SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Turner Auctions + Appraisals announced the sale of the Warren Heid Family Collection of Toy Trains. Featuring over 250 lots amassed over 50+ years, the collection includes toy trains from leading American makers, including the Ives Manufacturing Company, American Flyer, Lionel Corporation, and Hafner Manufacturing Company. European manufacturers are also represented as well, such as Bing and Issmayer. Most date from the early 1900s to the 1930s. In addition to train sets and individual train cars, the collection offers accessories such as train stations, signals, figurines, bridges, plus some airplanes and other toys.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals begins its online auction on Saturday, April 22 at 10:30 am PDT; sale items can be previewed online now until the sale starts. The online auction will be featured live three platforms: LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, and Turner Auctions + Appraisals’ new, free mobile app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Apps ("Turner Auctions"). All are easily accessed through ‘Upcoming Auctions’ at the company’s website.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Warren Heid, has lived there most of his life, although his military service in World War II took him to many exotic, far-flung places. As a Class 4 Sergeant in the Army Air Corps working in communications, he traveled around the world, spending time in India, China and North Africa. When he returned from the war, thanks to the GI Bill, Mr. Heid studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to finding his career there, he also found his bride, marrying Shelia when he was a university sophomore; they have now been happily married for 70 years.

During his long, award-winning career as an architect, Mr. Heid designed private homes, commercial and government buildings, schools, churches and hotels, including one in Tahiti. Living and working in Saratoga for decades, he retired in 2008. In late 2016, the Architect Emeritus was honored by the Saratoga City Council for his architectural contributions there, which include St. Andrews Episcopal Church and The Inn at Saratoga.

Mr. Heid did not collect trains as a child – that passion came later, and by accident. In 1958, working on a project in San Jose, Warren parked in front of a Goodwill store and happened to see a train in the window. Encountering that American Flyer train by chance and buying it, he launched an enthusiasm that has endured to this day.

With his interest piqued in his new toy, literally, Mr. Heid continued to visit Goodwill in search of trains. Getting to know the staff over time, he was invited to the Goodwill train depot, where trains were fixed before going to sale. Soon Mr. Heid was repairing trains as well, buying some along the way and building a collection.

Besides antique stores and friends, the Train Collectors Association played a significant part in Mr. Heid’s collecting. He was an early member – number 433 of a group that now includes over 50,000! – and is still a member to this day. Through the years, the group’s Nor-Cal division met once a month in the East Bay, where members would buy, sell and trade trains. Over this shared interest, numerous long-term friendships were made. Mr. Heid’s family – Shelia and their children Susan and Jeff – participated as well, enjoying Christmas parties, regional meets and national conventions. During his time as a TCA member, Mr. Heid served on the Board of Directors and was elected as President of the Nor-Cal chapter.

Pursuing toy trains for over 50 years, Mr. Heid’s collection grew to over 2,500 individual train cars and train sets (comprised of a locomotive, tender and three cars). These were displayed in the basement of his home, a room dedicated to showcasing and enjoying the collection. There Mr. Heid and Jeff operated the trains on a large, standard-gauge layout. Among the favorites in his collection are Ives trains, the Blue Comet by Lionel, delicate tin-plate trains, a live steam engine that works with alcohol, and Tootsietoys. The collection goes up for bid on April 22 at Turner Auctions + Appraisals, except for a few valued items, including his first train from Goodwill.

Long before eBay provided easy, fingertip access to countless goods and collectibles, Mr. Heid was inspired by the joy of the hunt for toy train treasures. At an antique store, for example, buying a box of old train-related stuff, one might find a coveted catalog at the bottom. Now in his ninth decade, Mr. Heid is ready to share the fruits of his half-century of passionate collecting with others, who hopefully will enjoy them as well. “Part of the fun is the chase,” he says. “My many years of collecting have brought great pleasure to me, and my family as well. I’ve had a wonderful life. Train collecting has been part of it – giving me an enjoyable hobby, a valuable investment, and great friends with other train-crazy people.”

Here are some highlights of the Warren Heid Family Collection of Toy Trains (see details in the online catalog):

Lot 8: Ives Standard Gauge Station Grouping. Two stations; #114 passenger station (missing one roof end panel) and a #115 freight station; multi colored lithograph. Both are very good to excellent condition. Estimate: $300-500.

Lot 3: Lionel O Gauge Three-Car Passenger Set. #3220 cast iron electric profile loco; black, with (8) wheel T truck #60 baggage, #51 coach "Yale" and #62 observation "Harvard"; yellow lithograph bodies/painted two tone roofs, automatic couplers. Very good/excellent condition. Estimate: $800-1200.

Lot 4: Lionel O Gauge Three-Car Passenger Set. #229 2-4-2 die cast locomotive and tender; black, with (8) wheel #2615 baggage, #2613 coach and #2014 observation; two tone green bodies and roofs. Excellent condition. Estimate: $300-500.

Lot 6: Ives O Gauge Three-Car Passenger Set. "Commodore Vanderbilt" set; #1122 die cast 4-4-2 locomotive and cast tender (both with solid castings); black, with two (8) wheel #135 parlor cars and a #136 observation; black bodies, red roofs (some paint loss). Excellent condition. Estimate: $800-1200.

Lot 7: American Flyer O Gauge Three-Car Passenger Set. #3190 cast iron locomotive with tender; black, with two (8) wheel #3176 coaches and a #3177 observation; rookie tan/green roofs. Locomotive/tender in excellent condition, cars in very good condition. Estimate: $300-500.

Lot 11: Lionel Standard Gauge Four-Car Passenger Set. #408 electric profile double motor locomotive (missing one motor internal parts, wheels need replacing); (6) wheel #419 combine, #418 pullman, #431 dining car and #490 observation car (some minor metal distortion); all in apple green. Set in very good condition overall. Estimate: $1000-1400.

Lot 174: American Flyer 3/16 Scale, O Gauge Five-Car Freight Set. #559 Die Cast locomotive/tender with #478 box car, white/red; #480 “Shell” tank car, orange; #486 Hopper car, yellow; #482 flat car with original log load, light green; #484 caboose, red. Set in excellent condition. Estimate: $400-600.

Lot 2: Ives O Gauge Two-Car Passenger Set. 0-4-0 cast iron clockwork locomotive and # FE 1 tender; black/red litho, with (4) wheel #50 baggage and #51 coach "Hiawatha"; yellow lithograph bodies/painted roofs – very good condition. Estimate: $500-700.

Lot 173: Lionel Standard Gauge Four-Car Freight Set. #400E 4-4-4 locomotive and Vandy tender (solid castings); black, with #219 operating crane (good gears), dark green/peacock; #212 gondola with barrels, maroon; #218 dump car (good gears), mojave; #217 caboose, red/peacock. Set in very good condition overall. Estimate: $1600-1900.