In addition to old trains, I collect pocket knives. On a forum I frequent, we get one and done posters often asking how much a knife they found is worth. I always tell them to do an eBay "Completed Listings" search to get a ballpark. Someone's definition of "Mint" varies from seller to buyer. Lots of counterfeiting in the pocket knife market too. Great video, thanks!

Awesome Video. Great Information! Thanks Mike🙏🙏👍❤️💪🇺🇸

In my opinion, a lot of today's postwar collectors are also still operators interested in finding premium items, but at a price that seems reasonable. They are not as driven by ownership as they once were, except in those cases where items are truly and incredibly rare, or where its perfect condition outweighs any price guide reflection. Interestingly, it seems that real vintage paper continues to hold value. Just yesterday a single foldover 1958 Lionel dealer-only premium advertising campaign folder sold on eBay for $230. A number of pre-1920 catalogs have topped $500 in the last several months as well, with Some over a thousand. Again, as far as I can see, however, these examples are truly rare and almost unavailable except on unique occasions. Thanks for the research done on this video.

Them that there aint true, zee prewar tin to me be of big bucks, maybe. Anyway, I likem me Marx tin the most. Aaa?

I bought the Union Pacific 2023 at a train show in 2023 for $170. Runs really good, the letters are a little faded. Cab is yellow. i aslo have a 210 Texas Special 1958. My dad bought it when my oldest brother was born. I bought another 210 in 2020 for $145 like new.

As a general rule of thumb, the prices in the Greenberg guide reflects what you would PAY for the engine, not what you would receive if selling. Expect to get about half that price or a little more. Many people forget this and when selling their trains expect to get the price in the guide. That's not how it works.

Although the o gauge postwar or even prewar trains are not so much of an investment i still enjoy them for what they are and always will. I am happy for the prices to come down but you can no longer say it’s an investment. You will be luckily to get some of your money back but definitely not all of it. Just enjoy running, collecting and playing with trains.

These guides are best for use in discerning an items rarity, not a price. My dad used to say "it's only worth what the next man will give for it."

Fine video Mike! Very informative! One way to get ideas of the worth of vintage toy trains (and I'm speaking of all makes and models) is visit the train shows and as the saying goes "Get your eye in." Some may be priced high, some priced low, but a good estimate of an average price can be gotten that way. Major on-line sellers like trainz are a good gauge as well when you consider they're in business to move stock and make money.

Well Mike you just opened up a whole can of worms on this edition now you are going to have to put out a video on Postwar Lionel's 6464 boxcars. I like the ones with the very realistic Timken style freight trucks.I.E.: the Dante Fe, the Minneapolis & St. Louis, the NYC jade green, the black New Haven, and the green and orange Great Northern. I just love Lionel boxcars with those Timken style freight trucks!!!❤❤ Thank You for sharing this video,keep them coming and as always Happy Railroading!!! Sincerely, MPC Matt.

So, as I understand your description of valuation, these values are based on recent average sales prices for C7 Excellent condition Lionel locomotives. The TCA Condition/Grading Standards provide a pretty clear description of the appearance and external condition of the model. But nowhere is the operating condition of the locomotive mentioned. Is there some implicit assumption for each grade about its running condition? It seems to me that excellent should include very good running operation. But you could also have a model in excellent C7 external condition that simply doesn’t run. How does that affect the value?

I wish more people would post videos like this. The number of people in this hobby who treat it as a speculator's market is what makes model railroading simply unapproachable for the majority of younger hobbyists. The number of channels that keep calling trains a great "investment" is frankly myopic and delusional since collecting to this degree artificially constrains the market to the point that it prices out new hobbyists and thus reduces the value over time as fewer people remain interested as each generation passes away. Couldn't tell you how many "collections" I see ending end up in the dump because collectors hoarded their trains and kept them out of reach of younger hands to the point that nobody in the family ever developed interest. Seeing that en masse really tells a broader tale about the future of the hobby.

Nice job!

The Boys Train Set there are only 3 of, all proto types, and in collections. At least that is what I read.

I knew about this tragedy by hanging out in the hobby shops, word of mouth, knowing the sales folks. I never went full tilt into the train scene because 😕 of space, but appreciate all things mechanical, electronic etc... those guys gave me blow by blow what happened to K Line😢

Maybe do one on operating accessories? Perhaps the most rare

Mr Mike, do you think that these current Lionel trains that sell for $2000 and above with all the foreign tech installed, would increase their value in the 50 years? Many collectors think so

Hey Mr Mike! Watch you all the time. Can you research the values of the market flooded 027 semi scaled Lionel items?

Interesting! Not sure I'd be able to tell how something was stamped but as I am not a collector I'll learn if something potentially special falls in my lap.

