# Bunch of old trains-Value?



## TrackMagicWS6

I know you guys will tell me to take pictures, but my grandmother has a bunch of old H.O. scale trains she inherited about 40 years ago. She would like to have them appraised so I thought I should come here.

There are about 6 big boxes of stuff and a drum filled with model railroader magazines full years in the magazine binder. i.e. 1950's


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## Big Ed

TrackMagicWS6 said:


> I know you guys will tell me to take pictures, but my grandmother has a bunch of old H.O. scale trains she inherited about 40 years ago. She would like to have them appraised so I thought I should come here.
> 
> There are about 6 big boxes of stuff and a drum filled with model railroader magazines full years in the magazine binder. i.e. 1950's



That would be the best way to show what she has.
Do you know if any are brass?


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## brylerjunction

TrackMagicWS6 said:


> I know you guys will tell me to take pictures, but my grandmother has a bunch of old H.O. scale trains she inherited about 40 years ago. She would like to have them appraised so I thought I should come here.
> 
> There are about 6 big boxes of stuff and a drum filled with model railroader magazines full years in the magazine binder. i.e. 1950's


yup pictures and brand names would help...

are these items put together or are they still in kit form?? if they are kit are they brass, metal or wood??


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## TrackMagicWS6

Truth be told I have no idea. I'll check tonight and take some pics. Glad I didn't get into these as a kid and mess them up.


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## norgale

Six boxes of Ho trains? This has got to be interesting. Pete


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## shaygetz

Welcome...

Be prepared for disappointment...HO is a common scale, even 40 year old HO. Brass and unassembled vintage kits will do well, as will Rivarossi steam. With very few exceptions, everything else will be fairly common and will command the price a particular buyer is willing to pay. Drop the magazines at a local thrift store, while I am willing to pay a buck a pop per magazine, postage kills that and hobby shops who sell them generally don't make it worth your while to bring them--who wants to lose shelf and floor space to something that may sit for a year or more.


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## TrackMagicWS6

Most of the trains in this box seem to be heavy and brass underneath the black.
I'll post more as I have time.


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## TrackMagicWS6

This is most of 1 box.


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## brylerjunction

looks like a lot of old varney and mantua stuff..the rolling stock is not that special and the engines from the pictures they look a little rough do any of the engines have any markings on them?? it would be on the bottom


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## brylerjunction

some of those like the 4-6-4 look to be rivarossi


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## TrackMagicWS6

brylerjunction said:


> looks like a lot of old varney and mantua stuff..the rolling stock is not that special and the engines from the pictures they look a little rough do any of the engines have any markings on them?? it would be on the bottom


A few have no markings. I have a mantua 3977, Revell 3600-003-B, And 1 just says Tokyo, Japan with 753 on the side in white.


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## NIMT

Yea what your showing is high production, low end models. Most of the engines would sell for about $10 to $40 at most and that's if you could someone interested in them. The rail cars would run from about $2 to $4 each.


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## brylerjunction

NIMT said:


> Yea what your showing is high production, low end models. Most of the engines would sell for about $10 to $40 at most and that's if you could someone interested in them. The rail cars would run from about $2 to $4 each.


glad you said it first I didnt want to be the bad guy on this one...


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## TrackMagicWS6

Its no biggie guys. My grandmother just wanted a value on it.


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## NIMT

Sorry, We really are not trying to be mean to you or you're grandmother!
But the truth is the truth. 
High production units do not usually bring much $$ in return, even if they are old.


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## TrackMagicWS6

Second box.









































































Also found some scale houses, people, track, and such.


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## NIMT

What's in the Athearn boxes?
Athearns hold their value fairly well!


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## TrackMagicWS6

NIMT said:


> What's in the Athearn boxes?
> Athearns hold their value fairly well!


Not Athern, it would appear nothing is its right box. I did find an athern engine in a hobbyline box. Its the engine in the bottom of the third picture of the set I just posted. Still 4 more boxes but no more tonight.


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## Southern

There is at lest on Rivarrassi in the AHM boxes. I see on that is a Y6B 2-8-8-2, If it is in good working condition It should bring between $85 - $120. Take a good look at the other on in the AHM box and see if it has a name on it.


