Yeah, move this, OK?
You're on it.
It's unbelievable how much stuff is packed in this attic.
Robbie? - Yeah.
Yeah. - Look at this.
What is it?
It's a huge frickin' train car.
Oh. wow!
Man, that thing is early.
I know.
Carrie, what's the deal with this?
I don't know.
MIKE WOLFE: I don't know a lot about trains.
But I know enough to be dangerous,
and I can tell that this is a really good one.
This is special.
CARRIE: It is.
MIKE WOLFE: That's really, really interesting.
This thing has original paint on it.
It's one of the very first Lionel electric trains.
Hey, I got a train guy.
Let me take some pictures of this.
Lionel started in the early 1900s
and is still in existence today.
So for us to know everything about a Lionel train
would be virtually impossible.
I just know that it's got great paint on it.
It's one of the very first trains ever made.
And I got a call guy on it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey, what's going on?
You get those photos I sent you?
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): We did.
What can you tell us about it?
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): The trolley, it's number
eight trolley, around 1910.
It's a great piece.
It looks like there's some damage
to the roof just coming off.
I'm not sure if there's major flaking on the inside.
I couldn't see that.
In all, it's a very interesting piece.
I mean, to be honest with you, a lot of the windows
on the sides or in the doors and the front
and rear are all intact.
Do you know what that stuff is made out of?
Is that like a celluloid?
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): It's a celluloid, right.
OK.
And then inside the train, I mean, it's pretty dirty.
But it doesn't look like there's a lot of chipping.
And then on the exterior, I'd say the paint on a scale of 1
to 10 is probably, what, 7.
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): 6.
MAN 1: But-- yeah, I was going to say a 7.
This thing is really dirty.
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): Right.
You don't want to over clean them.
You want to keep it as natural as possible.
You always talk about the rarity of stuff.
How rare is this piece, I mean, to find it in any kind
of condition?
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): It's definitely not
something you see every day. ROBBIE WOLFE: OK.
MIKE WOLFE: OK. So what's it worth?
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): For every day,
day-in-day-out selling of a piece like this, it's probably
around $3,500 to $4,000.
I was shocked.
[LAUGHS]
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): On the right day,
the right auction set-- - [WHISPERING] That's crazy.
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): --and that's
including show to the right people,
it could achieve up to $5,000.
- OK. - Dang!
Wow!
I was so happy for Carrie when he came in with that big number
because she has put a lot of time and effort into this home.
She's been working on it for years.
And now, to find something with this kind of value,
you know, just one piece, that's pretty cool.
All right. hey, man, you're always cool.
Thank you so much for getting back with us so quickly.
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): No problem, guys.
All right. Appreciate it, buddy.
Thank you.
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): All right.
Thanks a lot. - Bye.
VINNY FRUSTACI (ON PHONE): Bye-bye.
Here you want to touch it?
For a minute.
Yeah, there you go.
Touch it for a minute. - And then you want it back?
You know what?
I wonder if this was a piece that you guys would have
sold at the hardware store?
I'm guessing it was from my uncle
because my great-grandfather, he used to work for the railroads.
OK.
And he would have bought it for his son?
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah.
- OK. - Wow.
That'd be my guess.
Wow.
I think the paint on this piece is
going to clean up really well.
We said it was a 7.
Maybe it can get up to an 8.
What I think is really incredible
is the amount of nickel that's still on the undercarriage,
on the trucks.
If you look at that, and think about that
not being cleaned yet--
unbelievable.
This piece has been stored in this attic for decades.
So what are you thinking?
Do you want to sell it?
Yeah.
You want to sell it to a dealer like us,
or do you want to go to the auction route or--
You guys.
OK.
So he said 3,500 to 4,000, I think was the retail number.
Yeah, so what are you offering?
I'd feel comfortable with 2,800.
I really would.
And to be honest with you, you're
always going to sell something a little bit quicker if you leave
a little money on the table.
So I would appreciate it if you would do that.
And we'd do the same for somebody else, you know.
Deal.
- We're doing it? - Doing it.
All right. We're doing it.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
- It's awesome. - It's very cool.
Thank you.
I think Mike and Robbie really appreciate this stuff.
You could tell when they were talking to me about something
and wanting to buy it that's just--
there's something in their heart that just connects to it.