Advice on selling a train collection

I agree. I've sold some items recently and my experience has been depending on how popular an item is, combined with the age and condition, is how you price it. Forget MSRP and prices in guide books. Something I paid $50 - $60 for 10 years ago won't sell for that - maybe $35 - $40, depending if it's box is in good condition and a sought after or popular item. Somethings you just have to price low to move the item.

Ed,

Living 700 miles away I assume someone else will be doing the packing and shipping or are you moving in until the collection is sold? If someone else has to do the pack and ship how many errors will be likely, and what is the cost in time for both you and that person?

I too would not go with an out right purchase offer for the whole lot, but there are several consignment auction houses who I would go with in a minute — while you might not get every last dime, you’ll get as close as possible without a ton of work, yours and whoever will be tasked with packing and shipping. 

Stout Auctions are good people and their prices realized are excellent, they have a great reputation and clientele who trust their listings — thus pay more because items are a known rather than pig in poke. 

Good luck

Hello Ed.  Firstly, and most importantly, I’m truly sorry for the loss of your brother. I hope your family finds peace and comfort. 

As far as the value of your trains, if you are willing to grind it out, use EBay “sold” values as your guide. Respectfully to earlier opinions, I do not believe acquisition costs are relevant in any way, especially for trains “acquired” in the 80s, 90s, 00s - again, respectfully to earlier opinions, there is no way most trains acquired in those decades are worth any where near 80% of their acquired value if you expect them to sell within any reasonable time period. Find a value of what they are worth today via sold listings - what was paid decades ago is irrelevant - and price them accordingly. 

A reputable train liquidator may also be a good option given the distance. 

It's been my experience that the Greenberg guides are a place from which to start, and work down from there. There are exceptions to this rule for rare items, and you may be surprised at what prices they bring on ebay. All it takes is 2 or 3 buyers who really want what you have to drive the price upward. Many of us here have seen it happen. 

John

I understand not wanting to pack and ship, But you need to do a test piece just to see how expensive it is. I used one one time and it was very expensive in the end. As that will reflect the price you get also. you have a $100 item, you list it say starting at $75, you will probably have a hard time selling it, with $20 shipping or so. Also on Ebay they charge 10% of final price and the shipping charge. so if the shipping and packing is $20 there's $2.00 + $75 for the sale = $9.50 you have to pay to Ebay. 

They normally charge you more than the actual shipping cost for the shipping, they charge for the box ( you can get them free from the post office or usps.com ) plus they charge for the packing ( Styrofoam peanuts or what ever you call them) by time you get out of there for something that might cost you $10 to ship you will be about $25 or more. ( sorry but I hate those places, I know they serve a purpose but they rob you blind, which you could do a lot cheaper. )  

I wish I was closer to you. I'm about 4 hours from Atlanta in S.C. I'm retired and would enjoy helping you do it. Give me something to do. lol. 

Thanks for all the good advice.

The one thing that I am certain of is that purchase price has little to do with market value or desirably.  Clearly items  like boxcars from  the MPC area probably are not worth the cost of shipping.   Things like that are not worth offering considering the time and effort to get shipped, etc.   And I remember reading on the forum a number of times that the Greenberg quide is not the end all in pricing so I would take anything in there with a grain of salt.

I  am no expert on trains I do know enough to figure out what items might have some value and are worth posting and selling.

Regards shipping costs they will take a couple various items to see what it will generally cost to  pack and ship depending on destination so we have an idea.

With the right pricing the desirable stuff will sell pretty quickly.  I really am loathe to sell anything on the auction site so I may just call in someone to buy the remaining items after a reasonable time.  

My brother wanted me to have the collection and while I will take a few memory pieces his family is better served by selling the bulk of it.   We come from a train family.  Our dad was an engineer for the PRR driving GG's at the end of his career. We always had Lionel trains as kids since the early 50’s.  My brother  who was 10 years younger missed out on the great 50’S train era.  But he loved them all the same which is why he has been buying since the early 80's.   Tried prodding him a number of times to build a layout but there was always some reason to put it off until "later".   I've learned a good lesson on putting things off.

