I have slowly been buying these First 13 States cars for my brother.
I’ve been successful on some but not having any luck on *bay in getting a Virginia car.
Could someone tell me why this car is so expensive? I’m not into Lionel, I model in N scale, but I would really like to know.
Thanks
Stockcar -
Thought someone would have posted a response for you. Looks like there wasn’t to much interest, so your stuck with me. Here’s what I know about it.
At the time they were produced Lionel was owned by General Mills and Fundamensions. They were notorious for “creating a collector market”. What they would do was to bring out a “special” train, and it usually had quite a few cars, like 13 or 14. Then they would introduce the train with the Engine, Caboose, and maybe 2 or 3 cars, then once a month or quarter, (don’t remember for sure). They would release another car, and would drag this out over a 1 1/2 to 2 year period. Now for the real “kicker”, ONE of those cars would be produced in VERY limited quantities. And this all us saps would be in a frenzy trying to get it. What was bad is that no one knew which car it was going to be. So you made sure you bought each one the first chance you got. What was bad is that the dealers didn’t even know. This same thing was done with the Disney Train, and it even had a larger demand level due to all the Disney collectors.
Then to top that all off they would come out with a “special commerative train car” for the Bicentenial it was the Uncle Sam car, the Disney train it was the Mickey Mouse Happy Birthday car. Those too were exhorbantly overpriced. But, was what was “required” to make the set “complete”.
I have both those trains and they are the poorest quality in my entire collection. At that time Lionel was the ONLY company producing ANY O-scale trains, and they pretty much owned the market. My Dad and I got into the Bicenetial Train as a long term investment, and fell for the whole marketing plot Hook, Line, and Sinker.
Unfortunately, without that car the train “looks” awkward missing that car, and you will be lucky to find it, and if you
Thank you very much for your answer.
I guess I’ll just keep hoping everyone ia asleep when it comes up on *bay.
Or buy the set, keep what you need, and sell off individually what you don’t.
I bought the engine and caboose about 32 years ago, ran for about 10 minutes if that, and they’ve been sitting in the original boxes ever since. I look at them every Christmas and then put them away. When I came out of “train retirement” a couple of years back I looked into completing the set by acquiring the 13 cars but couldn’t bite at the prices. Not now either.
I’ve been thinking about using the Spirit as the granddaughter train but she seems to have a bent for my precious (but common) postwar 2046 Hudson, especially with the Polar Express movie, etc. Little interest in my other stuff.
Isn’t the engine a U36 Seaboard? Is anyone out here running these? Do they have any functional redeeming value, like pulling power? Seems like the shell could be used in a repaint scenario but I don’t know enough about the Seaboard to know what RR line or paint scheme would be a good selection.
Jack
I was told a story one time about the VA car that stated it wasn’t releasted to the general public persay it seems that Virginia bought all (or most of them) and gave them to state employee’s one year as rewards and thats why there so hard to get True I don’t know but it may be.
I read the same story as RT,Va. buying the cars. However they were available at local stores, I don’t remember having trouble getting one when they were released. Getting all of the set was frustrating as it was spread out over three or four years and I had to keep checking the stores for releases.
I hope this is not an infraction of the rules here, but my family is selling parts of my late father’s collection for my mother, and we just listed the 76 set on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290214230298&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=019
Don B- I bet that Stockcar will be more than happy to double your original investment of $11.00 for the Virginia Boxcar to $22.00 instead of $200.00 since you feel that they are a cheap item to own. Going once,going twice, Sold to stockcar for $22.00! Next please![;)][;)][:P][:o)] Take Care all.
Keith, As you know any great deal like that would need to be well packaged and protected. Its unfortunate that packaging and shipping for that car is $178. But its only money.