For laughs I went to a large brass dealer on line, and there were page after page after page of used but mint condition brass locos for sale, many were in the $1,000 to $2,500 and up range, many were identical, mint, new locomotives ( I assume from the same seller). There were hundreds of expensive engines and obviously someone is buying them, but who is selling them?
This was ONE dealer, and how many dealers are out there, anyone looking for their first brass loco can pick up some great stuff, some were very expensive (between $2,000 and $3,000) but there were some real beauties for less than $300.00 someone wanting a nice brass loco can sure get a deal in this massive selling brass market. any answers where all these many locos are coming from?
I wonder if this has anything to do with demographics?
Maybe it’s more to do with economic conditions? Brass collectors selling their excess because they need the money?
Or it could be something simple (and a bit macabre) as collectors dying off and lots of estate fire sales. I get the impression (without any hard numbers) that younger modelers have preferred plastic over brass for a while now.
I don’t know where they’re coming from, but you’re right–especially on the used brass market. I look at it this way–as long as they keep coming out for my two railroads, I’ll keep buying them, tinkering with them and running them.
I have to agree that there seems to be more brass models for sale than ever. I also agree that the tough economic times have something to do with the availability of used brass. Some of the new models such as those coming from Division Point are extremely expensive. I would love to buy an N&W Y6b but I do not have a spare $3000.00 sitting around.[:'(]
I recently contacted my friend who is a dealer in brass. I bought a PFM C&O K3 about 15 years ago from an estate of a model railroad friend who had passed on. I have been an N&W and Southern fan for 30 years. Since the C&O locomotive was the only one he had that was from the “Appalachian” area, I bought it for $200.00. I have never used it. I am now trying to sell it. I looked up the value as stated in the "Brass Trains" book which was $1095.00. That would be great, but I need a lot of luck selling it in these economic times. If I can sell it, then that money would help me buy an N&W or Southern brass steam locomotive.[;)]
Caboose Hobbies’ brass department is like Disneyland if you’re like me, a Rio Grande and Espee freak. I’ve gotten Rio Grande locos I didn’t even know were ever released as models! And more often than not, at pretty bargain-basement prices.
I think there is truth to the notion that alot of the older brass collectors are passing away, thus the influx of used brass to the market. There have been two large estate sales with large amounts of brass in my area in the last 6 months. I just wish I has the money to purchase some of it, I could have turned around and made a nice profit selling it on Ebay. Living in a rural area, sometimes you get lucky and there are no other bidders that are knowledgeable about brass, so…bargins are plentiful.
How sure are these profits (yes, I realize nothing is guaranteed in life)?
Could you perhaps maxed out your credit card(s), or even taken a small loan from the bank or family (I won’t suggest borrowing from friends, as any such loan over 10 bucks for lunch never turns out well). - yeah, you get hit with big interest, but if you get big profits…
MasterCard - you owe us 40 bucks in interest this month for your 1500 loan!
You - Fine, here’s your 40 bucks, here’s the principal, and I’ll just keep the remaining 400 dollar profit…
Living in a decidely non-rural area (New York City suburbs), people tend to overvalue their stuff…
“The listing indicates this is a United/Pacfic Fast Mail NKP Berkshire Brass locomotive, but look at it’s coloration - clearly it’s Gold-Plated, and worth $18,000.00!”
Maybe I’m a little too ‘innocent’ about it, but I’ve NEVER understood the idea of brass locomotives as an ‘investment’. My layout, due to the railroads I model, is about 98% brass, because that’s the ONLY way I can get a decent representation of those particular railroad’s steam power.
I don’t mind saying that I’ve got a very large collection of brass locomotives, but they’ve all been purchased to be RUN on my MR, not spend their lives glistening in a glass case. They’re all painted and decalled (Oh, the horror! [:O]), and ‘tinkered’ on for optimum running capability. If they have any resale value at all after I’ve made my journey to that Great Model Railroad In The Sky, so be it. If not–well, I enjoyed the Heck out of them while I was alive.
In their day many brass steamers were the best runners available, not so much for diesels, but their detailing was far superior to the Athearns and Mantuas of the day. As the plastic loco manufacturing has evolved, operation and detailing have taken giant leaps. I feel that a lot of modelers are selling their older brass, taking the proceeds and buying new plastic to run on their pikes. I allerted a friend to a painted brass HOn3 engine on ebay. He responded that he would rather buy a new Blackstone version. Having both brass and Blackstone, he explained the the Blackstones were far superior to the older brass.
I look for the used brass steamers that have been replicated in plastic, as I know the brass will keep running for years after the plastic ones are dead and gone. I have got a number of old PFM NKP Berkshires on E-Bay after Botchman and Proto came out with their versions.
Although there is quite a bit of brass available on the web from places like eBay, Caboose Hobbies, Uncle Dave’s Brass, Don Black, and Brass Trains, there doesn’t seem to be as much now as there was even 6 months to a year ago. Seems a number of folks are either paring down their collections or just selling off the one’s that have been sitting in boxes for years to get some money for them. Most of it seems to be stuff from the 70s and 80s.
Actually, some of them are showing up at the stores and just remaing there for about a week or two before they’re scooped up. Case in point–Caboose Hobbies had an Akane Yellowstone about a month ago that I decided to buy (yah, like I need ANOTHER one! [:P]). Saw it on a Monday. Went on-line to put it on the purchase Wednesday of that same week. It was gone. Bam, just like that. I think it was ‘in stock’ for about five days.
And that isn’t the first time it’s happened to me by a long shot, LOL! They’re coming in, but some of them don’t seem to be hanging around too long.