I have been attempting to sort through my late grandfathers train collection and have run across a few stumpers!
I have been unable to find a train on the internet in order to find out what its true value is before I sell it.
Its made by Associated Hobby Manufacturers, #402, P.R.R. J-1 HO Gauge 2-10-4. I believe its brass as its heavy as hell and it was made in Japan.
Someone attempted to buy it from me for $80 and said it was not worth more than that however, I have the feeling he was trying to rip me off… I found the receipt from one of my other brass trains that said it was purchased in 1968 for $38.00. Doesnt the value go up over time?
Also, is there a good place to go to in order to find out the value of some of his trains, accessories, etc???
Find out for sure if it is brass rather than some other sort of cast metal–don’t chip the paint, though!!
A lot depends on condition of paint and how well it runs–if it was unpainted brass and ran smoothly, it could fetch several hundred dollars. If it’s shoddily painted brass and runs herky-jerky or not at all, $80 isn’t an out-of-line price from a dealer.
But I don’t think AHM made brass locomotives, unless it was an import sold under their name. If it’s pot-metal it would be worth a lot less.
Value doesn’t always go up all the time–like any collector market, much depends on rarity, condition, scarcity and demand.
There really isn’t a big market for used train accesories. I agree with Jetrock, I don’t think that AHM made anything in brass. Why not just keep it on a shelf or something instead of selling it.
Hey guys, AHM most certainly did sell brass locomotives back in the 1960’s. If you don’t have actual knowledge about a subject wouldn’t it be better to hesitate posting?
The AHM, Texas class, 2-10-4 was first offered in 1966. It’s maker was KMT. This AHM product is considered by brass authority John Glaab to be a fairly rare model. The Brown Book, 3rd edition, lists its value as of 1994 at $320 in mint condition, $260 average, but those quotes are now nearly a dozen years old. I’d expect at least a 25% to 50% increase over those figures today.
Ronda, my best advice would be to try checking eBay for a while to see if an example shows up there and see what it sells for. That would be the best guide as to the locomotive’s current street value.
Brass, for $38.00 in 1968, I don’t think so. I’m old enough to remember that far back and brass locos in the '60’s went for at least $100.00. If they’re heavy, it’s possible they’re zamac or some other white metal.
Tom - Know before you speak! The brass Pennsy J-1 2-10-4 by AHM is a well documented model. The 1966 list price for this locomotive was $90 and the street price was less. AHM travelled a rough road when it came to dealing in brass (plus many of their other items - AHM had more reorganizations and new names than any company in the hobby’s history!). There were some serious discounts on their products, especially when they finally decided to get out of the brass market altogether. A discount/clearance price of $38 by a shop willing to take just about anything to unload this poorly selling model (AHM brass didn’t sell well at all) that’s been on the shelves for a couple of years isn’t surprising to me.
You could try Don Black Bass Trains website to see if they have a comparable brass PRR J1a loco I bought one from them via ebay for about 400.00 (remotored, needing a little TLC), or you could contact them direct I found them to be quite honest in my dealing with them.
I remember when the AHM brass 2-10-4 was being sold for about $90 to $100. I sure wanted one! I recall the review in MR and the photo showed some rather blunt detail, including a cheap stamped keystone number plate on the smokebox. I do recall that it was said to run well however
At about that time Tyco/Mantua was still promising a Pennsy J in plastic in their catalog so I held off, hoping … I do not believe the AHM engine would have run on my (then) 22" radius curves.
AHM also brought in a Milwaukee Road 4-6-4 Baltic (nonstreamlined) that they sold for $99. It had a couple of detail errors but was a nice looking engine. the very next month Pacific Fast Mail advertised the same prototype, in a superior model, for $50 or so.
Back in those days most brass was unpainted and a lof of guys kept it that way.
That was pretty much the story of AHM brass (there might have been a third brass engine, a switcher but here my memory fails me) – never first class at the time, but a lot of hobby shops that otherwise never carried brass would carry the AHM brass because they also carried the plastic engines.
But whoever thought they could get that 2-10-4 for $80 was trying to pull a fast one.
