Just a head up Pawn Stars on the History Channel has Boxed 1957 Girls Set on tonight's program
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What was the outcome on the girl's train set on the show? Did it sell and if so at what price?
Bill
$3400. Looks like it had all the boxes. Outer box was rough, car boxes maybe Ok. A few small paint chips but nice. Had the white transformer. Did not run, but I doubt they cleaned anything.
Steve
Remember my father taking me to a local bicycle store ( Joe's Bicycle shop) in Sayre and suggesting that perhaps the set would be a great Christmas Gift! Well I pitched a fit!! Ended up with a 2046 Freight set that year. Now over the years I have wondered what happened to that set!
In the program there was a note that apparently it was such a flop that Lionel took sets back and they were refinished and sold. I have no idea if that is an accurate statement or not!
Tom weaver posted:In the program there was a note that apparently it was such a flop that Lionel took sets back and they were refinished and sold. I have no idea if that is an accurate statement or not!
I believe that is an accurate statement. The set did not sell well at all (hence its later collector scarcity and value). An admirable effort by Lionel as they attempted to get the entire family involved with Lionel trains, but it just did not work out. Turns out girls who wanted trains at all wanted the same trains the boys wanted.
I believe Madison Hardware repainted a number of engines just to get rid of them
I have seen one 2037 that was painted black by the original owner. They said that the dealer could not sell the engine, so they bought it on the cheap, and painted the engine black themselves. It was all chipped up so you could see the pink in spots. Don't know if they bought the set or just the engine and tender.
Ironically, they are selling the heck out of stuff painted for girls, now, and, if the forum posts are any indication, the girls are playing with them.
I saw that episode last night. Rare or not, that locomotive and tender was hideous....
Here are some screenshots from last nights show
The seller's asking price was $7,500 & he sold the set to the shop for $3,400. I have seen this set on display at a local Michigan restaurant and I would not be interested in this set.
Gary
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Why did the seller try to sell the set in a pawn shop even Pawn Stars for $7,500 anyway.
Just to be clear: Lionel did not take them back, but many dealers repainted them.
DennyM posted:Why did the seller try to sell the set in a pawn shop even Pawn Stars for $7,500 anyway.
So he could be on TV, and to try and get more money than he would from a knowledgeable train buyer.
Plus, we don't know how the deal REALLY worked. Just like the Pickers.
"Plus, we don't know how the deal REALLY worked. Just like the Pickers."
Exactly! Stopped watching these shows several years ago. About as believable as SpongeBob!
So I just watched it and here is my take on it. I think the price was pretty fair for what they have been going for. But, their toy guy did not seem to know much about it at all, IMHO. Lastly, when Cory turned it on and opened the throttle and it just sat there, I wonder if it was just in neutral and they did not know it. The light came on, clearly. I think since it was TV, they have to move on quickly..
Cincytrains posted:So I just watched it and here is my take on it. I think the price was pretty fair for what they have been going for. But, their toy guy did not seem to know much about it at all, IMHO. Lastly, when Cory turned it on and opened the throttle and it just sat there, I wonder if it was just in neutral and they did not know it. The light came on, clearly. I think since it was TV, they have to move on quickly..
For all we know, it could have been staged not to run. This is a TV show plain and simple. I've been to this pawn shop. It's very very crowded between takes due to its popularity. When they're ready to shoot everybody is asked to leave (kicked out), and the store appears to be nearly empty. People bring in a million things, and they just pick what they want to put on the air. That's simply logical for a TV show. The bottom line = ratings = higher revenue from commercials.
I brought in a civil war bayonet, but they said they had those already. They made me a low ball offer. Mine was in great shape and far better than the rusty one they had in a display case for a lot more money than they offered me. I'm not saying that they tried to rip me off, but they're in business to make money.
I've found this show to be interesting enough to watch in the past. Just don't do much TV at all anymore. No, I'm not reading books; I just stream.
With my above comments it shouldn't be take as a negative hit on the show. It's just my reality based observation. And it is not my IMHO. I do not consider my opinions humble. However, I'm not arrogant about them either (somewhere in the middle with a high degree of certainty. But this is a necessity in being a doctor. Being sure of oneself is a necessary personality trait for one that wants to go into medicine. Then becoming and being a doctor ingrains it further into you. I must say I really can't stand arrogant and condescending doctors, of which there are too many. Did I get off topic???).
