Manhattan Railway + US Reg'd Mail + 5 more locks! Please help

bparisi07

Hi, I have several locks I am trying to get information on. I am trying to sell them and do not want to get taken advantage of. Information on the web is very difficult to find for some of these. I know the Manhattan Railway one is pretty desirable. Everyone seems to want to take that one off my hands, however I can’t find a price for it. I do not have any keys for any of these locks. If someone could help provide me with an estimated value for the locks I will be thrilled. Hopefully I can find a collector who will appreciate them in their collection. Thanks, Brett

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

bparisi07 wrote
Hi, I have several locks I am trying to get information on. I am trying to sell them and do not want to get taken advantage of. Information on the web is very difficult to find for some of these. I know the Manhattan Railway one is pretty desirable. Everyone seems to want to take that one off my hands, however I can’t find a price for it. I do not have any keys for any of these locks. If someone could help provide me with an estimated value for the locks I will be thrilled. Hopefully I can find a collector who will appreciate them in their collection. Thanks, Brett

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6410[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]6416[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]6415[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]6414[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]6413[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]6412[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]6411[/ATTACH]

The registered mail counter locks go for a minimum of $75 but yours is an older and more rare cast version that will likely bring $150 and up. Don’t try to put it or the Street Letter Box lock on Ebay though. The post office is very aggressive in recovering these things and you are likely to get a visit from a Postal Inspector. The SLB is generally $20-30.

Sorry, I’m no help on the railway lock other than that those square push key lever locks always sell higher even without the logo. Again, Ebay typically will not allow listing railroad items any longer but you should expect a minimum of $250 and the sky’s the limit.

The other three fall into the $5 to $25 range. Hope that helps,
BBE.

[unknown]

Carter

BBE wrote
Ebay typically will not allow listing railroad items any longer.

Why won’t eBay allow railroad locks?

[unknown]

Adrian Weber

Same as with S&G Envo padlocks. Most of those locks have the same key so they fear someone could abuse it or something like that… I do really not understand what their problem is. Made it very difficult for a collector like me to get some “special” items.

I have a growing collection and I am still missing the first two you got listed here. I have no Mail Lock yet and a friend who could probably make me a key for them. The price is however a bit out of my league and I think it won’t help mentioning that they would have it nice and warm with good company at my place 😛

If possible I also restore old padlocks and spent A LOT A time doing that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRyoevYVglA

oldbiscuit

Carter, Ebay I believe was pressured by the railroads and the postal service to not allow sales because there is always that potential that someone might be selling a newer lock or key that’s still in use by either agency. And as ebay would really have no way to determine if the item in question was indeed a antique or a modern item, they simply banned them all. Mark

Carter

BBE wrote
oldbiscuit wrote
Carter, Ebay I believe was pressured by the railroads and the postal service to not allow sales because there is always that potential that someone might be selling a newer lock or key that’s still in use by either agency. And as ebay would really have no way to determine if the item in question was indeed a antique or a modern item, they simply banned them all. Mark

Thanks Mark.

[unknown] [unknown]

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

Carter wrote
Why won’t eBay allow railroad locks?

It is my understanding that Ebay was advised not to sell Railroad locks or keys by the DHS after considering the events of 9/11/01 along with other potentials for attack. As mentioned above, many of the railroad locks and keys are still in use and the potential for them to be used to sabotage the rail system is a possibility best avoided.

Ebay will also remove items offering Key Machines due to their interpretation of the US Criminal Code, Section 18. Because of that same section they wil remove items for lock picks, impressioning tools, bump keys, depth keys and postal locks and keys.

Now and then one will slip by them but typically they are removed before the final bid date advertised for the item.
BBE.

[unknown]