What to do?

[early0electric]

For the last few years I have been struggling with what to do with some of my trains, or, all of my trains for that matter. Besides my individual pieces I have 20 or so boxed sets, some are still in the original boxes, some have the trains on display and the contents are separate. The reason for this is that I do not have enough shelf space to display my collection. My train collection is entirely early period Lionel O gauge (1915-1925). I also have a paper collection of original catalogs and ads covering the same period although I do have Lionel Paper back to 1900. Do those of you out there that have boxed sets, keep them in their original boxes? Should I box everything back up with the track, directions, rheostats, and so forth? I'm 70, feel 30, but you never know, you know? Every train I have is inventoried, make no mistake about that. Granted, when I'm gone, I'm sure everything will be sold outside of a memento that each of my 6 children will want (maybe). Neither my wife nor any of my children have an interest in my stuff. What I have is "Dad's collection". Should I really be concerned about what happens after I'm gone or should I be thinking, "don't worry about it", and leave "loose ends"? Or, , should I be thinking about selling my collection at auction at some point, should I get to it, before I get to the point I don't remember what I've got??? I may have 15-20 or more lucid years, but who knows???

Any thoughts out there? How are your trains stored? What are your plans? Just something we all have to confront at some point.

Mike

[Terry]

I'll be 58 this May. I sold the bulk of the collection when I was 50 to settle my dad's estate and get a more managable amount of trains. That was very hard to do, but I don't regret it.

At that time I kept about a dozen Lionel 0 and a dozen Standard sets for the layouts.

By the time I am 60 I will have no trains put away for later. Everything will either be on a shelf, a layout, or gone.

My current goal is to play with the 1930s and 40s era trains I kept and shift the collection focus to the Lionel trains from before 1913.

Then in 7-10 years, I'll be done and sell everything except a few of the really cool early trains, and some things to play with.

Frank Petruzo told me when I was young that I would end up with all the trains. What I never figured on was that there wouldn't be anyone to share them with.

When I was at Greg P~~ house in LA last spring we talked about the same thing. I said that as far as I'm concerned if in 25 years when I'm in my early 80s, I have 5 or 6 peices of  2 7/8th and a dozen trolleys I'll be happy.

[pjdog350]

I’m real close to 80. Just a few more months. I’ve been thinking the same thing. I talked with a train collector down the street about what to do with the trains. I’ve sold off trains before and wish I had not done so. I have 4 kids of my own and 2 step kids. All but one of the children are not the least bit interested. I did give 12 sets to my youngest child in 2012 and built her some real nice shelves in her office for them. All her sets are cataloged sets.

When the friend down the street and I where talking about this subject he said if they give you pleasure keep doing what you are doing. I have added 7 Lionel JR streamliner and restored them plus I’m working on a 259E and some cars but my trains are toys not of big dollar value just fun to run and repair. I know I’m not long for the world. I can feel the health slipping away. Plus talking care of my wife who is in real trouble is taking it toll on me. 80 years old and a 24 hour a day nurse with no help at all. Been doing it for 4 years and 4 months. But my trains are my therapy. They are my stress relievers. Things can get real bad and the stress level get real high and just 15 or 20 minutes doing the train thing and all is right with the world again. My wife learned how to count again counting the boxcars as they went by slowly. She got to 15.

I’m not going to quit until I’m gone. Let the kids worry about it. Give them something to have a rough idea of the value and just enjoy what time you have left.

Besides that, if your at home looking at, fixing, restoring, or buying more your at home and being safe. These are hard times for America. I miss the America I grew up in. Things where so different.

Stay home and be safe 

[starfire700]

It sounds like we all have the same issues to wrestle with.
I will be 70 next month, have blood pressure and arthritis issues, wife in EX health. We live with my wife's sis and husband, both 10 years younger than us and in healthcare.
We just built a new house, upstairs for wife and relatives, basement for me.
I have shifted my focus to operating and video production, but find it hard to part with the "good stuff" on the shelves.
I have early O gauge, some early standard, small amount of classic period standard (the stuff Frank Petruzzo would collect, he was also a good friend), some prewar AF. My favorite stuff now is  1935 to 42 Lionel, Early postwar and 1950's postwar to operate. Also Marx prewar tin, especially Army Trains, and the stuff that we produced as Marx Trains from 1992 to 2004.
Just looking back at that list, it is "too much" for a 70-year old, but I am having too much fun with it now, and my wife knows all of the major auction house owners.
We all have to make decisions based on family and financial conditions, but my vote, is keep the stuff you really like and keep playing (operating) until you no longer know a Hudson from a potatoe. If it provides joy and helps keep the brain functioning, it is good to keep it. 

