[angel]I’m hoping some of you avid HO scale collectors can help me out here. My Daddy, who was obsessed with his model trains, passed away several years ago. I’ve been holding on to his collection, which consists of a few thousand model trains, for sentimental reasons. However, those trains are giving nobody joy just sitting on my barn shelf, so I’ve decided to sell the majority of his collection, save a few sentimental pieces. I just don’t know where to start! I’ve begun by sorting them and writing down what numbers or names I can find on the boxes. Is there a website or some type of “model train collector how-to manual” that lists HO Scale trains, what they are currently worth, and how to sell them? Thank you- KJennings
eBay might be a good start. Some train shops also do consignment.
Maybe the NMRA can help you.
Use due caution with E Bay and Paypal.
If you have listed the make, model and model number that’s a good start. Year of the model (if you know it) would be a good guide. More useful would be the type of loco or stock, road name and road number.
[8D]
There are several choices for you.
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Find a local hobby shop that takes consignments. Expect this to take forever and not necessarily get you top dollar.
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Contact one of the several people/companies that buy collections. This will get rid of it all quickly but again not top dollar.
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Look at on-line auctions sites like e-Bay. This is potentially hard work, but probably the way to maximize the return.
I would suggest you do a little research. Also this really is not the best time of year to sell your train items on ebay you may want to wait to fall or winter. You may look for an estate auction house they sometimes sell collections like yours. Also as stated before, your local hobby shop may be able to help. Sorry to repeat all the great advice.
Kevin
Maybe you can rent-a-truck the the collection to a few tables at a train show priced to move. I hope that you are not too financially motivated. The market is a “Savvy” one and will pay what it’s worth to them not a penny more.
Ebay, you can open an account and maintain sales weekly with several items at a time leaving them up until they sell. Fall and Winter are best times I think also Friday afternoon to sunday afternoon is prime buying time as well.
Start with walthers on each item. And use the internet with different part numbers, item numbers, brand, type, etc… and you will reasonably approach the prices that most people will pay minus a little discount for wear and tear. For example a IHC Mogul in mint condition with absolutely no problems will probably start at 20 dollars bidding and max out around 40-60 dollars or so.
If someone has to have it at all costs, then the profit is yours provided that the buyer pays promptly.
On my ebay account, I disallow bidders outside the USA, those with negative feedback, those with problems and hold the right to close and report problem auctions to ebay prior to end date. Also being consistent with packing, shipping and billing will assist you alot.
If you have so many peices you dont know what to do or it turns into a large effort, it may do well to contact a local Railroad club, society or other resources in the Hobby in your area including hobby shops and see what you can do to sell the entire as a lot or have someone do it for you for a commission.
I cannot at this time imagine having to dispose of a loved one’s material possesions but if you are not motiviated by gain then it is rather a straight forward process.
Best of luck!
I assisted a friend sell her son’s collection at a series of flea markets. We got more than Ebay would have. To do this you need access to railrood flea markets and someone familiar with how they work. Without someone who can teach you the ropes of any of the markets, it would be easiest to just wholesale the collection to one of many people in that business. The magazines all have adds of such business people.
Good luck with a difficult task.
If you go the ebay route, make sure you get some really good advice. Some stuff gets low prices only because people do not know hat they have and how to list it. Also, it’s common for model railroaders to store their trains in wrong boxes making it difficult to identify what you have.
Fortunately, model railroaders tend to be good people, and some may be willing to take time to help out. You should get advice from trusted friends and family familiar with the hobby.
They are only worth what the highest bidder will pay for them. The biggest exposure, hence the biggest market is E-Bay, like it or not.
I would begin by making a data base listing all of the known characteristics, i.e. Scale, mfr., item description, Railroad name and whatever you can diiscern by reading the box and discerning the item.
HO, Varney, Box Car, PRR, Kadee couplers, like new in box.
HO, Athearn, steam engine, NYC, Pacific type, coal tender
Using the sort function you can make a listing by gauge, mfr, description or whatever. I would list items for sale by categories with the exception of locomotives which I would list separately. For instance 20 Varney Box cars PRR or various road names.
The latest advice I have read on e-bay is not to list a reserve price. Just let the the highest bidder get the bid. That is what you are after. The most that they are worth.
Possibly many of the locomotives could be collector’s items. I pay top dollar for items I really want to round out my collection. Conversely, I won’t even bid on items that I don’t want.
Dealers and consignees want their percentage. Even if they get top dollar, you won’t after they take their cut.
Flea market browsers are both localized and bargain hunters. If it is in CA you are not going to get rid of a lot of PRR stuff.
I would start out with just 5 or 10 locomotives offered separately. I they have a box, stand the engine on the box lid and snap a digital photo. That is what makes the sale.
If you haven’t done so log in to E-bay and open an account. Then search categories like HO Model Trains. Read the listings and get a feel for what is going on. Then take the plunge and see what happens.
Selling the whole lot at one shot is likely to either not get a bid because of the high amount of money needed and that many of the items are not in demand. You have kept these for a long time, take your time and get the most you can for them as a tribute to Dad
Ms Jennings,
First, although it may have been a few years, please accept my condolences on the passing of your father. [:(]
Second, with a collection that “consists of a few thousand model trains”, it will likely take you quite a while to relocate these from your barn shelf, no matter which method you’ve read about here. Since you’ve recognized the potential “joy” such trains can provide, you might consider establishing a memorial layout, in your father’s name, at your local museum, library, senior citizen’s center, Chamber of Commerce, tourist center, etc.—anyplace that people might gather and that would accept your generosity. You could contact a model railroad club and local hobby shops (LHS) in your area to see if they’d be interested in donating time and/or materials to create some type of layout using your supplied trains.
