Question about old Engines

[acousticbliss]

I'm helping my father sell two engines. One is a "United- Fast Mail Prairie King 2-6-2. The other is a Fujiyama 4-4-0. Is there any history I might want to know about them? Thanks.

 

[UP2CSX]

Both United and Fujiyama made brass engines and are now long out of business. Depending on condition and rarity, some of them can be worth quite a bit of money. I suggest you call Caboose Hobbies at (303)777-6766 and talk to one of their brass engine specialists. Having some pictures you could e-mail them would probably be a big help in getting you a ballpark figure.

 

[acousticbliss]

Thanks very much!

 

[CanuckMark]

You can also dig around EBay to see what they've gone for in the past. You can search, then select "Completed Items" to see finished auctions. This was quite educational when I was looking for values on my dad's old shays.

EDIT: Here are a couple Uniteds, is the engine like this? one, two, three. Remember this is EBay after all, you may be able to get more particularly if it is in better condition.

Couldn't find any Fujis.

Mark

 

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Brass Trains is just now shipping their new book The Brass Train Guide Book with a updated price guide.
This should be the definitive guide to brass for the forseeable future.
You may also check the Brown book though its price's are outdated.
Unfortunely many of the older pieces may have lost some of their value as newer updated brass locomotives are showing up on the market and collectors/hobbiest look for more highly detailed models.
As stated these are most likely older pieces ,the Prairie King being made in the late 50s early 60s. most likely the 4-4-0 is the same vintage.
Also you don't say,do you have the original box's this to can effect the price.
If it were me and i was serious about parting with them i would most likely put them up for auction on Ebay with no reserve and a low starting bid and let the buyers bid up the price,If one or more are looking for these you should be able to get a fair and decent price.

Just my two bits.

 

[acousticbliss]

Canuck and GN,

Many thanks to you both. If I knew how, I'd post some pictures for you to see. But, alas, I can't figure out how to do it. If I put them on E-bay, I'll be sure to post the link. By the way, the 2nd PRAIRIE KING photos Canuck posted look exactly like the one I have.

 

[UP2CSX]

The engine in the second photo has a lot of mechanical and cosmetic problems, which will drastically affect the price. As you can see by the box, this engine was stored carelessly for a good number of years, which is probably why it doesn't run. If your engine is in better shape with a box and insert in good condition, it should fetch at least $400.

United was one of the biggest brass importers in the 1960's and 70's. Fujiyama was a very small company and their products are fairly rare. I don't remember how well they ran but nothing negative pops into my my mind about them. I still think a call to Caboose Hobbies would be a good idea. E-bay usually sets a fair price on an item but sometimes it can sell for far less than its real value depending on how much exposure your listing gets and how many brass buyers notice it. Since Caboose Hobbies is probably the biggest buyer and seller of brass in the US, you would at least know the low end price if you chooose to list it on e-bay. Good luck.

 

[acousticbliss]

Jim,

I haven't decided whether to list on e-bay yet. By the way, I do have all original boxing, and both the UNITED and the FUJIYAMA seem to run very well. They look nice.
I will contact Caboose Hobbies. Thanks again!

 

[CanuckMark]

If you do list on EBay, be sure to be very detailed in description and photos. Use a free service like Photobucket to add extra images too. The more detailed it is, the less questions you'll need to field and hopefully more bids will come your way.

Mark

 

[acousticbliss]

Will do Mark! Thanks.