I was told about this site that deals with the old brass locomotives and rolling stock. I see that a user can create a current listing of their brass locomotives and rolling stock.
I was listing my brass roster on this site and realized that most of the values for the brass items is several years out of date. It appears that summer of 2009 is their most current value.
What would be an informed estimate of a 2009 value in todays 2012 values?
Would a 5 to 6 % increase seem reasonable for brass model railroad items.
I did e-mail the site and was informed that they are working at updateing the values to reflect a more current date…
I made several searches on search engiines for current brass train values.
Found nothing more helpful. There is a book on values, for instance, but it is from 2007.
There is also the aforementioned brasstrains.com and a few other sites like it.
Ebay, I don’t think it helpful as to rating values as somebody will pay handsomely above worth if they really really want the item, others will go cheaply as no one is interested.
Playing devil’s advocate here, The question I have, is that you have assumed they have increased in value. While that may be true, many other “assets” decreased in values during the time frame you mention {in the USA}.
Seems that if the site you refer to is preparing an updated values listing, it would be prudent to just wait til they have updated so you have a better understanding of correct values.
If you have them insured for 2009 values, for instance, you may have a hard time getting the insurance company to take an assumed 5-6% increase if you cannot yet substantiate that claim.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an appriaser of brass trains standing on every corner like real estate appraisers [sigh]
Just curious and would appreciate your feedback as there are a couple of brass models I’m keeping an eye out for on ebay (AMTK SDP40f, NH EP4, NH EP5). Regarding HO scale brass, isn’t the value also based on when the units were manufactured and by whom?
I understand that it can be a catch 22. Some of the brass units, that I’ve seen, that were manufactured decades back lack the detailing and smoother running drives that more modern brass and many plastic units have. GEM comes to mind as I’m assuming it’s considered “lower end” brass. Am I correct? I recently looked at a used GEM SDP40f on a website that winded selling for only $200 (which seemed underpriced and I regret not getting it). But to detail one properly to today’s standards, a modeler would have to do a lot of modifications that would include drilling and cutting as well as repowering for the DCC/Sound route. So by the time he/she is finished with it, the additional $$ invested could surpass $300. However, since no one makes one in plastic it could be a desirable unit for early Amtrak modelers willing to do the work.
But on the flip side, I’ve also seen beautiful units manufactured by Alco Models and Overland that made me say “Wow! I’d wouldn’t mind having one of those!” that were fetching $700-$1000+ as well.
So as far as insurable value, are there additional guides available besides watching the sales prices on auction sites? I thought that depreciation was also a factor to be considered. If the owners of the website mentioned had a 2007 or 2009 brass locomotive and rolling stock value guide printed, why not send them an email and ask them if they’d be willing to update their information?
Supply and demand seems to dictate brass prices these days. Even though I have been in this hobby for over 40 years it has only been recently that I started looking at brass. My first brass buy was an Overland PRR B6 factory painted and can motor for $100. I still see it occasionally on E-bay for around $200+. My last is the Westside K5 pacific that I scored for $150. There seems to be many of them out there for they are always on E-bay. One was listed for buy it now at $275 and ended early. Sometimes there are bargains to be had, but mostly there are oddities that are hard to comprehend. I have seen junk and broken/ bent brass go for hundreds of dollars! With BLI steamers listing at $300+ for plastic you can usually find a decent brass equivalent for $200 or less. Then there seems to be the painted vs UN-painted controversy. Some brass seems to be more valuable UN-painted compared to the factory painted version of the same thing. Then there is the older units with less or even wrong details being over priced and still selling.
Brass is all over the place. Up, Down and in between there seems to be no rhyme or reason for some prices.
Well said. Brass prices are all over the place and there are bargains available if you look for them. The old supply in demand is always in play for items that collectors and modelers want.
I have purchased several items from Dan’s Trains in the past three years, but I always wait for the sale prices in most cases. I also check The Caboose and Caboose Hobbies web sites for good used items as some good deals have been listed lately as money is tight and they were probably consigned for quick sales. I picked up a Union Pacific 8500 Overland turbine recently for a bargain price. It was only listed for one or two days before I grabbed it.&
At the model railroad club most of the members have some brass, mainly old and many of the engines have been upgraded to DCC.