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## Big Ed

How are you planning on selling them? One big lot or piece by piece?
I think a few of the cars will bring more then $4 it all depends on who is looking at them and bidding.
E bay? 
It seems that if you start them at 99 cents the bidders will bid them up to their value.
Wait till winter to sell there are more looking to buy then. 
And if you have some newbies that say want the Bud box car or the Hersey car it might get up to $10 bucks or more. It all depends on who is bidding.
Search e bay and watch what some like yours sell for, you will get a general ideal of the worth. But that all depends on the bidder. Some just have to have something so the bidding might not be an accurate final price.

If you sell them in one big lot your going to lose at lot compared to selling them piece by piece or in lots.
It might take longer to sell them piece by piece but you will make out better.

If you want you could list some here but you have to put a starting price per rules. And put them in the for sale member to member forum. You can add or best offer. We have new members coming on everyday, some are looking to start Model railroading.
You will save the e bay fees that way, I do suggest payment by papal though.

Good pictures help and set up a piece of rail to some power and at least see if the engines move. Some may move slow and probably just need a cleaning (wheels with alcohol) and a little lube. Give them a quick wipe down before you post pictures. An old paint brush works, just sort of dust them off a little they will show better in a picture.

With a little work you can get more $$ for them.

If your in a big hurry to sell them you will get a whole lot less, and watch out for some of the wholesale buyers interested. Some will give you pennies on the dollar.

If you do come across any Brass engines, some fetch big bucks but that depends on what it is.

The Lionel bridge is O gauge, I would say at least $20 bucks or more on e bay.
The magazines, are like Shaygetz says, though you can ship media mail. Maybe list local like Craigs list. Have someone come and pickup. But watch out for scammers there. Though I never had a problem you hear about them all the time. Don't let them in your house and your better off delivering if local or meeting them somewhere to make the exchange. 

Are they stinky, moldy, ripped? Condition matters. There is a way to try and get stink out of them.

So all in all you will get a lot more if you do a little work selling them one by one.

Get Grandma to help.
Edit,
What is the picture of the white thing in the second picture?


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## New Berlin RR

could always put the media in our (what we attempted to start) traveling library....

if your also interested in just moving the stuff you also have the option of our pass it forward thread(s), I personially wouldn't mind a few cars/buses, ect if they are HO scale  and same goes for any covered 2 bay hoppers!!


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## emmetd

looks like most of the steam is brass. might get a couple hundered each for them cleaned up.
cars yard sale them for a couple bucks appeace.


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## Big Ed

emmetd said:


> looks like most of the steam is brass. might get a couple hundered each for them cleaned up.
> cars yard sale them for a couple bucks appeace.


I see the brass too, but did not want to start arguing if they were or not.
Have Grandma dust them up some?

I think some of the cars will bring more then a couple of bucks.
It all depends on who is looking to buy them.


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## THE TYCO MAN

Nice collection! Varies from Penn Line to Varney. All great classics of HO. Everything has some good value there.


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## lears2005

I love the old stuff I would buy the old stuff over the new stuff


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## norgale

I see three to five hundred in the pictures so far. If the engines are clean and run they are worth more than dirty and not running. Any car that has rolling wheels and couplers on each end is worth five buckes anywhare. Nice looking ones and cars with company logos on them can be worth $10 and up.
I don't know where New Berlin gets this "pass 'em forward " thing but I've not heard of it myself. You will get more money by selling piece meal or in small lots than you will by selling in big lots. Sell the engines separetly.
Start a thread in our Member to member classifides section. If your asking $20 for something and somebody wants to up the price then fine.
Big Ed is right. Sell in the winter and not in the summer. That will give you time to clean everything up and check on prices.
From what I've seen so far I'd say that all your six boxes will probably be worth about $1500. Pete


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## TrackMagicWS6

Both trains in ahm boxes look untouched and say rivorassi. I'll get your guys estimate on the value and let her know, although she was thinking of giving the stuff to a model railroad museum.

Should I take the black paint off the brass trains?

This is the third box and contains the last of train/boxcar stuff most of the rest is tracks/ houses.

