What areas do you know the best?

[clovis97]

I'm just curious to know what your strongest areas are for buying and selling.

What are your top 3 areas are you the most knowledgeable about?

My top three:

1. Lionel trains, especially post war, but am knowledgeable about the other years too.
2. Antique tools.
3. Fiesta dishes, both vintage and post-86

 

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[SEANO]

My top three are probably:
1. Coins
2. Military
3. Scrap (what's worth buying to scrap)

What I wish I knew more about.
1. Trains -Clueless
2. Models -Went to "whole house sale" with 100's of 1960's-70's unopened models and walked by them all.
3. Fishing items (poles, lures, reels) I ocean fish most every weekend, but I know very little about vintage items. I will buy them if they look old and are cheap to research later.

 

[creeper71]

My top three are probably:
1. Coins
2. Military
3. Scrap (what's worth buying to scrap)

What I wish I knew more about.
1. Trains -Clueless
2. Models -Went to "whole house sale" with 100's of 1960's-70's unopened models and walked by them all.
3. Fishing items (poles, lures, reels) I ocean fish most every weekend, but I know very little about vintage items. I will buy them if they look old and are cheap to research later.

if the models were 10.00 or less each I would have bought them all... if they had working motorized parts I would have bought them for 20.00 or less... sometimes you have to take chances if your not sure ... I know for a fact most of them models would have fetched 40-60.00 each... motorized would have been more closer to 100+

 

[creeper71]

I don't have anything I am a expert in but I have basic to advanced knowledge in alot of different stuff...

 

[SEANO]

if the models were 10.00 or less each I would have bought them all... if they had working motorized parts I would have bought them for 20.00 or less... sometimes you have to take chances if your not sure ... I know for a fact most of them models would have fetched 40-60.00 each... motorized would have been more closer to 100+
[/quote]

Thanks for the knowledge on the models. It was a clearing out a house sale...while filling a dumpster. "Make a pile and name a price", don't think they would have cost more then a $1. Now I know, thanks!

 

[clovis97]

The best advice I can give on old model kits is to study the completed listings on ebay. It is stunning what many of the vintage models will bring.

One big surprise to me was model kits of semi trucks and their trailers...and also model kits of farm tractors.

I picked up a partial kit of a semi trailer in a super rough box. The kit had been started and then someone cut it in half, it was missing tons of parts, no decals, and no instructions, and it still sold for $29! Most people wouldn't have even listed it because it was so rough, and I almost threw it in the trash!

One disappointment I had was a model ship kit that averaged a sale price of $80 to $90. Mine only brought $41 plus shipping. I was super disappointed, especially since I paid $25 for it at auction. Market timing, I suppose.

 

[creeper71]

if the models were 10.00 or less each I would have bought them all... if they had working motorized parts I would have bought them for 20.00 or less... sometimes you have to take chances if your not sure ... I know for a fact most of them models would have fetched 40-60.00 each... motorized would have been more closer to 100+

Thanks for the knowledge on the models. It was a clearing out a house sale...while filling a dumpster. "Make a pile and name a price", don't think they would have cost more then a $1. Now I know, thanks!

[/quote] if you could have gotten them for 1.00 or less a peice you should have offered 50.00 to 75.00 for all.. I know for a fact you would have more then tripled your investment... why can't I stumble into deal like that? lol

 

[duffytrash]

1....marbles.......2....arrowheads and indian artifacts...3....akro glassware....

 

[batcap]

I'm not an expert at anything However one skill that has served me well is Knowing how to find out fast.

I started out by looking for scrap PMs to send to the refiner, but started buying interesting old things. Now I have a bunch of stuff in boxes that will be difficult to sell. Now I just take pictures of everything that looks interesting and go home and look it up on eBay completed listings. I go back an buy if it seems like a sure thing, profit wise. Researching all those random objects will broaden your horizons.
I still haven't bought the smart phone that will let me do this instantly, on site.
Alternatively, buy if at 1/20th the value in a decent collector's guide - you can usually get 1/10 that much on ebay, so you'll double your money, if you're lucky.

 

[mikeofaustin]

I'm just curious to know what your strongest areas are for buying and selling.

What are your top 3 areas are you the most knowledgeable about?
My top three:
1. Lionel trains, especially post war, but am knowledgeable about the other years too.
2. Antique tools.
3. Fiesta dishes, both vintage and post-86

Just curious... My dad loved trains. I aquired this from his home after he passed away. He had it on his mantle, to what seemed like a very favorite piece of his. (I did notice that there is a wire disconnected from the motor, but I didn't reattach it because I wanted to leave it 'as is'.

