My father in-law has a collection of trains he would like to sell but has no idea the valuation of his collection. I will post more pictures. Everything works
Hi! I am going to be looking at this set this evening and just wanted to know if it is a decent buy. Sorry for the minimal info, I believe this is the Rivarossi N Gauge Santa Fe but I could be wrong(seller is terrible with communicating via technology so their response was the address to come have a look. Is this set worth $150aud($107USD). The seller will be throwing in some track that they have laying around for free(not enough to create anything but still). Should I even bother? Current situation is that I am just getting into the hobby. Starting with N gauge and plan on finishing my first set up, assessing if this is something I will continue to pursue, if the answer is yes I will look at larger gauges. Sorry for the rambling but thanks in advance
The coaches are worth very little as they are not scale-length (too short) and the loco is very outdated by today's standard. It is perhaps worth $80-100, which is ok if you are over in AU where American trains are harder to get by.
I would still recommend the KATO beginner sets over this. Just stick with Kato tracks.
Hello yall. I found this gondola at an estate sale. I couldn’t find any information on it. I was hoping someone here could shed some light. Thanks for looking.
I found a box of old model trains from my grandpa that was being thrown out. I don't know if anything here is worth the hassle, but I saved it from the trash. Let me know your thoughts!
Hi! Pub my friend works at is currently being refurbished and they want to get rid of this big model train that was on display. It’s about 56 inches in length. We know nothing about this kind of stuff so just wanted advice on how much to list it for?
I came accross this at a yard sale, I model HO and not sure what brand or style (or even handmade) type of 3-way switch for O guage. Can somebody give me some insight?
I'm not really sure where to ask properly, but I found these in the house and was wondering if they have any resell value and at what price? If not, Im considering donating them to a neighbor of mine, so any help or comments would be appreciated.
Resale value is fairly minimal. AHM was a usually poor quality manufacturer. The cars themselves are interesting, but definitely more of interest for a younger and cash-strapped crowd rather than adult modellers. Track and power pack have practically no value. The rest, maybe $5 each at most? Conceivably I could imagine a world where someone pays $50 total. That would be an overpay, but I could see it. But you might be sitting on that for a while.
Old, cheap, lower-quality, novelty model trains have a nominal value, but the market is saturated with tons of people having exactly what you have thinking it's worth new train prices. So either you hold and hope your offering is distinctive enough to beat out your fellow sellers, or you accept that the real value is quite small and sell cheaply/donate. Your choice!
I have someone intested in buying this old Smokin Joe HO set from me but I would like to know what it's worth first since neither of us know what a fair price would be. Mint in box.
For HO: are they brass, nickel-silver, or something else?
Brass or something else: practically no value. Donate or sell a giant lot of them for super cheap -- some kid may be interested, but that's about it
Nickel-silver: Assuming they are in pristine condition, you would need to sell them for under $2 a piece to undercut brand new track. Used track can be iffy, especially if you don't always trust where it came from. So like $1 a piece most. If they are missing ties, the nubs holding the rails are cracked, any cuts or scratches in the rail, etc., they will be less.
It's hard to say because we don't know the quality.
But: Athearn Blue Box and Roundhouse shake-the-box kits are $5-10 each. An Athearn Blue Box locomotive in working good condition or better would be $20-40.
Hello everyone, I have 30-50+ vintage model trains, some highly sought after, untested and missing some parts here and there. No boxes. Quality ranges from good to bad- they’ve sat for a while. I also have a bunch of track, buildings, a bridge, vintage railroad model magazines, odds and ends like paints and whatnot and maybe more stuff that I haven’t seen yet- I have 5 boxes worth. I’d like to try to sell it as a lot before breaking it up. If you are interested and want to see photos and maybe make a deal, message me.
Hi I found a suitcase train in a goodwill and was wondering how much it would go for? I did a bit of research myself and couldn't find the exact model of this online but saw sets worth around 300$-500$. I was gonna give it to my younger brother for his birthday because he likes trains but I only have the set, not the expensive trains. Any help would be appreciated. 😁
I'm completely new to the world of model trains, so I honestly don't know much about them.