Dave Nelson
Dude, sorry for pissing in your Corn Flakes. I thought I was almost positive that AHM DID NOT make any brass locomotives. I DID do a little search on yahoo and Ebay and found NOTHING. I thought I was correct. Like jetrock said, “But I don’t think AHM made brass locomotives, unless it was an import sold under their name. If it’s pot-metal it would be worth a lot less.” I agreed with him. Then you come here and post “The AHM, Texas class, 2-10-4 was first offered in 1966. It’s maker was KMT.” Well isn’t that an IMPORT? Was it sold under AHM’s name? Isn’t that what jetrock said and that I agreed with? Maybe you should rethink your posts before you go off on people. At least I learned something today.
Every brass locomotive is an import but virtually all are sold under somebody elses name. Do you think OMI, Precision, MTS, et al. ever made their own brass models in-house? And, yes, AHM sold the model under their name and it is listed as such in the Brown Book. Over the years AHM, in its many incarnations, sold model railroad equipment from all over the world boxed and sold under their company name.
What I find agitating is how quickly some individuals were willing to jump right in and incorrectly answer an outsider’s serious question (involving big bucks) without having any definitive knowledge of the subject at hand! If you aren’t sure of an answer, isn’t it far better to hesitate a bit and see if a more informed source offers something, rather than to jump right in and look foolish?
AHM DID import brass under their own name. I have the old issues of Model Railroader with a review of at leastone of their models in it. They weren’t all brass though. They (at least the reviewed model) were a mix of brass and heavy metal (probably zamak). They definitely weren;t state of the art, even at the time, but they also carried a price that was considerably lower thant he state of the art stuff rom PFM and others.
I’ll have to go dig out the issue with the review to see exactly which loco it was and what the actual list price was.
Maybe Andy or someone with authority from MR can go to the vault and research this item from one of the mid 60’s issues.
For example Ive seen PRR J-1 (Which I have a BLI Copy) or a Texas type words used in this thread. I HUMBLY state that Texas and J-1 are TWO different animals. Which is it?
Is it possible for the owner of this locomotive to post a digital photograph from several different angles and from below?
Actually, several brass engines WERE at one time made right here in the USA, the old Kemtron Wabash 2-6-0 being the most famous (now available through Pre Scale, so it’s STILL made in the USA). Athabasca Scale Shops also makes at least one brass steamer in the USA, a NYC 4-6-0. Who’s jumping in with incorrect information now?
This is an online forum, a place for opinion, BS and outright lies to live. Really. Anyone asking for ANY information online has to take it with a grain of salt and take their chances.
No one has actually LIED on this thread, so there’s nothing to get all hot & bothered about. People said “I think…”, making their commentary an opinion, not a statement of fact. So what? Relax…
BTW: brown book value for brass models is so out of date so as to make it’s proces completely worthless. Ebay is now the ONLY driving force behind the used brass sales market, since it’s so convienent, high exposure, and fair market driven. To Rhonda: keep an eye on Ebay for “2-10-4”, in the model trains section. Eventually, three of these engines will p
Actually, several brass engines WERE at one time made right here in the USA, the old Kemtron Wabash 2-6-0 being the most famous (now available through Pre Scale, so it’s STILL made in the USA). Athabasca Scale Shops also makes at least one brass steamer in the USA, a NYC 4-6-0. Who’s jumping in with incorrect information now?
This is an online forum, a place for opinion, BS and outright lies to live. Really. Anyone asking for ANY information online has to take it with a grain of salt and take their chances.
No one has actually LIED on this thread, so there’s nothing to get all hot & bothered about. People said “I think…”, making their commentary an opinion, not a statement of fact. So what? Relax…
BTW: brown book value for brass models is so out of date so as to make it’s proces completely worthless. Ebay is now the ONLY driving force behind the used brass sales market, since it’s so convienent, high exposure, and fair market driven. To Rhonda: keep an eye on Ebay for “2-10-4”, in the
What I find agitating is how quickly some individuals were willing to jump right in and incorrectly answer an outsider’s serious question (involving big bucks) without having any definitive knowledge of the subject at hand! If you aren’t sure of an answer, isn’t it far better to hesitate a bit and see if a more informed source offers something, rather than to jump right in and look foolish?
CNJ831
What I find agitating is people who jump on other people just because they think they know more then them. Go back and read this thread and your comments. Dude, you came across like a complete know it all and disrespected myself, jetrock and TomDiehl with your very smartass replies. There is no excuse for that. You can stick you Brown book in the garbage were it belongs. Anything that as you say is 25 to 50% off is garbage and serves no purpose. Much like argueing with no it alls on the internet, it serves no purpose.