# Well, unfortunately, it’s starting...............



## Streamliner (Feb 21, 2021)

I’ve collected and been involved in the buying and selling of old trains for over 50 years now. I owned a train store for 32 of those years, but have been semi-retired since 2007. Today, I still look for old trains in the hands of original owners, while buying & selling collections every now and then.

In a recent collection I purchased, there was a large carton containing nothing but American Flyer “S” gauge, manual control switch tracks. No rust, but generally VG to EX condition. Must have been 30 of them. I’m very sorry to say that they all went into the dumpster. 

I imagine that someone out there would probably make use of them, but the time & effort involved to find that person, is not worth the benefit—if there would eventually be one. The switch tracks are not worth what it would cost to ship them from one coast to the other. In the meantime, I have no place to store them, so hopefully, the trash company will recycle them, but I seem to doubt it. Are they really going to separate the metal rails from the Bakelite bases? 

I have another box of cheap, Lionel, post war locos & freight cars. Same issue. The next time I trip over it, guess where it’s going? As much as I hate to say it, I don’t believe it will be too long before we see things like 671 Turbines going the same route. Lionel made so many pieces and those of us who value them are facing “too many projects and not enough time.” It’s like a snowball rolling down a mountain: every day it gets bigger and rolls faster.

Hope you are all doing well,
Allen Drucker

P.S. I currently have an ad on Craigslist for all these original post war accessories for $395.00. No takers. And no, I will not ship them to you.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I hate to see neat old stuff like that go in the trash. But not enough to travel to the west coast to pick them up.

Whenever I used Craig’s list, people would make me a stupid low offer. Why not lower the price to a stupid low price before you trash them?


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## Streamliner (Feb 21, 2021)

I only trashed the switch tracks. I currently have nice, remote control AF switch tracks on Craigslist and no takers. Wasn’t going to waste my time on the manuals. The accessories are another story. If they don’t sell, I will go the eBay route for most of them. I just hate packing & shipping big accessories.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Alas...the ones who enjoy Lionel and AF are dying off...sorry so coldly put. Tyco and Marx are on the rise as their market base is getting to that nostalgic collector's age bracket. I enjoy it all, but I will never pay the prices asked by vendors around here who still think it's 1985....


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

I understand. Regretable but the only recourse. 

Been there. Done that, too.


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## Mixed Freight (Aug 31, 2019)

I have had less than stellar luck trying to sell train stuff on craigslist. I think part of the problem is that most potential buyers don't bother using craigslist anymore. Maybe try low-balling a price first, as Lehigh74 suggests. Or else try a different venue other than craigslist.

Don't you have any train shows in your area? This would be your best chance at selling your stuff, even if you have to take half of what you think it should be worth. I'll bet it would still get you more money than low-ball craigslist offers.

Craigslist also has a "free" section. If nothing else works, at least give the stuff away for free, rather than throw it out in the trash or recycling.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Streamliner

Have you tried posting in our For Sale or Trade Forum?
It's free and only requires that you state a price (tho you may
add 'or better offer')...and your terms for payment and shipping.
Post as many pics as you need.

The items you have seem worthwhile, it would be a shame
to trash them. Maybe one or more of our 0 and S scale
members would find them important.

Don


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## Streamliner (Feb 21, 2021)

I’m sorry, but I guess I didn’t explain clearly enough. I DO NOT WANT to pack & ship this stuff. Even IF I found someone willing to give me $1.00 per switch track, for a total of $30.00, AND pay the shipping, I don’t want to do it. As for the big lot of accessories, I will probably break them up and sell most separately on eBay. You know, I’ve posted several items for sale here in the classified section, for prices reasonably lower than I have them on eBay, and I‘ve had virtually ZERO responses. Say what we will about eBay, but put something up there, price it right and it sells.


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## Refugee (Oct 2, 2019)

There isn't an S Gauge club you could give them to, rather than throw them away? That's what I did.


