Is it wrong for me to run old mint condition cars?

It depends on your purpose for buying them. If it's truly for collectibility, then you're "wrong" to run them as they'll no longer be "mint." If you're an operator, then it's "OK" to do so. Bottom line, it depends on why you bought them. Personally, I run everything I buy. I've even tossed a couple of original boxes.

This is an issue that you will find folks who will be firmly on one side or the other.  To me, the real value is what you get out of them.  They're yours and if you want to run them to enjoy them, go ahead!  They were made to be run and enjoyed, so do it!

 

My father and I have always had this discussion, as he's always the one who wants to keep his trains put away and in their boxes.  I have them out and running. 

 

That's the great thing with this hobby: there are people who all have different views on everything, and everyone can do what they want with their trains.

They are to enjoy so have fun, the kids are only little once and grow up so fast.  They are made to enjoy....not to mention they are yours and you can do what you want with them......  

They're yours to do with as you wish. Run them and enjoy them as they were originally meant to be used. But have your kids wash their hands before handling them - no grubby hands. And try to get your kids to appreciate that they are very special items. 

Like Matt and Eddie, I run mine.
Do what makes you happy.  If you enjoy running the mint items, have at it.  There's nothing wrong with that.

I largely believe the collector's market is overrated.  But as long as there's at least ONE person who would value what you have as truly MINT, then I suppose there's value in keeping them in tip-top MINT condition.

 

But generally speaking, my gut tells me the collector phenomenon is LONG past it's prime.  And most folks looking for stuff in the secondary market are looking for bargains these days.  Few are willing to pay top dollar, unless we're talking about that rare piece -- and I mean TRULY RARE -- that is collectible.

 

General rule these days... buy 'em to run 'em!!! 

 

David

Run them and enjoy them.We are hear for a short time so enjoy what you have.

Absolutely not.  That is what they were made for . . .

They are only mint if they have never been out of their original packaging, so don't worry about it.  Run 'em to your heart's content, or do anything else you may care to do with them.  It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks because it's your hobby to enjoy in any way you care to.

Define "old".

I recently bought some harder to find freight cars that are about 10 years old from the widow of whom they belonged. When I received them I could tell that the car boxes had never even been opened. I found it sad the he never enjoyed them the way I do by running them while he still could. Joe

Run them all your like, but keep your kids' "grubby hands" off of them.  Running a car never made it undesirable, but mistreating them does.  They can wait till they're old enough to appreciate them and treat them properly to run them.

 

You must understand that the last person that had these used and mint cars kept them in that condition just for you, YOU, being the person who had the money and the foresight to purchase or obtain them at this time so that you could enjoy them along with your kids. Nothing WRONG about that.

Me.....I would run them and enjoy them.

 

My name is Frank, and I am a Conventional Operator!

 

Feels good to admit that!

It's never wrong to run your trains. They were built with motors and wheels to run. I could never figure out why someone would buy a locomotive with a motor and all of the electronics for display only. You might as well buy a dummy to display.

 I ran the mint ones I managed to get. It actually pains me to see huge post war collections of unrun trains that never see the track. Just seems like those should be enjoyed by others.

Rob

Post war trains are flooding the market, values are down and will continue to go down until they are nearly worthless. They are just metal and plastic toys made in the 100's of thousands. With a few exceptions, compared to other collectibles they are not rare or valuable. The resale market was booted up for a time by the baby boomer crowd, much of whom are now elderly,retired, in poor health, dying off or just not spending due to the poor economy.

I realized long ago that the huge collection that I have is worth little in monetary value but is valuable to me as I can use my trains for an artful creation. If I cannot run or use my trains, then they are of no use to me.

Picture yourself on your "death bed". Would you be glad they got played with? There is your answer.

quote:

I found it sad the he never enjoyed them the way I do by running them while he still could. Joe

 

I think you are dead wrong to assume that the previous owner of the trains enjoyed owning them any less than you do.

 

To the original posters question:

Whether you are an operator, collector, or both, the trains are yours to do with as you please. They are mass produced TOYS, not some rare artifact or work of art.

Joe Hohmann,

 

I believe you have it right.

 

Besides, It doesn't sound like they were bought for investment in the first place. However, it doesn't make sense for the kids to crunch them up while playing with them either.  A little responsible play time and a lot of running time won't hurt the cars. So they won't be worth as much as when they were mint.  So what? As long as you and the children are having fun. That's the only real way to get your money's worth from these cars.

 

Collector Ed

 

That's one question only you, oldpaddy, can and should answer for yourself. We can all give advice but it's only from our limited vantage point. If you're thinking of collectibility and go by TCA's grading standards are they even now technically considered mint by a true collector since mint is a C-10: Mint - Brand New: all original; unused and unblemished with it's paper/box requiring a P-10 Mint - Brand New: Complete and all original as manufactured and unused.

And why do you buy your trains anyway, for the joy of seeing them run and your children having fun with them or is your joy in buying them based on your anticipation of someday reaping a windfall if and when a buyer ever comes along? Remember too that the only monetary value any train will have is how much someone will want it one day and what they'd be willing to pay to get it. If as person has been searching for an elusive must have car for longer than they thought it would take them then I imagine they'd be willing to accept a decent price for an item rated as low as C-7 Excellent simply to end that search rather than hold out and possibly never locate another one in better condition for a long time to come. As long as your children respect and take proper care of the things they have, I say let them run and enjoy them under your adult guidance and supervision.