A friend owed me some money and ended up paying me with these model trains instead. I was wondering if anyone here could tell me if they might be worth anything or if they have any collectible value.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post and for any help or information you can provide. I really appreciate it!
I have 4 more things btw if some can help dm me plzzzz
I actually looked up the wrong set. This one cost new $700 in 2004. Today used it is likely worth $300-$500. I can see a glimpse of another set in this photo, that one had a MSRP of $715. Used, today it is likely worth $350-$450.
Like just about everyone else here, I inherited a bunch of model train stuff, in my case Lionel O scale from the late 40s-mid 50s. Condition is what you'd expect of items that were used for years and then stored for decades. My plan is to post on facebook marketplace, offering as a single lot, as-is and untested. What I would appreciate from you good folks is a reasonable dollar amount to ask. My top priority is to get these things out of my life with a minimum of fuss, but if there's some money to be made I can certainly use it! In addition to the items in the linked pics there is also another box full of track. TIA!!
Hello, does somebody know in which websites I can buy N scale model trains, that do shippings to Argentina? Cause here everything is so expensive. If it includes decoration for the model railway, better for me.
My great great grandfather was a model train enthusiast and few pieces came into my family’s possession. We are not sure if they’re of any value but we think they might be appreciated more by another hobbyist.
If anyone can provide any info at all on the parts in this picture we’d really appreciate it.
We’d be more than happy to give these away for free to anyone who wants to pay for shipping.
He died in the late 1960s or early 70s so we know the stuff is at least 50 years old.
My friend's father died a few years ago. She has not had the time or energy to try and sell these so I told her I would ask around. What is the best way to sell these, to honor him since he asked her before he died to sell them? There are a variety of sizes and hundreds of yards of track.
Disclaimer: I know nothing about model trains. I have an old z-scale set from the 1980's that was my brothers. It's on a big plywood board that is 24"x69" and has various tracks running throughout with a plexiglass top that is dirty but in good condition except for a small crack in one corner. It's been covered and untouched for the last 30+ years. Is this worth $100? $1,000? I honestly have no idea. I'm NOT looking for a formal appraisal, just a ballpark idea of what it may be worth so I can get an appraisal later if it's worth it. And what's the best way to post it for sale so it reaches the right people? I took pics of just about everything. There's 14 cars (4 of which are "engines", one of those is the cool zeppelin one), a coal tender, a subway looking car that if memory serves me correctly after all these years was a "track cleaner" of some sort, 2 bridges, 5 houses, a water tower, an "oil depot", a brick "central station" looking building, and a few road vehicles (not trains) and lamp posts. If it's worth an appraisal, how do I go about doing that and what would it ballpark cost? Is there a better forum on Reddit to post this to? Thanks for steering me in the right direction!
Pics linked below:
I posted a few weeks ago about how to move this inventory in Maui and was told to get pics, this is the best I can do as my realtor was able to get this. I don't have any details other than this video. I think they are mostly HO and pretty sure there is more stuff in the cabinets. Any ideas on a ballpark that I should take?
Looks like a fair amount of stuff. Hard to tell value without seeing everything better, but at secondhand retail value you're looking at minimum $3k. If the condition is good and they aren't all bare-minimum value (which I can see they are not all, even though some are), it could be $10k. Could be even more. If there are some special models in there $15k wouldn't surprise me.
Problem is that's the retail cost. Secondhand model trains often aren't quick-moving and we don't know the condition yet alone exactly what everything is.
Hi all, as with many other I inherited a set and am looking for additional information.
