The Marx 347100 gondola is an excellent example of what many hobbyists call a cheap classic. It’s been out of production for decades, but exists in such large quantities that it still remains readily available at low prices.
Marx 347100 gondola variations
Marx introduced the 347100 gondola in 1952 and produced it until 1972. That’s a very long run, even for Marx.
The Marx 347100 gondola existed in five different color schemes, both four and eight wheel varieties in most of them, and with both tilt couplers and fixed knuckle couplers on the eight wheel variants. They came in silver with red lettering, red with white lettering, red with black lettering, and blue with white lettering, and orange with black lettering.
You can easily build a very colorful freight train by mixing a variety of 347100 gondolas into a consist.
Because the design is a shallow box on wheels, it was very inexpensive to build. It took very little material, so there was little material cost. There wasn’t much labor involved either, as the 4-wheel varieties had as few as nine components. For this reason, Marx included it in a large number of sets.
Value
I’ve seen pristine examples of the 347100 sell for $20. And the (unfortunately now ancient) most recent edition of the Greenberg Marx price guide lists it at $25. But both numbers are definitely on the high side. The going rate for the 347100 is usually less than $10, especially in less than perfect condition. The 8-wheel versions usually sell for slightly more than the 4-wheel versions. They’re easy to find on Ebay.
Because of its low cost, when you need a conversion car with one coupler type on one end and a different type on the other, a 347100 is an ideal candidate. It won’t lose any value due to the modification, which is easy to do.
The original Marx 347100
Everyone knows the plastic 347100. But Marx used the design earlier, on a tin lithographed 3/16 scale car. Because this version was just one of many gondolas with different numbering and lettering, the tin litho 347100 is not as easy to find, though it’s by no means rare.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.