Thanks,

Ed

Bill,

Thanks for the offer to help I appreciate that .  While I live in Georgia, the collection is 700 miles north, slightly less from South Carolina.  I have given thought to renting a truck and bring it all down here to sell.  I also am retired and while I have a propensity to be lazy this would be a good project to keep me busy doing something worthwhile.   I often joke when talking to a childhood friend of mind who also has a train layout that given our ages we really ought to be doing something more meaningful than playing with our trains.  But we always end up saying what we do is meaningful.

Thanks,

Ed

Rider Sandman posted:

Hello Ed.  Firstly, and most importantly, I’m truly sorry for the loss of your brother. I hope your family finds peace and comfort. 

As far as the value of your trains, if you are willing to grind it out, use EBay “sold” values as your guide. Respectfully to earlier opinions, I do not believe acquisition costs are relevant in any way, especially for trains “acquired” in the 80s, 90s, 00s - again, respectfully to earlier opinions, there is no way most trains acquired in those decades are worth any where near 80% of their acquired value if you expect them to sell within any reasonable time period. Find a value of what they are worth today via sold listings - what was paid decades ago is irrelevant - and price them accordingly. 

A reputable train liquidator may also be a good option given the distance. 

To avoid repetition, I'll piggyback on Rider's comment about getting good prices.  I'm now selling about 25 items a month from collections that I acquire, getting anywhere from $3.00 for a junk Mystic station to $300+ for a Lionel F3.  I usually get prices significantly above average.  The keys are research and patience.

I put in a lot of time studying eBay sold prices, and my goal is for my sales to be in the 80th percentile or higher.  I don't use auctions unless I have no idea what price I should get.  You can often see, for example, an items sells for $100 and a few weeks later one in the same or not quite as good condition goes for $160.  Auctions run 7 to 10 days.  The one that sold for $100 was an auction with a low start price.  In the seven day window the item was noticed only by low price buyers.  The higher priced item was a buy-it-now that was sold to someone who was willing to pay the price asked and saw the item during the 30 or 60 or 90... days during which it was offered.  I've relisted items as much as three times to get my price.

Auctions are for when I have no idea what to ask.  Here's an example.  Last week I sold the floor and walls for an AF Eureka Diner.  A whole building sells for $75 to $100.  This one didn't include a roof among the parts.  I listed it at $5.00 and in the last six hours, it got bid up to $37.00.

I do a lot of relisting, often two or three times - that means taking that number of months to make a sale.

What i'm doing is financing my own collection, which gets $0.00 from our household cash.  I like to take other peoples's castoffs and restore them to operation.  So what I'm getting paid for actually is the repair work.

This is a game for someone who has patience and time to do the research.

Is your brothers family helpful? Why are you alone in this? I would offer it to the auction company. They are professionals. Of course maybe you will enjoy fending off complaints from buyers. 

Sorry for your loss.

When you account for all the work of inventory, and selling effort, then add all the fees and shipping (time and effort) -- the offer from a reputable house will be very close to what you end up putting in the family's hands.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Sorry for your loss. A lot of good comments to consider. Basically, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. As others have mentioned with the costs of shipping services, be mindful of the fixed price boxes that the post office gives for "free". I've done quite a bit of comparison since I have a shipping scale and print postage at home . For lighter items that are not shipping coast to coast, its usually 30% less to ship in your own box. However, I really like those boxes for shipping heavy items like track or shipping to remote locations.

Another point of caution. If you sell off all the good stuff and then try to sell the remaining stuff as a lot, most re-sellers won't want it.  If you have access to any train shows, get a table or three to unload $10 rolling stock and $50 engines.

Good point about selling off all the good stuff leaving a bunch of undesirable items.  I do know that given the length of time he was collecting there will be some stuff that is not worth the effort or expense of selling.  

Thought I might just offer the remaining items for sale as a package priced to just get rid of it.  If that doesn't work then I'll just give it away.  I don,t have the ability to setup a table at any shows to sell the stuff.

Thanks for the input.

