Hey guys I have found a few American and Lionel steam engines (060) with tenders for sale cheap - ten dollars to 14 dollars. Do you think this a worth while buy ?
The things I would look at:
Are the engines complete? No missing or broken parts. Parts can be replaced, but at a cost to you.
Are the bodies bent, scratched, dented? Is the appearance of the loco important to you?
Are the mechanisms frozen or will the powered wheels turn without a lot of effort? Again, replacement mechanisms can be had, but at a cost.
Is it plastic or metal? A plastic steam loco from Lionel probably only has value as a runner for you. That is strictly my opinion. Whereas an older metal loco may hold value for someone else; and therefore, has sales potential.
What do you want to do with them? Run them for your own use, or re-sell them?
There are a lot of parts sources, so just about anything Lionel can be repaired to use.
Go to the auction site to see what comparable engines are selling for. If you pay $10 an engine, and you can sell it for $20, why not?
I suggest you post this on the Classic Toy Trains forum. If these are plastic from the Fundimension period (70’s - mid 80’s), I would pass.
Good luck
Paul