OK, will someone please tell me what I'm missing here. This is a Lionel thick rim #6 and tender that just went for $1,625.00 on our "favorite" online auction site. I don't know that much about these locos, so when I saw this listed I went to Doyle's "O'Brien's" price guide to see about what it was worth. He has it at $500 in C5 and $1,200 in C8 condition. This one is C5 to C6. SO, of course, any train is worth what you're willing to pay for it. If it makes you happy then it doesn't matter what you paid for it. I'm just trying to understand what's going on here. Tell me something I don't know.Jim
7 comments:
The key is going to be a couple of things:
1) Where the engine is going.
As you so aptly pointed out, places like Houston, TX don't have train shows with #6's very often (if at all). Geography is tough for standard gauge.
2) Relative scarcity.
Scarcity is in the eye of the beholder. If you have a nice engine like this one and the buyer has the money and the need; they might as well go for it. Regret in the world of toy trains is one of those things that can be really irritating.
3) Quality
This looks like a real #6. The tipoff is the inside/underside of the engine. It's in very good shape although I'd much rather have a thin rim loco. Quality-wise thin rims are better than thick rims (IMHO).
4) Where the buyer is in their collction.
This is a big one. 15 years ago when I started collecting standard gauge I bought everything that caught my eye at any price. Incredibly stupid. If this collector is finishing up a set, that's one thing. If he is just going nuts and buying everything that looks good, I'd urge him to beware.
That's my little take. There's always more circumstances. I paid about 600 bucks for my original #6 in much better shape so I do think that is a bit high but it may not be if someone is really nuts for the engine.
Happy train-ing.
Marc
I don't know about this one...I didn't look at it too closely when it was on ebay but red on the tender frame looks clearly repainted. Funny thing, on the Std gauge Yahoo group we just had a discussion about 6's and I gave my general valuation thoughts and this is about 2x what I estimated for a thick rim. Its almost as much as the thin rim went for a few months ago. BUT i am not one to pass judgement - I just bought an n scale bachmann set from the early 70's - generally considered unholy pieces of crap by both operators and collectors - for a staggering amount of money only because I have been wanting it for some time, almost never see it, and I just happened to have some money laying around to blow without thinking about it too much. Could be the same thing here with the 6. Admittedly the bachmann was an order of magnitde less than the #6, but if this hobby has taught me anything, its that almost everybody seems to have an order of magnitude more money than me. Collecting. Go figure.
-Alex
I don't know about this one...I didn't look at it too closely when it was on ebay but red on the tender frame looks clearly repainted. Funny thing, on the Std gauge Yahoo group we just had a discussion about 6's and I gave my general valuation thoughts and this is about 2x what I estimated for a thick rim. Its almost as much as the thin rim went for a few months ago. BUT i am not one to pass judgement - I just bought an n scale bachmann set from the early 70's - generally considered unholy pieces of crap by both operators and collectors - for a staggering amount of money only because I have been wanting it for some time, almost never see it, and I just happened to have some money laying around to blow without thinking about it too much. Could be the same thing here with the 6. Admittedly the bachmann was an order of magnitde less than the #6, but if this hobby has taught me anything, its that almost everybody seems to have an order of magnitude more money than me. Collecting. Go figure.
-Alex
Straight up bidding war between two fools.
If you look at the bidding history, once the bidding got to $675 (which is a realistic market price) it became a contest between bidder #8 and bidder #3. A classic example of two bidders who can't show any patience thus driving the end price way above market value.
I must say the recent dramatic price increase over the past year for #6 loco's has me upset. I am still trying to find an affordable #6 body to restore.
Bert
Repainted tender. Note the outline of original paint around the lettering.
Wrong cowcatcher.
Every single nickle part is rusted.
Way, way overpriced.
If you look at the bidding history it is just another bidding contest between impatient fools.
I'm just upset that the price of #6's is shooting up so much and I don't have one to restore yet.
Bert
well, someone is probably going to be disappointed to find out either the lettering is a decal, or the entire tender was repainted around the original lettering. look close.
I'm the fool that overpaid.
I also returned the locomotive, as the condition was quite a bit worse than pictured.
Learned my lesson, and will be a bit more patient in future.
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