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## Sideways (Jan 25, 2021)

Sorry if I sound critizing for a moment here, but don't you have a donation centre of some sorts nearby? It might not be the most ideal place for this kind of stuff to go to, but the right person would eventually stumble across them. Even posting a local pick-up only ad could be an alternative. If there are people out there willing to pay for this stuff, you know there are far more who'd gladly take it off your hands for free. Seems like a big waste to just chuck something thats perfectly good, especially if someone else could use it. Just my thoughts tho, obviously its your belongings and your choice to make.


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## Streamliner (Feb 21, 2021)

Refugee said:


> There isn't an S Gauge club you could give them to, rather than throw them away? That's what I did.


The closest one I know of is in San Diego, about a two hour drive one way. With gas prices where they are and the headache of So. Calif. traffic, I do not believe it would be prudent for anyone to make that drive, even IF they might possibly have wanted them.


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## Streamliner (Feb 21, 2021)

Sideways said:


> Sorry if I sound critizing for a moment here, but don't you have a donation centre of some sorts nearby? It might not be the most ideal place for this kind of stuff to go to, but the right person would eventually stumble across them. Even posting a local pick-up only ad could be an alternative. If there are people out there willing to pay for this stuff, you know there are far more who'd gladly take it off your hands for free. Seems like a big waste to just chuck something thats perfectly good, especially if someone else could use it. Just my thoughts tho, obviously its your belongings and your choice to make.


Don't look now, but The Salvation Army, Goodwill and most other charitable organizations are getting very picky about what they will accept. If they can’t turn a donation into cash fairly easily, they don’t want it and will not take it. I don’t blame them either. If I would have tried to palm off these switch tracks to a charity, knowing full well that their chances of selling them were close to zero, I’d feel like a heel. I know we don’t like to think it, but in my honest opinion, these things are trash today and that’s where they belong.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Well then, chuck ’em......that’ll make the remaining existing ones a little more rare, and a little more valuable....


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

It's rough, the demographic is aging and young people give a rat's patootie about the old stuff. Hard to know what model railroading will look like when I kick the bucket. I got hooked into collecting old Tyco, and I was buying the stuff at two for a dollar, at times. Oddly, I see the same junk I avidly snapped up listed for absurd
prices on eBay. Doubt much is selling at those prices, they want.


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

There's a giveaway site in our town: you post the item, someone says they'll take it, you put it on the porch or curb in good weather, next thing you know it's gone.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

That sounds like a group I belong to up here, it’s called Freecycle.....people will come get items that are too good for the dump and still work, but are not needed/wanted anymore.....now, whether they sell the stuff afterwards, well, I don‘t care, at least I did my part by not adding to the dump....


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## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

Chops124 said:


> It's rough, the demographic is aging and young people give a rat's patootie about the old stuff. Hard to know what model railroading will look like when I kick the bucket. I got hooked into collecting old Tyco, and I was buying the stuff at two for a dollar, at times. Oddly, I see the same junk I avidly snapped up listed for absurd
> prices on eBay. Doubt much is selling at those prices, they want.


Even though I am Gilbert American Flyer S gauge collector/runner, there was a time when I collected Tyco as well just because it was cheap and plentiful everywhere and I liked it. Still have most of it. The last time we had train shows I noticed insane prices for some of that stuff not to mention eBay and of course with boxes. Asking those prices is one thing but are they selling? I didn't take the time to check the eBay closed deals to see. I guess because it is old and they don't make it any more? I can remember when my late wife had a garage sale and I put a good sized box of Tyco odds and ends, buildings, some engines and cars and other miscellaneous out for 25.00. A guy and his young son saw it and asked me if that was the correct price. That was about 8 years ago. He couldn't pick that box up fast enough. I have noticed that some savvy sellers have attached the word " vintage" to the Tyco stuff recently. Marketing. 

Kenny


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

I used to have Gilbert, Tyco and Athearn HO trains. Gave them all to my brother who wanted them. They take up very little space to store and are easy to box and mail compared to O gauge or S gauge. My brother lives in Pittsburgh, there seems to be good interest in that area for those trains.


