have a suitcase full of 20?? year old trains

[gordo]

have a suitcase full of 20?? year old trains new in the box. i have no idea how to find a value for them.  any online guides?? any help would be appreciated. and dont tell me they are worth $20.00 and you would be doing me a favor by taking them off my hands.

[Pacific Northern]

Best place for you to check out would be e-bay.

Pretty hard for anyone here to even guess without your indicating what the brand name and what the engines are.

[gordo]

there is a whole bunh of different makers and models, heres one for ya: Bachmann 2-8-0 consolidation classic collectors series part # 53002 santa fe. i don't know what year these are from. is there a stamp or something on the trains to tell me? i don't think this has ever been out of the box so i'm not sure if i want to open it.

tx

[Craig]

Actually, what you have is a suitcase full of model rail stock. A model locomotive or freight/passenger car does not a model train make.

What scale are these? What other brands? Unfortunately, plastic model rail stock does not appreciate in value. Where locomotives are concerned, today's product is far superior to anything produced in even the recent past. Items that old may not even run and they have no collector value. That doesn't mean you don't have something that would sell or that somebody might like to see in his or her roster.

As has been suggested, locate similar items on eBay for approximate value. But know that you can’t compare 20-year-old products with modern offerings, price wise. They just didn’t compare in quality to current merchandise.

[Craig]

This one sold for 1200.00 Mexico Pesos . I would expect you'd get about 1/3 that amount.

[gordo]

sweet not too encouraging

[gordo]

so is it mainly experience that estimates value.

[SteamGene]

so is it mainly experience that estimates value.

I'm not sure what you mean by that.  If you mean experienced people estimate value, I think you are right.  I've owned one of the Consolidations you mentioned - actually, two of them, but one was doctored to resemble a Mikado.  Both had problems pulling their tender.  For your Santa Fe Consolidation, I'd pay you $5 plus postage, as long as the postage wasn't more than another $5.  I'd do that only because I know what I could do with it.
I'd suggest putting it on e-Bay.  You may get lucky.  A year or so ago a lady asked this board about a train set and we told her - $5.  She sold it for more than $200 on e-Bay.  There's a note about somebody who just sold a box of junk on e-Bay for $4000.  You may be lucky and join them. 
Or you may be asking me about buying your Consolidation for $3.00
Gene

[lanny]

I agree with Gene. Go eBay. Honestly and in detail describe what you can see from your models. Take good clear photos and if you don't want to open the boxes, mention that as well so that people will understand they are bidding on something that is new but hasn't been electrically tested.

Not infrequently I have been amazed by what folks are willing to pay for items I have put up for bid. Of course, at other times, I have been frustrated at seeing some of my really nice rolling stock go for very low prices.

You may want to hold off a bit, until the fall, when folks get more interested in 'inside' hobbies. Then list them. Who knows, your 'suitcase full of trains' may turn into a 'suitcase full of money'.

hope it does!

lanny nicolet

[Woody Elmore]

The suitcase may be worth more than the HO trains.

[Guilford Guy]

Not worth much, I'll take em off your hands for 20$.

[SteamGene]

It varies from one country to the other, but 20 pesos is not very much, GG.
Gene

[Jim Banner]

The 530 Consolidation had a flat, "pancake" motor that did not perform well at low speeds and was equiped with gears that were noisy at all speeds.  They make a good background decoration or you can sit one on the RIP track.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

[bevernie]

                 GREETINGS!!
   When you put them on EBAY, please post a couple of "item numbers" on this thread, so that we might be able to look. Also, send me a "lot price" on everything that you have left that doesn't sell! [email protected]
                                                                                          THANX!!
                                                                                                 Ernie
                                                                                      Hendersonville, NC

[LD303]

   I'll give you $25 for the whole mess.....sorry GG
  I'm kidding.....Ebay is the way to go.