Weiss Auctions first Toy and Train event for 2021, held online-only on Feb. 24, exceeded all expectations, especially in the exploding toy trains category, as 96 percent of all 500 lots found new owners in a sale that grossed around $200,000. It has inspired Philip Weiss, the owner of Weiss Auctions, to plan up to eight more train sales during this year. Were getting in huge collections, and we want to promote a category thats obviously red hot right now, stated Weiss. For the February sale, we had nearly 1,500 active bidders between our site (www.weissauctions.com), LiveAuctioneers.com and Proxibid.com. Were always looking for new consignments, and I feel confident more great collections will come our way this year. The auction featured the extensive S gauge collection of Frank Pisani, whose many rare and unusual examples included an exceedingly scarce and huge American Flyer dealer poster, 95-by-42 inches and made ca. 1955 ($5,100). The poster was chromolithographed on two pieces of paper, then factory attached. The color was bright, and it was in like-new condition. The sale also saw the continuation of the Neil Padron estate, with many high-grade American Flyer S accessories and post-war rarities featuring many unique pieces, prototypes, production samples, errors and separate sale items. Also featured was Padrons extensive Plasticville O/S collection of an estimated 680 boxed kits and blister cards, all of them different. That collection was offered as one lot and turned out to be the auctions top achiever, finishing at $8,100. The 680 or so kits were mostly boxed, with several blister and peg board variations, type face and contents variations. There were kits in the collection that Weiss Auctions had never seen before, and no two were alike. Most boxes were nice and bright; nearly all were Plasticville. All prices quoted include a buyers premium. Two other lots topped the $5,000 mark. One was an American Flyer S gauge smoke-in-tender Northern 332 steam locomotive, 1946 or 1947, with a bronze brake tank and a unique tender chassis, which brought $5,400. The other was a nice boxed Lionel 2296W Canadian Pacific set from 1957, including the super 2373 CP F3 AB Diesel, all cars shiny and with original decals, which sold for $5,100. Four other lots managed to reach $3,000 or better, all of them Lionel. Among theem was a boxed Lionel anniversary set 1464W, 1950, including a 2023 UP Alco AA Diesels, 2481 and 2482 coaches, and 2483 Observation. All the cars matched nicely and went for $4,080. A Lionel black 2332 GG1 boasting an unhandled satin patina, and the decals were 100 percent, as were the silver stripes and medium bright lettering, sold for $3,960. A scarce boxed Lionel Sears set 2347 C&O GP7 from 1965, made for Sears set 12885-500, with intact shell, original chassis and a good battery compartment, sold for $3,120. A hard-to-find American Flyer 24519 S gauge reel car, ca. 1958, clean and with both brake-wheels, showing only light playwear, changed hands for $1,680, while an LN boxed 6500 Beechcraft Bonanza, the hardest of all the airplane flats to find, including the unnumbered flat with the white-over-red variation plane, all original and with a nice picture box, made $1,620. A Lionel 1916 consumer catalog and envelope, the first one Weiss Auctions has ever seen and a nice example, complete with color center spread of the 42-passenger set over a bridge, went for $1,800. Also, a very clean, two-color 1913 Lionel consumer catalog showing some great Lionel pieces including trolleys, six with knobby 190 cars, 6-wheel 33 with ribbed cars, fetched $1,500. For more information, call 516-594-0731 or visit www.WeissAuctions.com.