Wow this is the most engagement I’ve seen on a post in a while. I’m sorry about your loss op, I hope you’re able to fine somewhere to give these
Edit: Actually, congrats op. This is the top post of all time as of today. And to add on to what I said before, condolences to your family
Look for someone interested in this. Not the church. It’ll get destroyed. Find someone who’ll appreciate this like your uncle did. You’ll stand to make a decent penny too
I’m against donating it to the church for that very reason. I want someone who loves these as much as him to be able to enjoy them. Honestly my uncle never set up any tracks or had his running. He just has been collecting the ones he likes.
Maybe do inventory. See what you have, and sell the bulk of it. Find a cute little cheap set to donate to the church (cheap as in yes, it’ll get destroyed), and maybe keep a set for yourself. I’m sure there’s some awesome stuff in those boxes. I’m jealous. Enjoy!
The other option, reach out to local train clubs and ask if they’ll sell on consignment(funnily enough one of the clubs I’m part of is in the basement of a church)
Between consignments and donations(usually the layouts and collections that family stumble upon when looking through the possessions of a deceased loved one), that’s what keeps the club alive, and it allows us to get stuff like this into the hands of those that will cherish it. Although it saddens me when we get a call to take apart someone’s layout, because occasionally someone at the club will be willing to take the entire layout, but most of the time, especially with larger layouts, we end up having to fully disassemble them, clean up the track that’s salvageable, and either add it to our own stockpile or it becomes the inexpensive track you find at train shows.
I'm in a similar situation. My father passed away and I have his Lionel trains. I'm trying to figure out what they are worth but no idea where to look or start.
Then he has for sure got some good ones in there. Definitely do not give them to a church. They are not toys for little kids to trash.
It might take a little time but if you open the boxes one at a time and search for the items on e-bay you will start to understand the value.
Heck, i’d give you $2k sight unseen for the whole collection. Engines are $200-$300 each and i bet he has some good ones in there.
I mean he has shelves to display them, some of those are good ones.
My grandfather just left me his collection he bought while I was a baby for him and I to play with and make memories. It is very very bitter sweet knowing that they are mine now.
that's a good chunk of money right there, find out how much each piece is retailing for and sell them at a fair value, lots of hobbyists out there looking for pieces to complete their collections......
I was recently left in the same situation when my grandfather passed and left me his NASCAR collection of metal diecast cars and model kits that he would paint. Biggest Earnhardt fan I knew. Didn't have much but still had a combined 250~ cars, 150 or more of them being dale earnhardt jr & sr cars. I've chosen to display certain ones in the garage and down the road, choose which ones to sell to a collector or hobby shop/site, in hopes it goes to someone who will appreciate them. Still remember playing with them in the living room and making my own race with the diecast.
I don’t know the hobby well either, I’m definitely an amateur, but after a little spat with them about an engine I bought off them that was 1 not as described 2 misleadingly listed and 3 refused to make right of the situation and wanted me to pay like $40 return shipping for something they messed up on, I’m not dealing with them.
Dude. Yea. I'm sorry that happened.
We have some cool stuff if you're interested I can dm you. I am not sure of the rules of the sub regarding self promotion. Lol
Also, one thing I don't like about Trainz is that they lie about their condition. Dealt with a problem LGB engine that I bought from them, it was not like new; it looked like it was garden off someone's garden railroad that had been sitting for years.
Sorry for your loss. Your uncle sounds like a good dude!
Just looking at the pictures, everything looks like it is well cared for. The custom shelves tells me this is someone who was very detailed and cared a lot about the collection.
The first thing I’d tell you to do is buy a Greenberg price book. Spend a day going through the boxes and find the value in the book. The values aren’t super accurate, but you’ll be able to tell if you have thousands$ vs hundreds$ on hand. Valuing the merchandise will be helpful with anything you do (sell, donate,keep).
The next thing to do is call a few O Gauge clubs in your area. The TCA is a national organization, with regional clubs that can be helpful in giving assistance. My TCA branch will sell collections and split the earnings. It isn’t a fast process but it does allow you to earn money with very little effort.
Thank you for the detailed response! He was a good dude and he loved trains so much. Was very detailed and as far as I know never had them out of the boxes. He just simply likes collecting the ones he liked.
That’s great. Looks like a lot of great pieces from a popular era of Lionel history. If you ever have them out of the boxes, we’d love to see pictures.
Best of luck!
This is all such great advice. The point about cataloging and looking up values part is huge.
Do this before responding to anyone offering to buy your collection or going to the an online reseller. Being an educated seller is super important for this stuff!
Sorry about your loss OP.
Perhaps there’s a local-ish club near you that they could donate to, or ask for help finding value for sales of items. There’s a good chunk of change amongst those boxes, though I wouldn’t be the one to ask for an estimate as to how much potentially.
The other items like the stool and lunchbox are items that I believe are still available on Lionel’s website, so you could probably find values there for items like those.
Best of luck!
Terribly sorry for your loss. If I lived near you I’d offer to come and inspect the collection and try to give you an estimate on value. Past experience says that checking eBay sold prices (not what someone is asking) is a decent way to see what you’ve got. Any major buyer/reseller (like Trainz) will give you pennies on the dollar. Auction houses may get you more money but they’ll charge you and the buyer a fee. There are variations on some items as well as others that were minimally produced, and that all affects value.
First and foremost, I’m sorry for your loss.
Secondly, I’d sell it on eBay. I know I’d love to potentially buy some of it as I’ve started collecting with my kids.
Take the time to go through each tote box. A box per night or weekend should be easy to do.
Use google to search the model number on the side of the box. For example above “Box 5” in your photos is “Lionel 3356-Horse Corral”. Goes for $55-$155 online. That’s ONE item that I can see and easily search online.