[starfire700]

In answer to storage/display of boxed sets.....
I have some in the boxes stacked on a tower shelf, but I then forget what is in them.
Some of my early and late LL prewar is in showcases, but all does not fit. When I managed a shopping mall in the Chicago area, a demo contractor would save me discarded showcases when a store remodeled. The tall ones with mirror backs were from a Sunglass Hut.
Also showing some overalls of display shelves, cases and layout.
I did a lot of thinning when we moved and built this house, as I did not want to store too much. Still it was almost 100 luggers and boxes full.
Too much stuff?, yes it is. But where do I start? Lately I have been using things I never thought that I would in videos.
I am enjoying it, wife tolerates it, and wiring and operating sidings and accessories, modifying and repairing locos etc helps to keep the old brain functioning.

[pjdog350]

I’m so jealous!!!!!!!

[early0electric]

Yeah, it all seems too much at times, at others, I'm glad I have what I have. I guess with a few of my train buddies passing, it gets closer to home. I know it's a lot more fun when you can share what you have and know. I have 2 cases of Lionel Mfg O gauge one is 1915-1916 the other is 1917 -1918. My two other cases are both Lionel Corporation. Then there's the rest in boxes in my train room and downstairs. I've never really thinned out my collection. I guess the big take away, to me at least, is as long as I still enjoy it and can share it, all is well.

As far as my boxed outfits, I'll continue to put everything back. At least that way I can refresh in my head what's there.

I do like "until you no longer know a Hudson from a potato"! Cracks me up! Thanks for that!

 

 

 

 

[starfire700]

Your trains do look nice in wood cases.

[early0electric]

Do any of you have your trains inventoried? How do you keep track of what you have? I have string tags with an inventory number on one side and a description on the other on all my trains. I also have Excel spreadsheets with the inventory #'s and a more detailed description listed.

[pjdog350]

I use to have the Excel spread sheet but stopped keeping it up. Then sold allot of stuff in 2012. Now I’m starting over. I need to do the spread sheet again just so the kids will have a good idea of what I have and what the value may be?

My best trains I had 2012 went to one of my kids. She wanted them.

[starfire700]

I have always kept a "purchase inventory" with cost/description and date, but do not track items sold, other than through ebay records.
I do keep an inventory of the better items with my insurance policy. I have specific items covered, plus a blanket amount for lesser items, also covers items in transit and at shows.
I switched to my local agent, got a better price for coverage and better service. My original TCA recommended insurance started with JA Bash then became Chubb. They basically said they were no longer interested in writing such policies and recommended that I go to my homeowners insurance. Glad that I did.

[Terry]

I have almost all my trains from before 1925 on my phone. I did it years ago to have a list of what I have when I was at train meets. New trains are photographed and added before they go downstairs. All the cars have the inventory numbers written on the bottom with a grease pencil. (China Marker) the locos have string tags. When I upgrade, I move the tag to the new loco and change the picture.

 

 

 

The trains made after 1925 are just on lists in a text document, and I have pictures of them on the shelves.

My homeowner's insurance covers collectibles up to 75 percent of the house value total with the need to only schedule items worth more than $5k. Only the state set clears that, but it's actually 5 peices for insurance purposes. A loco and 4 cars. Farmers. My agent said so many people had collectibles that they started covering them.

[AT4]

Just my 2 cents. Unless you need the money keep them! I sold my collection due to divorce. I hated to part with it. You have heard the saying he whom dies with the most toys wins........LOL. Keep playing with them and collecting. It will keep you young.

[pjdog350]

You are right AT4

[starfire700]

Also agreed. As I have aged, I am less-worried about what to do with my "stuff".
As long as I can still enjoy it, I will keep it.
My wife knows how to dispose of it when I am gone.