Ed

Also Order the regional B boxes, they also are flat rate but cheaper to ship. Regional B boxes are like 12"L x 10"W x 5"H. You can get smaller stuff in them, like unboxed freight cars. I think you need to print the shipping label on line thou. I just print on regular paper and then tape on. It's like $9.37 where a large flat rate is like $18.90. 

Ed Walsh posted:

[snip]

I will be going there and doing an inventory and taking a picture of each individual box label showing the details of the train. They live down the block from a place that will box and ship so that part should be easy.

[snip]

Ed,

My condolences on the death of your brother. You are a good brother to be taking on this project for his family.

In regard to taking pictures, I suggest that, unless an item is still factory sealed or is readily apparent that it has never been open, you take the item out of the box and take a well-lit, in-focus picture of each side, the top, and the bottom, ensuring that the trucks are visible in the photos. As a buyer, I am much more interested and likely to purchase an item that is well photographed.

If there is minor damage, make note of it in the item's description. It may lower slightly the price that you can get for the item, but it will help protect you from returns.

By all means offer the items on this forum and others first, but I encourage you to consider Ebay as an option. While I have only sold a couple of items, I found it easy to do so. From a buyer's perspective, I am much more comfortable buying something on Ebay than I am on forums such as this, because of the protections that it offers. You will also likely get for more people viewing the item than you would if you just posted the items for sale on train forums.

—Matt

mlaughlinnyc posted:

Rider Sandman posted:

Hello Ed.  Firstly, and most importantly, I’m truly sorry for the loss of your brother. I hope your family finds peace and comfort. 

As far as the value of your trains, if you are willing to grind it out, use EBay “sold” values as your guide. Respectfully to earlier opinions, I do not believe acquisition costs are relevant in any way, especially for trains “acquired” in the 80s, 90s, 00s - again, respectfully to earlier opinions, there is no way most trains acquired in those decades are worth any where near 80% of their acquired value if you expect them to sell within any reasonable time period. Find a value of what they are worth today via sold listings - what was paid decades ago is irrelevant - and price them accordingly. 

A reputable train liquidator may also be a good option given the distance. 

To avoid repetition, I'll piggyback on Rider's comment about getting good prices.  I'm now selling about 25 items a month from collections that I acquire, getting anywhere from $3.00 for a junk Mystic station to $300+ for a Lionel F3.  I usually get prices significantly above average.  The keys are research and patience.

I put in a lot of time studying eBay sold prices, and my goal is for my sales to be in the 80th percentile or higher.  I don't use auctions unless I have no idea what price I should get.  You can often see, for example, an items sells for $100 and a few weeks later one in the same or not quite as good condition goes for $160.  Auctions run 7 to 10 days.  The one that sold for $100 was an auction with a low start price.  In the seven day window the item was noticed only by low price buyers.  The higher priced item was a buy-it-now that was sold to someone who was willing to pay the price asked and saw the item during the 30 or 60 or 90... days during which it was offered.  I've relisted items as much as three times to get my price.

Auctions are for when I have no idea what to ask.  Here's an example.  Last week I sold the floor and walls for an AF Eureka Diner.  A whole building sells for $75 to $100.  This one didn't include a roof among the parts.  I listed it at $5.00 and in the last six hours, it got bid up to $37.00.

I do a lot of relisting, often two or three times - that means taking that number of months to make a sale.

What i'm doing is financing my own collection, which gets $0.00 from our household cash.  I like to take other peoples's castoffs and restore them to operation.  So what I'm getting paid for actually is the repair work.

This is a game for someone who has patience and time to do the research.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rider’s advice is a very good start. Researching  sold prices on eBay is the best way for us to determine the real value of a train. The book can say $100 but if it is not a desirable piece you may find it sells for less. Don’t forget eBay and PayPal take 13-14% of each sale.

I do not recommend listing stuff on eBay as an auction unless you have a very rare piece that is also very much in demand. Understanding the supply (how many other trains like the one you are selling have sold and are currently for sale) and demand for the train will help you determine if you auction it or use fixed price (buy it now) listings. With buy it now listings you take the price you want, add 5-10%, and accept best offers. I sell way more stuff this way. As long as you are not out of line on your price you will do well. Yes, I may miss out once in a while when demand is greater than supply but that is rare.