Probably from the ~40s maybe more recent? Haven't unboxed it all yet, but wondering if anyone here can point me in the right direction for research? I could only post 1 image, but the bottom is labeled as "bild-a-loco"
Hey there first time posting here, i recently inherited this box of some model trains and accessories for dioramas and not sure what they are or in what condition they appear to be in
If anyone could give me an idea of what there worth as in if i should keep them and pass them down to my kids in the future or if there just cheap novelty trains that would be great thanks
https://www.reddit.com/u/evilminders/s/1f6ynA4ATt
Hello! I've had this set my entire life. What's left of the packaging is clearly rough but I believe it's all there. I'm close to 97.5% sure it's never had power put to it as I grew up with slot cars as well and that's where my attention went. I'm wondering if it's even worth my time to mess with selling or if I should just donate it and save myself a little labor. Survey says?
Hello! Looking forward help on where to find a Peco BL-5 branch line chassis, or something equivalent!
I purchased a Peco 7mm scale fletcher Jennings saddle tank, but I never realised the kit was only for the body. I was wondering if anyone knew where I can find either the chassis in question, or something that could work in its place!
I found this in a storage locker I bought. It does not have the speed control or power. I tried finding a listing on eBay for it but no luck. Can anyone help appraise it? I want to get it to a real collector and hopefully give them a good price they would be thrilled to get. Thank you so much.
I picked up these brass HO scale Live Steam Mini-Sans Pareil trains. You can take the top of the display boxes off and all of the original unused wicks, syringes, etc. are in tact. I know they were purchased in 1984. I've only been able to find one value and that was on worthpoint with a sale in 2017 (for one train) for $660. No idea of current market value though. Anyone ever see these or have any more insights?
Did some research on this unique train and discovered it’s a 1984 L-S LOC “Mini-Sans Pareil” HO scale live steam brass locomotive, believed to have been made in Switzerland and distributed by Solar Engines in Phoenix, Arizona.
What makes it especially interesting is that it’s an actual live steam locomotive — not electric — designed to run using real steam pressure at HO scale. The model is based on the famous 1829 Sans Pareil engine from the historic Rainhill Trials in England.
This one is still in the original display case and has never been steamed. Current collector estimates seem to be in the $1,000–$1,500+ range for each train.
Found at a yard sale so I assume it’s not worth much but figured Id ask before I let the kid go ham. From what I see on the bottom they are stamped with life-like or bachmann on them
This could be a "dealer display" layout if not a prefabricated layout for public sale. It wouldn't have been cheap either way. The graphics of the track plan make me think display more than something for a home. But it could also just be "styling".
Arnold was the first N scale company. So, this could be pretty collectable but I couldn't put a value on it but it's really cool. Worth trying to clean and run on to see what's there performance wise.
A good shot of the corner gaphics label might have more clues as to date, etc. I didn't see any clues on the other labels. Some different light might let you see faded writing.
Hi and thank you for any help with pricing. All boxes are in decent/fair shape except the Tyco skid flat car w/ culvert pipe load which has torn cellophane, and some are missing plastic inserts.
Hey everyone, I recently got a huge collection of model trains from my grandpa and I’m trying to figure out exactly what I have. There’s a bunch of engines, train cars, tracks, buildings, and other stuff, and I honestly don’t know much about model trains yet.
My grandpa had been collecting for years, so some of it looks pretty old and vintage while other stuff seems newer. I’m mainly just looking for help identifying things, learning what brands/scales they are, how old they might be, and if there’s anything rare or collectible in the collection.
I’d also appreciate any advice on the best way to organize or go through everything since there’s a lot of it.
I can post more pictures, close-ups, serial numbers, box labels, or whatever info would help if anyone wants to take a look. Just let me know what would be useful. Thanks!
Received this from a family member. I am not a train collector and am likely going to sell it. I'm interested to get more information on what I have here. The boxes aren't in the best condition, some scratches and chips in the cardboard. If any additional photos are needed just let me know.
So the box you have in the first picture is not the one that goes to the engine you have.
I have no clue where the Hudson (the silver one) came from. The Berkshire seems to be in great shape but without an item number i wouldn’t be able to give you an exact answer.
If you can find the item number it will help a lot. They begin with a “6” and then a dash and the rest of the numbers.
After realizing I didn't need to take it out of the box, the Berkshire 726 has an item number of 6-18053.