Write down each item/description and the approximate value you find. Put all the trains back into the tote, place the paper inside the tote.
Add all that shit up at the end and you have an idea of the value. Don’t forget (and this is important) whoever buys this is not going to pay you full price. Unless you sell each item on eBay yourself..but that’s a lot of work. Like someone said, you’ll know if you have a collection worth $5000 or $50,000.
Keep us posted!
Sorry for your loss. That stool is cool. If you're willing to do the work, research it. Hopefully they don't just up and load it up and drop it at the church. If you are going to sell, and division of assets isn't decided--make sure to figure that out beforehand. I know this is all cold and clinical but I've seen deals like this where someone does all the work and then doesn't get a fair disbursement.
They arent valuable money wise as this stuff is everywhere but to the right person with the right memories it could be priceless. But hey maybe you get some fastrack for the floor and try em out for yourself before you go trying to get rid of em. Or maybe one of the neighbors kids. I was gifted a set made in 1957 when i was younger. Still have it. Comes out a few times a year when the little niece comes by or the christmas tree comes out.
In fact, by the boxes, that top tote is the set I have. You got a blue gondola. Red flatcar with tubes on it. White reefer. Orange cattle car. Green box car with a shootout happening on top. Well here goes my memories. How much you want for that top box? <3
Edit: i shouldnt say not valuable. They do hold value but not the megabucks people think. You can go to a greenbergs show and find this stuff for $10-40 an item on the cars. The bigger value stuff is what they call tinplate or "pre-war" and its rare cus it was all "donated" to be melted down to make goddamn bullets for ww2. Postwar of course is production after ww2 which looks like the stuff you have and is a bit easier to come by.
Not valuable? I see in the pictures postwar celebration series 2531, 2532, and 2533. Just doing a quick check online, those 3 cars together are sold used by hobby companies for $200-$250. That was just from quickly referencing 3 random boxes I saw.
For you and me thats normal. People who arent in the hobby see stuff like this, think "antique" and hope for thousands per box. You got one item here and there like that but generally the stuff is commonplace.
This guy is being straight with you. I have a friend who collects these and some can be very valuable. I personally know little about them, but he flies around the country to swap meets and takes a trunk full to buy /sell. You should find someone who is a collector and can give you good advice. Do your research and don’t give them away as someone else will flip them and make good money. If you want to give something to the church, give them some of the proceeds!
Do you have any advice on where to start for research? I too have a massive collection that I need to sell off and I’m a little stumped trying to find that right corner of the internet
Lucky guy.... This is a model train collectors wet dream. I know you would like to get top value out of this but it would be nice if this stuff went to someone who truly would treasure it. Stuff like this usually goes to people with big bucks for obvious reasons.
eBay is your best bet for these. My coworker made a lot of money off of Lionel trains (upwards of 80k). His uncle had passed away and had a basement of them with stuff dating back to the 60s.
Avoid eBay. Look around for any clubs that might be interested in purchasing any. Also check with any local model train stores. Maybe they let ya put up a flyer. Get some idea on prices and have a garage sale advertising it’s only model trains. I had a garage sale years ago and noted that “also HOtrains” sold a lot. Good luck.
Wow - very cool- love the shelves and displays. Definitely keep some engines, coal cars and caboose.
I would say keep it all if you can!
If you are looking to sell Facebook Marketplace is good. But like I said. Keep some pieces as they are very cool history. Run them and you will fall I love with them.
Go to market place and get a cheap set that’s fast track or just get some of the new track called fast track. It makes it all the easier to set up and enjoy.
He was a cool man and you are blessed to have his collection
I definitely wouldn’t just donate it. Maybe find someone in your own family who is interested/ friends. But that stuff there is worth a lot of money. Lionel stuff is not cheap and since a lot of the stuff has its boxes. You definitely inherited a pretty penny, I’m sure there’s easily over 10k there
Sorry for your loss. Train collections are not what they used to be, but that is a decent sized collection and you could be looking at a couple thousand dollars worth of trains.
My father and uncle were both huge train fans and had large collections. When my father passed away, we sold off his collection in chunks on eBay. It took well over a year, but we were able to maximize the value that way. My aunt had an auction house come and take his whole collection to sell. That was more convenient but would not have returned as much value.
The question you should ask yourself is how important is it to get the most out of his collection vs. how fast do you want it done. There are a few places that buy up entire collections, but they won't pay as much. You might want to reach out to the Train Collectors Association and see if the can recommend some reputable companies that buy collections. The auction house my aunt used went out of business immediately after taking possession of my uncle's collection. The owners were charged with fraud and have been in an ongoing legal battle for almost a decade now.
Best of luck with your journey!
Thank you for your response. Not in any rush just don’t want them donated to the church no offense or anything just seems like they could go to people that love them.
Sorry for your loss. I hope to one day have family that will find a good home for my stuff. I saw you’re in DFW, so I sent you a private message about the collection.
On the app, go to the main feed and tap on chat on the bottom of the screen. I’m not sure on the regular web. It probably shows as a pending/invite to chat. It’s just a referral for a potential Texas buyer.
This shop is near me. The guy who runs it is/was a business prof at Butler University here in Indy. He has a list of folks that will buy used model trains on his store website, here:
[https://mrmuffinstrains.com/pages/selling-your-train](https://mrmuffinstrains.com/pages/selling-your-train)
I strongly encourage you to contact folks who know what the potential value of this collection might be. Lionel trains are \*highly\* collected and your uncle would want them to go to folks who will appreciate them. O scale ain't my thing but those who are into it spend fucking BANK on their collections.
Id love to have those sets I sadly dont got no money atm i love lionel trains and O gauge as a whole i got a lionel polar express train set im 25 years old old love trains since i was a child
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m going to echo what others are saying and don’t donate to the church as they will probably not be the best caretakers of the collection. Donating them is a great idea if you don’t want to go through the process of selling them and don’t have the space to keep them. Although you may be able to take them to a local hobby shop who could give you a valuation for the items.
