Pink Label Collector

Aug

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Pink Label Collector

Lionel Trains Collecting Tips

Lionel Trains was founded by a man named Joshua Lionel Cowen who was born in 1877 and lived until 1965. At the young age of seven, Joshua had developed a fascination for mechanical functioning of simple devices. He built his initial little wooden train locomotive and tried, without success, to motorize it by using a small steam engine. In the course of the next several years, he acquired useful practical knowledge doing work at a dry cell battery manufacturing company. He also gained electrical circuit knowledge while working a lamp company. The experience with electrical circuits obtained working at these businesses made it easier for his eventual success of motorizing the small train engine.

It was in 1900, marking the new century, that Joshua Lionel Cowen established Lionel trains. In 1906, he introduced a three-rail track based model train that he called standard-gauge. It was not long before other companies including American Flyer and Ives started to make trains that also ran on standard-gauge. These competitors termed it wide gauge. Soon after the first World War ended, Lionel, together with Ives and American Flyer started to produce smaller sized trains, labeled O gauge , These trains were noted for their metallic construction, colorful appearance, and hook couplers.

Generally speaking, Lionel model trains are grouped into three time periods. They are the Pre-World War II, (years 1901-1942), the Post-war period from 1945-1969 and Modern, anything newer than 1970. As expected, resell prices are the highest on items which were manufactured prior to 1969. Some specific railroad names can fetch higher prices, such as the Union Pacific. There exist a large number of resources offered to assist in your understanding and love of these trains. A number of collectors price guidebooks can be found that have detailed information. Regardless if you are a collector, a new train fan, or just planning to sell things, Lionel model trains have continued to be an enduring product.

Lionel trains produced prior to the second World War, have the most collectible value. These older sets are bigger than those built following the war. This reduction in size was necessitated by the limitation on metal for the war effort. A key collectible train set of this era is the "States" set. The boxcars that were part of the model train set featured the names and a map of the states. Any Lionel model with Walt Disney images is usually of more value, in particular the Disney Circus Train. During the 1950's, Lionel developed a train for girls that had a pink train engine along with a blue caboose. Not many were made for lack of sales. Some merchants repainted these a strong black color to sell them.

In the post-war years from 1945 through 1969, Lionel focused on developing O scale train sets. General Mills acquired Lionel in the late sixties. They produced model trains that were somewhat less detailed. They replaced many of the metal parts with plastic ones. As a note, post-war era Lionel train couplers were made in two styles. One had a spring-loaded pin under the coupler. The second type are longer and resemble a "G,"

From 1970 to the present, the company based its new models on an older design style and focused more on realism. This change happened after General Mills sold the company. In 2004, Lionel introduced the Polar Express train set which was very popular and became an immediate collectible. Lionel is still releasing new and imaginative models today.

One of the major changes in the contemporary Lionel trains is the color scheme for the models was no longer so bright and colorful. More of a focus was placed on the realistic look of the real world prototype. Doing this increased the popularity and sales of Lionel trains to collectors who before had tended to ignore Lionel models, considering them to be unrealistic. Lionel also began marketing localized versions which were more realistically painted like the prototype trains.

The collector resell value of contemporary period Lionel trains continues to be constrained when compared to trains manufactured by Lionel Corporation previous to 1969. Even though it seems to be improving, collectors have displayed limited desire for trains manufactured by a succession of companies, including MPC, Lionel Trains Inc., and Lionel, LLC, Particularly if the models are exhibit less than mint condition and the original box is not included. Lionel has been reissuing older models that has caused a decrease in the resell value of older traditional Lionel and American Flyer trains.

About the Author

Charles Osbourn is a business marketing professional, teacher and author who regularly contributes articles to the web. His latest textbook is on Embedded Microcontrollers. Charles also has a well developed Internet presence and is a collector of model railroad trains. You can find loads of information on Lionel trains at http://lioneltrains4less.com/ and great pricing on the preWar Lionel trains at http://lioneltrains4less.com/prewar-lionel-trains.