Alan
I saw the set at a TTOS meet, the guy wanted 2500.00 for it and it was a little beat up. I thought at the time that anyone who wanted to buy the set for that amount was bonkers.
On another part of the tread, the engine being pink got my belly to growl, when I saw someone painted a GG1 pink, I think it was Williams I had to run to the bathroom. O the humanity's!
Looking through the posts I see a lot of you guise saying that they have very little knowledge of trains in general. I agree with all of it through and through. On you tube there is a clip of pawn stars of a man coming in with a restored (the worst thing that can ever happen) 260e that was owned by Johnny Cash. The guy wanted a high dollar price of $15,000. In the pocket guide (train Bible) it shows that this variation is worth up to $500. Over all, the seller gave this price due to it was "owned" by the man in black. In the end, Rick bought it for $2,000. Once again one of the antique guys over spend on something that is ruined by a restoration. (Frank Fritz and the two tone brown state set.)
DennyM posted:Why did the seller try to sell the set in a pawn shop even Pawn Stars for $7,500 anyway.
When I used to watch the show, I was amazed at how many people expected to get retail from a pawn shop/reseller. Why? Common sense seems to play no role for many.
Brendan
Our store Lionel Distributor was Bernie Paul located on Allegheny Ave in Philadelphia in 1957. The girls train sets were such a flop that starting in December that year, if you wanted to purchase additional Lionel sets from the distributor, you HAD to purchase 1 girls set for every 3 regular sets . Bernie sold them to you at his cost, but that was the way he got rid of the pink sets. I repainted the steam locos black, using a toothpick and Lionel grease to cover over the numbers and lettering before spraying w/ a very light black mist coat. I resprayed the box cars brown and glued advertisements from the magazines my mother had lying around. The transformer and gondola car were sprayed black and also decorated. We did not bother w/ the hopper, and the caboose was painted red w/ "Pennsylvania" lettering. I did attach our store label to the loco interior, and now & then we do get one in for repair. Harry 
Nothing you see on pawn stars or the pickers is real or spontaneous. Everything all set up before filming. It's a tv show and that is all it is.
Dave
John Pignatelli JR. posted:On another part of the tread, the engine being pink got my belly to growl, when I saw someone painted a GG1 pink, I think it was Williams I had to run to the bathroom. O the humanity's!
My older granddaughter got the pink WbB GG1 set for Christmas. I ponied-up for a PS3 upgrade so it can run on my layout. She loves it and it's a great runner. We've added the Lionel pink N&W hopper and Kline tank car as well. The pink train set is a hit with millennial girls.
As for Pawn Stars, they would be well advised to leave Lionel trains alone. IMHO this is at least the second time they've overpaid for a set.
Contemporary girls like it ? None of my contemporary "girls" (contemporary with the set) have liked it. I thought it was planned so Lionel would not be outdone by the Marx "bunny train" fiasco? Uh, some of those "mature" girls really like the "bunny train".
I have a Girls Set by Lionel and it's new and in the box, MINT! 
Of course it's one of the reproductions they came out with about fifteen years ago. 
Oh well at lest it's not the K-Line repro. 
Barb, my fiancee , had exactly the same reaction as a lot of other women when she first saw the Girl's Set. She hated it! Felt it was an insult to girls, who wanted trains that looked just like the ones the boys had. Didn't tell her anything about the Girl's Set. It was a spontaneous reaction on her part when she saw the Pawn Stars segment.
Also, $3400 for a Girl's Set in that shape is about retail in today's market, maybe even a little high. People only pay top dollar for pristine Girl's Sets these days.
Ed Boyle.
My wife bought me a Polar Express set when they first came out. Had it on back-order for 4 months to get one. When she saw an ad for the K Line Girl's set, she made the remark about liking it... so.... she received one for the next Christmas and loves it! She likes one was made with girls in mind. She had a Lionel set when little in the '50s, and I have recreated it for her. This is all appropriate as we met and fell in love on the AMTRAK Texas Eagle over Christmas holiday 2003. Gotta love it!