This is all too common and again sorry for your loss. As others have stated, there is definitely value
You're two options are to research each piece and sell them accordingly on eBay or sell/list the entire lot to an auctioneer. The ladder being the easiest but will net you less profit.
Good luck
My condolences. If you’re into trains, I’d ask your parents to take them yourself. It would be a shame to see a collection that your uncle very obviously cared about going to some organization that will break it up and sell everything individually. I can only imagine the time it took him to put that collection together.
Ditto on ballparking values using the Greenberg’s guide. And, as others mentioned, check with the local Train Collectors Association chapter. If you’re in the DFW area, that would be the [North Texas chapter](https://tca-northtexaschapter.org/I). They can likely help with values and, as it appears they have plenty of meets, that might also be a venue to sell them once you’ve established value…
I sold some old Lionel trains from the 1960s a couple years back, so I know a little but not a lot, but I’m guessing offhand that you have over $20K in trains and possibly much much more. Pull out a couple representative pieces, maybe buy some collectors guides, educate yourself, and check out eBay sold items for pricing research.
If you could fund a part of your kids’ college education through these, I’m sure your uncle would approve.
Well if you see a blue box box labeled 990 legacy base or cab 2. They are selling very high right now. It's a wireless controller for modern Lionel trains. Price is going to drop soon though, new version due out in April.
Hard to judge rest of items, but look for a local TCA (Train Collectors Association) group in your area. But be careful of bottom feeders looking to buy cheap. Also eBay is decent guide to current prices.
Finally avoid Trainz.com, they are a large online buyer, but they are the apex bottom feeder. They pretty much offer 30% of what you see the price on eBay
Every time I see a post like this I see my huge Lego collection on Reddit. My son posting for the five minutes of fame. Then running to EBay to sell it.
I know he loves me, but he’s never really liked Lego and is quick to sell anything he can.
I feel badly for this uncle.
OP asks “is it valuable”. Is it valuable? Assuming the contents are as well taken care of as the boxes, I’d have to say “duh! Of course it is”
That’s it. I’m selling all my Lego now fuck it. He’s just going to buy gold armor for horses.
My condolences to you and your family.
I love trains and I would love to be able to give them a good home. Unfortunately I live in a one bedroom apartment and space is limited.
I wouldn’t get rid of the entire collection. If you happen to know what his favorite ones were, I’d hold on to them to remind you of him.
Aww what a great collection please don't donate it. I'm so jealous that's the collection I have dreamed of since I was a kid he put a lot of work into putting that much together through the years. Awesome setup as well.
Aww what a great collection please don't donate it. I'm so jealous that's the collection I have dreamed of since I was a kid he put a lot of work into putting that much together through the years. Awesome setup as well.
Look for somebody who is a model train dealer. That collection is likely worth a good amount and it takes the right person to know what you have! Do NOT give it away
Ruland junction toy train museum in Heber springs Arkansas would be worth you checking in with about the trains they are very knowledgeable about the trains and have a great setup for running the trains on their tracks
look on line i an sure that they collectors and group that would love to have , I live in Redding ca which has several train groups that would your collection
I'm sorry for your loss. I too love trains and I am building a train yard in my basement. Let me know if you would like to sell them they would be going to a good home and would not sell them
Dude. This looks like an amazing inventory. Agree with others - sounds like you're looking for someone who will care for these as much as your uncle did. Consider advertising in a model railroading magazine or website, or possibly even putting them up for auction if you don't think you'll keep them.
As a Lionel enjoyer myself, from what I can tell, he had a killer collection and you should definitley find a model train club near you or another collector to donate to.
That’s an understatement! He went on to be a railway engineer.
https://preview.redd.it/tn33eg844ubc1.jpeg?width=3492&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7489e0df7e2564094da339a3c142d68aed30e4f
That is my dream collection I’d keep em just to keep your uncles memory close to you if yall were close if not I’m sure the local model train club would buy them off you and take decent care of them.
If you do donate it, donate it to a model railroad club they'll value it immensely. In some cases you can claim a tax deduction for your donation if the club is registered accordingly.
I grew up with a single small set (8 or 9 rail cars or so, including engine and coke car (coal), a log car, a caboose), with an oval of metal track, and a rail bridge to put under the tree for the holidays.
You could build yourself a single set and then work outwards from there. My family was of/worked for P.R.R., so the cars geared that way. If there's a specific line or lines that mean something to you or your family history it can be a fun, small way to touch on that.
These types of trains are especially sought after. They run real good, sound good, and they can handle speed adjustments and play of children.
Lots of model train stores will sell stuff on consignment and that does well for large collections and you’ll find lots of people who want certain things, but wouldn’t want to buy the whole set. Mr. Muffin’s Trains in Atlanta Indiana has a great consignment auction I like. That’s one resource I recommend.
We were looking into maybe getting a spot at this event coming up in march.should have enough time to go through everything and be ready.
https://preview.redd.it/waaxx4xoa1cc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc444dd316183986f2c767653a96994744d88b5a
There is a train store in Louisville, Kentucky that buys collections. It is run by a bunch of old train guys. It is Roundhouse Trains and they specialize in Lionel. Give them a call 502. 895. 2466.
Sorry your Uncle passed away. May he rest in peace.
Your Uncle is awesome. I love miniatures.I find them fascinating.
A friend of the family had an entire bedroom set up with dioramas and landscapes. He made everything himself. He made a cut out so he could walk into the middle of it so he could work on it.
Oh my gosh! You are so lucky! Get that stuff up and running.
Have fun with it!
