Mystery Box

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Hello all, I am curious as to if anyone else has encountered what I like to call a “Mystery Box”, i.e. a fair size box that is full of parts, track, etc.

I have come across 3 so far.

The latest one had a bunch of Flyer motors, frames, wheels, trucks, and a few shells, with some track to boot for $30.

The prior one was at a train show in late Oct. I saw a few 1121 swicthes sticking out of a rather large wooden box. I asked how much for the switches, and I was told “$40 for the box”.

In that $40 box there was 7 1121 switches, 2 uncoupling tracks, 3 UCS tracks, about 100 peices of track in various conditions, a bunch of wire, several packs of artificial coal, most of an old postwar lubrication kit, and several catalogs, most in rather nice shape, the earliest was from 1949 (The mailing envelope, with the address of the lucky kid was with it.). There was a few pamphlets for fathers to build layouts with their sons.

The first “Mystery Box” was one I paid $45 for at a flea market. There was a lot of rusted track, a pair of Marx manual switches, an American Flyer 302 4-4-2, an early postwar Lionel tank car with coil couplers with a metal Lionel caboose.

But that wasn’t all, there was a mouse nest inside, complete with mice!

I figure that ought to be worth a laugh or too.

2

Best deal I got was a freind knew I collected Lionel trains and found a Lionel set a DAV he got it for $20.00 and told me he would sell it to me for $30.00 (said he had to make a little or he’d put it on ebay) Well 1 it turned out to be HO but I noticed it had a couple of O gauge size rare cars in tact ( the space capsul car, the satilite car, ect it was a space set) later found out it was a service station set from 1962

3

I can’t begin to tell you how many free trains and track, buildings, etc I’ve received in “mystery boxes”. Coworkers and family friends know my kids and I dig Lionel trains, and they routinely bring stuff in for us. Not all of it is O gauge, but all of it is free. Some of it we keep, some of it we give away, some of it we sell. So let people you know and work with know that you like toy trains.

When I go to train shows, I often find more treasure in the boxes UNDER the table than what’s on the table. That’s where all the bargains are.

Jim

4

Jim A- I bet that you never have found any Corvairs under a Table as a bargain![;)][;)][:P][:o)] Take Care.

5

I’ve gotten a lot of things under a table in my day, Keith. But a Corvair wasn’t one of them…[;)][(-D][:O][:D][:-^][:o)][swg][:P][:X]

6

Reminds me, I’ve got one at Mom’s. Was a kit. Assembled it when I was a kid. Never dreamed then I would own and restore real ones. It’s a little big for O gauge. Maybe G.