Donations
The Lansing Model Railroad Club accepts donations of railroad equipment,
railroad artifacts, books, magazines, model railroad items, and cash.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt educational organization. All
donations are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
Please contact a Lansing Model Railroad Club
officer for more information on donations.
IRS Information on Donating
Purchasing, Sales, and Recycling
From time to time, we are contacted by people looking to sell model train
items and other railroadiana. The Lansing Model Railroad Club cannot always
purchase items because of our limited resources, however, let us offer some
suggestions on selling or recycling your train items:
- Donate to Lansing Model Railroad Club because we are a good cause and you may get a tax write-off!
Write, e-mail, or call us a with a description of the items you are selling. Please be sure
to include scale, description of items(s), asking price, and your contact information.
The club will either decide to purchase the item(s) or we will post the item(s) on the club bulletin board for interested
members or visitors. The bulletin board posting will be for 30 days.
- Sell your item(s) at the Lansing Model Railroad Club annual Train Show & Show in November. Either buy a table to sell your item(s) or sell your item(s) to our many
vendors who attend our show. Many vendors are looking to buy or trade model trains or related items!
- If these suggestions do not work for you, there's always E-Bay!
Please do not throw away your model trains or railroadiana. There's always a way to find them a good home! For further information or questions please contact one of the club officers
Appraisals
The Lansing Model Railroad Club does not provide appraisal services for model railroad items, antique toys, railroad related artifacts, and etc.
We recommend the following:
- Attend our annual Model Train Show and Sale to discuss values with the dealers.
- Check our Interchange page and scroll to "Michigan Hobby Shops" and "Out of state Hobby Shops" to contact a store in your area. Your local hobby shop may be able to appraise your items or have leads on an appraiser who specializes in model railroad items.
- EBay is a great resource to let the buyers determine fair market value or one can search past auctions to see how much an item sold for.
- Price Guides are published that can help you determine the value of some popular model tains. One example is Greenberg's “Pocket Price Guides” which are published annually. There are separate volumes for Lionel (1901 -
present) and American Flyer (1946 - present) trains. These guides are available
through Amazon.com or your local hobby shop. Both guides are easy to follow and
provide market values.
Wish List
The Lansing Model Railroad Club is interested in obtaining and restoring items
of historical railroad interest and items that promote the operation of the organization and furtherance of it's mission. Here is a list of items we are would like to acquire:
- Documents and historical accounts related to the Millett Depot
- Caboose (preferably Grand Trunk Western, C&O, Michigan Central, or New York Central heritage)
- Railroad Block Signal
- Timetables, rulebooks, and other railroad literature