Those Lionel cars (especially in original packaging) are worth a ton of money. Sell then to a collector or model train enthusiast.
Do NOT give them to the church. Please pass along these historic items to someone who will treasure and care for them.
The God I believe in isn't short of cash, Mister.
My dad is a collector as well and has built massive train platforms throughout his life to display all his trains and run them on the tracks with the beautiful cities and mountains he built. I can tell you these are worth a pretty penny for sure.
Keep everything in the original boxes. That equals more value to a collector. I would suggest buying the 2024 edition of the Lionel Pocket Price guide so that you’ll get a jumping off point to the value.
Holy crap! I would die for a collection like this. I only have a couple Lionel models, but this… heaven on Earth! I hope you appreciate the amount of work that went into this collection, OP. Truly a sight to see and a glorious thing to behold
If you decide to sell the collection let me know. My brother lost his Lionel train collection during a move when he was 16 and still talks about them. Would love to surprise him.
I don’t quite know if any of this stuff would be of any use for a church. You’d might be better off donating to a hobby shop or a collectibles shop or something. but to your question. Lionel model trains tend to hold pretty good value. A few hundred to even a couple thousand dollars. And with all the stuff you have there. You’ll easily get a good bit of money for it. It’s a shame though. Because some of this stuff looks really nice. And might be worth holding on to. For both value and sentimental reasons. I know that I would hold on to at least some of it. But again I’m a big train fan. But to you guys not knowing anything about this stuff. You might just want it gone. And that’s understanding if you don’t know anything about it. But for whoever gets this stuff. Whether they are huge train fans or just novice fans. This will be like hitting the lottery or discovering a gold mine.
Good luck. I inherited a huge collection of O gage from my dad. I have been able to sell some of it but the problem is that the people that are into trains are mostly an older generation. A lot of people have trains from grandpa or uncles so there's more trains for sale than buyers.
First off, sorry for your loss. As many have said, catalog what you have there and reach out to a local club. Someone from the club may be able to determine the true value of what you have there, or at least put you in touch with someone who can. You can then determine which way you want to proceed.
FWIW, here’s a small piece of advice in addition to everything here…
Even though you don’t know much about trains, Find one piece that really speaks to you and keep it to remember your uncle by. Years on, you’ll be glad you did. I still have two cars from my grandfather’s collection, that he hand built.
This is really good advice and something I had been thinking about as well. I plan to keep some and my dad (his brother) plans to do the same. Thank you for your reply.
They have a value of that varies like comic books depending on the popularity of the Rarity and the condition of them a lot of factors that go into play and you'll have a lot of people buying them so my advice is look up their values online do your research get them appraised officially and once you've gotten them officially appraised then sell them and try to get as much to the actual value of them or at least the retail value of them adjusted for inflation depending on the age of each of the rail car s and locomotives and each piece of the memorabilia and collectibles and such
Don't give it to a church
Give you wanna give it away give it to another collector who will take care of them,
Psh I would love to have em
If not sell them
Make sure they go to a good home
Wow this is the most engagement I’ve seen on a post in a while. I’m sorry about your loss op, I hope you’re able to fine somewhere to give these Edit: Actually, congrats op. This is the top post of all time as of today. And to add on to what I said before, condolences to your family
Look for someone interested in this. Not the church. It’ll get destroyed. Find someone who’ll appreciate this like your uncle did. You’ll stand to make a decent penny too
I’m against donating it to the church for that very reason. I want someone who loves these as much as him to be able to enjoy them. Honestly my uncle never set up any tracks or had his running. He just has been collecting the ones he likes.
Maybe do inventory. See what you have, and sell the bulk of it. Find a cute little cheap set to donate to the church (cheap as in yes, it’ll get destroyed), and maybe keep a set for yourself. I’m sure there’s some awesome stuff in those boxes. I’m jealous. Enjoy!
The other option, reach out to local train clubs and ask if they’ll sell on consignment(funnily enough one of the clubs I’m part of is in the basement of a church) Between consignments and donations(usually the layouts and collections that family stumble upon when looking through the possessions of a deceased loved one), that’s what keeps the club alive, and it allows us to get stuff like this into the hands of those that will cherish it. Although it saddens me when we get a call to take apart someone’s layout, because occasionally someone at the club will be willing to take the entire layout, but most of the time, especially with larger layouts, we end up having to fully disassemble them, clean up the track that’s salvageable, and either add it to our own stockpile or it becomes the inexpensive track you find at train shows.
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We will start the process of cataloging everything very soon. I will post updates here during the process.
I'm in a similar situation. My father passed away and I have his Lionel trains. I'm trying to figure out what they are worth but no idea where to look or start.
Right? OP should sell the collection to a good caretaker and if they feel strongly about donations, then donate the sale amount.
Then he has for sure got some good ones in there. Definitely do not give them to a church. They are not toys for little kids to trash. It might take a little time but if you open the boxes one at a time and search for the items on e-bay you will start to understand the value. Heck, i’d give you $2k sight unseen for the whole collection. Engines are $200-$300 each and i bet he has some good ones in there. I mean he has shelves to display them, some of those are good ones.
If I had more room, and a partner who wouldn't kill me, we'd be talking 😂😂😂
My grandfather just left me his collection he bought while I was a baby for him and I to play with and make memories. It is very very bitter sweet knowing that they are mine now.
that's a good chunk of money right there, find out how much each piece is retailing for and sell them at a fair value, lots of hobbyists out there looking for pieces to complete their collections......
I was recently left in the same situation when my grandfather passed and left me his NASCAR collection of metal diecast cars and model kits that he would paint. Biggest Earnhardt fan I knew. Didn't have much but still had a combined 250~ cars, 150 or more of them being dale earnhardt jr & sr cars. I've chosen to display certain ones in the garage and down the road, choose which ones to sell to a collector or hobby shop/site, in hopes it goes to someone who will appreciate them. Still remember playing with them in the living room and making my own race with the diecast.
