Old Hornby - any value???????

[GWR_fan]

A week ago a friend dropped off a box containing old Hornby/Triang 'junk'. I cleaned it all up and kept a few pieces of rolling stock and after contemplating binning the rest, I decided to list on eBay at a very low start bid price and describing the condition as good only as most parts cleaned up alright.

The eBay response has staggered me. I have no knowlege of what old Hornby Triang pieces are worth but there is a battle royale going on to outbid the other bidder. One lot contained Triang Minix cars (Sunbeam Alpine, Ford Corsair and another that escapes me with multiples of each) and the other listing was station accessories (platforms, station house, signal box, footbridge, engine shed and assorted pieces).

Now, I have somehow misguided the bidders or there is something amongst the items listed that has sparked intense interest. Definitely a case of one man's rubbish is another's treasure. Either way I am feeling a little guilty.

[skyblue]

I wouldn't feel guilty if the items are as described, if people want to pay far too much for these items then so be it!

[Bigmet]

Sounds like you have a fair number of the small accessories that most children had smashed or lost within weeks of opening the box. There are completists who like this stuff. There are also folk who reassemble sets in to 'Mint in Box' condition...

[GWR_fan]

I was fortunate in that there were two bidders interested in both listings and they battled it out to the bitter end. Perhaps they were completing sets but whatever they were after has me baffled. I had intended putting the items in the bin and infact three coaches were binned and then removed and disassembled and washed and then carefully reassembled.

My guilt is in that to me the items had no value and if not for free listings on eBay I would not have bothered listing them. Of cause, in hindsight I am glad that I did and perhaps I have brightened the lives of those two bidders, giving them something they sought. Funny how a box of 'junk' reaped me nine waggons and several hundred dollars cash. I even refunded the bidders a few dollars discount on their postage costs. Life is very strange.

[clivef5915]

Can you post the ebay id so we can have a look?

[flying scotsman123]

Can you post the ebay id so we can have a look?

And we promise not to bid on it Mods!

[Lysander]

Minic stuff is pretty collectable these days and sometimes commands very high prices. Were they the larger clockwork Minics or Minic Motorways [oo] ?

Tony

[b308]

From Tim's description I'd have said that they are the unpowered (and to scale) Minix cars, which I suspect are even rarer than the Minic ones... The trouble with the Minic Motorway cars is that they were all too big in order that the mechanism could be fitted, the bus, coach and lorries wer all much closer to 4mm/ft.

http://garyscars.co.uk/minix/listing.htm

They look damn nice models from the photos!

[GWR_fan]

These are the listings. They are finished and I do only post within Australia. The cars are the unpowered Minix models. I did misname the car carrying waggons, calling them 'Treibwagen' rather than 'Tierwagen'.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/221678282833 ... 1561.l2649

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/221678290448 ... 1561.l2649

[Peterm]

It's good when everyone's happy.

[GWR_fan]

Minic stuff is pretty collectable these days and sometimes commands very high prices. Were they the larger clockwork Minics or Minic Motorways [oo] ?

Tony

Tony,
just the 'scale' non-powered Minix cars, some with plastic underframes and others with chromeplated bases. I remember the early powered Minics Motorway series and as a kid dreamed of a combination railway and motorway set with the cars narrowly avoiding hitting the trains at the crossings. Must have had a bit of Adam's Family bloodline in me tempting disaster.

[b308]

I had a whole set up, Tim, but unlike Scalextric, the Minic Motorway was a sod to set up and get running correctly, the pickups were very fiddly and running not too brilliant. We did try the car/train race but never managed to get it to work right, even less the police car/robbers car set-up they also sold...

As an add-on to a train set it was very disappointing, luckily we've moved on from slot cars with the Faller system which itself was based on a similar system which was shown in one of the '70s Model Railway mags...

[GWR_fan]

I had a whole set up, Tim, but unlike Scalextric, the Minic Motorway was a sod to set up and get running correctly, the pickups were very fiddly and running not too brilliant. We did try the car/train race but never managed to get it to work right, even less the police car/robbers car set-up they also sold...

As an add-on to a train set it was very disappointing, luckily we've moved on from slot cars with the Faller system which itself was based on a similar system which was shown in one of the '70s Model Railway mags...

I was not looking but stumbled on this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbC9oW9sPzw

And this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8SeiMkkEVQ

[b308]

Yes, that summarized the running very well, it always looked to me that you were watching those clockwork mice, there was no subtlety to the operation at all!

That first one seemed to have all the old Triang-Hornby buildings as well!

[GWR_fan]

Another You-tube video showed "Matchbox Motorways" from the 1970's. This is later than my "childhood days" (already started work by then), so I had no knowlege of their existence. Very quick and very noisy. The Minic Motoways by comparison seemed more 'civilised'.