Just browsing the advertisements in Classic Toy Trains and started checking out the prices. .[:0] WOW can anyone starting out in this hobby really afford it?.Engine prices are coming close to a mortgage payment. Even low end products cost an arm and a leg. Sure I love all the lights and sounds but do we really need all this realism that drives prices out of reach for most of us. I personally don’t need all the fancy high priced stuff. I can do with my pre and post war steamers that produced enough smoke and whistling Lionel tender
and a sound effects CD for background sounds. Many people would love to get involved in this wonderful hobby but the cost is a turnoff .The major producers of O-scale trains sould return to simpler and less costly trains to bring in future railroaders and keeping those of us that have been in this hobby for awhile.
Well, Richard, I would say it’s all sorta relative to one’s income and sense of what ‘expensive’ means - for me, expensive is spending $500 or more for an engine - but I have three young kids, etc. I was browsing Hobby Lobby today and they had several starter sets for under $150 - The market for our hobby doesn’t seem to be the mass market anymore - though there’s beautiful docksiders from Lionel for $80-100 and the RMT Beep and Buddy for even less. As a personal aside, I got into the hobby several years ago with a $100 train set - and gradually expanded it - while enjoying all sorts of the same shortcuts as you illuminated. I don’t think these prices are hurting the hobby per se.
i agree the prices are too high i cant afford the locos i mean come on 1000 bucks for a loco hase forsed me in to conventnal controal and adlantics and still $100!
I’m not an economist but, I would bet the prices of trains have actually fallen if you measure it in constant dollars. I have never bought a $1000.00 locomotive. I have bought a $1000.00 set, but never a locomotive. In general, I stick to the middle of the market. Williams, Weaver and Lionel are my usual brands. Actually, space has become more of an issue than money for me. I’m running out of a place to put everything.
George
There are small engines(Plymouth, Dockside, Porter) for around $100. You can find bargins if you look. Lionel was selling engines for over $300 in the '50’s when the average income was about $5000 a year. Just keep looking.[:)]
I agree with you. I’ve been in the hobby about 7 years now and alot of my collection has been others throw aways. I have purchased several RTR engines at modest to low prices. However, my wife who’s no big fan at all bought me a MRC Prodigy DCC system 3 years ago and on Tuesday on my birthday I got my first DCC equipped engine. I’d love to have all Kato, Genesis, Proto 2K, not to mention the pinnacle of all Broadway Limited. Dropping 60-120 dollars for an engine means food, gas, bills etc… Alot of the people I’m in touch with are all retired and can drop $ for anything they want and tell me just to go out and get it. “don’t worry about the old lady”. Yeah good advice if you didn’t live with her. LOL It would be nice if the prices were alittle more reasonable for those who use this hobby as therapy to escape the stresses of life not to add to it.
What does this hobby cost , compared to others ??? For instance, A round of Golf? Skydiving, Model airplanes?? Flying lessons? Show horses?? I am not wealthy, but have done all of the above, and when you are finished all you have is the memories. Sure I spend a lot on trains, but if I ever get tired of it, I can always sell them off and recoup part of the expense. Cant do that with a lot of other hobbies. By the way, its snowing and cold outside, so I cant do any outside activities, so I think i’ll go run the trains…Tim
I’m always buying leftovers from shops and secondhand stuff. I do have some technical problems sometimes, but everything can be solved one way or the other. This way I’ve build a small railroad imperium for the price of one premium ps2 steam locomotive. By the way, if it’s your hobby it may cost a bit of money…
This topic comes up quite often, and it gets back to any “grown up” hobby - you can pretty much enter at any pricepoint.
There are a ton of nice train choices with locomotives at $400 or less, and even more quality pieces at $250 or less - than there were 10 years ago. Like stamps, or antique cars, or coins, you can grow into it.
I keep thinking of those poor guys in HO - they’ve been experiencing price creep for several years and all they get for it is a little tiny train, where we have a manly size chunk of plastic and metal for our $$. [:D]
I believe you can find what you want in any price range. My son is a skier and the equipment cost averages $600 to $800 plus you need to have the clothes, spend money to get there and purchase a $40 lift ticket every time. In one season on the hill you can spend more than what a high end engine would cost. Many hobbies cost money and you have to budget for whatever you do.
Tom S
My personal feeling is that those who are buying high-end O gauge locomotives constitute the one group in the hobby (including all scales) that is paying too much for what they get. But as long as they’re willing to pay it, I sure can’t fault the manufacturers for asking those prices.
