Hello and best new year wishes. Unfortunately, my very good friend Dave Ellis(76) passed away a month ago from cancer. He was an avid train enthusiast. I joined here to help his wife decide what to do with his huge collection. I have no experience with scale train products etc. I was hoping that someone could private message me here so I can give them my # to call me to help my friend out. Dave left no instructions for his wife on how to find good homes for his collection and it's overwhelming for her. I'm certain Dave invested many thousands of dollars into his hobby. Please respond here on this thread or contact me if you have suggestions or know of honest reputable buyers in mind or what to do. We miss Dave dearly and I think of him often. Thanks and again best wishes.
Hello Omegadog, welcome. I'm sure you will find help from us. Though it would be helpful to know what size the trains are, i.e., scale or track gauge. If you have access to a piece of track, please measure the distance between the inside of the rails. Either Metric or English would be fine. That would help us be more selective in our responses. Thanks.
Welcome aboard, Omegadog. You will certainly find help here. First determine the scale as Hytec suggested. That will produce replies.
Bless you for helping the lady out. Why pick one brain when you can pick all our brains? Start taking and posting pics. When you only have a general idea what you're looking at, a picture is worth a thousand words to us.
Thanks for the replies and may this new year bring you joy. Yes I will supply pics and info when I can. This will take a while as I haven't even told his wife I joined this forum yet and I don't know if she is at that point yet of letting any or all of it go. Dave has an entire room with 2 different scale setups. Again, I'll update when it's appropriate.
Welcome to TrainBoard! Condolences for the loss of your friend. As already suggested, photos are a very big help in assessing condition and making suggestions for you. Also, we do have our dedicated area for selling here, The Swap Meet. You might just find a few interested parties via offerings there, whenever that time arrives.
For what it's worth @omegadog, layouts (table, track, wiring, etc.) are rarely worth much, as most hobbyists would prefer to build their own. There are exceptions to this of course. It's the locomotives, cars and unbuilt kits that generate the most interest. We'll do our best to be kind in our general appraisals and be frank as well. We've seen a number of such inquiries and they cover the valuation spectrum. Brand names matter, as they relate to quality. Age of the stuff matters too, but it gets complex because "old" often doesn't translate into increased worth. If it ends up being too much of a headache for you, there are enterprises that buy collections. You'll get 40 cents of what you'd maybe earn otherwise, but you'll be done with it. Looking forward to seeing what's in front of you.