Mike 

Ed

Sorry for your loss. A while back our club, TMB Model Train Club, was approached by a local fellow whose dad recently passed away. Here are some things I learned from that experience.

1. IF your in this alone, get the collection where you can assess it and create an inventory.

2. IF the collection is post war determining the prices could be somewhat flexible and the post war era and collector base is certainly shrinking. 

3. Collection I am referring to was all MTH PS-2. The fellow knew nothing about the hobby was was tech savy enough to find the MTH sight and the MSRP list prices. He set his prices at 65% of MSRP and did quite well. Of course he remained flexible and would negotiate when several items were bundled together.

4. On the MTH engine it always helps to show the Odometer readings

5. Contact local clubs and there are some in the Georgia area. Thats always the best concentration of O-Gauge enthusiasts

6. Use the OGR Forum

Bets of Luck   (BTW I did purchase a fair number of the trains and helped him circulate the collection listings to other area clubs

Steve

Condolences on the loss of your brother.

If you are going to sell these trains online yourself, you are going to need more than a photograph of each box label. IMHO, you are going to need decent pictures of all six sides of each item: top, bottom, and all four sides.  And you may get questions.

That is a lot to try to get done with 700 miles between you and the trains.

If your brother had kids, are you certain that none of them want the trains?
I'd make certain of that before doing anything.

If there are children, maybe you can get them involved in the liquidation process.

One more thought: estate settlements can cause hard feelings in some families. Sometimes an heir will get the idea that whomever did the liquidation didn't get a fair price, or that they took all the best stuff for themselves. Maybe referring your sister-in-law to an auction house specializing in toy trains might be the best idea.

If you sell off the good stuff your unlikely to find one is gonna want to come in and buy the leftovers. Try bundling the less desirable items. You might have a better chance of selling them that way.

C W Burfle posted:

One more thought: estate settlements can cause hard feelings in some families. Sometimes an heir will get the idea that whomever did the liquidation didn't get a fair price, or that they took all the best stuff for themselves. Maybe referring your sister-in-law to an auction house specializing in toy trains might be the best idea.

Ed, you have received a lot of very good and specific advice.  This forum is great.  With all respect to everyone's opinion, in my view, CW has hit the nail on the head with his above quote.  I was the personal representative for a buddy's estate a few years ago (no trains, but lots of stuff and a business with a 7-digit+ total value).  In my view from that experience, CW's advice is spot on.  In the estate I managed, there was never any open confrontations, but I sensed the heirs thought I should have done better on the sale of some emotional/sentimental items even though researched data and multiple appraisals said otherwise.  Given all of the logistical challenges and hidden costs of selling your brother's trains piecemeal (remember: your time, fuel, and other expenses are all costs to doing it this way whether you charge them back to the estate or not), a reputable liquidator is the way to go. You would still be contributing "train expertise" by selecting the liquidator and managing the process, so you are still providing a valuable resource to your brother's family.  And when it's all said and done, the amount realized by the estate via a liquidator may very well be close to the piecemeal approach (especially if you capture all of the true costs) and you avoid the risk of bruised feelings from some of the heirs.  Again, you have received great advice on this thread and good luck.    

ED,

  Very sorry about your loss.  If you can get his collection to your home, take & post pictures, and sell it all right here on the OGR, a little at a time.  No hurry just make a good time of it, you will actually make more money for his family selling it in this manner.  It will however take some time.  Great retirement project.

PCRR/Dave

CW,

Unfortunately I have seen what happens when estates are liquidated by an executor.  It never ceases to amaze me how ugly and petty some people will get over even small amounts on money.   

In this case my brother directed the trains go to me.  But as I mentioned before his family could use the money more than I need more trains so they will get sold.  But I also have no doubt that someone will be unhappy with that even though there is no one who has even the slightest interest in the trains other than what they can sell them for.

I have learned a lot from all the good advice received here.  Especially about taking them out of the box and taking a number of detailed photos vs just taking a picture of the end cap.  Also some great advice on contacting some train clubs.