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## Streamliner (Feb 21, 2021)

Chops124 said:


> It's rough, the demographic is aging and young people give a rat's patootie about the old stuff. Hard to know what model railroading will look like when I kick the bucket. I got hooked into collecting old Tyco, and I was buying the stuff at two for a dollar, at times. Oddly, I see the same junk I avidly snapped up listed for absurd
> prices on eBay. Doubt much is selling at those prices, they want.


You mean like these:


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## BigGRacing (Sep 25, 2020)

I never even heard of Brachs candies and another guy up here has a kit for sale.

And Chops you are partially right, a young person would likely take great care of a collection if they were to acquire one. They won’t pay a fortune though for a lot of older stuff to try and build a collection. I love collections, but it is mainly people that collected items early on that then subsequently collect stuff. Building over time of course helps as well but again only if people have a lot of disposable income.

mentorship is huge as well of course and exposure like at the train shows is huge in my opinion. I have never modelled for example but enjoy seeing all of the workmanship that I see here.


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## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

Speaking of young people who would likely take care of a collection, when my grandson was 10 years old, he's 22 now, I gave him 3 Tyco sets from my collection with boxes and a bunch of track one year for Christmas. You would have thought I had given him a box of gold. His dad had put a piece of plywood to mount it all on under his bed. He has 3 sisters that were never to go into his room. At that time he protected those trains better that Fort Knox. He also got a then new Disney World Monorail set. I helped him get it all set up and running. The Tyco set with it's horn hook type couplers reminded me of when I first discovered Tyco and related brands. Nice nostalgia memory for me that day.
The down side is after he got into high school sports, then on to college, the trains were boxed and stuck in a closet. His mother, my daughter, gave it all back to me. To this day he askes me every so often If I am taking care of HIS trains. 

Kenny


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## BigGRacing (Sep 25, 2020)

That’s an awesome story, I hope that you two can get them up and running again some day !


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

AFGP9 said:


> Speaking of young people who would likely take care of a collection, when my grandson was 10 years old, he's 22 now, I gave him 3 Tyco sets from my collection with boxes and a bunch of track one year for Christmas. You would have thought I had given him a box of gold. His dad had put a piece of plywood to mount it all on under his bed. He has 3 sisters that were never to go into his room. At that time he protected those trains better that Fort Knox. He also got a then new Disney World Monorail set. I helped him get it all set up and running. The Tyco set with it's horn hook type couplers reminded me of when I first discovered Tyco and related brands. Nice nostalgia memory for me that day.
> The down side is after he got into high school sports, then on to college, the trains were boxed and stuck in a closet. His mother, my daughter, gave it all back to me. To this day he askes me every so often If I am taking care of HIS trains.
> 
> Kenny


That's almost EXACTLY how I got back into the hobby. When I discovered sports, girls, and cars, I lost interest in trains for a good long time (the fact that I was on active duty in the Navy and starting a family didn't help). In the mean time, my mother gave all of my train stuff to a cousin.

One day, out of the blue, my Aunt called me and asked if I wanted my train stuff back. Apparently, my cousin had also lost interest during his late teen years. The rest is history.


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## Refugee (Oct 2, 2019)

Two S Gauge Clubs near you (much nearer than San Diego)





American Flyer S-Gauge Modular Club - NASG


Information about the American Flyer S-Gauge Modular Club.




www.nasg.org









Southern California S Gaugers - NASG


Information about the Southern California S Gaugers.




www.nasg.org


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## scenicsRme (Aug 19, 2020)

BigGRacing said:


> I never even heard of Brachs candies and another guy up here has a kit for sale.
> 
> And Chops you are partially right, a young person would likely take great care of a collection if they were to acquire one. They won’t pay a fortune though for a lot of older stuff to try and build a collection. I love collections, but it is mainly people that collected items early on that then subsequently collect stuff. Building over time of course helps as well but again only if people have a lot of disposable income.
> 
> mentorship is huge as well of course and exposure like at the train shows is huge in my opinion. I have never modelled for example but enjoy seeing all of the workmanship that I see here.


Brachs makes primarily hard candies and is still in business. Find it on candy counters all over here.


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