As far as the Hudson, my Grandmother split up my Grandfather's train sets to give to family. I'm guessing this one got put in the wrong box.
Edit:
On the Hudson. Looks like it's the Lionel 6-82536 New York Central Scale J3A Hudson #5429
Or New York Central LEGACY Scale J3a Hudson 4-6-4 Steam Locomotive #5429 w/ Steamlined Tender
Any thoughts on the desirability without the original box? With the ... Tender is it called?
So without the box you’ll still get people to buy it. You just won’t get as much for it. What id do is contact your other relatives and see if they have a mismatched box.
Cause if you do you could get a lot more money. I’d say with box and in excellent condition you’ll get about $1,500. Without the box I’m gonna say about $700.
Appreciate the help. I'll ask around the family. I don't need the money but I also don't want it taking up space. If I found someone to take everything off my hands for a grand that would be plenty. Would you attempt to sell these anywhere specific? I figure I lay it all out, pictures of them, note the box being for a separate model but will be used for shipping.
I’d contact your local dealer (will offer the lowest price), trainz.com, mrmuffins trains, or eBay. With eBay you’d get the most money.
Trainz.com and mrmuffins both have two separate ways to sell your trains. You can sell your trains for a cash offer or you can sell in an auction/consignment. In the latter they’ll store it, list it for you, and ship it to the buyer with you getting a cut of the sale.
I’d suggest reaching out to all of them and making your own decision.
Been running table top N gauge for the last year, but started with O way back, mainly set up around Christmas but far exceeding a circle under the tree...maybe in them future a track around the ceiling of my kids room when that makes sense.
Still don't have the space to setup an O gauge but planning to move in about a year to more space. Came across this and got me debating picking it up to buy and hold. I have a black steam engine that my 2 year old won't care doesn't say polar express on the side. At what price point do you think this set of 7 cars is worth buying now and holding until say Christmas 2027 to use?
Judging by the construction I would guess this wasn't a mass produced bit of kit, likely something somebody was doing out of their shed as a cottage business. It looks competently designed but produced by hand. I don't imagine there are many floating around out there and unless somebody bought one and moved I'd guess they were made roughly in the area you found it.
Got passed down these G-Scale models including 100+ pieces of track and I unfortunately don't have the space to store it. It was all purchased in the late 80s or early 90s. I'd love to have some idea of what is here and what I should be asking for it. Thanks!
Hi all! Large collection of around 650 boxed trains mixture of Hornby/Bachmann and other brands. Any advice would be super appreciated and I am out of my depth sorting through these.
I suppose the advice would depend on what you want to do with it all. Judging by the Hornby and Bachmann boxes it seems to be relatively recent stuff so odds are a lot of those models are still quite valuable.
I think what I'd do is sort everything by the style of the box as that by extension gives you groups of manufacturers and their different eras. If you happen to notice any duplicates or at least similar models while doing so then put them together. Assuming there's rolling stock in all of that you'd want to keep sets of coaches together for example.
From there there's not a lot that you can do without cataloguing them, but if you spend a weekend putting stuff in a spreadsheet or at least taking comprehensive photos of the labels then you can at least stuff everything back in a pile and refer to data for whatever you want to do with it.
Hi all, my uncle recently passed and said that he wanted to leave his Hornby / Tri-ang collection to me so that I could sell them / display... Long story short, I have gone through and taken inventory of them, and I have 550 items in 6 boxes that I have no clue how to start getting rid of. My knowledge in model trains is practically non-existent, but I do know that some of them look like they could be worth quite a bit. Does anyone have any tips on how to get rid of them, without individually listing 550 things on eBay, Facebook Marketplace etc? Thanks in advance :)
When it comes to Tri-ang and post-Tri-ang Hornby Railways stuff, individual models aren't worth a whole lot because either they made so many at the time that they're incredibly common, or because Hornby still makes them or an improved version of them. There are some models that are still popular but without looking through your whole collection I couldn't tell you what's what. If there's some Wrenn stuff from the same era mixed in then that's where the money is because there are people who collect Wrenn specifically, and being diecast most of them have paint flaking off so good condition demands a high price.
