Just got hold of a few MR from Jan. 1980, there seems to be an awful lot of brass available then, many, many different types of locos and I see now why some today are so rare, they are a one of a kind, and probably made only 500-600 and will never be made again-hence their rarity and value. The 1980 prices for brass are astronomical, I knew what I made per month and these locos were so far out of my league I just drooled at them, a lot of the brass was selling @ $300-$500 and up, that was a pile of coin in 1980, so it seems that people in the ‘80’s had a bit of money, (but I’m sure wouldn’t admit it ) An ad for a brss loco caught my eye, it was from Westside Model Co. and it was a an 0-6-0 Southern Pacific #217, what a great looking switcher, never saw another like this (this was ‘‘O’’ gauge), did any one ever make this in HO ? ? So well reminiscing, I noticed in another 1980 MR, it had 176 pages, and it seems hundreds of companies in the MR business, oh well, they are ‘a’ changin’ .
Westside did the same loco in HO.
Andre
1980 was a terrible year economically, as many of us will recall. That’s the year I bought my house. I was thrilled to get a mortgage for only 13.25%, since the going rate was in the 17% range. With the prime rate over 20% and with double-digit inflation, it may be that one reason for these high prices was the plummeting value of the dollar vs. other currencies, and people wondering how much it would be worth in a year. Late in the year, Ronald Reagan looked at the camera and said, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” He won in a landslide of historic proportions.
“The times, they are a’changin’?” Or is it “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
I recall brass engines and things all around at Timonium and other places. 40 dollar brass boxcar? Maybe a 200 dollar brass engine? No problem.
Bank deposits were 14% interest in some places if I recall. I think they dont exist anymore.
We were raised in a sea of brass. You had good runners, picky runners, hardly run, never run… ah those were the days.
Can motors too. If it had a good Import can, it sold.
If I knew then what I know now I would not touch the plastic stuff and bought all brass.
We may be going that way again to 14% interest. But in the mean time we are free and clear of most everything that matters.
Cash is king, everything else walked in the early 80’s
I remember also the culture around DC at the time. Everyone had a BMW it seemed and a few years later everyone tried to make do with a Honda or something.
Tatans - While there were indeed some brass locos going for $300-$500 at that time, the majority were toward the bottom end of those figures and on the secondhand market many locos were selling for $150-$200. This was a period when I was into acquiring brass and I was far from alone, suggesting that these models weren’t really any more outside the reach of the average serious hobbyist than today’s are. Incidentally, top end HO brass is currently going for $2,000+. I would also point out that many of the runs circa 1980 were quite large, amounting to several hundred units, while today some runs are little more than a hand full. That makes a big difference when you are looking for something specific.
I won’t comment on your remark about the page-count of MR in 1980 since that subject, along with a lot of other informative historical fact, now seems to be off-limits on this forum…like so much else that makes for worthwhile discourse.
CNJ831
Yup, I remember those astronomical brass prices back then. I also remember biting the bullet so that I could afford a couple of them.
They’re still running, BTW. And well. I frankly wonder if future model railroaders will be able to say the same thing in another 40 years with the new stuff crammed full of electronic geegaws, LOL!
Back then: Loco problem? Remove three screws, lift off the boiler and cab and fiddle with the motor and gearbox. Problem solved. These days–send it back to the Mfgr. for either repair or replacement, because not only can you NOT get the boiler off, when and if you do, you can’t find the motor because of all of the electronic thingies camoflauging it. I know it’s there SOMEWHERE! [:P]
Sorry, I seem to have gotten derailed onto an Old Fart Rant, LOL! [:-^]
To be serious, this has always been a fairly expensive hobby, so a lot of today’s prices really don’t bother me that much, considering the income/output ratio that the hobby has always seemed to have since I’ve been in it from the 1950’s.