Video suggestion: Have tips for how to make an e unit lock switch for Williams locomotives? My Williams fp45 is a spectacular runner for 75 dollars, but I wonder if there’s a way I can install an e unit lock

My personal top ten (keep in mind this is coming from someone who values oddballs and reliability): 10. The diecast 1001 - A factory error item created during production of the 1101, in which some 1101 locomotives were stamped with the 1001 number. I own one of these things, and it's both a good runner and a good conversation piece. 9. The 2321 Trainmaster, maroon roof version - All the features that could possibly be packed into a postwar diesel, plus a stylish paint job to boot. 8. The 671R, 1949 production - I've only seen one of these, a 671R with a full set of sintered iron drivers. The one I found proved to be my most frustrating eBay experience ever - I won and was told to pay, only for it to suddenly say I lost when I tried to pay. 7. The 1666 - Easily the smoothest running and most easily maintained Lionel locomotive I've ever encountered. The collector market may not place a particularly high price on them, but they're worth their weight in gold for operations. 6. The 682 - The king of the postwar turbines, highly desirable and a great runner. 5. The 2343 F3 - The most iconic of the postwar F3s. "Growler" motors, MagneTraction, classic warbonnet paint job, there's nothing more you could want out of a postwar F3. 4. The 746, short stripe tender - The 746 is a postwar icon for many reasons, not the least of which being the pulling power, but the short stripe tender has always been interesting to me. For some strange reason it looks better than the long stripe. 3. The 726 - The first top-of-the-line loco of the postwar era, with more than enough weight to make up for the lack of MagneTraction. Baldwin disc drivers, shiny nickel rims, and the large 2426W tender give this thing a look that none of the other berks of the era could compete with. 2. The 2330 - The first GG1 to have twin motors and MagneTraction, which would become the standard from that point on. 1. The 1950 773 - To likely nobody's surprise. Everything that made the 763E great, plus smoke, MagneTraction, and the ability to run on O-31 curves. Easily the best version of the scale hudson Lionel has released (barring the 700E of course).

Would anyone be able to help identify the price of a pre war s gauge Hudson condition is between c8 and c9

Hi Mike, I enjoyed your presentation on Postwar Lionel Trains. The video was enlightening and enjoyable. Thank you very much for sharing with us.👍🙂

Nice! I actually look at inflation as what keeps the prices down. A little less money in people's pockets, means less to spend on things like trains. As far as the Picker's being fooled, I saw the problems right away and I'm not a pre-war expert or collector. Different paint colors and missing parts were quite noticeable. I doubt that the guy who sold the State Set to them was unaware, as the condition was obvious. I knew that Danielle wouldn't be able to get anywhere close to what the guy's expected. I have a couple of the items you listed, but not in C8 or better, but still fairly nice. An excellent video, as always.

I model a prosperous Penn Central. I have a lot of NPC Lionel in my collection that I use. I wish they had diecast trucks but that is the only shortcoming in my opinion.

I find that the listed values are ridiculously expensive. That encourages production of fake models.

Price guides are nice, but a train's value is whatever you can get for it today. My rule of thumb is simply, what are eBayers willing to pay? That's its value. I can list a train at 15 hundred but if no one buys it, then it's not worth that much, regardless of how much I may have put into it. But the open market auction is very telling. On the other hand, however, there's sentimental value. I don't sell those lol. Those can be sold after I've moved on.

I’m glad you posted those older values, as they show how terrible these old trains are as investments.

Can’t afford any.I have 13 Trains.And iam good.I like post Trains however I can do with out

Wish I could afford the MBTA gp

That is a good comparison. The SOO LINE ACF CENTER FLOW covered hoppers need Bright Green decals for the SOO LINE.

Outrageous prices. Train shows and EBay have the good old reliable stuff at reasonable prices, postwar Lionel!

Great idea! ✔👍

I love my 2025 1948 I believe, but it’s not fun to take apart

2025 is going to he a good year for those of you that have the cash to piss down the rabbit hole

$1,300 for an MTH locomotive that looks like every other locomotive that's ever been sold. Even if I had the money I wouldn't spend it on that. But I don't... Just pissing in the wind. 😂🚂

I half expected Lionel to make a special statement announcing that a lot of the prices appearing in the catalog are misprint. I guess not.

I don't understand the fixation with Lionel. They've driven every competitor out of the market and are now driving away consumers with their outrageous pricing. The complete collapse of the toy train market can't be far off.

Recently came across your video while looking up videos about the K Line MP15 to learn more about it after purchasing one. Applied your fix and it goes around corners with no problems! Thanks

Nice looking engines can’t afford any.I will just order some track and work on my Railroad

Mike, thanks for the idea starter. I’ve used the same board, mounted it under the deck for input access, mounted the speaker to the back of my O Gauge Drive-In Movie screen, downloaded a 1957 radio station, inserted “Concession Stand” announcements, hooked up 7:08 4v dedicated power and ran the button wire to a remote switch panel. Now while the Intermission slides play, 1957 990 WIBG , Philadelphia plays with concession stand announcements at the push of a button. Thank YOU! Wish I could post pictures.

😱a space force commodore?

Good explanation thank you😅

Good explanation thank you

Some RMT Beeps have a cable for multiple unit operations

Great video!