are on some of specific items priced in this thread. Have they held their value? Gone up? Or gone down.
I think I have some items that would fall into each category. Doesn't matter though. I still buy what interests me, with no expectation of resale.
I strongly agree. The marketplace determines value on any product, not simply how many units were made. And the marketplace is changing as longtime hobbyists age and tastes change.
And I never buy trains as an investment.
Besides, the word "rare" is a buzzword used by sellers to hype an item. Rare does not refer to an item produced in several hundred units for a market of several thousand interested buyers. Think more like less than a dozen pieces.
Another MTH car that may be on the " rare to find " or "hard to find" list is 20-97474, a Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan 100 ton covered hopper.
I think that MTH improperly listed it in their catalog as a Saskatchewan Grain car. The reporting marks on the car belong to Canadian General Transit.
Larry
CAPPilot posted:I would not say these are rare, but each of these cars took several years for me to find.
Lionel LCCA NS PS-1 Boxcar. Now this is a hard one to get.
These two MTH cars are my rarest, hardest to find cars. Not many of each were made.
.......................................................
The recent LiveAuction from this morning seems to confirm that the LCCA car you refer to is still desirable. Went for $120, not counting buyer's premium of 19% on top of that.
I think the MTH flag boxcar is more readily available... I had one on my table priced for far less than it sold for a few York meets ago, and I think I still didn't get any interest.
-Dave
This is probably off target and if the topic has been covered in the past please post a link. A few years ago MTH prototypes began appearing on ebay. There were engines and rolling stock. It was about the time MTH and Lionel were going at it in court. The limited story I heard was that certain people were invited to purchase trailer loads quantities of pre production items in order to raise cash. Is there a real story? Thanks
Bill DeBrooke posted:This is probably off target and if the topic has been covered in the past please post a link. A few years ago MTH prototypes began appearing on ebay. There were engines and rolling stock. It was about the time MTH and Lionel were going at it in court. The limited story I heard was that certain people were invited to purchase trailer loads quantities of pre production items in order to raise cash. Is there a real story? Thanks
I believe the timing is WAY off for that to be true.
I purchased a few of the MTH production samples within the last 2-3 years (though I admit I would have to look it up to tell you exactly when). The legal situation you refer to concluded with an agreement LONG before that (2008 or so, IIRC).
-Dave
PSAP2010 posted:I think the MTH Plum Creek Lumber Thrall 55' all-door box car is rare to find. Serveral years ago I decided to collect all of the MTH all-door box cars that they had released. The Plum Creek Lumber car was one of the most difficult ones to acquire.
Larry
My gosh, it's been a while since I've been on this Forum. Been reading and catching up. Crazy when you step away from the hobby for 10 years and come back to so much change! So as I've been reading through, I found I've made some interesting choices unwittingly. I've got the MTH Plum Creek Lumber 55' all-door box car still sealed in shrink wrap and I sold off the pair of Golden West Service 50" High Cubes. I live in Florida, so I liked the FEC and Local small industry players and other Southern lines that also seem to be sought after. As usual, you guys are on point with the pulse on the hobby.
Hope to catch up with my Forum buddies "Straphanger", "Domingo", "Laz", others from 2002 to 2007 on OGR Forum.
Oh, and check this one out as far as rare goes... one of a limited run of 200... 1990 OGR Box Car with "The 2 and 3 Rail Journal".
