That recession took place from 07-09, BUT that was when I observed PEAK prices in steam toys and will admit that I paid a lot more in that time period for some engines than what I should have. Shouldn't the prices have been lower in that period??
It is just possible Nick, that there were enough people who thought any material "collectible" would be better to hold than cash at that time. Certainly the precious metals generally do well when the economy takes a downturn, as do most things that people perceive to have intrinsic value. If that was indeed the case, than that would be a good sign and bode well for the real worth of our toy steam engines .... or maybe it was just a fluke coincidence ..... I for one, certainly don't have a clue!