Funny thing, though, now that I’m in a kinda/sorta financial position (retirement from one job plus salary from my present job, investments starting to pay off again and pretty good Social Security) where I can actually occasionally afford that brass that I had to pass up 40 years ago, I find that collections are being unloaded on consignment either at or below the original prices when they were new. Of course, you’ve got to be a Dedicated Tinkerer to keep that brass running well and off of the display shelf, but that’s ALWAYS been part of the game. Hey, REAL steam had to go into the shop, occasionally.
So for me, at least, it’s not all a Bad Thing at all.
Tom [:D]
In 1980 I had three young children and a mortgage. I was scraping just to buy Model Railroader. The kids are grown and I paid off the mortgage so I own a couple of brass pieces now. And will buy more if items in S scale that I would like are made. I guess it’s like the song says - for everything there is a season.
Enjoy
Paul
That’s all they charged for brass in 1980? That means that through the 80s, Rivarossi was charging near-brass prices for their products! I remember seeing an add for the Big Boy from '87 or so, and they wanted about $450 for one![:O]
What’s “a changin’?” I was living on Poverty Acres in 1980 and it is still my established residence today.
I have related this story before but I will repeat it here:
When I first got started in model railroading in the early '60s I would pour over each issue of MR and RMC and drool over the ads for those imported brass locomotives: diesels-$29.95; steamers-a few of course cost as much as $199.95 but most, as I recall, were less than $99.95. Drool! Drool! Drool! Those prices were far and away above the budget of an Airman First Class raising two kids.
Roll the clock forward eight or nine years. I have another stripe and I’m gaining some pay raises through longevity and I now have a little discretionary spending. Brass has been in a little short supply but suddenly it is announced that PFM is going to import a first generation Geep which will complement my growing fleet of die-cast steamers. Drool! Drool! Drool! I grab my hot-smokin’ checkbook and wait for that latest issue of MR to cross the Atlantic to my duty location in Germany. Seventy-nine-ninety-five. Ain’t got that kind of discretionary spending. What happened to those twenty-nine-ninety-five diesels?
As I said earlier, I’m still a resident of Poverty Acres. Better get dressed and go up the Circle K® and buy my lottery tickets.
My father bought a lot of brass back then. I find, however, that the latest offerings in diecast metal and plastic run much, much better than early 80s brass. But back then, brass was the gold (or brass) standard for smooth running. Compared to a new BLI or MTH loco, even my dad’s best brass loco, no matter how beautifully detailed for its specific prototype, doesn’t run nearly as well or as smoothly.
Another wrinkle; brass locomotives are typically more difficult to convert to DCC due to the need to isolate the motor from the frame & shell. It can be done, but it’s not like dropping a replacement board into a Kato.
The variety of locomotives, especially steam, has certainly decreased with the disappearance of the brass market. However, the performance of the ready-to-run stuff is an order of magnitude better in many cases. I’m not sure if we’re in a better or worse place today. We have fewer choices but the quality of said choices seems pretty uniformly better.
We would all love to purchase brass locomotives at 1980’s prices.
On the other hand, I doubt any of us would like to work and get paid 1980’s wages.
Dave; I just sent u an email. Bill
I suppose it is no different from cars or trucks. In the old days you got out a US measure tool box and a pocketful of parts and pulled a tune up in front of your home.
These days you signed the car and handed the keys to a computerized mechanic who needs to look at the electronics before deciding what part to replace.
I dont miss the maintenance free car today, but I pine for the old tune up days gone by. So easy to do it yourself for less money with fresh points, plugs, hoses and wires.
For those who are young, points were kept inside the distributor cap to fire the spark plugs. They needed replacing after a certain amount of mileage.
Brass will run forever if taken care of. Sure I can buy a brass today, but the following day will be divorce court LOL.
I did leave instructions to buy rather heavy shiny brass looking engines at yard sales which seem to be cropping up these days.
Didn’t see it…
Today is the RTR age, everything is made to complete a roster in the most economical fashion. We are no longer pleased with high quality models, we now want enough so-so models to make our Model Railroad most prototypical. Thats just what I think