I'd love to give those Cab Forwards a good home, but his price is way to much. I'm guessing none of those locos has ever turned a wheel, and none of them would run now without a lot of work. Plus, there's years of dust on that shelf, and probably on the locos, too. I'd bid $1,500.
The tone this thread is taking reminds me of something Andy Sperandeo wrote in MR, don't bother with brass diesels because plastic has closed the gap for way less money.
I have to admit that even though I ragged the guy a couple pages ago, I was bitten by the brass bug. BAD! I didn't have it as bad as some in our N scale group but bad enough. I've got several brass bodies sitting on Kato and Atlas chassis. Now they are literally worth junk. IMHO, brass was never made for daily running and I can prove it. Just watch some of my steam wobble down the track. But I had a lot of fun wearing it out. Kato, IM, and Concor, killed Key in N scale steam. As a prime example, you can't give away an Overland AMD-103, SD9043AC, or Key GS-4 or AC-12. The compeditors are just too good. And this pair of Hallmark Dash 8-40CWs sitting next to make me want to cry. The only 2 good runners I have left are a Key SP 2-8-2 and a Key GS-4 that came from the very 1st run Key made. There were more that 1 or 2 pieces I wish I had back both steam simply because we'll never see them in plastic. But when that FEF-3 shows up, clear out! I'm rippin my wallet open. (But only in plastic of course.) As it has been said earlier, for what you're going to get for brass in today's market, you might as well use them for scenery and hope one of your relatives appreciates them when that time comes.
He's asking $15,000. I read the $1500 number as a sly suggestion that they're worth a tenth of what he's asking.
Yeah, IM has diminished the value of brass, but not to the extent of what some are exaggerating. If he sold them separately, I could see him averaging $400-$450 each over a period of time. Take that times 16 and you would have $6,400 - $7,200. As for the running quality of brass, the Key cab forwards were pretty decent runners, at least the ones I have experienced. Yeah, he's no doubt high, but citing ridiculous prices on the other end of the scale is way out there too.
I too had to bite the brass bug, but all 7 of mine run like swiss watches and outpull anything in plastic. Each locomotive has a few hundred hours of running and no wobbles and no issues with running. Brass can run very well depending on who made it and who was the importer. It is a lot like buying Bachmann, you never know how it is going to run out of the box until you run it. Even then, I have had a couple Bachmanns that self destructed after running about 4 or 5 hours. There is not a single 4-8-4 made in plastic that comes close to the pulling power of my brass 4-8-4's. They even outpull the Athearn Challengers. I can't say about the Big Boys or the Cab Forwards since I do not own any of them. Condeming all brass locomotives isn't quite right. Yes there was a lot of junk out there, but that wasn't any different for plastic in the same time period.
I agree with you too David. If you do get a good running brass model, there is nothing better. Weight ratio to plastic is much better. I also have a brass 4-8-4 that is a great runner, and pulls like a mule.
I agree with the last two posts. IMHO, brass is brass and plastic is plastic. You buy each for differenct reasons. Here are some reasons to enjoy brass if you are able: 1. brass is handmade, it is a work of art. 2. brass is more rugged. Soldered small metal pieces don't break as easily as plastic if touched and don't fall off with time from thermal cycling. Metal also doesn't suffer the aging processes that plastic does. 3. Brass has better tractive effort. My brass Northerns, Allegheny, and Yellowstone will pull much longer trains than any plastic i have. 4. Brass has good manufacturers and poor ones. I collect mainly Key, because its the best. I don't collect other brands. Just like i collect Kato and IM and won't keep a Bachmann in the house even if you give it to me for free. I see plenty of brass piece sales going for near the price in the referenced collection listing. The listing states these are new and unrun, this also supports the price. Mint items always command premiums. It does not say they were undisplayed. The statement about the collection size, i believe, is a reference to the rarity of some of the pieces. When was the last time you saw and AC1, 2, or 3 for sale? It took me years to find an AC3. And it is one of the best pieces in my collection, both for detail and operations. respectfully, SuperSteam
I will bow to the experience of the collectors. There is a big difference between the collectors and the runners, as far as what they are willing to pay for an item they don't absolutely have to have. Actually, it does specify under the condition it is new, unrun, still factory-sealed. After that first lie, I wouldn't believe anything else he said. Here's the quote from his auction: Item specifics Condition: New: A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item (including handmade items). See the seller's listing for full details. Grading: C-9 Factory New - Brand New
If my memory serves me....If you choose "C-9" as the grading when listing a product....the remainder such as 'condition' is autogenerated to say "Condition: New: A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item (including handmade items). See the seller's listing for full details." I remember from my Eckbay selling days that that is how it worked. I could be wrong and am sure someone will correct me if wrong. If you search other C-9 listings...you will see that the wording is identical...not even a typing error or swapping of words JMO :tb-wink:
That does explain some of the descriptions I've seen there. too bad there isn't a "never used, opened for display only". As I stated above, I see that in the description, and just keep going to the next auction.It makes you wonder how many others do the same thing, and how much the sellers have lost ovr the years.
Listining ended was relisted then was ended early. Surprised no one commented on his $300 Shipping charge.
Listing is back up, same price. I hope these find a nice new layout to run on, with someone who'll dust them off every once in a while.
If packaged correctly and sent by courier instead of dropped in a mailbox it's not out of reason for a $15,000 item (I didn't see if shipping method was specified) - or he could mail it in a series of padded envelopes by USPS. Brass is pretty easy to flatten out with a mallet. Also it costs extra to ship something with the dust intact.
USPS insurance only covers up to $5k, Registered Mail goes to $25K. FWIW, I did the math and Registered Mail fees to cover $15K would be around $220, so that is probably the majority of the fee. I agree with most here seller would have better luck unloading them piece by piece...doubt he'll get the $15k he is looking for.
Seller also has a set of Overland UP Heritage units for sale. I sent him a message and asked him how he could list them as factory new when they are displayed on a table. His reply was that he only removed them from the box to test them, due to the fact that he had many Overland units that didn't run. His reply was prompt, courteous, and made sense. (Yes, he shouldn't list them as factory new) I think he just doesn't get it. Wrong rating and listing in lots as opposed to separately. Depends on how bad he wants to sell his stuff.
Yep.. I was wondering, perhaps the significant other made some claim, using the collection as "proof" about his hobby addiction or some wild thing. In that case, listing the lot at 15k makes perfect sense. Shows the wife you're willing to "let go" yet secretly, you know no one's going to buy it at 15K so in the end, you get to keep all your stuff! See, his marketing strategy isn't so flawed after all. In fact, he's a genius!
