Layout Appraisal

Did you ask your insurance agent if he/she or your carrier had any suggestions? There are various appraisers in business but you need someone who specializes in unique items as you already know. The value of your particular item has value beyond mere replacement of similar items. Some carriers do not not want to go beyond that aspect.

 

Good luck Matt.

Is there a market for used layouts?  As I understand it, the value is in the easily removed stuff like structures and track.

Hi mattrains,

Noel Barrett may be a good starting point. It's most likely worth a phone call to David Streets for the celebrity memorabilia aspect. The John Kitterman tie with Neil Young may also interest another crowd, so a third aspect for appraisal could be considered.

This is a tough item to appraise.

 

I read the thread about the move from the museum. But, I have one question. What happened with Tom's train collection?

Don:

Thank you for the advice this is going to actually be for our insurance policy.

Moonman:

Thank you,I'll try to reach out To the two you suggested.

As to the collection my father and I  helped pack it up in California and it came in the same container that the layout came in.

Thanks,

Mathew

I would provide any items of provenance that you can produce to the appraiser, like Mrs. Kittering's post in the 2011 move thread. It links everything\everyone together from inception to now.

Give them your inventory list with the following categories filled in:

 

Manufacturer, product number, description, purchase (retail) price, date

 

They will determine the value from that. Unfortunately man hours and/or uniqness do not factor...

I would think Christies has the capability of providing an estimated value.

They have recently auction at least one large collection.

And they are well recognized for their expertise.

 

http://www.christies.com/

Michael,

Are you an underwriter? A collection of trains, accessories, the layout and celebrity ownership with a solid provenance certainly does have added value due to it's uniqueness.

How do you figure it doesn't?

The celebrity ownership definitely makes a difference - but will be hard to estimate. I would also suggest a major auction house that has experience with celebrity items. It is definitely worth more than the sum of its parts.

 

Not to take anything away from Tom Snyder, but just think of the added value if it were Frank Sinatra's layout!!!

 

Jim

Don:

Thank you for the advice this is going to actually be for our insurance policy.-- Yes I knew that part.

Jim's suggestion of Christies is great. Also Sotheby's is another good choice.

Thank you all for your replies.

 

Michael:

 

I feel that a collection and layout that was built for and owned by a celebrity can't be valued just by the cost of the layout and the trains, that's why I'm reaching out to find someone who can put an actual dollar amount on it.

 

Thanks,

 

Mathew

Just going by what my insurance people tell me. I didn't realize we were talking "celebrity" - sorry. The name Tom Snyder did not ring a bell for me.

Tom Snyder was a pretty cool guy and very much qualifies as a celebrity in my book.  I knew he was a model train lover "nut" but have never seen his layout.  Any pictures you could post?

 

Art

Wow!  That is really something.  Thanks for posting, John.

 

Art

It is wise to find an appraiser, to get an idea of how much to insure it for. With something like toy trains like this, it is going to be a bit more tricky than any other collectible, because celebrity ownership may or may not change the value above other similar items. If I remember correctly, Tom's collection featured a lot of prewar (could be I am recollecting that wrong), and in the world of pre war trains, would collectors care if it was owned by someone like Tom Snyder, or would  it only be worth what a similar item is worth in general? Personally, I suspect that it being Tom Snyders would not increase the value of it that much, people looking for celebrity collectibles probably wouldn't be that interested in something like trains (they generally like things like clothing, signed documents and so forth) and train collectors probably aren't going to be that hyped up on the celebrity aspect, they would be, for example, a lot more interested if Tom had a 700e because it was one, not because he owned it. Also add to the fact that Tom Snyder was not as big a celebrity as let's say a movie star or music star, he kind of was more of a cult celebrity (and I say that with all do love and affection, I liked his show a lot), so that would factor in, too. My guess would be it would probably be worth the sum of the parts, as if this was a private collector and not Tom Snyder, but I could be wrong, too, and I am not an appraiser, so you are smart finding out. I can say that at the very least, it would be worth what similar items go for, it is like old coins, especially gold coins, they are never worth less than the value of the metal in them

 

One suggestion I have, there are several big auction houses in NYC, Sotheby's , Christies and Bonhams come to mind, give them a call and ask them if they can suggest an appraiser to work with you, explain what you have, and see. Or maybe call one of the auction houses that routinely deals with appraisals, or maybe call the TCA train museum and see how they appraise their collection for insurance reasons,might have an idea who to get to do it. 

