we guys here it is a good friend stopped by today with a train set we had from when he was a kid. he is thinking on selling it but would like to know what to ask

here is the info i got it was made from AHM in 1974 it is ho scale and it is all in the orignal box with . it has a 48" oval for the track and the power box as for the loco it is old f unit in the road markings of baltamore and ohio. and their is a red b&o cabose a tanker a box car and a flat car that all cars and loco looks that they never been ran. and they all have their boxes. their is also a catalog from the company with all their prices for the same year.

if any of you guy culd help me out on this it would be great . i couldn't get pics of it due to wife had cam at a wedding will try to get some as soon as i get my cam back

thanks guys for the help.

Sorry to be the one to break it to you and your friend..... AHM ain't Lionel.

HO stuff isn't really collectible, since most modellers have more sense than the toy train crowd, and recognize that just because it's old doesn't mean it's instantly a valuable collectible.

Your friends' set is of a slightly-better quality than Tyco and Bachmann. You might get $20-30 for it. Check completed listings on E-Bay... you'll see that the AHM sets usually either get no bids (because the original seller put an overly-optimistic price on it) or it sells for $10 - $15.

Squid's right...loco, $5-10...cars, $2-3 each, track, $.25 a section---in like new condition...power pack, $2-5. All these are optimistic at best, especially nowadays with the economy and all. Complete and unopened, the set itself may push $30-35 tops.

Quite frankly, I'm given so much of it, I don't even buy it any more, unless it's their particularly unusual cars, i.e. the container cars, vinegar tankers, Thrall doors and such. Even then, $2-3 is all I'd part with.

Their steam holds value quite well, but even then, bargains are easy to find. I purchased an AHM/Rivarossi N&W 2-8-8-2 Y6b in near mint condition for $30 at a train show.

I've since learned to duck these questions at the shows, the Lionel boondoggle of the 80s and 90s had and has so many people thinking they have an untapped fortune in their hands. HO is just too common and the technology has made it impractical to bother with these old birds, unless you're a tinkerer or a nostalgic collector like me.

There is collectible HO out there (would you believe some Tyco hock: ) to be found but it doesn't have names like AHM, Bachmann or Life-Like...

IF its in excellent to good shape,has its original boxes,has the original power pack and brass track it should fetch around $25-30.00..

HO does have collectors that specialize in old train sets to include Tyco.
However,

The majority of the HO collectors collect brass cars and locomotives,older HO like vintage Varney,Penn-Line,Hobbytown,Hobbyline,AHM/Rivarossi etc.

I knew a guy that had a old AHM/Rivarossi Krauss Maffei..He had NO clue what that engine was worth..He sold it for $5.00..Collectors are paying up to $100.00 for a mint condition KM.His was in fair condition and worth around $50.00-60.00.

Brakie Wrote:I knew a guy that had a old AHM/Rivarossi Krauss Maffei..He had NO clue what that engine was worth..He sold it for $5.00..Collectors are paying up to $100.00 for a mint condition KM.His was in fair condition and worth around $50.00-60.00.

Yup...forgot about that one. Their 60s-70s Eggerbahn HOn30 can get pricey too.

shaygetz Wrote:

Brakie Wrote:I knew a guy that had a old AHM/Rivarossi Krauss Maffei..He had NO clue what that engine was worth..He sold it for $5.00..Collectors are paying up to $100.00 for a mint condition KM.His was in fair condition and worth around $50.00-60.00.

Yup...forgot about that one. Their 60s-70s Eggerbahn HOn30 can get pricey too.

That little B&O 0-4-0 with the slopeback tender can get pricey..These was rebuilt from B&O 0-4-0 Lil' Joes and had a oversize cab.I think B&O had 2 class C-16A.

thanks guys it is as i thought but i just wanted other input in this. be for i gave him the news on the train set. i told him last night to use it and start a layout .but up grade the power pack. and get some better track. i told him i have about 3 cases of code 80 flex track that i could part with some of it and i could help him with building it . so he talked to his wife and she gave him a 20 x 45 space in their house to use .i may have found a home for parts of my layout.

Quote:That little B&O 0-4-0 with the slopeback tender can get pricey..These was rebuilt from B&O 0-4-0 Lil' Joes and had a oversize cab.I think B&O had 2 class C-16A.

The first brass I ever had! and, my favorite switcher! there were four, #96,97,98,99.
96 and 99 lost their tanks and gained tenders.[attachment=2564]

scoobyloven Wrote:thanks guys it is as i thought but i just wanted other input in this. be for i gave him the news on the train set. i told him last night to use it and start a layout .but up grade the power pack. and get some better track. i told him i have about 3 cases of code 80 flex track that i could part with some of it and i could help him with building it . so he talked to his wife and she gave him a 20 x 45 space in their house to use .i may have found a home for parts of my layout.

Cool! With the property prices here in the Los Angeles area, even during the current economic downturn, finding an extra 20 x 45 space in a house for a model railroad is impossible unless you are a lot wealthier than I am!

i know he is lucky to have that price i had to pay off my wife for my space with a new car. but it was worth every cent. as the space is 25 x 30 in one room and another 10 x 15 in the other room .where the new add on will go. but i have no time to start it have everything but have another. job i have to finish first. that was part of the deal with the wife. have to get this boat done. that i bought three years ago. to turn into a nice big lake boat. had to rebuild the motor took me about three months to do that. had to redo the floor and lay alot of new fiberglass. now all the small stuff.wiring,carpet,start and finish airbrushing,then last but not least move it to the trailor. hope to be done by fall to start the add on to the layout .

well guys i am going to keep keegen's pass on the layout i am going to move it to the new space as that is in a diff room. and i can have it off limits to others and have to not run it if i don't want to. i will just make it a sidding/loop. so if i wanted to run trains to it i can . just have to finish the new dcc layout plans and the add on track plan.

As they say good things come in time and im glad to hear your going to keep the pass and keep it open to an operation when the time comes

scoobyloven Wrote:thanks guys it is as i thought but i just wanted other input in this. be for i gave him the news on the train set. i told him last night to use it and start a layout .but up grade the power pack. and get some better track. i told him i have about 3 cases of code 80 flex track that i could part with some of it and i could help him with building it . so he talked to his wife and she gave him a 20 x 45 space in their house to use .i may have found a home for parts of my layout.

DANG!!! Ask him if he wants to sell the WIFE!!