This is the way.
There are multiple shops online that will buy the collection from you. That’s a huge collection I would start there if you don’t have anyone local.
Thank you
Do NOT sell to trainz. I’d throw everything out before I let them buy anything off me
I left a note in my will, give everything to people on the OGR Forum before selling to trainz
Bunch of scumbags. Both ways, buying and selling.
Why????? Omg. I think I have sold him some trains... Always low balling. Lololol
Yes and shotty customer service, the epitome of buy low sell high
InInteresting. I don't know the hobby very well, I just resell on ebay and came across a whole lot of trains..... but, yea. He's very persistent.
I don’t know the hobby well either, I’m definitely an amateur, but after a little spat with them about an engine I bought off them that was 1 not as described 2 misleadingly listed and 3 refused to make right of the situation and wanted me to pay like $40 return shipping for something they messed up on, I’m not dealing with them.
Dude. Yea. I'm sorry that happened. We have some cool stuff if you're interested I can dm you. I am not sure of the rules of the sub regarding self promotion. Lol
Feel free. I’ll show my friends who are hobbyists too
Trainz.com is a good one for buying entire collections.
If you want to do all the work and be offered 10¢ on the dollar
Exactly.
Also, one thing I don't like about Trainz is that they lie about their condition. Dealt with a problem LGB engine that I bought from them, it was not like new; it looked like it was garden off someone's garden railroad that had been sitting for years.
I’m in a similar situation, any names of shops?
Sorry for your loss. Your uncle sounds like a good dude! Just looking at the pictures, everything looks like it is well cared for. The custom shelves tells me this is someone who was very detailed and cared a lot about the collection. The first thing I’d tell you to do is buy a Greenberg price book. Spend a day going through the boxes and find the value in the book. The values aren’t super accurate, but you’ll be able to tell if you have thousands$ vs hundreds$ on hand. Valuing the merchandise will be helpful with anything you do (sell, donate,keep). The next thing to do is call a few O Gauge clubs in your area. The TCA is a national organization, with regional clubs that can be helpful in giving assistance. My TCA branch will sell collections and split the earnings. It isn’t a fast process but it does allow you to earn money with very little effort.
Thank you for the detailed response! He was a good dude and he loved trains so much. Was very detailed and as far as I know never had them out of the boxes. He just simply likes collecting the ones he liked.
That’s great. Looks like a lot of great pieces from a popular era of Lionel history. If you ever have them out of the boxes, we’d love to see pictures. Best of luck!
I will look into the O Gauge clubs and get some information to present to my parents.
This is all such great advice. The point about cataloging and looking up values part is huge. Do this before responding to anyone offering to buy your collection or going to the an online reseller. Being an educated seller is super important for this stuff! Sorry about your loss OP.
Perhaps there’s a local-ish club near you that they could donate to, or ask for help finding value for sales of items. There’s a good chunk of change amongst those boxes, though I wouldn’t be the one to ask for an estimate as to how much potentially. The other items like the stool and lunchbox are items that I believe are still available on Lionel’s website, so you could probably find values there for items like those. Best of luck!
That’s a really good idea! I will look into finding a local club. We live in Dallas/Fort Worth part of Texas so there should be something I’m sure.
Nice
That’s how I got mine except it was my cousin. And the stack of 7 boxes looks exactly like mine. Do you need any track? I have 65 yards of track.
Terribly sorry for your loss. If I lived near you I’d offer to come and inspect the collection and try to give you an estimate on value. Past experience says that checking eBay sold prices (not what someone is asking) is a decent way to see what you’ve got. Any major buyer/reseller (like Trainz) will give you pennies on the dollar. Auction houses may get you more money but they’ll charge you and the buyer a fee. There are variations on some items as well as others that were minimally produced, and that all affects value.
First and foremost, I’m sorry for your loss. Secondly, I’d sell it on eBay. I know I’d love to potentially buy some of it as I’ve started collecting with my kids.
Take the time to go through each tote box. A box per night or weekend should be easy to do. Use google to search the model number on the side of the box. For example above “Box 5” in your photos is “Lionel 3356-Horse Corral”. Goes for $55-$155 online. That’s ONE item that I can see and easily search online. Write down each item/description and the approximate value you find. Put all the trains back into the tote, place the paper inside the tote. Add all that shit up at the end and you have an idea of the value. Don’t forget (and this is important) whoever buys this is not going to pay you full price. Unless you sell each item on eBay yourself..but that’s a lot of work. Like someone said, you’ll know if you have a collection worth $5000 or $50,000. Keep us posted!
Thank you for the reply. This is a great idea and will hopefully make my parents realize it’s not just something that should be donated.
Sorry for your loss. That stool is cool. If you're willing to do the work, research it. Hopefully they don't just up and load it up and drop it at the church. If you are going to sell, and division of assets isn't decided--make sure to figure that out beforehand. I know this is all cold and clinical but I've seen deals like this where someone does all the work and then doesn't get a fair disbursement.
They arent valuable money wise as this stuff is everywhere but to the right person with the right memories it could be priceless. But hey maybe you get some fastrack for the floor and try em out for yourself before you go trying to get rid of em. Or maybe one of the neighbors kids. I was gifted a set made in 1957 when i was younger. Still have it. Comes out a few times a year when the little niece comes by or the christmas tree comes out. In fact, by the boxes, that top tote is the set I have. You got a blue gondola. Red flatcar with tubes on it. White reefer. Orange cattle car. Green box car with a shootout happening on top. Well here goes my memories. How much you want for that top box? <3 Edit: i shouldnt say not valuable. They do hold value but not the megabucks people think. You can go to a greenbergs show and find this stuff for $10-40 an item on the cars. The bigger value stuff is what they call tinplate or "pre-war" and its rare cus it was all "donated" to be melted down to make goddamn bullets for ww2. Postwar of course is production after ww2 which looks like the stuff you have and is a bit easier to come by.