It’s just a thought, but from your post, it seems like a lasting tribute to the hobby your father so loved.
As others already said, ebay is the largest market, and up to date I had no bad experience with it - so I would recommend it.
Do you have brass models? For example from Pacific Fast Mail, Key Imports, Challenger Imports, W&R, Westside, Overland, Hallmark, Oriental, etc? ebay has an own search category for “brass”, that means selling it there usually is very easy.
As mentioned above. are some of these brass models? There is a collectors market for HO brass, but there hasn’t been a price list for a long time. Searching eBay and other dealers in brass may turn up the same models you have and give you an idea of price. Keep in mind that this a small subset of a small hobby so prices can fluctuate a lot.
For models that are not brass, there isn’t much of a collectors market in HO. Some structures kits if unbuilt have value, see this site http://www.fsmkits.com/ otherwise eBay can give you some idea. In general, unbuilt kits are worth more than built ones.
There are folks that will take your collection and sell it on eBay for you. I don’t know how much they charge (maybe a percentage of the sale), but it saves you the hassle of doing it yourself.
Good luck
Paul
Be careful about the “Ebay traders” I think I approached one uncertain about my first sale for three locomotives with over 1000 dollars retail on them. The trader I spoke with wanted fees that amounted to about 30% I figured I can take pictures of the things, post it on ebay and sell it with a strict adherence to US Postal Money Order and Delivery confirmation while leaving out the pay-pals and other complicated stuff.
The selling is very slow on ebay with my experience. A typical 7 to 10 day auction tends to “Soak” a few days until a few fish nibbles. The serious bidding comes in the final hours of the sale, sometimes the last 60 seconds is where the snipers sort out who gets the item. Problems show up when people make bids without intent to buy, a careful research by that bidder’s ID usually can reveal NARU’s and other issues if any.
Communication is pretty important. Have the winner contact you within 24 hours for a invoice to be sent, follow up all the way until the buyer actually gets the item. While it may seem tedious and slow try to leave positive feed back for the buyers who pay promptly, accuracy and follows your communications. Sometimes there is a sort of a “After you, after you” game for feedback because it can be used as a weapon if either party feels bad or angry.
A good camera and a honest description works wonders. For example… a boxcar with a few missing grab irons and plastic kaydee type couplers (Not true kaydees) described accurately will assist the buyer when he or she makes the decision that those problems are fixable. If you dont know what the boxcar (Or an item is) try your best to describe it.
Leave out the buzzwords like RARE! (There are thousands made) or “LOOK!” or “WOW!” they cheapen the experience from a proper auction to that of a Carnival barker hawking a freak show.
If you have Brass, take a bunch of pictures of all 4 sides, bottom, top, box, foam if any, paperwork etc etc etc and focus in
For the time being avoid E bay or selling anything off…
You see there are some brass locomotives worth hundreds of dollars even some hard to find Atlas and Kato locomotives are worth more then they cost new…
Contact a reputable hobby shop dealer that deals in use model trains.
This link may help you as well.
Where do you live? There may be someone local who frequents this forum who might be able to take a look at the collection for you.
Howdy,
I am a fellow modeler and the manager of Lone Star Trains in San Antonio Texas. We buy sell and trade all kinds of trains.
Send me an e-mail containing a description including manufacturer, type, road name, condition, & photos to trent@lonestartrains.com as soon as possible and I’ll look them over then contact you back.
Trent
A few thousand model trains??? This is no job for someone with no knowledge of this hobby, even someone with a slight knowledge of trains would have difficult disposing of such an enormous task, try an established auction house after you have itemized the collection, you can have 2 or 3 auctioneers bid, you should get a decent price with out a lot of hassle, trying to sell this much stuff on e-bay will consume all of your time, try some of the brass selling sites on the internet, these are very astute people who really know their product, I would advise you not to try to sell individually, most people who advise you to sell on ebay have not tried to sell a massive collection.
The Lone Star Trains guys and gals are straight shooters. I have done a bit of shopping in there. I always love going in there and digging through the older kits on the shelves. It is great to go in there, cut the kiddos loose on the Thomas table, and do my shopping.
My condolences K
The best thing you could do with such a collection with sentimental and large as you dads is contact a local club that does train shows for an evaluation and disposal for you. My club has done this for members that have passed on and also individuals that had layouts in their basements. We had a realtor contact us one time to remove a layout the prospective buyer did not want. The club usualy gets a small portion of the sales. Members usualy get first pick of the collection, at least you will know that they will be cared for.
I also buy from Ebay but not that much. It realy doesnt save me money by the time you add shipping and the waiting. From what I have seen I could buy most things at shows and the LHS and not have to deal with shipping. I purchased 2 Athearn RS3s at a show for $60 and seen the same locos on Ebay go for $80 for one.
Good Luck
Pete
I forgot to mention,I am a professional income tax preparer. I strongly advise that you consult with your tax advisor as to the tax treatment regarding the sale of inherited collectibles. That income is reportable on Form 1040, Schedule D. Generally, a step up in basis (original cost)occurs to the value at the date of date, so if sold promptly there would be no gain and therefore no tax owing. However you mention that you have held these items for quite some time which could impose a tax liability.