Why Is It So Hard?

Time takes its toll on these early trains. I hope that you will eventually find cars that look as good as your 153 Type I, but that will take a lot of searching as well as good luck.

Unfortunately it is tough to find original pieces in the the kind of shape your looking for Pappy. If you do your most likely going to pay a premium for them.  If you can get passed the idea of a reproduction you will have a much better choice of rolling stock that will look great wiith that little engine!

I guess I have two ideas that come to mind, and these are just personal observations and not at all scientific.

 

The first is that in train collecting, "it's all about condition".  With real estate the three most important things are location, location, and location.  Well, with trains it's condition, condition, and condition.  I've come to realize that the TCA condition scale is not a lineal progression, but something more approaching an exponential or logarithmic scale.  In appearance, C-6 may be incrementally better than C-5.  But given the age and history of these toys, there are maybe one tenth as many C-6 out there as C-5, and they command ten times the price.  C-7 is ten times as scarce as C-6, and ten times as expensive: which makes them something like 100 times less plentiful as C-5, and cost 100 times as much.  C-8, one tenth as common as C-7, is 1000 times as scarce as C-5.  

 

These are arbitrary and round numbers, but I think it reflects the situation and goes a long ways toward answering the question, why can't I find as many C-7's out there as C-5's?  Over time, it's easy for a train to go from C-7 to C-6.  None ever go from C-6 to C-7.

 

The other thought is that O Gauge, as compared to Standard Gauge, were less expensive when they were first made, and were produced in greater quantities.  Since there were more of them made, theoretically they should be easier to collect.  But since they were lower priced toys, they may have been banged around more and seen harder play use – and it may be possible that it could be harder to find top quality "flawless" prewar O Gauge than Standard Gauge for that reason.

 

Like you, I was brought up on my dad's Standard Gauge.  While in okay condition, it was pretty well used and showed it.  As a result, C-6 trains look about right to me, and I tend to collect good C-6's, sometimes a nice C-7, to run on the layout.

 

Eebbay is a good general source and any collector needs to keep an eye on what is offered there, but the higher quality trains are more likely to show up in private sales or at the big auction houses.  Stout auctions is a quality outfit, and when they are auctioning off a collection from an estate, that is where you are most likely to come across C-7 and C-8 prewar tinplate.

 

 

Where is Farmer Bill?

I will add my support to Hojack's perspective.  If you're looking for pristine or near-pristine stuff from the early eras, you're really going to need to have the patience and time to enjoy the hunt.  Much of it, by this point in time, resides in private collections and it's just a matter of keeping an eye out for situations where those collections, or individual items from them, change hands for whatever reasons.  It also doesn't hurt to scour the halls at the York Meet--the best opportunity for finding what you want on the open market.

You gotta keep looking. My prewar purchases are not frequent, but when I find something it makes my week. Sometimes you find things where you least expect them. The smaller train shows, yard sales and even flea markets sometimes yield serendipity. Keep searching, as the guy in CTT says. 

Hojack & Allan,

Your perspectives are so true. Even at my age, I still have time to shop around. While I'm not searching for C-7/8, I'd be happy to see anything. In years past I've good luck with Stout's finding donor Std Gauge pieces for parts. I have found some good O-Gauge parts lots also.

While I'm not able to get out, I have TCA friends that are always on the lookout at CA shows for me. To attend York is a dream since I'm in CA. I appreciate all the good tips and advice given by everyone.  Thank you!

 

Pappy, I'd be glad to keep my eyes out at York this month if you want.

Sounds like you're looking for the early "first series" Lionel enameled 800 4-wheel freight cars: with rubber stamping instead of brass plates, with hook couplers, no journal covers; the 800 box, 801 caboose, 802 livestock, 803 hopper, 804 tank, and 901 gondola.

 

Is that right?  The later ones had brass plates, journal covers, and latch couplers.

 

The early ones are the ones I like too, so I can see what pops up.

 

 

hojack,

How about that. Someone who knows exactly what I'm looking for. Please contact me off forum to work out the details. Email is in my profile. 

email sent Pappy.