Sunday, November 30, 2008

Valuation of Antique Lionel Trains and Selling Guide

By Nathan Kelly

Are you searching to sell your old Lionel trains? Maybe you have discovered a gold mine at your neighborhood garage sale! Or maybe you've discovered a box in the attic filled with these used Lionel trains. How do you check their worth?

When it comes down to it, their valued, or their trading cost, will count on several things, not the least of which is how much the purchaser is prepared to give you to get it. The most moved buyers will naturally pay more than somebody who is not fiery about it.

The last individual you want to trade your used Lionel train to is some of those individuals who post advertizements saying "I buy trains!". These individuals are in the business of moneymaking the worst possible price, and then selling as high as possible. You most likely will not get a good cost existing.

Who you DO want to speak to is proper collectors of used Lionel trains. They are most in all probability to make you a fair cost, and in this group of someones is where you are also most likely to find a motivated buyer. You may have a local group of collectors in your individual area. Hobby workshops that handle in antique Lionel trains, or supply regions and supplements for them, can direct you in finding the trusted collectors.

Now that you recognise where to find a purchaser, here are some tips to aid you put a cost on your used Lionel train.

The Train Collectors Association has tight grading measures that are observed by the typical train collectors in finding evaluations. They split the total range of conditions into seven categories, ranging from brand new and unused (mint condition) to scrap, with whatever functional sections (poor condition). The seven classes are: Mint, Like New, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor. Your train will fall someplace into one of these classes.

In addition, there are two quality leads released every yr that can aid you to check a rate for your old Lionel train. These publishing companies are well honorable in this arena, and have been releasing these guides for numerous yr. The two guides are:

TM's Lionel Price and Rarity Guide - Volume 1 or Volume 2, depending on the date your Lionel train was manufactured

Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide to Lionel Trains

There are particular affairs you can do which can make a tremendous difference in your marketing cost. Say your train is in mint condition, plus you have the special box, you will get the highest cost manageable. So don't ever so cast away the box if you have one. Also, clean your train so that there is no dust, grease, dirt, or old built up oil on it. A clean and shiny train that doesn't move can ofttimes require a high dealing price than a dirty one that works. In addition, sometimes just cleansing it up and making secondary repairs can mend that old train to a more valuable condition.

You can get an excellent guide for fixing your antique Lionel train at LionelManuals.com. The guide is really 2 CDs full of instructions, blueprints, parts lists, and detailed diagrams for every Lionel train ready-made from 1906 through 1986. It makes fixing your train simple, and can easy double or triple the price you can get for your train. With some of these collectible trains, doing the easy repairs can in reality bring you thousands of dollars more when you trade it.

So you see, there is a lot that goes into committing a rate on your used Lionel train. Your best reckoned to get a big trading cost is to do your inquiry on your train, check the established guides, make contact with a collectors club, and present a restored, clean and beaming train to a wild collector.

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