"NORTHWEST SHORT LINE"
"Class "A" Climax"
"15 ton tee boiler"
H O
(sorry for the bad photo's. This was on a spur of the moment).

 

[clovis97]

mikeofaustin-

You've got me on that one. I am familiar with many makes of trains, but my best area is Lionel post war O gauge.

It does indeed appear to be HO scale. It is not Lionel. Even though Lionel did have an HO line, most of their postwar offerings were O and O27.

Are there any other markings on the train?

My first guess, if there are no other markings, that this was a kit built engine. It doesn't appear to be made of all brass, does it?

 

[mikeofaustin]

mikeofaustin-

You've got me on that one. I am familiar with many makes of trains, but my best area is Lionel post war O gauge.

It does indeed appear to be HO scale. It is not Lionel. Even though Lionel did have an HO line, most of their postwar offerings were O and O27.

Are there any other markings on the train?

My first guess, if there are no other markings, that this was a kit built engine. It doesn't appear to be made of all brass, does it?

Interesting you should ask that because it is all metal, but I don't know what metal it is. Dad apparently hand painted every detail. It has a really old foam cushion inside a very old box (the foam cushion is so old that it is dry rotted). There is an address of "Box 423 Seattle, Washington, 98111 USA"). It's a very heavy piece. It's certainly not aluminum or any other light metal.

Edit: Give me a day or two to get some respectable photo's for this piece. It's a very intricate piece. If you notice the dog on the end of the train (on photo two), there is also a lot more detail, where the dog is sitting on a bunch of tools left over by the train engineers. Also, on the first photo, the guy appears to hold a bunch of wood. There is a very detailed wood-pile detail next to the front of the engine (the boiler?). Let me shoot some respectable photo's in the next couple days. I'm sure my father, right now, is saying, "Hey, That's MY engine". And to him, I will say, "Hey Dad, I'm just trying to share your joy of trains with others".

 

[clovis97]

You might try a magnet to see if it is brass. Brass engines are crazy heavy, and can be crazy expensive.

Brass engines are also generally highly detailed.

 

[mikeofaustin]

You might try a magnet to see if it is brass. Brass engines are crazy heavy, and can be crazy expensive.

Brass engines are also generally highly detailed.

I'll be sure to try and produce some keen details in my photo's to come. This is a very detailed piece that my above photo's simply doesn't do it justice.

 

[creeper71]

I don't think there is a maker..I think it's just one of those unmarked Japan made items

 

[cyberdan]

There is an address of "Box 423 Seattle, Washington, 98111 USA"

zip codes started in 1963 so it is younger than that year.

 

[Kenosha Kid]

There is an address of "Box 423 Seattle, Washington, 98111 USA"

zip codes started in 1963 so it is younger than that year.

That address is to NorthWest Short Line http://www.nwsl.com Maybe you can write or call to help track down the manufacturer.

NWSL Box 423 Seattle WA 98111 USA (206)-932-1087 fax 935-7106

NorthWest Short Line has been providing the widest selection of high quality model railroad upgrade and repair products since 1959.

A 1906 photo of the actual locomotive :

http://www.climaxlocomotives.com/history/img/?P=10

 

[N.J.THer]

I'm definitely not an expert but I've had luck with:

1. Cast Iron Cookware
2. Movies on Reel
3. Old Engineering Books

I have not gone to a garage sale in a very long time...may have to try one this weekend.

Good luck everyone.
NJ

 

[creeper71]

I'm definitely not an expert but I've had luck with:

1. Cast Iron Cookware
2. Movies on Reel
3. Old Engineering Books

I have not gone to a garage sale in a very long time...may have to try one this weekend.

Good luck everyone.
NJ

I don't see many yardsales in NJ, they are usually tagsales or estate sales

 

[N.J.THer]

I'm definitely not an expert but I've had luck with:

1. Cast Iron Cookware
2. Movies on Reel
3. Old Engineering Books

I have not gone to a garage sale in a very long time...may have to try one this weekend.

Good luck everyone.
NJ

I don't see many yardsales in NJ, they are usually tagsales or estate sales

A lot of towns in NJ charge for a permit to have a garage sale so most people don't want the hassle of having to go down to town hall during business hours to get the permit. So it cuts down on individual sales. For the last few years most of these towns have a town wide garage sale. One weekend when you don't need a permit. This usually creates a situation where there will be multiple sales on almost every block. Turns into a whole day event in each town.

Then the follow garbage day is a free large pick up so everything that does not sell goes out to the curb. The night before that garbage pickup the roads are covered with pickup trucks taking scrap metal and furniture....lol.

NJ