 

FYI, I'll always remember the story of a collector who prided himself in keeping all his trains in pristine condition so he could get the best deal on them when the time came to sell them. Well, for one rather expensive engine the time came, and fearful of the buyer leaving fingerprints all over it he decided to remove it from it's box rather than have the potential buyer do it.  To his utter dismay, he fiddled so nervously and awkwardly as he removed that the train from its box both train and box slid from his grasp onto a concrete floor. Needless to say not only was that engine no longer pristine but was spo damaged he never got another offer to buy it.

To me, buying trains for investment is an elusive pipedream much as buying a lottery ticket in hope you'll win a cashfall. Neither is anywhere close to a sure thing. 

My Grandson was taught at a very young at how to handle the trains.  We always allowed him to touch & look to his hearts content.  Then when he was finished he didn't bother with them again.  He has never broken anything and understands that although they are TOYS they still need to be played with carefully.  Because we taught him appreciation of the trains and allowed him to touch and enjoy them, there is one more train lover in the universe.

 

Oh my gosh, your going to burn in ****.............

Don

Why do you give a rats ___ what anyone thinks. They are your trains, spray em with lighter fluid and set em on fire if you want to. I've never understood why people post these should I or shouldn't I posts other than for attention.

"So is it wrong for me to play with them and let my kids grubby hands get all over them? I sure hope not!"

 

No it's not wrong, it's absolutely normal behavior and the right thing to do!You have to ask yourself, "What's more important? A train you deny them, or the enjoyment and memories your kids will have from using it?"

 

To deny your kids the trains and the fun you will have sharing the trains with them is behavior I would call questionable. We need to give our kids and grandchildren the same enthusiasm and memories for toy trains as most of us seniors have.

 

Run 'em till the wheels fall off!

I assume you bought them because you like them so IMO you should run them as much as you like.  It sounds like you are an operator vs. a collector.   Regardless of the value, these ares still just toys and are meant to be enjoyed.  Llife is too short to a) drink cheap beer and b) worry about not running a train that you like and bought.  

 

Ed

If you ask the question in a different forum, you may get vastly different answers . . . .

It is totally wrong to run mint or near-mint condition trains. Those items were stored in boxes for a reason: so they can remain in pristine condition. They are not to be soiled or damaged by deluded people who think they were made to be played with by children or immature adults. Immediately return all those trains to their original boxes (after carefully removing any smudges or residue from PB&J sandwiches) - be careful not to tear the end flaps on the boxes! - and store them in a safe place so in 30 years or so their value will increase ten-fold... or, maybe a couple bucks each.  

If they were mine I would run them. Trains aren't any fun sitting on a shelf.

LOL!  Run them!  What the heck did YOU buy them for?  Now here's the burning question:  How much did you pay for them relative to their MSRP?  40%?  Can some one tell me why near Mint or even Mint rolling stock go for such a discount anyway?  Are they inferior to the current production?  If not, why to do they go for so much less (on this forum or in any other venue like EBAY.   Why do people pay so much for new production when they can get vintage 90s stuff for so cheap?  I am talking ERTL, Aquariums, Passenger, you name it.   I have said once already today.  These things are a depreciating asset.  It makes absolutely no sense to "collect" them and make them shelf queens unless you just like looking at them.

I hope you are using brand new track with them.

I two- railed all of my Lionel 700-series stuff, and the tank cars are in a train as I type.  I even got some new decals and repainted a pair of them.  When I croak, they will be lucky to escape the giant dumpster, along with all those Piper Cub parts.

We don't even know what cars he's talking about. Are they post 70 mint cars? or are they post-war or pre-war mint cars. I have a mint 700E from 1938 and I run it every day.

I run everything, even mint sealed post war I have opened and ran them. Who really needs them if you don't run them.

  I love people who don't run their trains and keep them in boxes!

I go to train auctions all the time and pick up mint trains for 5 bucks a car that went for 40 bucks new 10 years ago.

  It keeps bottom feeders like myself in the hobby.

 It's a shame these people never had any fun.

Your nuts if you run post-war mint sealed trains.

AHHHHH what good is having something if you can't play with it.WHAT you gonna do???Put it up on a shelf so people can ignore it after a BRIEF thrill?I buy these trains all the time for penny's on a dollar.You know where they came from?I will tell you where they came from.Some old guy(Bless him)collected them,nobody gave a sht like he did....He died,his kids immedeatly discarded them on E bay took the money and blew it on new cell phones... tatoos and Taco Bell.I will run these trains like the real railroads did.INTO the ground then cut em up for scrap metal.Now put that in your pipe and smoke it.

This is what I do with mint trains.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I1REm7ltYU

 

Steve

Not in my opinion Eddie, I have had many sealed PW items including many engines that I have opened and ran to the dismay and horror  of some of my friends.

 

The really sad thing is guys who die never running their trains, just stacking them up somewhere in their house waiting for the day they will build a layout. Do it now before it's too late.