Train Collectors Information

Around this time of the year, I receive lots of requests for information regarding toy trains. It seems that most families have at least one heirloom train or train set, and most folks aren't sure exactly what they have or how much it's worth. Fortunately, toy train collecting is a well-organized and well-populated hobby -- there are plenty of collectors in all corners of the country ready and willing to assist.

Your first task is to figure out what you have. It isn't enough to know that your train is a Lionel or an American Flyer, you also need to know its model number(s) to identify the train. And it helps if you know approximately how old the train is. Search your local yellow pages and you'll probably find a hobby shop that specializes in toy trains. The proprietor may be able to assist you, but a phone call is recommended before you visit a shop -- if no one there knows trains, you're better off searching elsewhere.

Enter your local library -- one of the most underutilized public structures in any town. There are several good reference guides with pictures that can assist you in identifying and assessing the value of your train, and the librarian can likely obtain any of these titles through Interlibrary loan.

These titles include pictures to help identify your trains:
The Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1900-1942 2nd Edition
The Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1945-69
The Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1970-present
The Standard Catalog of Lionel Train Sets 1945-69
The Standard Catalog of American Flyer Trains
O'Brien's Collecting Toy Trains

These guides are strictly price listings but updated yearly:
Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide to Lionel Trains 1901-2010
Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide to American Flyer Trains

Another great source of information are train collectors themselves. The Train Collectors Association is a train collecting club with chapters all over the continent. Their website contains a variety of links to put you in touch with knowledgable collectors in your area. Club chapters also hold train collecting events that bring buyers and sellers together, so check their site for shows in your area and keep an eye out for show dates in your local newspaper.

And if you're interested in learning more about train collecting, there are a variety of magazines serving the hobby. Start your search with Classic Toy Trains magazine.