One of the simple upgrades for the old steam is to add pickups to the tender so that all of the tender wheels are wired. Once you have done a few upgrades it is a simple proceedure and the effects result in having brass engines running as smooth as the newer engines.
Upgrading the old brass with new gearing and can engines is not very difficult. I have upgraded some of my 1980;s brass for a couple of hundred dollars, with a typical investment of around $500-$600, the new brass engines are now in the $1,500 to $2,000 range, they mainly have DCC and quite a few have sound, but that is only another $200 to upgrade the old brass.
I will stick to my older brass, which I upgrade on an ongoing basis and am very happy with them, good running characteristics, fast and slow, excellent pulling capabilities.
Brass is all over the place and some of the value is how unique it is. I remember when brass climaxes were usually well over $400 and then Bachmann came out with one that was not brass but ran well so the price on the brass ones went as low as $150. The price has gone back up some since then but no were near what they were. So what I am trying to say is a lot of things determine the value.
I was able to purchase the latest Sunset model CP Selkirk for under 1100 with DCC and sound. It is very nice and runs well but probably is the exception to prices for most Candian brass.
The higher prices will pull up the prices of rare older brass since some are bargains compared to the new prices of most brass models.
I do not know why but the new Sunset brass is so reasonably priced in comparison to Key and Division Point brass items.
I like the Sunset brass products, the older Sunset is very nicely finished and usually sells a bit above the average, while Key models sell at the high end when comparing with other brands for older brass.
Do you know how many brass engines were in a production run by PFM of any particular engine?
I model Canadian steam, both CPR and CNR as well as Great Northern. Typically the total number of GN brass engines is about three or four times the total of any Canadian engine.
Where I may pay $300 for a GN engine, it is likely to be one of a 1,000, when I buy a CPR or CNR engine is likely double the value and it is one of 150 or 300 produced.
My guess is since Sunset still imports a fair amount of brass models for their O scale both third and two rail lines, they probably have better discounts and working relations with their brass builder. Their HO line is nice for the price but the detail is less overall compared to other high end brass models. I can live with that since the Selkirk was a bargain for me and it runs very well and looks nice overall.
Little details on it like the smoke deflector being movable was a surprise on the model. The sound is good and it runs well. The picture shows the deflector in the tunnel position. I am not sure why it is that color but in the down position, it does not show up.
I myself prefer older Japanese brass imports. For one, they are priced at a level that I can afford and I feel the quality when looked at from an durablity stand point is a bit better than the later Korean and Chinese brass we have today. Most of my brass is older Tenshodo and Alco Models diesels. Once tuned up, extra lead sheets installed in the fuel tank on the Alco Models and in the top of the shell on Tenshodos, they will pull and run as good as an Athearn Blue Box engine and look great doing it. I have a small fleet of Tenshodo NYC LIghtning strip EMD’s that I operate my layout with. All still sport thier original open frame motors, but have been fully cleaned and tuned and now sport TCS T1 decoders. With the extra weight, I find no need for additional power pickups, but I still add them using the wheel wiper assembly from Grandt Line for thier On3 Porter Steam engine. It comes with the wiper wire, and an insulated mounting pad that mounts to the side of the gearbox casting. While my layout will always be analog DC, my friends layout that I interchange cars with, and many times locomotives as well, is DCC so I need both ablities in my brass. I also watch the market pretty close and am good friends with a couple of brass dealers. I personaly will not pay over $100 for a boxed Tenshodo diesel, anything over that is overpriced unless its totaly mint/never run. Alco models I stay in the 100-200 range depending on model and if its painted or not. The late run Alco models had drives by Samhongsa, so they do tend to fetch higher prices. Tenshodo diesels are from the late 50’s and early 60’s, most have lots of run time or paint/handrail issues. But a fine tuned Tenshodo will just crawl thru my yard or trundle along my branch line with a local freight train. I have worked on many brass models in my repair shop for other modelers, so I have had my hands on everything from my low doller diesels to high end OMI , Division P