I do realize it will take a lot of work but I would like to think the trains will find a good home maybe with someone who might not be able to afford them new or who will just simply appreciate owning and using them.

A very BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to offer all the advice.  It is extremely helpful  learning from other's experiences.  

Thank you,

Ed

Ed Walsh posted:

CW,

Unfortunately I have seen what happens when estates are liquidated by an executor.  It never ceases to amaze me how ugly and petty some people will get over even small amounts on money.   

In this case my brother directed the trains go to me.  But as I mentioned before his family could use the money more than I need more trains so they will get sold.  But I also have no doubt that someone will be unhappy with that even though there is no one who has even the slightest interest in the trains other than what they can sell them for.

I have learned a lot from all the good advice received here.  Especially about taking them out of the box and taking a number of detailed photos vs just taking a picture of the end cap.  Also some great advice on contacting some train clubs.

I do realize it will take a lot of work but I would like to think the trains will find a good home maybe with someone who might not be able to afford them new or who will just simply appreciate owning and using them.

A very BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to offer all the advice.  It is extremely helpful  learning from other's experiences.  

Thank you,

Ed

If I could make a suggestion on the less desirable/less salable items - If possible, make up some train sets and use them for charitable purposes.  Donate them to a children's hospital/hospice or some other place where children or less fortunate may get good use out of them.   Perhaps even some senior citizens homes may want them for Christmas displays.   

I would certainly articulate that you're giving them trains to run not to resell. 

I do realize it will take a lot of work but I would like to think the trains will find a good home maybe with someone who might not be able to afford them new or who will just simply appreciate owning and using them.

That is going to happen no matter how the trains are liquidated.

Are you certain how your sister-in-law will feel about you selling the trains her brother wanted you to have?

As far as donating electric trains to hospice, children's hospitals and the like:

A number of years ago I was involved with a local organization that wanted to donate trains to the children's section of a local non-profit hospital. Turned out the hospital had no interest in an item that had to be plugged-in and would require some adult supervision. In short, they couldn't use an electric train. In the end, we donated a deluxe set of Brio wooden trains.

Maybe things have changed, but I doubt it.

Ed,

  I can't add anything useful to what has already been said since I really don't buy a lot nowadays. However, I did say that I am sorry about your loss. Also, your brother's family is fortunate that you are honest and looking out for them. 

Tom 

First, sorry for your loss. You are doing a good thing in trying to give your brother's family a little money from his trains.

Here is my story to consider...

Almost 15 years ago I made a conscience decision to become an "operator", not a collector. I sold my rather large collection to one of the "auction houses" that advertise in OGR. It was close to 1500 pounds of trains.

Received 50% of current value....not list value or what I paid when purchased....but what they were currently "worth" at that point in time. Today, that was actually a very good price because all my collection (if I kept it) would have been worth a whole lot less in today's dollars.

They took the good, the bad and the ugly. Everything I wanted to sell got boxed up and moved out.

Did I take a bath??

Yes.

Did I liquidate them all at once?

Yes.

Did they pack and haul everything away?

Yes.

Did I immediately get a check for the agreed value?

Yes. I took the money and never looked back.

For me, it was the best thing to do. Working a full time job, taking care of (2) houses and building a train layout (RUN 255)  leaves precious little time for selling trains. I would bet that today, 15 years later, I would still be trying to sell some of the least desirable ones. Trains are no longer a means to make money, the best you can hope for is to find a buyer who has interest and at least get something!

That is my story, I am sure what I did is not meant for everybody. Good luck in your venture, I am sure your brother is proud of you!

Donald

Not intending to knock the OGR Forum, but you won't maximize revenue selling here.  OGR Forum buyers generally are more knowledgeable, narrowly focused and less likely to pay as much as buyers in other venues, even considering selling expenses incurred elsewhere. 

Unless you consider selling your brother's trains to be a side hobby for fun, let a reputable auction house dispose of the collection. 

