We have some old trains - some so old that they operate off a wet cell battery, are German built and date to the early 1900s. Has anyone had good experiences with an appraiser?
We are not looking to sell, but would like to have an idea of their worth...

thanks -

umm......well i have no idea what it could be worth but look on ebay and see if there are any or i know there are plenty of books you can get at your library that will tell you values of trains

I left this thread alone because I didn't really have an answer, but it looks like nobody else has one either. You might want to try looking for some Greenberg guides. They offered guides to many different model trains, and they might be able to give you a decent baseline. You might also check www.greattrainexpo.com and see if there are any shows near you. There are a lot of clubs that work those shows, so you're bound to find someone that can steer you in the right direction.

The trains you are referring to are old and rare enough, to warrant a professional appraisal. I don't know a specific individual to point you to, but you may contact officers of established train clubs in your area, such as local divisions of the Train Collector's Association, or the Toy Train Operating Society. They should be able to provide good referrals. There are also auction houses that specialize in toy trains, and some of them provide appraisal services.

just a thought, try getting ahold of those people from antique road show i am sure they could suggest a great appraiser, a friend of mine happen to be at one of their shindigs with a chair he bought at a garage sale for like 5.00 the people there pointed him to a guy who specifically dealt with old furniture and the guy told my friend that in the shape it was in its value was between 5,000 and 6,000.

Thanks for the input guys!