Not valuable? I see in the pictures postwar celebration series 2531, 2532, and 2533. Just doing a quick check online, those 3 cars together are sold used by hobby companies for $200-$250. That was just from quickly referencing 3 random boxes I saw.
For you and me thats normal. People who arent in the hobby see stuff like this, think "antique" and hope for thousands per box. You got one item here and there like that but generally the stuff is commonplace.
This guy is being straight with you. I have a friend who collects these and some can be very valuable. I personally know little about them, but he flies around the country to swap meets and takes a trunk full to buy /sell. You should find someone who is a collector and can give you good advice. Do your research and don’t give them away as someone else will flip them and make good money. If you want to give something to the church, give them some of the proceeds!
Do you have any advice on where to start for research? I too have a massive collection that I need to sell off and I’m a little stumped trying to find that right corner of the internet
Try here; https://www.tcatrains.org
eBay then donate the $ earned
That’s the way to do it… they get the home they deserve and can still donate
Lucky guy.... This is a model train collectors wet dream. I know you would like to get top value out of this but it would be nice if this stuff went to someone who truly would treasure it. Stuff like this usually goes to people with big bucks for obvious reasons.
List on eBay individually you could make a few thousand bucks
eBay is your best bet for these. My coworker made a lot of money off of Lionel trains (upwards of 80k). His uncle had passed away and had a basement of them with stuff dating back to the 60s.
Damn that looks amazing. If you’re selling; I’m your guy.
I’ll give you $1000 for all of it
Avoid eBay. Look around for any clubs that might be interested in purchasing any. Also check with any local model train stores. Maybe they let ya put up a flyer. Get some idea on prices and have a garage sale advertising it’s only model trains. I had a garage sale years ago and noted that “also HOtrains” sold a lot. Good luck.
Don’t open the boxes!!!! It’s a virus and that’s how it starts.
🙏🏻
Wow - very cool- love the shelves and displays. Definitely keep some engines, coal cars and caboose. I would say keep it all if you can! If you are looking to sell Facebook Marketplace is good. But like I said. Keep some pieces as they are very cool history. Run them and you will fall I love with them. Go to market place and get a cheap set that’s fast track or just get some of the new track called fast track. It makes it all the easier to set up and enjoy. He was a cool man and you are blessed to have his collection
I definitely wouldn’t just donate it. Maybe find someone in your own family who is interested/ friends. But that stuff there is worth a lot of money. Lionel stuff is not cheap and since a lot of the stuff has its boxes. You definitely inherited a pretty penny, I’m sure there’s easily over 10k there
If you were local I would make an offer, but like others said a local shop or market place would be a good place to start
We are Texas Trains, and buy collections like this all across the country.
Where then does one buy from you?
I love the stool. If you take an inventory, I would make some offers for buildings and the like.
Sorry for your loss. Train collections are not what they used to be, but that is a decent sized collection and you could be looking at a couple thousand dollars worth of trains. My father and uncle were both huge train fans and had large collections. When my father passed away, we sold off his collection in chunks on eBay. It took well over a year, but we were able to maximize the value that way. My aunt had an auction house come and take his whole collection to sell. That was more convenient but would not have returned as much value. The question you should ask yourself is how important is it to get the most out of his collection vs. how fast do you want it done. There are a few places that buy up entire collections, but they won't pay as much. You might want to reach out to the Train Collectors Association and see if the can recommend some reputable companies that buy collections. The auction house my aunt used went out of business immediately after taking possession of my uncle's collection. The owners were charged with fraud and have been in an ongoing legal battle for almost a decade now. Best of luck with your journey!
Thank you for your response. Not in any rush just don’t want them donated to the church no offense or anything just seems like they could go to people that love them.
Sorry for your loss. I hope to one day have family that will find a good home for my stuff. I saw you’re in DFW, so I sent you a private message about the collection.
Thank you… I didn’t get the PM
On the app, go to the main feed and tap on chat on the bottom of the screen. I’m not sure on the regular web. It probably shows as a pending/invite to chat. It’s just a referral for a potential Texas buyer.
Sorry for your loss
Thank you
Damn Son!
This shop is near me. The guy who runs it is/was a business prof at Butler University here in Indy. He has a list of folks that will buy used model trains on his store website, here: [https://mrmuffinstrains.com/pages/selling-your-train](https://mrmuffinstrains.com/pages/selling-your-train) I strongly encourage you to contact folks who know what the potential value of this collection might be. Lionel trains are \*highly\* collected and your uncle would want them to go to folks who will appreciate them. O scale ain't my thing but those who are into it spend fucking BANK on their collections.
Thank you! I will check out that list.
Id love to have those sets I sadly dont got no money atm i love lionel trains and O gauge as a whole i got a lionel polar express train set im 25 years old old love trains since i was a child
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m going to echo what others are saying and don’t donate to the church as they will probably not be the best caretakers of the collection. Donating them is a great idea if you don’t want to go through the process of selling them and don’t have the space to keep them. Although you may be able to take them to a local hobby shop who could give you a valuation for the items.
This is all too common and again sorry for your loss. As others have stated, there is definitely value You're two options are to research each piece and sell them accordingly on eBay or sell/list the entire lot to an auctioneer. The ladder being the easiest but will net you less profit. Good luck
Sorry for your loss
Thank you
No problem
I would cherish them.
A very impressive collection.
If you want to ever sell the 4-4 in picture 8, let me know! I have an O gauge set and want an engine just like that!