Jesse TCA
Cincytrains posted:So I just watched it and here is my take on it. I think the price was pretty fair for what they have been going for. But, their toy guy did not seem to know much about it at all, IMHO. Lastly, when Cory turned it on and opened the throttle and it just sat there, I wonder if it was just in neutral and they did not know it. The light came on, clearly. I think since it was TV, they have to move on quickly..
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I have the O tinplate boys and girls set. If I run them at a club meet, not much interest. If I run them at a public show like the Great Train Show, they get a lot of attention and positive comments. Maybe it depends on the audience.
Steve
Just remember... There IS a prototype for everything 
:
Rusty
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lionel1946 posted:"Plus, we don't know how the deal REALLY worked. Just like the Pickers."
Exactly! Stopped watching these shows several years ago. About as believable as SpongeBob!
You hit the nail on the head......all those shows are SCRIPTED....
The Sale • Is it fake or real? Check it out?
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Gary
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I think most people know shows like Pickers and Pawn Stars are all scripted and staged. They are in contact and set it up days or weeks in advance before taping the show. They know what they're going to do. How it's going to work etc.
colorado hirailer posted:Contemporary girls like it ? None of my contemporary "girls" (contemporary with the set) have liked it. I thought it was planned so Lionel would not be outdone by the Marx "bunny train" fiasco? Uh, some of those "mature" girls really like the "bunny train".
Different strokes for different folks. Some do like it and similar fantasy schemes. How is it any different from Scooby-Doo or Batman or Thomas?
Personally, I think they all look better than almost anything the Pennsy put on the rails during the 20th century in real life. 
All scripted. No way the pickers could make a living on the $25 profit off an old sign or an old lamp. Same with the Pawn Shop. Their business is TV now.
LOL, some of you gentlemen are a real buzzkill! 
Yes, its been reported that items are screened, vetted, and examined in advance. Customers may even be coached on how to appear on TV. However, the items are real, the customers are real, and the sales prices (although negotiated in advance) are also real.
Personally, my wife and I enjoy the show, seeing the unique items, and trying to guess what they might be worth.
Once you see a rerun of the Pawn Stars episode where a dude is trying to sell a soda machine, only the dude is one of the stars from another show called American Restoration, THEN you will question every episode you’ve ever seen and never watch again.
To see them pretending not to know each other, and knowing that a year or two later the spin-off (American Restoration) begins, killer ALL “reality” TV for me!
When I see somebody (yes, I occasionally put the Pawn shop show on for lack of anything else interesting to watch at meal time) having a fairly valuable item looked at by a bona fide expert who comes to the Pawn Shop by request and when informed of the assumed retail value then ask Rick for full value, whatever it is, why wouldn't he aim a gun at their head because they don't seem to have the slightest idea they're in a Pawn Shop!!!! And they need to be culled from the herd immediately. Rick does carry a piece, by the way, so the show HAS TO BE scripted or else he would take their head off. I'm really sorry for venting but C'mon......
jd-train posted:LOL, some of you gentlemen are a real buzzkill!
Yes, its been reported that items are screened, vetted, and examined in advance. Customers may even be coached on how to appear on TV. However, the items are real, the customers are real, and the sales prices (although negotiated in advance) are also real.
Personally, my wife and I enjoy the show, seeing the unique items, and trying to guess what they might be worth.
What are you thinking? Nothing about the show is real, the items, the customers, nothing is real. It's a TV show, nothing about it is real.
I can't understand why people watch it.
Dave
Train Nut posted:I think most people know shows like Pickers and Pawn Stars are all scripted and staged. They are in contact and set it up days or weeks in advance before taping the show. They know what they're going to do. How it's going to work etc.
prices are predetermined before the stars of the show even show up. ;-)
My problem w/pickers, they try and buy the 1936 to 1947 Harleys (knuckle heads) especially original paint, for a fraction of their market value, even when they say it's for their personal collection. You can tell the ones who know the value of what they have, they're firm on not selling.
It’s entertainment, take it for what it is. Watch it or change the channel.