Hi Ed, Sorry for your loss. At our monthly train show here in the Chicago area there is one seller who is a retired engineer for Ford Motor Co. He lives in Michigan but travels all over the country buying and selling trains. He bases his prices on what he could sell the item for and gives you 50% in cash for that item. If it were me I would make an inventory of the entire collection with the appropriate item numbers. Also, note if the items are still new, mint in the box or are they used. After you have an inventory I would contact Mike Singleton at 248-705-6618 or 248-615-9877. You can then email or fax him the inventory and he will give you a price for the collection. He will pick it up with no boxes or shipping required. I have been buying and occasionally selling trains to Mike for at least 10-15 years. He is honest and trustworthy. After you receive his price I would contact other buyers such as are listed in the TCA quarterly Bulletin for comparison. I believe this is the most efficient way to dispose of a sizable collection which won't get cherry picked. 

Ed Walsh posted:

Bill,

...I have given thought to renting a truck and bring it all down here to sell.  I also am retired and while I have a propensity to be lazy this would be a good project to keep me busy doing something worthwhile....

Ed

Based on what you said about your retirement status, I think I would recommend doing that, Ed. It would be a good activity for you to pursue and you would be looking out for your family's best interests in a more direct way. Do try posting items you may feel have some following on this forum first. I have had good success selling here in the past and will be using it again in the future. I do not do eBay at all, either to buy or to sell, but there is a firm not far from where I live that does eBay listing/selling/shipping as its main business. My wife has had them sell a fairly large doll collection and some other items for her and she is quite satisfied with the results. I may "test" them out myself in the near future with some train items.

Ed Walsh posted:

CW,

Unfortunately I have seen what happens when estates are liquidated by an executor.  It never ceases to amaze me how ugly and petty some people will get over even small amounts on money.   

In this case my brother directed the trains go to me.  But as I mentioned before his family could use the money more than I need more trains so they will get sold.  But I also have no doubt that someone will be unhappy with that even though there is no one who has even the slightest interest in the trains other than what they can sell them for.

I have learned a lot from all the good advice received here.  Especially about taking them out of the box and taking a number of detailed photos vs just taking a picture of the end cap.  Also some great advice on contacting some train clubs.

I do realize it will take a lot of work but I would like to think the trains will find a good home maybe with someone who might not be able to afford them new or who will just simply appreciate owning and using them.

A very BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to offer all the advice.  It is extremely helpful  learning from other's experiences.  

Thank you,

Ed

Ed,

You seem to have a good handle on it, and as many of my friends say "God be with you" as it won't be an easy task. We understand they are not really interested in the trains, my suggestion is just to make sure that the family keeps the few pieces that truly have sentimental value for them.

turbgine posted:

Hi Ed, Sorry for your loss. At our monthly train show here in the Chicago area there is one seller who is a retired engineer for Ford Motor Co. He lives in Michigan but travels all over the country buying and selling trains. He bases his prices on what he could sell the item for and gives you 50% in cash for that item. If it were me I would make an inventory of the entire collection with the appropriate item numbers. Also, note if the items are still new, mint in the box or are they used. After you have an inventory I would contact Mike Singleton at 248-705-6618 or 248-615-9877. You can then email or fax him the inventory and he will give you a price for the collection. He will pick it up with no boxes or shipping required. I have been buying and occasionally selling trains to Mike for at least 10-15 years. He is honest and trustworthy. After you receive his price I would contact other buyers such as are listed in the TCA quarterly Bulletin for comparison. I believe this is the most efficient way to dispose of a sizable collection which won't get cherry picked. 

+1 on Mike Singleton.  If you want a quick, no BS sale, Mike is your man.  He buys for resale, and his offer will reflect that, but it will be fair.

hobby-go-lucky posted:

Not intending to knock the OGR Forum, but you won't maximize revenue selling here.  OGR Forum buyers generally are more knowledgeable, narrowly focused and less likely to pay as much as buyers in other venues, even considering selling expenses incurred elsewhere. 

Unless you consider selling your brother's trains to be a side hobby for fun, let a reputable auction house dispose of the collection. 

