Beautifully restored 1931 Lionel Blue Comet

define restored......posting up some pictures if possible, may help everyone on here at least get an idea of what you are looking at. keep in mind, a restored set USUALLY brings less than an original set, the quality of the restoration is going to be the commanding factor of value on this particular outfit you are looking at. A Krylon restoration will not bring the money that a set that has been done with, for example, a high quality perfectly matched base-coat/clear-coat system would. Also the quality of all the "gingerbread" that these sets have on them (ornate trim, etc., etc.) would be a second factor....ask questions to the seller of the process done to restore the outfit, cause if you can post pictures, I'm sure we all will have questions to ask you........

Out of curiosity, I clicked on this post hoping to see pictures of this locomotive. What has been posted is actually more intriguing though: the "definition of restored". One can suppose the gamut runs from "the dirt mostly wiped off" to a "perfect base coat/clear coat finish". My personal view is that neither correctly represents what this locomotive either was or can be.

Over restoration is pretty common these days. It's found mostly in the automotive world where the durability and color intensity of modern paints are hard to resist. They far outlast the old lacquers and enamels and can be applied free of dirt, orange peel, runs and defects. Truth is, they don't match the way the car looked when it left the assembly line. That's OK though; it's hard to go backward when better options are available. The car's going to sit in the sun and go down the road.

For trains on the shelf the move to modern finishes seems more problematic. Toy trains were comparatively expensive at the time and well made. They looked good. They were also made by the hundreds or thousands and painted on an assembly line with (probably) alkyd enamel. Maybe it was even baked to give it more durability. Some train historian may know or have pictures of the process.

Most train enthusiasts can pick up a train and tell if it has the original finish. For something too bad to save a Krylon finish can be a reasonable option for many. For something too bad to save a base coat/clear coat finish can be a desired option for many. Neither will be original or look like the original.

A really good restoration will be so good as to fool the experts into thinking it's all original. I wonder if there's anyone out there who's that good. If so, will we even know?

The term "restored" just scares me - find an MTH set and enjoy the look and running it with sound and smoke -

if you must have the set for your collection - be more concerned about the provenance - it's not original now that it is "restored"

points well taken JJScott, at the end of it all, its going to boil down to how bad the poster wants the set, and the purpose of his purchase. If he intends to operate the set, and he is happy with its appearance, it really doesn't matter if Chip Foose painted it, or a five year old with finger paints......If he is looking for a resale value, he better do a lot more research, we can go on and on about the whole restoration debate....the fact is the market is so saturated with product only the best of the best (both original and restored) are gonna command any real money. I understand there are exceptions, but that's the trend I see in the market today.....

If he is looking for a resale value, he better do a lot more research, we can go on and on about the whole restoration debate....the fact is the market is so saturated with product only the best of the best (both original and restored) are gonna command any real money.

I don't think I'd buy anything these days with any thought of resale value.
I don't see the market for trains growing.
I think people collecting are only going to be more and more demanding.
Condition is everything. 

 

 

100% agreed C.W. Burfle!

harmonyards posted:

.... keep in mind, a restored set USUALLY brings less than an original set, ...

replace USUALLY with ALWAYS and i agree 100%.

i might also suggest modifying 'less' --> 'much less'.

I just was looking at a original excellent set, they are asking 9 g, a restored set would be worth much less than that imho.

If it were me, I wouldn't pay much more than $150-$200 for a restored Blue Comet. As a prewar guy, that's all it would be worth to me. Anything more than that and I'd start saving  $ for an original. 

How about have the seller send you some good photos to post here?