Messages

256

General Discussion / Re: Do many run standard gauge trains?

« on: September 30, 2021, 07:45:07 PM »

I built a layout when in college for a rich guy. You could run 30+ trains at once on dozen different tracks on four levels.

I could run all the trains.

The owner could only run one per loop because he would turn them on as fast as they would go and they'd run through the blocks. Then there would be a WHAM! usually followed by a crashing noise.

After a few months we had an electrician come in and put all the train transformers on one switch. Now I think he just runs one easily accessible loop and the rest just sits as a nice display.

On my layouts, I can run the mainlines and one (or two on the the standard gauge) of the smaller lines on each. That's three or 4 trains at once so I can keep track of them. Each layout has it's own terminal switch for the power.

257

General Discussion / Re: Do many run standard gauge trains?

« on: September 30, 2021, 11:03:17 AM »

there are two strings of lights - blue that make for a great night scenes, and small white led that I haven't wired in yet as they run on 1.5 volts and I need to rig up a string of diodes and a rectifier to get current.

I did get the trim up around the O gauge.  I found the correct automotive flashers to run the 154 highway signs.  Those should be in the mailbox today so I can get them installed this weekend.

The size of the layout makes everything more time consuming. I have 2 hours in on a 440 signal bridge because the bridge is in one side and the wiring is on the other. If the O gauge wasn't there I could just pop under, but with the 156 sheds there I walk all the way around.

This is what I like to do - make everything work - so I'm having fun.

258

General Discussion / Re: Postwar Erie ALCO’s

« on: September 29, 2021, 12:28:25 PM »

The trains are good for your health. . .

I was told by the cardiologist to get my heart rate up for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week.

"No problem. I do that most days just trying to run my trains."

259

General Discussion / Re: Do many run standard gauge trains?

« on: September 28, 2021, 06:58:32 PM »

when i was building my O gauge layout on the floor, people asked about the white posts and I said I was putting a standard gauge layout over the O gauge.

I was told don't do that. . . leave windows so we can see the O gauge. . . and more.

Once the standard gauge started running on the upper level no one asks about the O gauge.

Links in my signature below.

The dog still likes the O gauge.

260

General Discussion / Re: Recent Additions

« on: September 27, 2021, 05:33:38 PM »

I haven't bought anything since the TCA convention 5 weeks ago.

Stout had a Lionel trolley in a Butler bros box last week, but I didn't bid because I thought it would sell for more than I could pay. It went for less than I expected, but who knows what the high bidder would have paid.

Jim's been selling some nice stuff on eBay that I don't have, but I have enough dark green locos and orange boxcars. I just saw a red 14 boxcar on ebay. I don't know if two red boxcars are enough.

The good thing about not buying trains is the money piles up and the first one after a drought can be more expensive!

261

General Discussion / Re: is there any lionel proto type items that didn't make the cut

« on: September 27, 2021, 05:17:55 PM »

Jim, The 264 army set came from Hertz though a NETTE auction? I've seen other cars that came from there.

Here's a prototype 517 caboose I wrote about years ago:

http://www.train99.com/ency/mo/mo9.html

After I wrote that article I was contacted by a collector in NJ who has a 385W tender, a 515 tank and another car that I don't recall clearly - maybe 512 gondola that match the caboose. His trains have the same filled in areas with bluing.

Lionel never went into production of the new couplers on standard gauge and did not introduce and new standard gauge items after the 1934 introduction of the 392T.

262

General Discussion / Re: Live auction.

« on: September 27, 2021, 05:09:28 PM »

I know the guy who wrote that article from doing local appraisal events. He went bankrupt last year owing a bunch of consignors money.  I was going to drop a bunch of my Nana's china collection off, and one of the local estate sales guys called to let me know. My laziness saved me from getting screwed.

I'm selling nice stuff on eBay and getting only one or two bids above my starting price on much of it. The only surprises I see are for items I know little about. But I have been getting good prices for complete Lionel and AF sets from the late 1940s and early fifties.

The local shows are dead. There were three here in AZ in Sept.  None had  buyers lined up at the door.

263

General Discussion / Re: Live auction.

« on: September 15, 2021, 08:12:28 PM »

There are a lot of collectors who have stopped buying trains, but aren't willing to sell the ones they have. They are still enjoying their trains.

There are also people who would sell their trains, but can't get the money they want from dealers and aren't willing to do the work of selling themselves. I get a few calls a month from people like this.

264

General Discussion / Re: Live auction.

« on: September 15, 2021, 01:41:15 PM »

I think the pandemic is masking a huge loss of interest in toy trains.  At this time next year trains will be a lot cheaper.

The rarer items are still desirable, and the well known sellers still have followers who will buy from them, but mostly ebay is just cluttered with trains.

People who were buying projects for later are not buying more.

That's something I didn't mention earlier. With an auction house, there are bidders watching the auction who will bid on items they think are selling cheap. This pushes prices up into the wholesale level. On ebay there is so much clutter a seller cannot assume a dealer will see his item.

265

General Discussion / Re: Live auction.

