What number is your Lionel 115th Anniversary Silver Berkshire?

Nicholas Smith Trains has one or two very low numbers (in the single digits I was told).

I saw the locomotive this past week.  And it was so nice, I almost purchased it in a moment of weakness.   Now that  would have been "impulse buying"!  

Practical thoughts eventually prevailed, and I decided that for a couple hundred dollars more I could assemble an entire chrome-plated passenger train in Standard Gauge, which I did instead.     I've been thinking of doing that for quite some time -- just needed to locate all the items.  Different dealers had different parts of the train.

As I said in another thread, had Lionel announced some matching O-Gauge passenger cars, this locomotive would have been tough to walk away from.

For those folks who purchase this, I don't think you'll be disappointed.  Enjoy!!!

David

It's over 13 hours since Chris posted this topic... NOBODY else on the forum purchased this beauty?    Or are you guys just being shy?  There are reportedly 208 locomotives in the marketplace with lower serial numbers than Chris's #211.  Lionel reportedly held back #1 and #115 for their archive, so some of those 208 must have owners lurking here!

David

have to confess about purchasing one of these, #038.

I believe, after watching Eric Seigel's video he has # 135......

That's 3.  Only 245 to go!  I'm feeling embarrassed with my 211.  

I wanted one of those soooooooo bad. Gotta love these small pocketbooks .

I think a lot of folks are shy, or perhaps a better word would be prudent, in not posting if they own this loco.  it's a fun topic, sure, and should be innocent enough, but it's come up before that some folks don't like sharing that they have a bunch of valuable trains with the internet.  I would guess that a majority of buyers of the 115th berk are folks with a substantial number of other engines and such, and they may not want to advertise it to the world.  

JGL

Ours is #189.

A beautiful model with maybe a U shaped boiler?

JohnGaltLine posted:

I think a lot of folks are shy, or perhaps a better word would be prudent, in not posting if they own this loco.  it's a fun topic, sure, and should be innocent enough, but it's come up before that some folks don't like sharing that they have a bunch of valuable trains with the internet.  ...

That thought crossed my mind for a split second, John.  But then I dismissed it just as quickly, 'cause that's exactly the kind of thinking that prohibited photography at the TCA York show for decades.    In fact, it's still not permitted in the member halls -- only the dealer halls.  But let's not really go there. 

We could extend the same line of thinking to folks posting items on the for-sale forum too.  If everyone was afraid to post something valuable for sale, they'd never sell it.   

Same can also be said for folks whose layouts are featured in magazines and DVD's...

Life can be a double-edged sword at times, but when all is said and done... ya just gotta live.

David 

Bill Henning posted:

Ours is #189.

In addition to providing white gloves with this locomotive, Lionel should have also provided sun-glasses!!!    That's enough to blow the highlights out on your typical digital histogram.

David

David, I agree with you, just think that might be a reason.  Also possible that a large number of collectors that would have bought this thing are not posters to the forum here.  

I brought one but I haven't opened it yet.  I don't want to destroy the value!!!  I have seen this for sale everywhere. Lot's of dealers have them in stock. 

rboatertoo posted:

I brought one but I haven't opened it yet.  I don't want to destroy the value!!!  I have seen this for sale everywhere. Lot's of dealers have them in stock. 

Destroy the value?!?!??!!?   The value is in playing with it! 

Seems it wasn't that big of a seller right off the bat.  I hope I don't see it discounted in the future.  That would be "disappointing."

Chris Lord posted:

...

Seems it wasn't that big of a seller right off the bat.  I hope I don't see it discounted in the future.  That would be "disappointing."

Chris, hate to be the bearer of this news... but because these aren't flying off the shelves, some dealers have given a bit on price.  Although the minimum advertised price appears to be holding tight at $1999.95 to give the Lionel marketing gurus a false sense of security, I've seen some in-store prices marked for less by about 10%... and that's without even asking for the discount.

It's not because this isn't a beautiful locomotive.. 'cause it most certainly IS!!!  Heck, for that matter, it's the closes thing to a "scale tinplate" look I've ever seen.   But SO MANY items that are significant budget busters are due to ship either this month or the first quarter of 2016,  and there's only so many $2K items that the market can absorb -- regardless of how "limited" Lionel chooses to characterize the production runs.

If it's not Atlas-O F7's, it's their Maxi-IV Well Cars.  If it's not those, then it might be some 2nd run cars of GGD's El Cap.  Then there are Lionel's new 21" passenger car sets due in early 2016, and I think the ESE set might even arrive on Santa's sleigh with a little help from quick turn-around on the dealer front.  Oh... and let's not forget the ES44's, the FEF-3, and the UP 21" Excursion cars were hinted in the last catalog and to be featured in the upcoming 2016 catalog in January.  And oh yes... the one that's near-and-dear to my heart is the Vision Line Bicentennial GG-1, whose price tag is yet to be revealed. 

None of this stuff is cheap (anymore), and too much stuff is hitting the street in too short a period of time.    At this rate, it's tough to even take advantage of all the magnificent sales out there!!!

Gosh, even Aaron's City Trains has unbelievable 25% discounts off their already "regular discounted" prices since the store is closing.  MTH Premier Erie Triplex for $900 with the extra discount???  That's an absolute DYNAMITE price, but I just can't take advantage of it to make an impressive double-header with the one I already own from years ago.  We all have our limits... sigh...

David

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

Chris Lord posted:

...

Seems it wasn't that big of a seller right off the bat.  I hope I don't see it discounted in the future.  That would be "disappointing."

Chris, hate to be the bearer of this news... but because these aren't flying off the shelves, some dealers have given a bit on price.  Although the minimum advertised price appears to be holding tight at $1999.95 to give the Lionel marketing gurus a false sense of security, I've seen some in-store prices marked for less by about 10%... and that's without even asking for the discount.

It's not because this isn't a beautiful locomotive.. 'cause it most certainly IS!!!  Heck, for that matter, it's the closes thing to a "scale tinplate" look I've ever seen.   But SO MANY items that are significant budget busters are due to ship either this month or the first quarter of 2016,  and there's only so many $2K items that the market can absorb -- regardless of how "limited" Lionel chooses to characterize the production runs.

If it's not Atlas-O F7's, it's their Maxi-IV Well Cars.  If it's not those, then it might be some 2nd run cars of GGD's El Cap.  Then there are Lionel's new 21" passenger car sets due in early 2016, and I think the ESE set might even arrive on Santa's sleigh with a little help from quick turn-around on the dealer front.  Oh... and let's not forget the ES44's, the FEF-3, and the UP 21" cars were hinted in the last catalog and to be featured in the upcoming 2016 catalog in January.  And oh yes... the one that's near-and-dear to my heart is the Vision Line Bicentennial GG-1, whose price tag is yet to be revealed. 

None of this stuff is cheap (anymore).    At this rate, it's tough to even take advantage of all the magnificent sales out there!!!

David

Lionel should have made the entire run Polar Expresses.  They would have sold out.

MartyE posted:

Lionel should have made the entire run Polar Expresses.  They would have sold out.

Charlie Ro has reportedly sold out of his shipment of black P/E Berks. 

Nicholas Smith has number 6!

I love my parents! Mine is number 242! Merry Christmas!

The bottom is going to fall out on the market for these. It is beautiful to be sure.

i just don't think you can create "collector" items just because you want to. Especially $2,000 ones. Nobody bought postwar new thinking in 60 years I"ll get 10 times what I paid, which you would have to do to break even.

100 years or 125, but 115 years seems odd to me, that anyone would think that number somehow would be collectible.