Post by: early0electric on February 14, 2021, 06:54:56 PM
Any thoughts out there? How are your trains stored? What are your plans? Just something we all have to confront at some point.
Mike
Post by: Terry on February 14, 2021, 11:13:14 PM
At that time I kept about a dozen Lionel 0 and a dozen Standard sets for the layouts.
By the time I am 60 I will have no trains put away for later. Everything will either be on a shelf, a layout, or gone.
My current goal is to play with the 1930s and 40s era trains I kept and shift the collection focus to the Lionel trains from before 1913.
Then in 7-10 years, I'll be done and sell everything except a few of the really cool early trains, and some things to play with.
Frank Petruzo told me when I was young that I would end up with all the trains. What I never figured on was that there wouldn't be anyone to share them with.
When I was at Greg P~~ house in LA last spring we talked about the same thing. I said that as far as I'm concerned if in 25 years when I'm in my early 80s, I have 5 or 6 peices of 2 7/8th and a dozen trolleys I'll be happy.
Post by: pjdog350 on February 15, 2021, 03:44:13 AM
When the friend down the street and I where talking about this subject he said if they give you pleasure keep doing what you are doing. I have added 7 Lionel JR streamliner and restored them plus I’m working on a 259E and some cars but my trains are toys not of big dollar value just fun to run and repair. I know I’m not long for the world. I can feel the health slipping away. Plus talking care of my wife who is in real trouble is taking it toll on me. 80 years old and a 24 hour a day nurse with no help at all. Been doing it for 4 years and 4 months. But my trains are my therapy. They are my stress relievers. Things can get real bad and the stress level get real high and just 15 or 20 minutes doing the train thing and all is right with the world again. My wife learned how to count again counting the boxcars as they went by slowly. She got to 15.
I’m not going to quit until I’m gone. Let the kids worry about it. Give them something to have a rough idea of the value and just enjoy what time you have left.
Besides that, if your at home looking at, fixing, restoring, or buying more your at home and being safe. These are hard times for America. I miss the America I grew up in. Things where so different.
Stay home and be safe
Post by: starfire700 on February 15, 2021, 04:59:15 AM
I will be 70 next month, have blood pressure and arthritis issues, wife in EX health. We live with my wife's sis and husband, both 10 years younger than us and in healthcare.
We just built a new house, upstairs for wife and relatives, basement for me.
I have shifted my focus to operating and video production, but find it hard to part with the "good stuff" on the shelves.
I have early O gauge, some early standard, small amount of classic period standard (the stuff Frank Petruzzo would collect, he was also a good friend), some prewar AF. My favorite stuff now is 1935 to 42 Lionel, Early postwar and 1950's postwar to operate. Also Marx prewar tin, especially Army Trains, and the stuff that we produced as Marx Trains from 1992 to 2004.
Just looking back at that list, it is "too much" for a 70-year old, but I am having too much fun with it now, and my wife knows all of the major auction house owners.
We all have to make decisions based on family and financial conditions, but my vote, is keep the stuff you really like and keep playing (operating) until you no longer know a Hudson from a potatoe. If it provides joy and helps keep the brain functioning, it is good to keep it.
Post by: starfire700 on February 15, 2021, 05:49:20 AM
I have some in the boxes stacked on a tower shelf, but I then forget what is in them.
Some of my early and late LL prewar is in showcases, but all does not fit. When I managed a shopping mall in the Chicago area, a demo contractor would save me discarded showcases when a store remodeled. The tall ones with mirror backs were from a Sunglass Hut.
Also showing some overalls of display shelves, cases and layout.
I did a lot of thinning when we moved and built this house, as I did not want to store too much. Still it was almost 100 luggers and boxes full.
Too much stuff????, yes it is. But where do I start? Lately I have been using things I never thought that I would in videos.
I am enjoying it, wife tolerates it, and wiring and operating sidings and accessories, modifying and repairing locos etc helps to keep the old brain functioning.
