History Channel's American Pickers to show Lionel Standard Guage

I don't like that show. Too many times the sellers get rooked.

I saw it too. I think it's G gauge. It looks a lot bigger than Standard ga.

Do the sellers get rooked? Who knows? How much of what you see on that show is real?

It's a TV "reality" show.

It is staged for our entertainment.

I saw that too.  During the promo there was a sound byte of "only two known to exsist" or something like that.  It will be interesting, but my hunch is they found something they believe to be major find, but will probably turn out to be a really nice example of a 408E and state set in two-tone brown.  Nothing earth shattering like the record "quarter million dollar 400E and state set". Show promos like this are perfect to peak interest in a show to boost ratings, and it works!

Title of episode is Train Wreck.    Mike and Frank pick in a house that s stacked to the ceiling with rare toys. Mike adds to his King Kong collection while Frank drops a bundle on a rare train set. Later, when its value fails to impress, the guys decide to take a huge risk and sell it at auction.

TVPG.  Airs August 13, 2012. 9 PM

But there's "reality" for you.

I guess it also has to do with how much "reality" you believe is in the show.

If all these show that depict two guys picking, or pawn shop making big money on items, or buying valuable storage lockers for a few hundred dollars were true, everyone would do it.

Not saying that some of it isn't based on fact, but a lot of this reality stuff, in my opinion, is staged for TV.

If some random guy they drop in on has a 408E state set he's willing to give up, I doubt that two guys driving down some country road would be the first in the area to find out about it's existence, and I doubt a guy that had it would sell to a stranger before a local.

I'm looking forward to watching! Say what you want about how bad the show is, I'd rather watch it than, what, Cake Boss, or Dancing with the Stars.

I don't know. I was getting tires today, and got stuck in a waiting room watching reruns of "Pawn Shop Stars". The sellers all make the same mistake- the buyers always say, "How much do you want for it?". The seller then says "$1000". Ok, now they know they can start at $1000 and work down. Wayy down. And then the sellers gloat over how much the item is really worth and what they'll get for it.

Course after this show, anyone who goes to them to sell anything knowing they'll get low-balled deserves it, I guess. Better to go on ebay or a genuine auction... it's just that in these tough times, people are having to hock things that in better times they wouldn't- and if the show is "real", I feel for these people having to take what they can get.

Not too long ago our local paper had a picture of a guy at a jewelry shop selling his wife's jewelry. They had sunk that low. The look on his face would make a stone weep, but he was very hard up. I looked up his address and sent him some money anonymously... I felt like doing something, and if that makes me a fool, so be it.

I'd be willing to bet that they will not be buying trains again ever after that spanking! Ouch!

Gandy

I believe that someone on the show commented that there were only about 12 known brown state sets in existence.  I know they are not as common as green state sets but only 12 in the world, where do they get their facts? 

John.

Before Ebay, you basically had to take what you were offered -- maybe you got an honest offer, maybe not.

And you're not a fool.  You're a credit to the human race.

I saw the set shown by Ralston's on Live Auctioneers, but they made no connection to American Pickers.

Even in today's depressed economy, if the train had repainted roofs, it would have been an OK deal for $3400. However, when a train like this comes to market, there are still enough people in the know, and with money, that there would be a high degree of interest in it if it was top notch. They just don't come up very often. So even with the issues visible on the show, there may have been a more underlying problem with it, and coupled with a sluggish economy, that's the results.

As for the repaint, the seller,  probably knew, and the buyers should have, because you could see dents painted over, and that's pretty obvious.

Most train auctioneers that I have dealt with discourage the use of reserve prices because they want to see the piece sell, unless you pay for it. They get paid no matter what, and from both the buyer and the seller. So at a $3400 price, the seller pays 15% and I think with Ralston the buyer does maybe 12% live, so the sellers were under $3K net on the set.

It's good drama for the show, and I doubt that the pickers were using their own money.