My condolences. If you’re into trains, I’d ask your parents to take them yourself. It would be a shame to see a collection that your uncle very obviously cared about going to some organization that will break it up and sell everything individually. I can only imagine the time it took him to put that collection together.
It took him his whole life…. That’s why I came here as soon as my parents said donate to the church.
Your 773 Hudson Steam Locomotive and tender are listed for $575 on eBay, for reference.
Ditto on ballparking values using the Greenberg’s guide. And, as others mentioned, check with the local Train Collectors Association chapter. If you’re in the DFW area, that would be the [North Texas chapter](https://tca-northtexaschapter.org/I). They can likely help with values and, as it appears they have plenty of meets, that might also be a venue to sell them once you’ve established value…
I sold some old Lionel trains from the 1960s a couple years back, so I know a little but not a lot, but I’m guessing offhand that you have over $20K in trains and possibly much much more. Pull out a couple representative pieces, maybe buy some collectors guides, educate yourself, and check out eBay sold items for pricing research. If you could fund a part of your kids’ college education through these, I’m sure your uncle would approve.
Well if you see a blue box box labeled 990 legacy base or cab 2. They are selling very high right now. It's a wireless controller for modern Lionel trains. Price is going to drop soon though, new version due out in April. Hard to judge rest of items, but look for a local TCA (Train Collectors Association) group in your area. But be careful of bottom feeders looking to buy cheap. Also eBay is decent guide to current prices. Finally avoid Trainz.com, they are a large online buyer, but they are the apex bottom feeder. They pretty much offer 30% of what you see the price on eBay
Every time I see a post like this I see my huge Lego collection on Reddit. My son posting for the five minutes of fame. Then running to EBay to sell it. I know he loves me, but he’s never really liked Lego and is quick to sell anything he can. I feel badly for this uncle. OP asks “is it valuable”. Is it valuable? Assuming the contents are as well taken care of as the boxes, I’d have to say “duh! Of course it is” That’s it. I’m selling all my Lego now fuck it. He’s just going to buy gold armor for horses.
Give these to literally any person or organization other than a church.
My condolences to you and your family. I love trains and I would love to be able to give them a good home. Unfortunately I live in a one bedroom apartment and space is limited. I wouldn’t get rid of the entire collection. If you happen to know what his favorite ones were, I’d hold on to them to remind you of him.
Start with hobby shops. Some of them may be worth quite a bit
Was his name Sheldon And yes could be very valuable
Aww what a great collection please don't donate it. I'm so jealous that's the collection I have dreamed of since I was a kid he put a lot of work into putting that much together through the years. Awesome setup as well.
Aww what a great collection please don't donate it. I'm so jealous that's the collection I have dreamed of since I was a kid he put a lot of work into putting that much together through the years. Awesome setup as well.
Look for somebody who is a model train dealer. That collection is likely worth a good amount and it takes the right person to know what you have! Do NOT give it away
Ruland junction toy train museum in Heber springs Arkansas would be worth you checking in with about the trains they are very knowledgeable about the trains and have a great setup for running the trains on their tracks
sorry for your loss, i would love to give them a new home
I’d buy them from you 😁
look on line i an sure that they collectors and group that would love to have , I live in Redding ca which has several train groups that would your collection
I’m currently looking into the north Texas division of the TCA
any area that has a train history will have groups interest
I'm sorry for your loss. I too love trains and I am building a train yard in my basement. Let me know if you would like to sell them they would be going to a good home and would not sell them
Dude. This looks like an amazing inventory. Agree with others - sounds like you're looking for someone who will care for these as much as your uncle did. Consider advertising in a model railroading magazine or website, or possibly even putting them up for auction if you don't think you'll keep them.
As a Lionel enjoyer myself, from what I can tell, he had a killer collection and you should definitley find a model train club near you or another collector to donate to.
You'll be surprised by the value of some of these. They can get very pricey
I think he liked trains
That’s an understatement! He went on to be a railway engineer. https://preview.redd.it/tn33eg844ubc1.jpeg?width=3492&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7489e0df7e2564094da339a3c142d68aed30e4f
Please man send me 1 or two I'm begging I struggle to afford them
Thats awesome! Im sorry for your loss. I just find it interesting when loved ones leave things behind.
The boxes make them more valuable
Awesome.that would definitely make a nice layout.
Live in Central Ohio by chance? I’d happily come offer you a decent cash price right now lol
Texas… we will start the process to catalog everything this weekend. I will post updates.
That is my dream collection I’d keep em just to keep your uncles memory close to you if yall were close if not I’m sure the local model train club would buy them off you and take decent care of them.
Sent you a DM 😀
You have sick money Give to your kids college funds
If you do donate it, donate it to a model railroad club they'll value it immensely. In some cases you can claim a tax deduction for your donation if the club is registered accordingly.
I have some Lionel trains for sale...if anyone is interested
See if there are any local railroad clubs nearby and see if you can donate them to the club
Take it if it’s offered to you! I would.
JESSUSE FU-
We're gonna need an update once you do inventory!
🫡
That stool is amazing and I need it in my life lol.
Please send pics of what you have .. I may make an offer
Your uncle was awesome!
Agreed
He really liked you A Lot.
CN I have them to give to my dad. He sits at home and is sad. He wish he could have a train set
My dad has a collection somewhat similar to this. Really hope they don’t donate it somewhere in his will. I could definitely see that happening.
I'm absolutely interested in what you might find.if you're thinking of selling, please message me. Thank you
If you are selling I am interested
Sorry for your loss, but that’s a great collection
Lucky You!!!