Most of the Athern "boxcars" in the boxes appear to match.


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## gunrunnerjohn

Yikes!  To retain the maximum value, don't do ANYTHING like removing paint, no matter what it looks like!


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## Southern

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Yikes!  To retain the maximum value, don't do ANYTHING like removing paint, no matter what it looks like!


 
Yes! Gun is right do not do anything to them.


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## brylerjunction

when he mentioned further back in the thread one of the engines said made in Japan on it there are some older engines that are not 100% brass but have brass pieces and are painted that can fetch decent money even as parts pieces...the rivarossi stuff is really nice and even though most of the rolling stock is lower end stuff like that sells like hot cakes for me because we see a lot of kids and people with not a lot of money that buy cheaper low end rolling stock to run on small dc layouts...or guys that are building huge consists of ore cars and stuff will buy those and then change out couplers and wheels and its still cheaper than laying out $20-$30 per for brand new RTR stuff that is newly released...

I wouldnt donate them to a train museum while i am certain most would take them, I bet they wind up just selling them to add pieces that are of museum quality or maybe use them for parts for their modules..

my only big concern I see on your engines from the pictures is they may have had storage issues and been exposed to moisture and stuff


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## Smokinapankake

Why not start a model railroad yourself? I'd love to stumble on a cache of stuff like that from one of my relatives who had no interest in it.....


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## TrackMagicWS6

Smokinapankake said:


> Why not start a model railroad yourself? I'd love to stumble on a cache of stuff like that from one of my relatives who had no interest in it.....


I wish I had an interest in them like everyone here, but I don't. 

The all brass unpainted engine might end up in a china cabinet.

Going to repack everything tonight, any suggestions for what to pack them in if I run out of the boxes they came in?


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## shaygetz

A good bubble wrap is enough...lay the cars on their sides about a half inch apart, then place a layer of bubble wrap down--repeat 'til the box is full. Mark box "Fragile, This Side Up" and store them in an area that isn't subject to too much heat or cold.

Wish I could help you, used to live about an hour south of you. Feel free to PM me for any help off line...


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## Southern

Put the brass in zip lock bags and suck out the air. After proper packing.


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## gunrunnerjohn

One thing about packing. 

Make SURE that the contents can NOT move inside the box! That's as important as proper padding! Even if padded well, if they're rattling around inside the box, they're quite likely to be damaged. Also, make sure ALL sides of the item are padded.

When I ship stuff, I wrap in bubblewrap, then I pack it securely with either peanuts or crumpled newspaper. 

To date, I've only had one claim for damage for many 100's of shipments. I'm pretty sure the guy who claimed damage was just trying to take advantage of the situation, because he wanted an adjustment and did not want to return the cars. I probably should have insisted he return them, but I'm sure he'd have broken them before I got them back.


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## dartnabout

I am not too far away. I am new here and don.t know how to contact you.


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## hoscale37

If you do decide to sell any of the rolling stock... I would be interested in some of the boxcars.


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## MacDaddy55

*A Treasure!*

Wow Tragic...your Grandad had quite the collection...guys have given you good advice in all aspects to choose from. My wife...she who is wise in packing..said and I quote..."Bubble wrap first...then pack them in some Plastic QuiltClothes bags and take a vaccum cleaner and suck the air out!!" Then you can pack them as you wish and not worry about moisture/air getting at these great items. Heck it works on quilts,comforters and winter clothes...why not trains! Good luck and thank your Gramma for saving that collection!!:thumbsup:


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## sstlaure

FYI...Many of those cars may be newer than you think. I see a TON of knuckle style couplers (rather than hook/horn) on your cars which would indicate they've either been updated or purchased more recently.


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## hoscale37

Did you ever decide if you wanted to sell anything at all?


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## jaymack1

Impressive Collection. Do wonder what happened to it as well?

Jay


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## H.o bomber

Heyman id love to buy pleasereply


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## Old_Hobo

This thread is 6 years old.....doubt if they are still available.....


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## Gramps

Out of curiousity I scrolled through the thread and noticed that I was unfamiliar with many of those early posters. Time marches on.


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