With the exception of highly desirable items in pristine condition, I respectfully disagree.  The auction prices I've seen for common items are not high, and that's before deducting the commission you'll pay to the auction house.  (Search for your items in previous auctions on Stout's site, and then deduct the charges.)  Finding a reputable auction house that will properly promote your items can be a challenge, and the prices can depend on the time of year.  There's also the issue of waiting to get paid.

If you want to maximize the yield, send any REALLY desirable items to an auction house, and put the rest on the forum.  To get it done with minimal hassle and risk, find a CASH buyer to take the whole lot.

Bundling some of the "less desirable" items to sell as lots may also help you maximize your return on them, up to and including bundling them with more desirable items.

Ed, after reading your last post, there is no way that I would sell piece by piece.  You are only opening yourself up to criticism, and since they are your trains anyway, and you do not need the money, in and out as reasonably fast as possible.  How are you going to get title?  Is the administrator of the estate going to give you a bill of sale or something like that?  Or is that one of the problems, the family wants to retain ownership and you sell for them?  I would suggest that you talk to your own attorney here, especially if the value is considerable. 

I might not have been clear about this but whatever proceeds are generated from the sale are going to his family and not me.  Regardless of his desire for me to have the trains circumstances are such that it best they get sold with the money going to the family.   I don't need the money or the trains.  I am just going to be selling them for his wife.  While his wife really does know how much he loved the trains, as do I,  it makes no sense to have them all stored away by me collecting dust.  As one of my dear friends likes to remind me, I am in the red zone of life on the 5 yard line 😀.  So the very last thing I need is more trains for my family to dispose of when I go.  The memories are way more valuable than the dollars.

Ed

Ed,

You are a very good man that your brother is no doubt very proud of. I would make one more suggestion, if he had a favorite train or train set, keep it. You will always think of him and smile every time you look at that train. I speak from experience.

Best of luck to you,

Mike

MaAny of us have available a marvelous flow of free boxes in many shapes and sizes.  It's a phenomenon that my wife refers to as "my pal Amazon".  Nearly all of our shopping for anything other than groceries and wine is done at her computer.  While I'm shipping 25 to 30 items a month, she's getting 40 to 50 boxes.  Even if you don't shop that way, you must have friends and neighbors who would be glad to have you take their empty boxes.  

Toy trains come in many sizes and shapes and most of them don't fit well in the Priority MAil boxes.  Problem is length and cross section of most locos and cars can't use the cube of the squarish USPS boxes.  I keep one each of small medium and large priority mail boxes and rarely use them.  

Ed Walsh posted:

Bill,

Thanks for the offer to help I appreciate that .  While I live in Georgia, the collection is 700 miles north, slightly less from South Carolina.  I have given thought to renting a truck and bring it all down here to sell.  I also am retired and while I have a propensity to be lazy this would be a good project to keep me busy doing something worthwhile.   I often joke when talking to a childhood friend of mind who also has a train layout that given our ages we really ought to be doing something more meaningful than playing with our trains.  But we always end up saying what we do is meaningful.

Thanks,

Ed

This is my first time through this thread in two days so sorry for late responses, but I'd like to be helpful.

After reading your comments and given that you have time for a project, go get those trains.  Sell them direct and learn how to pack them and you can probably increase you take by at least a third.

Approximately how many cars and locomotives will you want to sell ?  If you're talkign a few dozen, that's no big deal.  If you're looking at say 50 to 100, that's worth serious thought.

posted:

 

I've had several good experiences with trains on consignment - collections with total sale value in the $2,000 to $5,000 range.  My usual deal is that I pay the owner a percentage of what I make on eBay.  I'll take 1/3 on items that don't take much work to one half if i have heavy cleaning and repair work.  "What I make" means selling price plus shipping cost less fees to eBay and Paypal and any parts cost.  I don't find many locos, cars or accessories that i can't restore to good operation - maybe becasue I work mainly with Lionel 50's or earlier, and they were built to last and be repairable.

The key to avoiding any friction with the owner is that he knows I'm motivated to work to get the best price.

Mike,

There are some special pieces that will goto to his grandchild and myself.  As you said, those are the memories.

And again, thank you to everyone for offering all the good advice.  I learned a lot about what not to do and really good tips

Thank you,

Ed