At the lower end, you can find some very nice stuff in O gauge at fairly reasonable or even darn reasonable prices. And in the other scales there’s a ton of affordable stuff out there. In general, this hobby is as affordable as many others, and probably even more affordable than a good many I can think of. It’s as expensive as you let it be, but anyone planning to enter it on a limited budget can certainly do so and derive as much–or more–enjoyment from it as the guy who has a closet full of $1,000 locomotives.
I spent $140.00 on a face cord of wood - and burned it!
Go look at what it costs to play paintball. A quality marker will cost $200 for entry level and $1500 + for higher end ones, and then you need the air system and everything else to get started! Then you go pay your $20 to play at some place and THEN $70-100 in paintballs in a night - at least I did with my trigger happy self.
I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that most “hobbies” will be as expensive as you make them. Perfect example: Fishing, do I really need all these *** lures - no, I only use a few but they look good in there. Besides, if I would stop getting snagged on crap I wouldn’t have to keep replacing them 
If you want the latest high-tech trains, you’ll pay a lot. But then…if you want to spend a week at a resort, it will probably cost more… and what will you have to show for it when you get back? Just because I get my “kicks” out of searching for that $150. postwar steamer or detailing a building interior does’nt mean everyone should enjoy doing it. Off-hand, I can’t think of a hobby more diverse than this one in terms of personal interest, cost, etc. There is no reason why it can’t be both fun and rewarding for ANY budget. Joe
I think Lionel trains have always been expensive. It’s just now that we go overboard and build up massive collections and extensive layouts.
Find a budget you are comfortable with and purchase things within it. I really enjoy collecting old Hafner train sets. At $30 - $60.00 a set they give me an enormous amount of joy and challenge to find.
Prices do not seem to be as high as they were 10-15 years ago. Here’s a example. I picked up a Lionel Two -tone Green San Fransisco Trolley that was made in 1988 at a train show last year for my Nephew. Anyway, I Paid $ 75.00 for it from a Gent who used to own a trainshop in Erie,PA & The Trolley is brand new in the box and had never been on the Track. 10 years ago most shops were selling this same Trolley for $125.00- 150.00 and this sure was a good buy at $ 75.00 and the Trolley runs like a champ.Just budget your money and shop around. With all of the competition around Plus all of the Old Lionel,Flyer,Ives still surviving this is a good time to be in the Hobby
The prices for trains have dropped…bigtime. That is the whole reason behind Lionel moving to overseas production. To the lower the price to the consumer and to compete with MTH and K Line prices. They would be far behind if they never would have made that move in 2000.
Look at the price of the Super O Hudson PWC SET. An entire set with a scale hudson and diecast scale 700E tender and what like 7 pieces of rolling stock all diecast 3 operating cars for only $879.99? Try finding a scale hudson ENGINE for that price a couple years ago.
High prices are not hurting the hobby. If they were 1/2 of Lionels catalog would not contain $1,000 set and engines or the $2,000 Amtack thing.
I think I agree with those who think it is on par for other hobbies. I have paid 4K year for a boat slip, I am paying $195/month for a hanger, $3.42 per gallon for aviation gas (80 gal tank), $3K to outfit my son and I with dive gear plus a $800 dry suit, (an aside of $20K per year to put 3 kids through college), 15K for a 3 axis autopilot, 8K for a GPS Garmin 430, not to mention ski equipment for 5, my professional camera gear ($2.4 K for the S3, $2K for the S2, $1.5 K for a Nikon VR 80-400, 1K for a 2.8 28-70 Nikon just to mention a few I know. Spending $320 for the Chessie Alco S2 is the same amount my son put in for his thermostat and another part plus labor on his 95 honda. I did 30 years with my post war 623 and 681 and gradually added to where I have bought 3 grand plus engines. Just be patient and you will get the money and have the discretionary income. Start small and keep adding to it.
I try to limit my engine purchase to just one engine that I really want per year.
I have bought my share of new $20 cars at train shows.[:D]
I have discovered collecting toy trains is like restoring my 1950 chevy pick-up. You can pay someone numerous dollars to do the work. Or you can slowly work into it . Meet people who share your interest. Barter and trade ideas and parts. And before you know it, you have a gem at wholesale cost. Or you can pay.Your choice. in this great USA…