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Model train value????
Oakie
Member Posts: 40,522 ✭✭✭✭
My father in law, left my wife about ten sets of model trains, from 1899 to the early 1900's. I think maybe one or two sets are before the 1900's. Does anyone know the value of them???? Not for sale, as they will probably be passed down. We have cranes, tankers, caboose's and engines of all Lionel sets. This is just a few cars from one set, that we have on display. They are very large and heavy metal trains. Most are in mint condition, as he was a collector. We have absolutely no idea of what they are worth , if anything. Not our cup of tea.
Comments
Unfortunately they peaked out about 20 years ago the younger generations are not all that interested in them anymore one of my former bosses was into model railroading big time when he passed away his collection went for a fraction of what I thought they would bring. Was due to model railroading that I got the opportunity to meet Rod Stewart
Priceless.
Value, I have no idea.
Coolness, through the roof.
Try looking at some of the model RR clubs on facebook. See if any are reasonably close to you.
Wow. Would love more pictures 😍
"Independence Now, Independence Forever."
John Adams
Those are great , I see sets on other non gun auction sites that seem to do well
Cool-so cool, but as savage said the market is not there. IF I was you I would sell them while there is some interest as all of us have not passed,,,yet. The next gen. could care less. I had a (50s) ?Lionel in the box with all attachments forget the gauge and put it in a local farm auction and was shocked as to what it brought,,,,not alot. Although a Raven 25 caliber in the box brought three times that
Those are high-end collectibles, and worth quite a bit. The only people that collect those kinds of engines and cars just buy them to drool over. It's likely they would never be put on a live track.
I'm not into the collectible market, so I have no idea what they would sell for. If I were you I would take them to an antique appraiser and find out the true value. And it wouldn't hurt to take them to more than one appraiser.
Joe
@Oakie I'm guessing that you've looked for a train collectors forum. Would probably have knowledgeable & helpful folks like here.
Nice shape which means a lot. TO get value they would have to be to people that are into those. This younger generation antiques do not mean as much to them. THose would sell good to the right collector.
No, I did not. Like I said, They are not my cup of tea. I will have to see if there are any train collector sights. These sets will eventually be passed down to our son or future grandchildren.
Ya-I have MANY orig. Lionel engines, cars, track, transformers, accessories etc. in boxes from the early 50's!
That is a Lionel # 402 Passenger Set made in 1924. Value for the engine is $ 550. and each passenger car is $320, there were usually 3 cars to this set. But at auctions the set goes for around $475 because it is a pre-war train set and the interest isn't there. This set was popular for the "silent generation", but they have mostly passed away and the boomers had the Lionel steam engine sets. As a boomer i had a Lionel steam engine train set, and they were fun to play with, but kids nowadays want laptops, smartphones and those x-box contraptions, so the interest is with a very small group of collectors. Good luck with you train sets, and by the way Lionel came into business around 1900 and really started trains from 1906 onward.
Really a neat toy to display. I suggest that you secure the transformer; the set was made during the "tube & knob" era, before they understood the importance of grounding.
Neal