Good deal or not? Can I get some input on this one?

I already looked at it. Nice but no steal. A bad deal, no. Great deal, no also. These are high end good shape prices.

Matt

I would buy it if it matched the description . Paid alot more for alot less .

Matt, where did you look at them? The ad is in Washington State.

I would definitely want to see more pictures and very detailed pictures before I would buy them.  The condition of the nose decals, battery damage, box rub on the painted surfaces of the engines and the cars.  Grab rails, porthole lens, nicks or scratches in the extruded aluminum cars, rust either surface rust or pitted rust.  How much run time on the pickup rollers, etc.   I always preferred buying in person at a train show or swap meet with a test track.  Or i would want a predefined evaluation period for returns.  

For me, I think I would want to put in some extra dollars and get one of the reissued sets.  Better chance of being uniformly nice condition.  Doesn't seem to be anything about postwar that is hard to find now days.  IMHO

mike g. posted:

Matt, where did you look at them? The ad is in Washington State.

It's on craigslist. In Shelton.

Offer 150, just as a precaution. I think thAt the 200 they want is reasonable, though

El Classico posted:

Offer 150, just as a precaution. I think thAt the 200 they want is reasonable, though

I would have bought it at $200. They want $450 cash.

Shoot, I misread that buddy. I don't suggest going over 325, and that would be a little more than I'm comfortable with from the photos

IMHO, it depends.

My first question is, are they 2333's or 2343's. The number listed, 2333-20, is what is stamped on the frames and every 23XX series engine produced after the original 2333's.

The 2333's were notorious for the paint flaking off the shells. From the photo, and it's not a great one at that, the paint looks good however, you cannot assess for other nicks, scratches...  2500 series cars with boxes and liners/paper, if they are all the same, meaning the nameplates match, hex nuts, rivets or glue and there is no rust or pitting of the aluminum that's important.

Presuming the AA units are full excellent, meaning no rust, battery acid damage, original portholes, and minor wear like box rub and the 2500 series cars match, have their boxes with liners/paper and also are full excellent then I'm okay with $450. That doesn't mean I wouldn't offer less. I might look at it this way, that's $50/2500 car and $250 for the AA set.

I would ask for better photos of each item and the boxes.

Just my $.02.

Mike

Thank you everyone, I asked for better pictures and if he still had the boxes. I will wait and see what he says.

 

Mike

Agree with others and would just add a word about the 2500 series cars.

Have spent the last 6 weeks or so tracking down the “Silver” series passenger cars on the secondary market and can tell you to really look closely at any pictures the seller may provide. Those cars -- about 60 years old now -- are subject to scratching, dis-coloring and other marring and it’s tough to find them in nice condition. They’re out there. Just need a careful eye!

Also, if it is a 2333 and you are planning to run it, it doesn’t have Magne-Traction if that matters to you.  But chances are it’s a 2343 if the original owner received it with those cars as a set.  With the grab irons on the front, it’s not a 2353 which was also sold in a set with those cars.

HTH, 

Bill