touch up okay or will I hurt the value?

[BDT_in_Minnesota]

You obviously are not a collector, and don’t really understand what collecting is all about. Sure, for an item to be collectable, it should be 100 percent original, but a collector isn’t going to get quesy about someone fixing up a runner. If an item is rare enough, a collector will go for one with reproduciton parts or that’s been touched up. Of course, a 682 just isn’t that scarce. Some collectors are even OK with repaints.

To expect a piece with a reproducton tender shell and/or touch-ups/ repaints to have value that is equal to a nice original item is unreasonable and unrealistic.

Agreed. An original, unrestored piece is always more valuable than one that’s been altered/restored. But as long as the owner or buyer of the piece is happy with it, that’s all that matters.

Jim

I agree with you Jim,by the way, we are all collectors, whether we collect bottle caps or trains…Collecting is a hobby, not a title to be held by only a remote few people with the very best original pieces…BDT

[DMUinCT]

Back to his Union Pacific “City of Portland”. The yellow and brown is hard to match unless you buy the special hobby paints. Touch up, no, it never looks that good, re-paint, maybe, I have seen good ones.

If you like the old used look or are going to run it, why spend the time or money. If you want to have the feeling of a new 1930s train, full repaint.

Value, complete with badly scratched paint, about 50%-60% of an Excellent Original (C7). A re-paint to Excellent Restored would bring 50%-60% of an Excellent Original. It’s a wash. The value stays the same. A good Auto Wax will do wonders to that “lead based” paint and prevent rust.

[cwburfle]

You obviously are not a collector, and don’t really understand what collecting is all about. Sure, for an item to be collectable, it should be 100 percent original, but a collector isn’t going to get quesy about someone fixing up a runner. If an item is rare enough, a collector will go for one with reproduciton parts or that’s been touched up. Of course, a 682 just isn’t that scarce. Some collectors are even OK with repaints.

To expect a piece with a reproducton tender shell and/or touch-ups/ repaints to have value that is equal to a nice original item is unreasonable and unrealistic.

Agreed. An original, unrestored piece is always more valuable than one that’s been altered/restored. But as long as the owner or buyer of the piece is happy with it, that’s all that matters.

Jim

I agree with you Jim,by the way, we are all collectors, whether we collect bottle caps or trains…Collecting is a hobby, not a title to be held by only a remote few people with the very best original pieces…BDT

Absolutely.

Also, I don’t know where the idea (shared by some collectors too) that an item has to be excellent or better to be collectable. When I started, you took what you could find, and upgraded when possible. A fellow collector or operator would buy your lesser piece, which would serve them until they could find an upgrade.

Here is the best advise: make certain you are buying what you like, not what some book or other person tells you to buy. Whether you collect, run, or both, they are all just toys.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to all who reply to this post. I also do not belive in shelf queens. What I have thought about going with this train is touch up the spots that need attention and one day in he future add a diesel horn or a sound system. Thank you for all the advice.

Patrick S.