Hi. I have inherited five Lionel train sets. Two are reproductions of the State set and the Blue Comet by produced for Lionel by Mike’s Train House in the early 1990s. The others are all pre-WWII–a 385E freight set, restored 400E (engine only) an a restored 408E (engine only) passenger set. Except for the Blue Comet and State sets, which are like new with boxes, the others are in fair to good condition, in my opinion, but I am no expert on model trains. All of them run perfectly and have been well cared for over the years. How can I determine what they are worth in case I want to sell them? Thanks, Ed Phillips.
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Ed,
Welcome to the forum!!!, Most folks want to keep them, some who have sold theirs regret the sale. That being said, the best bet would be to check with a local club for a TCA member, or you could contact the Train Collectors Association to see if they know of any locals to your area. They can give you a good idea of what the value is for insurance purposes, but also what the estimated price you could get at sale. They are only worth what someone is willing to sell them for. You can also check with local hobby shops, but they may tell you a reduced price in hopes of purchasing them for resale.
Dennis
Ed,
Condolances with your family loss and at the same time congratulations with your new treasure.
I just had a look in the Greenbergs pocket price guide and the named prices for the 400E and 408E in MINT condition are in the order of 2-3 k$. Get yourself an insurance! Just kidding. The thing is, yours are restored and not mint and that makes valuation much more tricky. A bad restored train, has only limited value (100 USD or less on Ebay) for guys like me that strip all the paint and polish and bring on the right accesories. So, find yourself a reliable toytrain enthusiast in your neighbourhood and let him grade them and then place them on Ebay. Good luck.
BTW, I would keep the trains…
oh, man I can tell you that the Mike’s stuff made under the Lionel
Classics line in the early 90s is hot stuff. If you sell it, make sure you do your research.
Many people are very interested in these pieces.
Mike S.
Hello Ed ! If you do not need the money. Then keep the trains as they are a inheritance for you & you may have regrets about selling them later on. Restored Trains are not worth as much as original mint condition trains. Restored Trains probably get about 30-40 cents on the dollar as a guesstimate. If you do sell. then try to find someone who really wants them for their collection & not for resale or you will not get the full market value of the trains. This can be a tricky proposition at best. So good luck to you. Almost forgot-[#welcome] to the forum