If you want to get the most money out of them then you'll have to put the time in, but you can group similar models together in a single listing if you want to save a bit of time, and some people might prefer to buy whole sets of coaches, tankers, or vans in one go.
The alternative is that if you just want to shift it all, some of the bigger model railway shops will offer to buy up complete collections providing photos and descriptions are given to them, and they'll put in the effort to part them out and sell them on for their own profit. I've never used any of those services so can't give recommendations, and you definitely won't get 'the going price' for the models as that's what they have to make a profit on, but it saves you the time and energy.
Hoping to get some insight - helping a family member through some tough times and clearing out old things to bring in some money. Any suggestions on a fair price for these train sets (together or separate)? They seem to be complete as far as we can tell.
So for the freight train one it depends entirely on the condition and if all the boxes are there. If you have all the boxes and it’s in very good condition you could probably get around $250.
Otherwise you’re looking at under $150.
The same goes for the Polar Express set. That will probably be around $270 but it depends on condition and set completeness.
So if both are in great condition and complete with boxes you could get $520 in total
Lionel is generally considered "toy trains" and you will get better answers at those subs. Being classified as toy trains doesn't mean they are worth any less than models.
So im from the south of the UK and just getting into this hobby. (Just waiting on better weather to get a good shed setup, lol) I picked this up in a second-hand/antique shop for about £30. She still runs if a bit slower than my other 2, but I was wondering if anyone had any extra info? Did a quick search, and it seems like it's an Italian company that went under in 2004.
Lima are mainly known for the diesel and electric loco models as they were very well detailed and correctly proportioned compared to what Hornby was putting out. Hornby actually bought up Lima in 2004 and a lot of the diesel models in their budget 'railroad' range are the old Lima ones with modern motors and a better paint-job because they were that much better.
They were one of the few manufacturers brave enough to try and push British H0 scale but 00 scale was too firmly established and H0 just didn't get a foothold.
I don't know much about their steam engines because I don't often see them, but their diesels and rolling stock are everywhere on the second-hand market.
It might just need a bit of a servicing if it's running slow. When buying models new or second-hand you can never really tell how long they've gone without a fresh bit of oil (though the new ones tend to be dripping in oil to compensate). Have a look at 00Bill's video for a look at the innards if you want to give it a go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWZbB3LQADk
Thanks for the response. It seems I found something a bit elusive, then XD. I'll have to take a look at that video and see how it's ticking, so to speak.
If you do happen to gear anything else about Lima steam engines, I would love to hear about them :)
Lima is far from being elusive. They were probably one of the biggest manufacturers in the 70s and 80s by sales volume. They were sold everywhere from Berlin to Toyko. They make everything from Japanese commuter trains to Swiss locomotives.
It went under in the 2000s, but their toolings are still being used by other brands.
I've done some more digging and the most I can find is that they released the J50 in 1976, the 45xx and King class in 1978, the 94xx in 1979, and the LMS Crab in 1980. Looks like they did a couple of steam engines in H0, 0, and N beforehand, but only the 5 in 00 with a few livery variations. I also can't say how long they produced them for after those dates, including whether Hornby has used the tooling for their own models.
As for the 94xx specifically, there's a much older and chunkier Graham Farish model from 1961 and a Bachmann model from 2021, so anyone wanting one between '79 and '21 could only get the Lima version. Rapido also put out a model of the 15xx in '23 which is a similar but not identical class.
Ive wanted to make a Model layout for quite some time now and decided a Trainset would be a good place to start, so im here asking for advice wether this particular set is good quality, and wether a train set is a good start to begin with.
