The Lash Collection...

"Did he ever run DCS?" Yes indeed he did.

PCJ,

Is it just locomotives/rolling stock?

Dave

A little of both.

https://cabinfeverauctions.bid...m/ui/auctions/119702

I guess Tony isn’t going to build another layout. I met him one time at York years ago. Really nice guy.

Corrected link: https://cabinfeverauctions.bid...m/ui/auctions/119524

Tony's pieces start around lot number 370 (as per the slider on the bottom of the screen--or the last three digits of the lot number) and stretch to the end of the auction.

Looks like a 'thinning the herd' operation, unless more in the wings for future auctions.

---PCJ

You can also use the search term 'Lash' which will have the side effect of popping up an auction for flash cubes.

Anyone actually know how he is doing these days? It's been 10+ years since I last talked to him, right before he was selling the business.

@RailRide posted:

1. Did he ever run DCS?

He was an early backer of MTH and DCS. Many speculated that he was financially backing them at one point. At the same time the Lionel/MTH lawsuit was going on, and Tony was right there in the trenches. Let's just say thing were heated 😤 🔥 🔥  then.

When DCS finally hit the market. There was a picture posted of him with the first set released in the US.

I met Tony at York, and though I was known for lobbing a few bombs in the brand wars, Tony and I quickly got on friendly terms. A great guy actually

@poconotrain posted:

I guess Tony isn’t going to build another layout. I met him one time at York years ago. Really nice guy.

@cbojanower posted:

Anyone actually know how he is doing these days? It's been 10+ years since I last talked to him, right before he was selling the business.

Sometime post-covid, I saw some of his younger family members (grandchildren?) at York so I assume he was there, but did not see him.  He is no longer listed in the TCA directory.

@cbojanower posted:

He was an early backer of MTH and DCS. Most speculated that he was financially backing it at one point. At the same time the Lionel/MTH lawsuit was going on, and Tony was right there in the trenches. Let's just say thing we're heated 😤 🔥 🔥  then.

When DCS finally hit the market. There was a picture posted of him with the first set released in the US.

I met Tony at York, and though I was known for lobbing a few bombs in the brand wars, Tony and I quickly got on friendly terms. A great guy actually

After re-examining the locomotives in the auction, I saw no shortage of PS2 and PS3 units (you had to look for the absence of the QSI logo on the box ends). I was under the assumption that this was a "herd reduction" operation and it would make sense that the Proto-1 locos would be the first to be subject to that. I had not heard that Tony's no longer listed as a TCA member.

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

I had not heard that Tony's no longer listed as a TCA member.

I thought I saw on the TCA's member web site that you can opt out of being listed in the member directory.  I tried logging in to confirm or disprove this, but am unable to log in right now because the Captcha verification isn't working right now.

Andy

I was fortunate to run into Tony at my first York meet in October 2008. He did say he was planning on building a new layout after the one at Consolidated Waste was taken down, and he was planning on using both DCS and (then new) LEGACY, but that was all I heard about him directly since.

I don't have an interest in the auction, though the mention of Tony Lash and his layout brings back a good memory. It was many years ago ~ circa 2002 or so, a group of Pennsylvania Trainaholics made the trip to MD to see Tony's magnificent layout, which had been pre-arranged by Bill Morlitz, who has since passed away. In appreciation of Tony's time, we gave him a new MTH Premier boxcar, PRR livery if I recall, and inside the car was a picture of our little group, scaled down to approximate 1:48 scale, to appear as hobos riding the high iron. I suppose somewhere that boxcar with its merry little band of Pennsylvania train nuts hitching a ride still exists. BTW: we also brought Hoagies for lunch Now I am hungry for a Hoagie, extra oil and hot peppers, with extra sharp provolone.

A bunch of the old AOLers group went to Tony’s place on a Sunday morning to see the layout in operation. He then gave us the grand tour of the basement where he stored his collection in various rooms. I will say that he had a LOT of trains!

Regardless, Tony was and is a true gentleman in this hobby.  

I won a bid for a pair of boxcars from the collection. I grossly overpaid when you add up my bid, the auctioneer fee, and the shipping. I read on the forum multiple references to "reasonable" shipping from Cabin Fever now that they handled it inhouse. Raise your hand if you think $41 is reasonable for 2 boxcars shipped from PA to CT. I'm looking at PirateShip.com and having a hard time getting above $12.

I have only myself to blame for winning. I miscalculated the all-in cost, and I also screwed up by making my high bid the bid instead of a max bid against any competitor. I noticed with each day added to retirement, I am getting closer to qualifying as a moron. Pulled out of the gas station last month with the hose still in the gas tank.

Still, happy to have a small piece of Tony Lash's collection in the house. He left them in the box. We intend to run them and throw the box away. The value has dropped already. I told you I'm a moron.

That’s an issue with Auction Houses, high fees and shipping. Iv had it happen before. If you are lucky enough to live close enough you are better to pick it up.

@Mooner posted:

I won a bid for a pair of boxcars from the collection. I grossly overpaid when you add up my bid, the auctioneer fee, and the shipping. I read on the forum multiple references to "reasonable" shipping from Cabin Fever now that they handled it inhouse. Raise your hand if you think $41 is reasonable for 2 boxcars shipped from PA to CT. I'm looking at PirateShip.com and having a hard time getting above $12.

My 'win' was a pair of unopened four-bay coal hoppers that should be about the same size/weight as a pair of boxcars. I saw the hi-cube boxcars escalate to silly amounts, but that always happens with those particular boxcars, regardless of the source. My bid reached $95, premium was $15 and change. USPS shipping was $18.24 to NYC, plus packing materials (i.e. the box and any bubble-wrap, both likely by Uline) was 5.45. A bit spicy in total as you say, but to have a small part of his collection meant something. I'm keeping my boxes though. Boxes stack better than freight cars

Most of the stuff I'm looking at in the upcoming MTH warehouse auction will probably not bid up anywhere near that high, but being unboxed, those items will incur more fees for packing materials.

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

Most of the stuff I'm looking at in the upcoming MTH warehouse auction will probably not bid up anywhere near that high, but being unboxed, those items will incur more fees for packing materials.

---PCJ

Didn't that happen already?

@cbojanower posted:

Didn't that happen already?

There is one currently running --> Cabin Fever

Never met him personally but about 12 years ago, he sent me a HUGE box Filled with Lionel O Gauge Tubular Track and  3 Pairs of Lionel 072 Switches, all in near perfect condition from his Temporary Layout he was taking down and offering the track to anyone who wanted it.  .

@cbojanower posted:

Didn't that happen already?

I thought by now they had gone through everything, but as mentioned, there is another one posted with a whopping 718 lots, closing May 8th.

Boy, they had a lot squirreled away in that warehouse

(Also, stuff that got zero bids will reappear in subsequent auctions, like those Samhongsa anniversary coffee mugs)

---PCJ