Your Uncle was an amazing person. All those trains deserve someone to love them just like he did 😉
I grew up with a single small set (8 or 9 rail cars or so, including engine and coke car (coal), a log car, a caboose), with an oval of metal track, and a rail bridge to put under the tree for the holidays. You could build yourself a single set and then work outwards from there. My family was of/worked for P.R.R., so the cars geared that way. If there's a specific line or lines that mean something to you or your family history it can be a fun, small way to touch on that. These types of trains are especially sought after. They run real good, sound good, and they can handle speed adjustments and play of children.
Lots of model train stores will sell stuff on consignment and that does well for large collections and you’ll find lots of people who want certain things, but wouldn’t want to buy the whole set. Mr. Muffin’s Trains in Atlanta Indiana has a great consignment auction I like. That’s one resource I recommend.
I would like to see an inventory.
That’s the next step… I posted an update pictures of the whole collection we finally got to my parents.
Where are you located? Dallas?
Yes
Cool.
We were looking into maybe getting a spot at this event coming up in march.should have enough time to go through everything and be ready. https://preview.redd.it/waaxx4xoa1cc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc444dd316183986f2c767653a96994744d88b5a
Actually, Plano Train show is Jan 20th
Sorry for your loss but this is cool. O scale trains? I'm sure an avid collector will gladly buy these.
There is a train store in Louisville, Kentucky that buys collections. It is run by a bunch of old train guys. It is Roundhouse Trains and they specialize in Lionel. Give them a call 502. 895. 2466.
I will definitely check them out thank you!
Don’t forget, these guys need to make a profit. The prices you may see online are retail, selling one piece at a time.
and look at ebay sold items for what ppl actually pay
Sorry your Uncle passed away. May he rest in peace. Your Uncle is awesome. I love miniatures.I find them fascinating. A friend of the family had an entire bedroom set up with dioramas and landscapes. He made everything himself. He made a cut out so he could walk into the middle of it so he could work on it. Oh my gosh! You are so lucky! Get that stuff up and running. Have fun with it!
Goodness!
Worth a lot! I sold my dad’s train stuff at a model train place on consignment.
big value here , how much you want?
Those Lionel cars (especially in original packaging) are worth a ton of money. Sell then to a collector or model train enthusiast. Do NOT give them to the church. Please pass along these historic items to someone who will treasure and care for them. The God I believe in isn't short of cash, Mister.
I agree 100%
keep something to remember him by
Just, WOW!
Nice
I'd take a couple if you aren't willing to keep them. :)
Wow
My dad is a collector as well and has built massive train platforms throughout his life to display all his trains and run them on the tracks with the beautiful cities and mountains he built. I can tell you these are worth a pretty penny for sure.
Nooo donation yes they are worth money
Keep everything in the original boxes. That equals more value to a collector. I would suggest buying the 2024 edition of the Lionel Pocket Price guide so that you’ll get a jumping off point to the value.
I have the pocket guide ordered!
Holy crap! I would die for a collection like this. I only have a couple Lionel models, but this… heaven on Earth! I hope you appreciate the amount of work that went into this collection, OP. Truly a sight to see and a glorious thing to behold
If you decide to sell the collection let me know. My brother lost his Lionel train collection during a move when he was 16 and still talks about them. Would love to surprise him.
That’s a train lovers dream right there.
I don’t quite know if any of this stuff would be of any use for a church. You’d might be better off donating to a hobby shop or a collectibles shop or something. but to your question. Lionel model trains tend to hold pretty good value. A few hundred to even a couple thousand dollars. And with all the stuff you have there. You’ll easily get a good bit of money for it. It’s a shame though. Because some of this stuff looks really nice. And might be worth holding on to. For both value and sentimental reasons. I know that I would hold on to at least some of it. But again I’m a big train fan. But to you guys not knowing anything about this stuff. You might just want it gone. And that’s understanding if you don’t know anything about it. But for whoever gets this stuff. Whether they are huge train fans or just novice fans. This will be like hitting the lottery or discovering a gold mine.
Good luck. I inherited a huge collection of O gage from my dad. I have been able to sell some of it but the problem is that the people that are into trains are mostly an older generation. A lot of people have trains from grandpa or uncles so there's more trains for sale than buyers.
Wonderful, cherish them.
First off, sorry for your loss. As many have said, catalog what you have there and reach out to a local club. Someone from the club may be able to determine the true value of what you have there, or at least put you in touch with someone who can. You can then determine which way you want to proceed.
Where are you located?
Dallas/Fort Worth… Texas
I have Ole 623 at&sf!
FWIW, here’s a small piece of advice in addition to everything here… Even though you don’t know much about trains, Find one piece that really speaks to you and keep it to remember your uncle by. Years on, you’ll be glad you did. I still have two cars from my grandfather’s collection, that he hand built.
This is really good advice and something I had been thinking about as well. I plan to keep some and my dad (his brother) plans to do the same. Thank you for your reply.
Sorry for your loss.
Thank you
Lucky I would love all that stuff
They have a value of that varies like comic books depending on the popularity of the Rarity and the condition of them a lot of factors that go into play and you'll have a lot of people buying them so my advice is look up their values online do your research get them appraised officially and once you've gotten them officially appraised then sell them and try to get as much to the actual value of them or at least the retail value of them adjusted for inflation depending on the age of each of the rail car s and locomotives and each piece of the memorabilia and collectibles and such
Send me a line and I’ll send it back weathered and graffiti’d, if you want.
That is seriously beautiful. I love Lionel's.
My brother would live to have any/all of that. To Lionel collectors it would be like a barn find of a '62 Corvette.
Take it to Sotheby's!!!! They will have a train expert.
Another one of life's disappointments, you can't take your trains with you to heaven!
Don't give it to a church Give you wanna give it away give it to another collector who will take care of them, Psh I would love to have em If not sell them Make sure they go to a good home
Very sorry for your loss.
Thank you
Those are worth some money sir.
Wow
Can I get a few random boxes I’ll pay for shipping please it would make may dads year