Old Train Price Range

[Jmharman]

I have an old Bachmann Silver Star train that has four cars including the engine and the caboose about how much would it be worth?

[Doneldon]

jmh-

A common question with a common answer: not much. Maybe $20-30 if you can find a local buyer but postage will eat a lot of that up if you try to sell it on ebay.

The truth is that very few older trains, especially train sets, are worth much. The reason is the old law of supply and demand. In this case, there are lots of old trains around but almost no demand for them. The reason is that older models have less detail and worse operating characteristics than current models so they simply aren't desirable. In the case of train sets that's even more true because, by and large, train set components are selected by their manufacturers for being as inexpensive as possible. Thus, they have even less detail and worse running characteristics than even some of their non-set contemporaries. Compared to today's models, they aren't desirable at all. Plus, those few old trains that are worth something are only truly valuable if they are in new condition in original packaging, also in new condition. Trains which have set around an attic or basement for a couple of decades just aren't going to be in new condition. Yes, somebody's brother knows a guy whose neighbor got $1000 for an old Lionel steam engine, but that's a rare exception, assuming the story is true, which it probably is not.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         -- D

[phillyreading]

Look around a little, but like Doneldon mentioned, probally very little dollar value.
Most of today's trains in H.O. have differant couplers and/or have command control called DCC.
The set may be good for some children to play with, as they are not usually concerned with detail as much.

However if the set is a Bachmann large scale, you might get a few more dollars than H.O.  Even S gauge or American Flyer is not getting that much.
Try looking at www.choochooauctions.com for a realistic value of what things are selling for currently. To me ebay is over-rated.

Lee F.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

It is not a large scale set.  Looking at E BAy prices for HO sets will also give you a better picture on prices.

[mhampton]

If you look on eBay, be sure to check what items have actually sold for, not what the sellers are asking for.  There is usually a vast difference between the two.

[Ken G Price]

It's sad, but true, old train sets that cost very little when new sell for very, very little used. If anything at all.