« on: September 15, 2021, 01:50:09 AM »

There are benefits to both platforms. . .

ebay is quicker.  List something on ebay and you'll have the money in 2 weeks or less. (ebay has stringent rules about selling computers, phones and other high demand items due to scammers and holds money for those items when sold by new sellers. Trains aren't common scam items and so only higher priced items may result in holds by ebay.)

To sell thru an auction house takes months. I shipped my colelction to Stout in November, and the auction was the next spring. I didn't see money for almost 6 months. He charged 15%. Here in PHX there is only one big auction house that does general merchandise and has online bidding. Their schedule is 8-10 weeks from when you contact them you can drop the items off. They'll be sold 6-10 weeks later. A check is mailed 21 days after the auction. 17 to 23 weeks! They charge 40 percent.

Auction houses sell as is where is. Once they sell it it's done as far as you're concerned. (Actually insurance should cover it once it's dropped off, but theft or loss is such a rare occurence we can ignore it.) If the post office breaks or loses the package the auction house is out, not you. It doesn't matter if the train runs.

ebay can be a nightmare with buyers changing their minds and breaking items so they can be returned. I have this happen about every 600-800 sales. I've had people buy HO trains sealed in the box and then break them because they didn't run on their Lionel track. (One woman actually admitted it in an ebay message and I got to keep all the money and the broken train. Last month, I lost $38 in shipping and had a $40 item become a broken $16 item.)

One problem with auction houses is they sometimes go broke before you get paid. When this happens there are usually complaining sellers for a few months so check the auction house out first.

ebay is a lot of work. It's less work to ship a bunch of trains to one location, than to ship lots of small packages all over.

If the trains are sentimental, an auction house is less emotional than ebay. ebay is like a thousand cuts.

I saw a marx collector last weekend who told me he sold his collection to a guy who did toy buying events. He saw an ad in the paper that a buyer would be at a local hotel for a few days and called. He felt the offer was fair, and the buyer came out and spent 2 long days with a helper packing up the toys.

There are a lot of considerations.

One other point. . .  I talked to some people recently who are dropping trains and collectibles with ebay consignment places. About fifty percent including ebay fees is normal. It's better than throwing it out or giving it to Goodwill, but not by much.

266

General Discussion / Re: Live auction.

« on: September 14, 2021, 05:44:36 PM »

It depends on the item and the auction house. Sometimes buyers will pay an auction house more because they get excited, but that happens on ebay.

What rarely happens on ebay is buyers paying more because of the reputation of the seller. Auction houses get higher reputation points. 

Another thing that helps auction houses is the buyers are even less knowledgable than ebay shoppers. A lot of low information bidders feel getting an item for one bid increment above a knowledgable bidder is worth the money. Because there are more of these bidders at live auctions, there is a higher chance of two of them squaring off.

 

267

General Discussion / I've got good taste. . .

« on: September 12, 2021, 02:42:27 PM »

I saw this interesting old toy train:

 

The folks at Bertoia call it a ALTHOF BERGMANN CLOCKWORK UNION LINE FLOOR TRAIN. They don't offer a dtae of manufacture, but I'd guess 1880s or maybe 1890s. Certainly before 1910.

It's old.

I didn't bid on it, but thought it was neat enough to mark it so I could see what it sold for. . .

$29,000

That's BEFORE buyer's premium.  Depending on how the buyer bids and pays the buyer's premium can be 20-28%.   $34,800 to $37,120 after premium.

Here's the listing:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/109788680_althof-bergmann-clockwork-union-line-floor-train

268

General Discussion / Re: Interesting Auction Items

« on: September 10, 2021, 10:08:28 PM »

Here's a fairly nice 156 with pedestal headlight. It has later couplers.

 

It's actually worse than it looks because the scratches are so old the bare metal has darkened.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/lionel-prewar-156-4-4-4-dark-green-new-york-centr-955-c-bcd4880b1e

I don't have a 156 with pedestal light and late couplers. I have a 156X with ped. light and riveted couplers, and a 12 wheeler pedestal light, riveted couplers and gold painted vents. But I have enopugh dark green locos so I won't be bidding.

Here's a similar but more beat up 156 with pedestal light and late couplers in a set:

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/early-lionel-prewar-dark-green-156-nyc-locomotive-1123-c-eac4824867

Now for something to drool over:

 

Boxed number 2 trolley set for Butler Brothers.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/boxed-lionel-prewar-standard-gauge-outfit-f1680-f-1098-c-202407db31

And something unusual, but much cheaper:

 

That's a 254E with the E on the door and a 3-position e-unit mounted sideways. I doubt it came in that box. 

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/lionel-prewar-254-green-electric-locomotive-with-1114-c-4224b29afb

269

General Discussion / Re: Interesting Auction Items

« on: September 10, 2021, 09:40:47 PM »

here's an interesting loco:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294372195283

I bought a 260e on ebay years ago with an apple green frame. I sent it back after examining it.

270

Collector Corner / Re: 358W 400E WORK TRAIN SET BOX

« on: September 10, 2021, 02:43:32 PM »

That's a great find Larry. From 1937 or '38 based on the label.