Were can i find the current market value of my limited edition models?

[gareth]

Sorry if i this is posted int he wrong forum.

 

Over the years i have been collecting model railways i have either bought or had them bought for me as present several limited edtion models.

 

Some of which dont fit into with mu collection but you dont like to say if they were gifts ( its the thought that counts)

 

The time as come to possibley part with one or two of these models.

 

I emailed off to a model shop who will remain nameless for quote. Lets just say i was less than impressed with their valuations.

 

I have

 

X1 Colliery set - 4f loco and 5 open coal wagons and a brake van

 

This is mint boxed along with the certificate

 

 

X1 Silver Juiblee - A4 Silver fox ( tender powered ) with 3 silver matching coaches in LNER livery and etched nameplate for the rear.

 

Again mint boxed with the certifcate

 

I was quoted £90-100 for pair, i paid more than that just for one. Hence why i was not impressed.

 

My other model i haveis the Queens golden jubilee

 

X1 Princess Elizabeth with the gold track, all gold handrails, wheels and running gear etc in the valvet lined box.

 

Again mint boxed with the certificate.

 

Proberbly wont sell that as its LMS/BR but just curious to find the value of it after the years of ownership.

 

I would be most gratefull for any info

 

regards

[rob D2]

how about the ramsey's guide, that has valuations of models in it. I would suggest it's fairly flexible though dependant on supply and demand.

Personally I would keep an eye on ebay to see what similar items sell for to gauge the current ball park.

[johnb]

I am not personally familiar with the set references of X1 but it would be useful to know their origins. I assume that they are probably Hornby limited sets made for a toy or general retailer rather than the model trade.

 

However your query is typical of those which pop up on this forum from time to time and there is no easy answer. Basically someone will pay what it is worth to them, there is no recognised system of values that could be applied. Ramseys British Model Trains Catalogue does give a indication but, in general, those are the 'buy' prices, selling prices will be significantly, sometimes very significantly, lower. It is however not very explicit on the pricing of sets of the type that you describe. Ramseys does indicate that in many cases, Hornby sets are often only 'worth' the value of their contents as might be sold individually.

 

However a trader will buy in at a price that will allow him to sell it at a mark up that will cover his costs and let him make a profit. Typically traders will buy in at somewhere between 30% and 50% of the price that they expect to achieve on selling it (which may take quite a while), generally it will be to the LOWER end of that range, say 30%/35%. For my experiences (I am NOT a trader) 'Limited Edition' sets of the type that you describe do not generally fetch 'good' prices, in fact they can be slow to sell and that will influence any traders offer.

 

Having a look around on Ebay might give a clue, but be aware prices achieved there vary wildly, so it is not a reliable indication of value.

 

Checking around with a few other traders may give a better price. Unless they prove to be particularly rare sets, then you will be fortunate to achieve prices from a trader approaching that which you paid.

[Jenny Emily]

As has already been said, a shop or trader has to make money on the deal too, so expect the price they offer to allow them to mark it up and sell it on. Years ago at a brief evening job at Dillons (remember them?) in the secondhand section they would generally buy a book for one third of its original cover price to sell at two thirds that price. Ebay is somewhere to keep an eye on and make note of what similar items go for, however that too can be misleading as sometimes bidding wars break out and things go for silly money, or alternatively pass through the net unnoticed and attract none or few bids - take it all with a little pinch of salt.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

The value of boxed sets is almost purely down to how many were issued and whether they were a variation of a theme in the contents. Sometimes, one individual item in a set will make the value.

 

The best instance I know was the boxed set of Bournemouth Belle coaches, not because it was badged or with correct coach boards but because it was the only way to purchase those particular Pullman named/numbered coaches at the time.

 

Very, very few boxed sets seem to be worth any real money as they are aimed squarely at the toy train set market and are supposed to look good rather than run on a layout.

 

Having said that, very early boxed sets fetch a lot of money now because they are extremely rare in good condition original boxes. But that 'lot of money' is relative and in inflation terms is no more than it is really worth anyway. You have to wait fifty years or get really lucky to make good money on selling old model railways.

 

If you split the set and offer each item individually, this will give a larger customer base for someone looking to complete or add to their own set and it visibly reduces the outlay on both individual item and the postage which will be steep on a boxed set. You can even offer the empty box as an individual item. The exception will be the colliery set. i doubt taht has any value as a set or individually although the loco will attract bids.

 

The use of Ebay at this time of year will give the best indicator but I would counsel against using an auction to get a value without selling it at the end.

 

I am not sure that Ramsays gives boxed set values but their individual values are pretty accurate. You sometimes wonder whether they are a bit like Glass's Guide on cars, chicken and egg.

[Kris]

I think that watching e-bay for the same or similar items is the best way to go here, but remember if you do decide to part with your items you might not get the same amount that you have just seen one go for. It might also be worth splitting the sets as the parts may be worth more than the whole.

[Bernard Lamb]

I picked up a limited edition boxed set on ebay recently for quite a bit less than the price that the loco on it's own would normally sell for.

It all comes down to supply and demand in the end. No matter how many are produced they will not fetch any sort of price if very few people actually want them.

Bernard

[Forester]

I'm not sure Hornby ever did sell all the thousands of "Limited Edition" Exeters in their fine wooden boxes back in the Margate days. They are still worth a lot less than the standard production Bidefords released around the same time!

 

Nowadays the producers put a lot of effort into predicting how many items of a particular run can be sold, so they can decide how big a potential Limited Edition run should be to exactly match the market. Result: they nicely catch out those who are trying to make a profit on them, by persuading them to buy locos they don't need and then can't sell on. Treat all Limited Editions as standard models, unless they sold out within days of release - in which case it's too late!

 

Caution on using eBay. It's very useful, but make sure to tick the Completed Listings box to see what items have actually sold for, rather than look at the prices being asked - which can be very misleading.

[craigwelsh]

I am not personally familiar with the set references of X1 but it would be useful to know their origins. I assume that they are probably Hornby limited sets made for a toy or general retailer rather than the model trade.

I'd assumed the OP meant times 1 by that and not X1 as in a set code. I think the sets will still have normal R numbers.

 

The gold plated Princess might be worth something pristine, the others have been superseded by new models hence the low offer you got for them. Hornby always stick ltd edition certificates in their trainpacks even now, the brand new sets 1/2 price in littlewoods had one!

[RFS]

Another place to look is the Vectis auction site (Vectis Auctions). If you register with them (free) then you can search all their previous auctions and see what prices were achieved.

[gareth]

Thanks for the info guys.

 

Where is th best place to get a copy of the ramseys guide?

 

I didnt think they would have increased massivley in price but its a little frustrating when i paid well over £100 ( alot of cash wheni was an apprentice lol) for the colliery set approx 10 years ago hence why i was not to happy with the dealers price for the both sets.

 

I may try ebay and see what intrest in get for them or just hang on to them

 

Thanks once again