Trainboy and company Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Hello, I was looking on Amazon, and I was quite overwhelmed at how expensive the Ertl die-cast Thomas the tank engine trains from the 90s are. I saw an Ertl Gordon the blue engine train that cost £145.43. Does anybody else agree that this is a little bit ridiculous? I owned quite a few of the older Ertl trains that had paper faces as a young boy, and I don't remember them ever being that expensive. You could buy them in corner shops for about £3 each back then. Is it something to do with them being rare, or the fact that they are collector's items? Thanks.Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 It’s because ebay is an auction site. You put something on and hope an idiot will pay the earth for it. I’d be very happy to get £135 for a £3 toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 I can't understand why anyone would want to pay that much for something that is essentially a piece of metal with a face and a set of wheels. I would understand if it was a Hornby Gordon. I personally wouldn't pay £145 for a die cast train, especially since you can't really do much with it and you can't buy any track for it. I had many of the Ertl trains as a young boy. I had Thomas, James, Diesel, Percy, Gordon, Duck, Oliver, Edward, George, Boco, and the list goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Blimey so he did. Disregard everything after "it’s because". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 Walkingthedog, Thomas the tank engine was quite popular when I was a young boy, so I can't understand why the Ertl trains weren't expensive back then. Considering the programme is not as popular now and the children of today's generation are more into video games and modern television programmes, you would expect they would be quite cheap now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 LongDistance, I did say Amazon, but Ebay is just as bad for having ridiculous prices for Ertl Thomas the tank engine trains. When I was a young boy, Ertl trains were cheap. You could get them in toy shops, newsagents, post offices and so on for about £3 or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 We have loads of them. Paint chips in profusion, well played with by the kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 There are loads of Thomas Ertl trains on Ebay for £3 to £7 each .........I don't call that expensive.......HB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 Peter Machin, the Thomas & Friends brand is a very collectible brand. All Thomas & Friends merchandise is expensive. My favourite sort is the model railway sort, from Hornby and by Bachmann Trains. ERTL closed down in 2004, so their Thomas & Friedns products suddenly ended production. I find used examples are generally cheap on eBay, but usually they are covered in paint chips, so those particular trains in that condition is no good for a collector. The new and unopened, still factory sealed examples are highly priced, for several reasons, including that these products are disdcontinued and have not been in production for such a long time. I do prefer the ERTL diecast line, over the Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends: Take Along, Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends: Take-n-Play and Fisher Price Thomas & Friends: Adventures die-cast trains products. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 Howbiman, They cost a fortune on Amazon, and Ebay prices are somewhat cheaper depending on the condition they are in. If they have a lot of play wear, they will be cheaper. On the other hand, like GNR-GORDON-4 said, the ones that are brand new and mint in the box will be more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 I have several road vehicle models, from ERTL's Thomas & Friends range, that use on my layout, due to them not existing from Hornby or Bachmann Trains. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, I use a couple of the Ertl Thomas the tank engine road vehicles on my layout as well. I have George the steamroller, Butch the breakdown vehicle and Sodor taxi on my layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Caiptean, you will get some money if you sell them. I suggest you get them out to sell. Have you got Lorry-3 by any chance? GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted August 15, 2018 Author Share Posted August 15, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, I wasn't aware they did make Lorry 1, Lorry 2 and 3 by Ertl (Also known as Smashed, Broken and Sunk by Thomas). I remember the episode with the lorries, though. It was very funny when one of the lorries drove off a cliff, and the driver lay on the ground with a terrible bump on his head saying "Rotten roads.". A very funny episode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 Yes, ERTL released all three. Lorry-1 was released on a short wheel based flatbed, wuth green on him, to represent algy. Lorry-2 was undamged, with a cloth sort load on the back. Lorry-3 was standard again, undamged with a removerable crate load on the back. I want a new Lorry-3, as mine has paint chips all over it. Other than this, ERTL's Horrid Lorries are great pieces. It's unlike they will get released by Fisher-Price, as they only ever appeared once, in the TV series. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, I have never had Lorry 1, Lorry 2 and Lorry 3. They sound good, though. The only Ertl trains and vehicles I had as a young boy and still have now are: • Thomas (Paper face). • James. • Scrap Trevor. • Gordon. • Toby (Paper face). • Diesel. • Henry. • Boco. • Percy. • Edward. • Duncan. • Annie and Clarabel. • Mavis. • Duck. • Sir Handel. • Smudger. • George. • Butch. • S.C. Ruffey. • The Spiteful Brake Van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Quite a collection. The paper faced models are the first original versions, from the 1980’s / 1990’s, aren’t they? GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 SC Ruffey is alive and well and hiding in a member‘s signature on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 That will be Troublesome Truck, who are talking about! 😉 😆 😀 GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, They are, yes. I personally prefer the ones with plastic faces, because the paper ones can get damaged and end up peeling when the glue dries up. A couple of my paper face trains don't have their faces anymore, because of that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainboy and company Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 GNR-Gordon-4, Quite a few of the earlier Thomas the tank engine toys relied on paper decals, rather than having the image/detail printed or painted onto the toys. Notable examples are the older wooden Thomas the tank engine figures. Instead of the image being printed or painted onto the wood, the image was nothing more than a sticker held onto the wooden outline with strong superglue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 I am sure the later metal / plastic faces are better than the paper faces. GNR-Gordon-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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