Your Left, Your Left, Your Left, Right, Left

e*Train Issue: Jan 2008 | Posted in: 1945-1969 PostWar Era, Collecting

By Mike Stella

Before I get started, let me say that I committed to e*Train Editor Bob Mintz 12 articles for this issue BUT I found I had some “film” left in my digital camera, so decided to keep going in the sincere hope that TCA members who actually read e*Train would get sick of me and start writing their own articles.

If not, then next issue I will try to submit 20 articles. That ought to do it.

As the “Greatest Lionel Collector of All Time”, I find I have an almost unlimited number of interesting things to write about. Almost 100% of what I write is based on my personal collection. I try to avoid mentioning those items I am still looking to obtain because then it seems everyone starts looking for the same things. This has happened to me many times.

There are a few Lionel flat cars that I want that were produced with the number on the RIGHT and then again with the number on the LEFT. Sometimes there is no significant difference in the value. Other times the value of one can be many times the value of the other.

**The #6650 Missile Launching Car with both number locations**.

Sometimes the flatcars are red and other times the flatcars are black. Many times, the change in the number location occurred as the trucks were changed from metal to plastic, but not always.

I was looking on the Internet a few years back, and wondered why a common missile flatcar was selling for many times what I figured it was worth. Closer examination brought to light a difference in number location. I missed buying that one but once on the lookout, I found another one a few months later.

**The #6670 is almost impossible to find with the number on the right**.

Almost 15 years ago I was on a business trip in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and visited a hobby shop where I found the #6670 Boom Car with number on the right. A very tough variation to find.

Both variations of the #6424 Flatcar are easy to obtain with almost no
difference in value.

Some cars that seem easy to find with either variation are the #6414, the #6264; the #6424; the #6800; and the #6801. All these came with metal trucks first (number on the right) and then later with plastic trucks (number on the left).

A true Lionel Collector will hunt and search and try to get all these flatcars with both number locations.

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

Your Left, Your Left, Your Left, Right, Left

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