Micro-Trains Clip-On Trucks... Question

[peteski]

I didn't know that early on Kadee Micro-Trains produced clip-on trucks.  In fact, I was just looking at some vintage M-T cars from around the same time period (similar paper insert and same price on it), and those have more typical trucks with bolster pins.

As for values, I think the market is just not there anymore. There are probably very little (if any) of high value cars out there.  Those are usually some special runs, mostly by the NSC/NSE and of course misprints or one-offs.  Standard early M-T cars aren't very valuable from what I see.

[johnb]

I didn't know that early on Kadee Micro-Trains produced clip-on trucks.  In fact, I was just looking at some vintage M-T cars from around the same time period (similar paper insert and same price on it), and those have more typical trucks with bolster pins.

As for values, I think the market is just not there anymore. There are probably very little (if any) of high value cars out there.  Those are usually some special runs, mostly by the NSC/NSE and of course misprints or one-offs.  Standard early M-T cars aren't very valuable from what I see.

I have picked up a pair of Pacific Electric outside braced boxcars for $20 or less each before I realized tat there was only one number...no real collector market in my opinion

[randgust]

I know it's a non-answer but the easy way to find out is to start searching on Ebay on closed sales and see if they are actually commanding a higher price on the market.  Search by the part number.
Certain cars and paint schemes do, that's for sure, but I've never seen any evidence of trucks/wheels doing it OTHER that the ribbed-back wheels era being rather distinctive.

I only know one 'collector' that seems to have at least one of everything MT has ever done, dressers packed with cars, but even he has been thinning the herd.

I had one good friend that had a custom run made by MT of 100 34' B&O black hoppers with a unique car number on it, when he auctioned those off about 15 years ago they got truly absurd prices.   He was an accountant and said his best investment asset in terms of yield was N scale hoppers.  But that was a long time ago.

[Sokramiketes]

It seems like most of the collector market has dried up.  eBay is awash in options, and asking prices are not always the same as selling prices.

I've been restoring a couple Micro-Trains #80 animated dealer displays.  The special MTL 80 MagneMatic boxcar included in the display is listed anywhere from $125 ea (half of one-time auction highs) to $20 ea.  I was surprised to see that there was more than one run of those boxcars, as I have examples of two different paper labels now.  Interesting yes.  Big bucks find as it might have been pre-2000?  Nah.