Price of Brass in On3

[John McCutcheon]

Is it just me or are we seeing an increase in the price of On3 brass. I am assuming it's a combination that nothing is really being built or is it that the models are becoming art and a collectibles. I don't think more people are entering the scale. Could be a demand for certain pieces ?

John McCutcheon

[Mike Trent]

Hi John, I think there are several variables at work here. First, we probably aren't going to much if any new brass models imported. Second, a lot of the brass you are seeing available today is coming from estate sales or from family liquidation of "Dad's old train stuff".

There will always be interest in rare models, but some are more rare than others. The number of guys interested over the years in C&S, for instance, is a pretty small piece of a large pie. This has always been the case, which is why only as few as a couple dozen  models may have been produced of so many things, such as specific locomotives and individual pieces of rolling stock.

So the market will determine pricing, as it always does. Could go up, could go down, depending on availability and interest.

[Jim Courtney]

I agree with Mike.

Check out the current On3 listings on BrassTrains.com: https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Trains/Scales/On3-Scale

There are far more D&RG brass models than any other prototype, prices vary from the $600-900.00 range for MMI "hybrid" models to $1,000.00 to $2,000.00 for quality brass models.

The rarer prototype models (WLCo. shays, C&S 2-8-0) are priced higher.

With the O scale narrow gauge interest being diverted to the On30 market in the past 15 years, I doubt that much will be produced in the way of On3 brass going forward.

The hey-day of C&S model production in HO, S and O scales was back when Harry Brunk published his series of articles in the Gazette.

I like to think that this site and Roper's Discussion Forum have created a renaissance in interest of C&S modeling. Unfortunately, we will all be competing for the same limited number of brass models, from other's collections, as they loose interest or die. I would only expect C&S brass model prices to further increase.

[nedsn3]

For certain the On30 phenomenon took the "wind out of the sails" of Sn3 and On3, and probably some out of HOn3 as well. It's just hard to beat the prices and ease of building an On30 layout, not to mention the "cuteness" and quality of most of the products.