Post by: pjdog350 on February 15, 2021, 08:10:20 AM
Post by: early0electric on February 15, 2021, 10:12:28 AM
As far as my boxed outfits, I'll continue to put everything back. At least that way I can refresh in my head what's there.
I do like "until you no longer know a Hudson from a potato"! Cracks me up! Thanks for that!
Post by: starfire700 on February 15, 2021, 02:52:44 PM
Post by: early0electric on April 29, 2021, 06:02:06 PM
Post by: pjdog350 on April 29, 2021, 06:28:33 PM
My best trains I had 2012 went to one of my kids. She wanted them.
Post by: starfire700 on April 30, 2021, 04:44:08 AM
I do keep an inventory of the better items with my insurance policy. I have specific items covered, plus a blanket amount for lesser items, also covers items in transit and at shows.
I switched to my local agent, got a better price for coverage and better service. My original TCA recommended insurance started with JA Bash then became Chubb. They basically said they were no longer interested in writing such policies and recommended that I go to my homeowners insurance. Glad that I did.
Post by: Terry on April 30, 2021, 12:24:57 PM
The trains made after 1925 are just on lists in a text document, and I have pictures of them on the shelves.
My homeowner's insurance covers collectibles up to 75 percent of the house value total with the need to only schedule items worth more than $5k. Only the state set clears that, but it's actually 5 peices for insurance purposes. A loco and 4 cars. Farmers. My agent said so many people had collectibles that they started covering them.
Post by: AT4 on May 03, 2021, 05:35:59 PM
Post by: pjdog350 on May 03, 2021, 06:43:13 PM
Post by: starfire700 on May 04, 2021, 03:26:24 AM
As long as I can still enjoy it, I will keep it.
My wife knows how to dispose of it when I am gone.
Post by: early0electric on May 04, 2021, 07:27:34 AM
Post by: early0electric on July 21, 2021, 05:37:11 PM
Post by: Terry on July 22, 2021, 12:30:58 AM
We're going into a really weird time to be train collectors. The common trains are dropping in value and the drop is going to accelerate as more hit the market. Inflation is picking up.
I made some dwarf signals for my layout last weekend. I spent about 3 hours on them, and once the humidity and constant promises of rain stops I'll paint them. I had fun.
The silver parts are cheapo castings made by the guy who sold them at York. Trickel? The black head came on a bent up signal bridge I got last week.
Post by: pjdog350 on July 22, 2021, 04:11:02 AM
Speaking of your layout. Where’s the movies?
Post by: starfire700 on July 22, 2021, 04:12:20 AM
Post by: early0electric on July 22, 2021, 07:29:10 AM
Post by: Terry on July 22, 2021, 01:17:14 PM
Speaking of volume. . . This weekend is the first big train swap meet in AZ since the pandemic. There was a small mostly scale show in early May, but this is the first tinplate show. As of last week they had 65 percent of the tables sold. Usually they are sold out 2-3 months in advance.
One growing problem I see is the lack of workers for the club shows. In Tucson they aren't doing the big 2-day trade show hall meets anymore because the club is all old men and they don't have the energy to run them.
I'll have a better idea of the state of the AZ train market after the show.
I heard the York plans for this fall, and decided I'd wait until next spring.
Post by: Terry on July 24, 2021, 04:51:01 PM
This shows does the national Anthem - OH say can you see. . . then throws open the doors. Usually I spend the first hour of the show just walking back and forth selling trains. This did not seem as hurried. Normally I have buyers stacking up to pay or haggle. Almost none of that today.
From the prices I saw, some people think the pandemic has increased demand. Only 80 percent of the tables were sold. I think this worked out well as I had hagglers storm off when I refused their offers and then come back and buy the objects because they couldn't find anything else to spend their money on.
It rained hard yesterday and this morning during the set up time. Rain usually means a better show, but if it had an impact today, it was not enough to overcome the pandemic decline.
Sales were ok, but I was blowing out cumbersome things. Like a crusty 122 station that had been used as a jack stand on a salty road then left in the rain for a while at a bargain price of $12.
Post by: early0electric on July 25, 2021, 11:25:25 AM