I have a couple of rail cars like this. But I have no recollection of how I acquired them. What do you think the value is for keeping them and running them on my layout?
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IMO, it's "value" is what someone else is willing to pay you for it should you want to sell it. It's "value" to you may make it priceless!
Hundreds of MTH preprodction samples were sold a few years ago. I acquired about a dozen or so through the primary auction site that was selling them. I don't believe there is much value in them unless you acquired a piece that would be considered desirable.
Bill
If you like the cars I would run them and enjoy them.
I have a few too. Nothing to get too excited about. Run them and enjoy them.
Thank you for your feedback. That's pretty much what I've been doing with them. Didn't want to discover that I'd made a big mistake.
I got an un-painted production sample PRR H-10 that I traded to a three-rail friend for a two-rail Central Locomotive Works PRR H-10. I almost considered converting it but the expense involved and my friend's willingness to do the trade made up my mind for me. I also have a six-axle NYC depressed-center flat that will get the two-rail treatment; the value to me is in the usability of the car, not its origin.
It would seem to me to be a future question. What was the role that Mike Wolf and Mikes Train House played in the history and development of the toy trains that generations before us enjoyed and hopefully those coming later will continue to enjoy?
Some basic posits:
1. If Williams had not started reproducing tinplate Mike Wolf would probably not have gotten into toy trains.
2 If Mike Wolf had not purchased the dies from Williams he probably would not have started reproducing tinplate and gone on to develop some of the most revolutionary die cast o gauge product ever produced.
3. I Mike Wolf had not aided Lionel in the development of their scale die cast product we probably would not have seen their line of scale die cast for years or maybe ever.
4. If Lionel back in the 60's sold off all of their prototypes from the beginning would there be a reason to try to buy and save them, assuming that they still existed in their warehouse which mostly they did not?
The issue of value here is not a dollar value in my opinion. It is a question of value to the hobby. I have talked with people who purchased some of this 'history' and repainted it or otherwise destroyed its historical context. Not sure the future will see that as a win.
This sort of thing I find interesting, but I don't "go after it" unless it's modestly priced. I have only a weak collector gene. But it's there. I do find such things more interesting that the typical Pre- or Post-War collecting, which I don't do at all. Those things have been worked to death.
I bought a production sample passenger car body.....I built it and run it.
Bill DeBrooke posted:It would seem to me to be a future question. What was the role that Mike Wolf and Mikes Train House played in the history and development of the toy trains that generations before us enjoyed and hopefully those coming later will continue to enjoy?
Some basic posits:
1. If Williams had not started reproducing tinplate Mike Wolf would probably not have gotten into toy trains.
2 If Mike Wolf had not purchased the dies from Williams he probably would not have started reproducing tinplate and gone on to develop some of the most revolutionary die cast o gauge product ever produced.
3. I Mike Wolf had not aided Lionel in the development of their scale die cast product we probably would not have seen their line of scale die cast for years or maybe ever.
4. If Lionel back in the 60's sold off all of their prototypes from the beginning would there be a reason to try to buy and save them, assuming that they still existed in their warehouse which mostly they did not?
The issue of value here is not a dollar value in my opinion. It is a question of value to the hobby. I have talked with people who purchased some of this 'history' and repainted it or otherwise destroyed its historical context. Not sure the future will see that as a win.
I agree. Auburn, Kris, Kusan, even Marx, at times there is no dollar value per say, but they all have an important place in the history of the hobby; and presevation due, imo has to start somewhere.
The historical value of those is greater than it's production run if enough examples of the production run exist, but if there were only a one off protype and 1 production run unit left, I'd put more value on the production run, personally. With variables like that I'd run and enjoy, but baby them too.
