What treasures have you found?

Maybe the best deal I got were some almost new Atlas O, O-54 switches that my LHS had sold new to someone and they later decided they wanted O-72's. They traded them

back in to my LHS for the O-72's. They gave me a really good deal on these and they were all in excellent condition. The original owner had never even wired up the switch machines. They looked like they had never been used and I got them for half price. A few dozen more of those and I would be all set on switches for life.

Also the 1:43/1:48/1:50 vehicles available at many places are often very reasonably priced, some real bargains out there on those items if you keep your eyes open for them.

Many things I have purchased used have had problems, probably why the person was getting rid of them. Parts are no longer available for some of these items and I can't fix them. Got most on ebay, so I have stopped doing that. We have very few trains shows here and the ones they have are almost all HO & N, very little O gauge. I have gone to mostly new purchases unless something used it in really good condition. 

I've never really found anything, but, I have offered and sold some really fine O Gauge items in my garage sales for cheap.  The folks that bought my stuff should post their finds here.  You would be amazed!

Bob S.

Best I found was a Cable/Clutch control Bulldozer in Scale at the Amhearst show a couple years back.

These are hard to find, Hydraulic ones are everywhere.

Last year I found the K-Line 3 car Heavyweight Red Cross rolling Laboratory set still in the box. Never knew they existed till I saw them, Had to grab 'em.

Shows are good for that, better than any other forum for finding what you didn't know existed.

Yes, I scored a deal of a life time at an estate auction.  You can read about it HERE

A friend of mine found a Lionel S-2 Duplex in the box sitting in a pile of train parts. Gave it to me.

Its missing the tender trucks and sound boards and the IR tether.

Otherwise it works... now to find out how in the heck do I put this back together...

I looked everywhere to find a Legacy M1b a few years ago.  I couldn't locate one anywhere in the US.  At some point I walked into America's Best and lo and behold there was one sitting there on the wall right before my eyes.  I think I paid full retail, but I was shocked to find it and it is probably my favorite engine, so in the sense that the money spent has made me happy it was a "good" price.

Ben

I found a real treasure (of sorts). I've never been one to shop, "Estate Sales". Three years ago I went to one that appeared in our local newspaper. Once there they had a few prewar trains that were not mentioned in the paper. I was shocked to find two Lionel electric profile engines in their original boxes, one #8 and #10. Both were in unbelievably condition, both C-7+. Plus there was seven 500 series freight cars in their original boxes. Each of the cars were in the same condition as the engines. I was so excited that I could hardly contain myself. I was almost afraid to ask how much. I asked one of the attendants, which sparked a five-way conversation between what I learned to be the children of the deceased. After a few minutes they agreed saying, "Make us an offer". I already had a figure of, $250.00 in mind, I offered and they accepted. As I loaded the boxes in my car I noticed an odd sounding rattle coming from two of the boxes.

When I arrived home I immediately checked each item carefully. All the time I wondered about the former owner. How and why did he keep the cars so perfectly preserved. When I opened the two boxes that had the odd sounding rattle, I carefully opened each. In each of the box cars was a coin in a plastic dealer holder wrapped in tissue. Upon examination I was shocked. I had two 1862 ten dollar gold coins in outstanding condition. Needless to say I could hardly breathe as I read the flyer given to me as I paid for my items. The flyer read, "All Sales Are Final" 

two $10 gold coins?!  all I ever found in a car I bought were a pair of 206 and a 207 Lionel coal bags stuffed in a 2530 baggage car, lol.  congrats on your good fortune

Sante Fe drumhead, 1 to 1 version.

Oh yeah!!!  That'd be very, very hard to top.  I remember leavintracks' thread on the "find of a lifetime."  The 1:1 drumhead tops that IMHO.

My find was attending a TCA show in the late '80's and making the acquaintance of one of the members with a table and a few items.  He told me about some of the items he had purchased from Madison Hardware (2355, 2329, 746, 2332, etc.) mint w/o ob's that he had at home.  He invited me down for a week-end visit (I was living in Chicago) which I did the next month.

Bought a ton of mint PW engines and had a great time with this TCA charter member.  We stayed in touch; and, he had a son in the Chicago area, so we had my new friend and .his son and daughter-in-law over for dinner when he visited the following Christmas.

I love these stories.  Ends my day on such a positive note 

Three years ago at York. Blew my budget 5 minutes after the doors opened. Train Pop gave me a great deal on a NIB Lionel N&W Scale "A". I have yet to see this price matched.

Gilly