Here’s my opinion:

I have collected N, NS, and 1N (NF) motors for about 20 years, and never understood why they don’t draw more interest than they do. The Johnson A, AB, BN motors will always draw more interest than the Evinrude N motors.

I have owned at least 15 of them, and currently have 8 or so. They do have a few quirks, but mine all run, shift, and pump. I even got the lock to work on a couple of them, and the light works in my ’26. The ’23 and ’24 models don’t seem to run as smoothly as the later ones, likely because of the early carburetors used before ’25.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of collectors that will automatically pay lots for brass motors just because they are brass, not necessarily because they are complete or accurate for a specific year.

If the tank is not dented, the motor is all in its original finish,and the motor is not a conglomeration of parts from N, NS, and maybe even RS motors, $250 to $300 would be the upper limit for me. I can’t say what others would pay, but based on experience here in New England, I would predict not much more.

At the other end of this the spectrum, a motor that’s overpolished, incorrectly painted, and devoid of parts that actually make it run, (so basically "ruined") would fetch a lot more at on-line auction sites.

If you have photos, feel free to post or send them.

Tom