Investing in lionel trains has been a great opportunity for many families and individuals. After the end of World War II the toy train industry started to boom. Many soldiers were starting families (the baby boomers). Metal supplies were returning to normal and the use of plastics was growing. There was a great surge in Lionel sales. Now the years have passed and those baby boomers are looking to rekindle their childhood adventures and pass those same adventures onto their grandchildren. 

1-When purchasing Lionel trains for investment remember the the three rules PCB 1- Price, 2- Condition, 3- Box (origional packaging).

 2-When purchasing on line check the shipping costs. This adds to the total investment costs.

3-find out what the condition of the product. If your purchasing a used lionel engine, ask questions. Some older engines, running or not are more valuable then when they were new (parts are hard to find). If purchasing newer pieces it is important that they are brand new in their origional box from the factory. If there is no box available you should steer away from this purchase. This means one of two things, this came from a less expensive model of the train set, or it may have been repaired. remember the box is part of the investment.

4-Buying used rolling stock is not a great investment, unless it is very inexpensive and your going to use it on a operating train set. Remember the shipping costs and ask questions. The newer operational pieces are a good investment if kept in it's origional box unused. Remember the box is part of the investment.

5- If your going to invest into train sets do your homework. check prices first, but remember those shipping costs. Because the price is lower always beware of the hidden costs. Ask for a total shipped out total. handling and shipping costs can while out any savings.

6- ALWAYS DO BUSINESS WITH A REPUTABLE SELLER. CHECK THEIR FEEDBACK.

Good luck and have many great experiences collecting and investing. Kenny