The Princeton Closet

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Over the weekend while I had the other trains at home, this bunch of mostly locomotives turned up on my shelf at the store. Since I’d never messed with taking a locomotive apart before, I was pleased when the Iowa Interstate came apart right in my hands. It didn’t have a brand name, but that’s apparently normal for genuine Athearn Blue Box locomotives and cars made between the ‘70s and ‘90s. These mid-level trains have well-detailed plastic bodies and fittings, and are known for their solid drivetrains. The underside of the cab (ceiling?) is strangely pebbled, and it took a minute to figure out the pebbles are kind of like BBs and add weight for traction. Further mass is added with the investment cast frame and solid metal fuel tank.

The motor and drivetrain are pretty cool. The center section where the green wires come together is the armature, windings, and magnets. The motor’s shaft comes out both ends, and on the right are the brushes (where the black band goes around the shaft). The shaft then goes through a large brass flywheel on both sides. After the flywheels are the smallest u-joints I’ve ever seen, then slip yoke shafts, two more tiny u-joints, and then the gearboxes. Power comes to the motor through the wheels and green wires. Everything turns smoothly, and though I didn’t have a transformer to power it up, I’m pretty certain she’ll run.

The Canadian National locomotive and baggage car make a nice pair since both are motorized. The Burlington Northern set includes a powered locomotive, unpowered locomotive, baggage cat, and caboose. The brown car has a damaged truck and that’s too bad since it’s a specialty tunnel-boring machine. The collection also includes the three blue locomotives, red caboose, and bonus Museum of Science and Industry black wax locomotive souvenir. There’s definite resale value in this bundle of collectible cars and locomotives and priced at only $125, there’s plenty of meat left on the bone.

09/30/2026

We are stocked this week at The Princeton Closet! Thank you to everyone who has donated!
‼️Thursday (10/01) all furniture will be half off.
🍁We’ve used up all of our stored fall inventory. If you’re searching for fall decor, this is the week to shop.
🧺Basket days are on Friday and Saturday. Select 12 clothing items for just $8. (Excludes items with a special price tag)
🛒The store is open Thursday-Saturday from 9:00AM-5:00PM
✅Donations are open Tuesday-Saturday from 9:00AM-3:00PM

09/30/2026

Stop in tomorrow

09/30/2026

John Ackerman must have been a train buff. This bunch of mostly 1950’s era Gilbert American Flyer S-Gauge track, accessories, and rolling stock belonged to him back in the day. He had plenty of track and switches to build a big layout that would have included an automatic decoupler and realistic train whistle. He had two engines, an older steam locomotive with tender, and a modern passenger unit which was probably original with the track. The electrified crossing sign with its box is my favorite piece in the collection.
Setting up these trains was no simple task. You’d need a big space to work all those switches and crossovers into your build. You’d spend a lot of time crawling around on the ground, laying track, running wires, and getting the cars coupled and on the track properly, but the finished product would have been worth the effort.
There’s also a collection of Lionel cars that includes 2 locomotives, and a 1951 Lionel catalog. The paper and wood cars are from a model kit. We’re selling it all as a bundle for $125.

09/24/2026

Stop Thief! is our seventh game of the week and deserves a post of its own. Released in 1979, it was one of the first games to combine hand-held electronics with a traditional board game, and since it was made by Parker Brothers, the same company that makes Clue, it's no surprise that the boards look very similar. In Stop Thief, private detectives try to catch a criminal attempting to flee after committing a crime. The game starts with the computer telling the players which building the crime was committed in. The crook starts at one of the red squares in the building, and then the computer gives hints, one per turn, about his movement, which is always to an adjacent numbered square. He can move across an open floor, go through a window, go through a doorway, run along the street, or ride the subway. As detectives roll the dice and move to where they think the crook is, they also draw cards that could give or cost them some money, or give them a tip or lose them a turn.
At first glance, the game seems difficult, but the instructions and tutorial on the scanner explain how to play pretty well. Although certainly not for beginners, Stop Thief is a fun and challenging game that could be enjoyed by a family or a group of kids down to around 6th grade level. It’s a steal priced at $40!

09/23/2026

This week we still have a large selection of furniture. A few headboards and bed frames are even off the sales floor so if you are looking for a bed frame, let us know.

We have Halloween Costumes & accessories, a few 🧙‍♀️witch hats if you plan to attend Witches Night Out on 10/16.

We have b**r steins for this weekend! This will be the last large selection of 🍁fall decor.

Our theme is farm with a wonderful collection of 🐷pigs. We thank a dear volunteer and her family - Keri Komorn.