Who is Tom Snyder?

Clem, if you take a look at the small embedded video a few posts up on this page, you will see, by reading the opening credits, that 'way in the future, in the year 2112, a layout assembled by Tom Snyder will be recorded and posted on something called the "internet."

 

Seriously, you don't remember the famous TV personality (and train collector) Tom Snyder? Here's what you might find out about him if you use Wikipedia:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Snyder

 

 

Anybody care for a Colortini ?

 

Great layout, thanks for posting the video

 

Brent

I don't believe that many know custom built layouts better than Clark Dunham. He is an advertiser here and can be found by clicking above. While Clark is not a professional appraiser he can provide a very accurate quote on what it would cost to rebuild that layout. You might have to pay his way to Patterson and he will charge you a fee or whatever, but Clark Dunham knows layouts in and out and knows exactly what they would cost to build and replace. IMO that Tom Snyder tinplate layout is probably worth more than you believe it to be.   Clark might be able to appraise without a visit if you supply measurements and detailed pictures of all parts of the layout but I cannot speak for him. Give Clark a call.The most that he could do is  say no.

Let's not forget about the excellent video TM did on Tom and the layout.  It was the second volume in their Celebrity Train Layouts series.

 

Andy

Hi Arthur

I don't watch television, don't get any signal, mine just plays DVD's. Don't listen to the radio much either. 

 

Clem

 

Was.  He passed away back in 2007 from a form of Leukemia.  He was a television & radio personality/host as well as former newscaster.  He hosted the Tomorrow Show during the 1970s and 1980s and the Late Late Show during the 1990s before he retired.

 

He had interviewed numerous celebrities on his shows, including Mandy Patinkin where they discussed toy trains together on the air.  There was one infamous occasion  where booked guest Waylon Jennings walked out before he was set to go on air with Tom for an interview; Waylon originally wanted his interview to last the entire hour but had to share it with Dr. Laura who went first.  When he noticed Dr. Laura was getting more air time than he would he basically left the studio and left Tom hanging with about 20 minutes of open time to kill, ended up talking mostly about Waylon walking out as I recall.

 

Also as has been previously mentioned he was the narrator for the "Century of Lionel Trains" videos made by TM Books & Video.

Hi Arthur

I don't watch television, don't get any signal.

 

OK, I figured that maybe you would have read or otherwise heard about him somewhere in the train collecting venue.

Tom Snyder was a real train guy   He was very upset when his friend Ward Kimballs trains went out to auction after his death.  He made his lifelong companion promise to not ever sell his collection and layout.  It was originally housed in a club in Richmond California but they needed the space and asked her to either take it back or get rid of it.  She was very happy to find Mat and his father.

 

We had some of Mr Snyders friends at the dedication of the layout at the NJ HiRailers

 

This is Mr Snyders companion along with Mats father MArty and me  That's Spencer Christian on the right

Spencer Christian dedicating a plaque to Mr Snyder

This is the whole crew   There were a number of producers and directors from Mr Snyders career  The guy standing on the right is Dr Frank Field

 

One of the biggect celebrities on hand is the guy in the back with the blue shirt taking the picture  Its none other than Al Kolis

 

This is Kaity Tong along with Dennis and Marilyn 

 

 

Usually an appraisal has to do with sale value.  Cost to rebuild has to be a special category?  One can insure for replacement value - but you would need bids, not an appraisal.

 

What is the risk of loss? Fire?

 

My impression is that rolling stock is generally separable, and a whole lot more valuable.

So, do the trains and layout belong to Mat and his father, or to the Jersey Hi-Railers?  Did Snyder's companion have a connection to Mat?  How did the transaction take place? Just wondering!  A historical review please?  Ron B.

The layout is owned by the Board of Directors of NJHR. most of the trains are individually owned (Lackawanna mostly by Ben) the connection between Tom Snyder and the club is Tom McComas.

I was really asking about the Snyder Trains.  I assume they are property of the Club also.  Tom Mc Comas led to the donation to the HIRailers?

Hi Ron,

 

Yes they also belong to the Board of Directors. Tom McComas had stayed in touch with Tom Snyder's companion and when she let him know that they were looking for a new home for the layout and collection he immediately put her in touch with my father. After working out the details everything was donated and packed up in a shipping container in March of 2011.

 

Thanks,

 

Mathew