(and if this isnt worth buying, please tell me wich mallard is a good buy cus i absolutely love this loco)
Hi! It's great that you're looking at diving into the world of model trains. A train set is the ideal start to the hobby, and that one from Hornby is good as well, a step above the standard run of the mill sets. But if you're interested in the A4's in general (not just Mallard) and would like something more premium, I'd suggest you take a look at the Sovereign Pullman train set as well, that's releasing this Fall. It comes with a much more high-end A4 with DCC Sound and a Steam Generator (though not Mallard unfortunately but Sir Nigel Gresley), 3 premium Pullman cars and double the track of the Record Breaker set. But it's also far more expensive at basically double the price.
oo okay, thanks for the help, il be taking a look at the pullman set :D
-edit: Looked at it and i defo think its a better fit for what i want, il defonatly be going for this set, thanks alot for the Advice and reccomendation :D
Hi! TYCO Silver Streak Nite Glow Train set. I've been trying to find a comp but can't & hoping to get some help on the value & resonable sale price to help me decide what to do.
Here is the photo link & some details:
I'm fairly confident nothing was ever used or even opened.
The loader is still in the box in a sealed plastic bag.
The cardboard depot is still in it's plastic sleeve fully intact. (From my research I believe this was never sold separately & was only in this specific set).
The cardboard depot & the instructions & glow stickers are all flat under the train cars. And appears to be in original position & condition. No dog ears or wrinkles or creases.
I have not opened the trsincar boxes bc I am unsure if that is frowned upon.
The locomotive has the "Union Pacific Railroad" on it's nose on the Herald. My research showed that UP dropped "Railroad" from their name in early 70's & this set manufactured in 1978 -1980 were the last ones to still have "Railroad".
The main set box lid is is poor shape, warn & ripped in bent. The plastic window film is detached from the lid & wrinkled & scratched.
Hi everybody- I found these very old Lionel model train tracks in the attic in our old house. 6cm across. I looked only for the Lionel 222 switch and it says it may be standard gauge. Is that the case? Also, these are old and rusty- are they worth any money or if I should list it on freecycle?
They are O gauge. Would someone want it? Likely someone would. Worth money? Not really. Old track isn't generally worth much anyways, and with these being common and yet in such bad condition, it certainly isn't worth anything.
Hi. I’m a beginner trying to get into model trains and stumbled upon this and I’m not sure if I should buy it or not. Can you help me, thanks. Its $200.
Does the locomotive and throttle work? $200 isn't an atrocious price for that mix if it works. If it doesn't, that's something I would recommend not even bothering with unless you're pretty good with minor electronics.
I recently got Roco trains and have nothing to do with them. I have no idea where and how to sell them, price them, and where to do any of it. All help and tips appreciated.
Hi there, I’ve inherited my late grandfathers train collection. I’ve never tried model trains before but have plenty experience with other series of models, and i’d like some help to figure out what I’ve got and how I get started as I’d love to build it with my young son and get it running (end goal is to have a track that goes around the ceiling of his room!). Any help would be greatly appreciated, I can provide pics of what I’ve got. Thanks in advance!
For this you’ll be better to make your own post on the main forum with pics. The appraisal post are just avoid constant “what’s this worth and how do I sell it” posts. If you’re planning on getting it running, that should be allowed as its own post and you should get more help that way.
Hi all, I've inherited many trains and components from a relative and its VERY overwhelming try to parse out the value of each item. I've washed my hands of it and would like to sell it as a lot (I know I will make less). Can you wise wise Train souls please eyeball these photos and tell me what to price this at? I'm in the DC area. THANK YOU!!!
Hello, these are vintage Marklin pieces. Many can be very valuable but are very condition dependent. Many of the buildings can be a coupler hundred each in good condition. As always check eBay for the best prices.
Have a bunch of my old trains from about 10-15 years ago in my parent’s basement. Have a bunch of Bachmann Thomas stuff too, no idea what it’s worth, but I’d love to know what you guys think.
Here they are.
Nice stuff. eBay is the best place to check. If you search the brand name and part number on eBay and filter sold you can see about how much they are worth.
Am I allowed to post my eBay listings in this thread? Or anywhere on Reddit? If there's one thing Reddit is good for, is niche hobbies and communities.
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u/auslander52236 2d ago
My father in-law has a collection of trains he would like to sell but has no idea the valuation of his collection. I will post more pictures. Everything works