How to buy used lionel train sets the smarter way...
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Are you in the market for a used Lionel train?
Unfortunately, we are in a time era where so many hobby shops are closing their doors for the last time. This makes it difficult for the avid model train hobbyist. It makes it even more difficult to buy the trains and parts when they are needed. It needn’t be that way though. If you have a computer or know someone that does, then you can do all your shopping right from the comfort of your own home. Just simply head to the internet and start searching for what you want or need.
Here are some tips and tricks that can help you locate a good train, and save you some money on the price you have to pay to get it.
1. How Much Is The Actual Value?
First, knowing how collectors of used Lionel trains put a value on them will help you to get your best deal. In addition, if you are intending to sell your train later, knowing what affects the resale value is an important consideration.
There are two established guides that will help you determine a fair price for any particular train:
These guides are just that - guides. They give you a starting point for your negotiations. It's kind of like in the movie "The Pirates of The Caribbean" where they talk about the Pirate Code being more like a guide rather than hard and fast rules. So the prices listed in the guides are a general valuation rather than a definite price.
2. Understand The Grading System
What is strictly followed by collectors, though, is the Train Collectors Association Grading Standards.
These standards classify used Lionel trains as belonging to one of seven categories, starting with Mint Condition, meaning unused and in perfect condition, and ending with Poor Condition, meaning the train is pretty much a piece of junk, with maybe a few usable parts. You will most likely want to buy a train that is somewhere in between these extremes.
An understanding of these categories can save you some money, and make you some money.
For example, if someone is charging you a price for a train in Mint Condition, it really might be in Like New or Excellent condition, rather than Mint. If you can tell that the train has been used at all, then it is not Mint condition, and you do not need to pay the Mint condition price.
You can make some nice profits by buying a used Lionel train in one category, cleaning it up and making some minor repairs, and then selling it for a nice profit in one of the better categories.
There is an excellent guide to repairing and restoring your train over at LionelManuals.com. They have an inexpensive set of CDs with all the instructions, blueprints, diagrams, parts lists, and catalogues you will need to get your train looking like new again!
3. Locate The Best Deals
Once you have a handle on how to look for an appropriate price, you are ready to go shopping for your used Lionel Train. You will find some of your best deals at garage sales, flea markets, in the For Sale sections of newspapers (especially the small community newspapers), at estate sales, and sometimes on Ebay.
Most of the people selling their used Lionel Trains through these methods do not understand the real value of their trains. To them, they are just some old stuff. You can find some really great buys if you keep tabs on these markets.
You can find some really nice used Lionel trains at collectors clubs. You may not get such a great bargain on your train, but you will get a fair price. You can find out about your local clubs through hobby shops that sell or repair used Lionel trains, or sell accessories for them. A lot of these collectors are their best customers, and the shop owner can put you in touch with them.
So whether you are looking for a great deal on a used Lionel train, or a great train at a fair price, following these tips will help you become a happy customer, and the proud owner of an awesome Lionel train!
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