They’re big in Lionel land especially among the train collectors clubs who put them out for conventions.
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pennytrains, 1982 was 43 years ago, but it feels like yesterday. Your shelf arrangement is interesting. I edited the photo a little. The only thing I can make out is the Official Guide Book.
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I finally got my hands on the 50th anniversary model of Railfan & Railroad magazine. Apparently they still have it in stock, along with the 90th anniversary model of RMC magazine (White River Productions website). Now I just have to wait for the 95th anniversary model of MR magazine that Firecrown will be selling.
I have changed the title of the thread to reflect the content.
4500 Yen is about $29 US. Since this is a US made product (Micro-Trains) being sold in Japan (apparently on Kato’s website), I would assume the shipping costs would make a big difference in price. At least, I think Kadee and Micro-Trains are made in the US. Otherwise, could be Micro-Trains cars are just better made - better couplers, wheels, details etc.
The only fictional commemorative item I have goes back to when I was in O scale. I had a small article published in RMC, and used part (most?) of the money to buy one of their 50th anniversary O tank car kits. My article was in the Feb 1983 issue, and March 1983 was the anniversary issue, so I just missed being in it.
Otherwise, I don’t really like them. A lot of why I got out of O was back then it seems like so many products were Disney cars or limited editions or whatever.
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The commemorative cars are not my taste… but evetyone has different tastes
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I share your feeling. Not for me.
Rich
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Problem with things marketed as collectibles is that they never will be “collectible”.
These items are, underneath the paint and decals, just a generic boxcar or locomotive.
It is the same here in the U.K. Companies bringing out ‘collectibles’ that really are not.
David
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Not only model railroading items but a lot of other items as well. Example:Department 56. I once bought a retired “collectible” for $350 that originally sold for $72. It is maybe worth $25 today.
Rich
Yes. It is only valuable to the holder.
David
In the case of the Dept 56 item, I needed the retired piece to complete a “village”. What I should have done was waited awhile until the price came back down which is what we all should do in the case of model railroading “collectibles”.
Rich
I buy them as they appeal to me and the price is not too high.
I have no problem running the ones that look like a real paint scheme just with a fantasy name like the Gorre & Daphtid.
Paul
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Hamley’s of London 
David
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The closest I came to a commemorative car was a decal set for Powdermilk Biscuits, the fake advertiser on A Prairie Home Companion. Once applied to a car, the car went into regular use in operations. My family enjoyed the show and the car is a kind of family memento, but I have no delusions on its market value.
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Well, I’d guess a few of the long-termers on this forum lived through the ‘Buy-Buy-Bicentennial’ merchandising madness c. 1975/1976. Soon enough we’ll start getting bombarded with the ‘semiquincentennial’ 250th sales barrage. As a meddling kid of 11 it was easy enough for me to ignore the slew of red, white & blue rolling stock and locomotives (I will admit the Bachmann Independence Hall model was pretty cool if a bit small and not overly useful to me). Maybe the frenzy has already started and I just haven’t been caught up in it yet. IIRC the only Bicentennial tat I ended up buying was a stupidly large (hand-sized) Washington quarter and a Betsy Ross in a “Liberty Bell” shaped plastic container I got for my mom. I will likely buy even less such tat (read: none) this time around.
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There is a separate thread for the 200th & 250th anniversary of the United States.
Let’s discuss 50th anniversary models in a different thread.
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With many collectibles, a complete set is worth more than the individual pieces. Complete sets can be rare as well, driving the price of items needed to complete it, because if you have a complete set you won’t be breaking it up…
That is particularly true for coin collections.
Collectibles are only valuable to the owner and the price a person is prepared to pay. Not always the same!
David
With Dept 56, there is no such thing as a complete set. They just keep on producing more pieces, often using the same molds.
Rich