I agree with Richard’s original comment for this thread, but only in the context of newcomers to the hobby (families with kids specifically) and their first reaction upon seeing the Lionel catalog and others. Part of this is due to their lack of a frame of reference and that they are seeing full list prices. Then there’s that catalog with a disproportionate amount of trains that are not meant for their son or daughter. Seeing that catalog full of more costly scale proportioned non-toy trains could certainly convince a newcomer that this is a very expensive hobby. And I’ve seen this happen.
But that’s where it ends for me.
On a mail order level, discounted prices for starter types of items are close to a price point that they were on a decade ago. You can still find a respectable new starter Lionel set for around $140.00 although shipping/handling costs are definitely higher than a decade ago. Free shipping offers have more or less disappeared and minimum order costs are higher to qualify for shipping discounts. But there are more places offering blowouts than ever before and the blowouts seem to come faster and sooner these days. I recall not seeing blowouts on any item that wasn’t at least a couple years out of catalog. But the overall quality of most Lionel starter sets is better than even a few years ago.
Not to mention being able to still find Industrial Rail, K-Line Train 19 and MTH Rugged Rails cars for $12-$20 per car. Not bad for the IR and Train-19 cars since the die cast trucks on those cars are very nice. K-Line’s truck on the Train-19 cars is their best one yet. Williams makes decent affordable locos, but folks probably won’t see them in your average hobby shop. And RMT has a couple of neat items with the Beep and the Buddy. Well made considering their price point and affordable.
And with the overall move in the hobby towards TMCC, DCS and scale proportioned trains, prices of older trains - especially less than pristine box-less of almost any era and
Your comment caught my eye. I was into Lionel in the 1950’s. Tell me what engine Lionel was selling for over $300 in the 1950s. What set for that matter? It certainly wasn’t in the catalogs. I agree this hobby is not cheap and never was, but I don’t think anything from Lionel costs over $300 an engine in the 1950s
Oh yes this stuff is getting too high. I just switched from g scale to o scale for space reasons. Lionel has to many high priced items that don’t even work well. MTH has high priced stuff that works well, just don’t break it ( they have The worst custumer service behind Dell computer). By the way the RMT beep mini Geep is trash, I bought two and they don’t pull much together or apart. They stall on clean track and they are jerky in operation.
I don’t think the prices are out of hand.There is alot of the scale locos selling for closeouts prices new and ones on the auction site just as cheap.
Here is my take raisounds 4 comes out it makes 2.5 locos cheaper because everyone wants new features, same goes for 5.0 and now we wait for TMCC 2. Now there is nothing wrong with these older locos except they lack features. As for convential engines prices are good. I have friends that play hockey and spend more on that. It is all about know your limitations.
Playstaion 2 games are $50.00 new, how many times can you play the same video game? A new piece of rolling stock is about the same price and will last alot longer.
Williams makes a good product at a good price point and if you want electronics for them they can be added. My brother has HO trains and pays $300 for a sound locomotive with no remote control.
In closing I feel the cost of living is rising(aleast here in Southeast PA) that is what is going to cut into hobbies no matter what your into to.
If people are complaining about the O gauge prices than I am sorry you are not in the correct hobby. You need to be taking up something else…like book reading or sewing.
Lionel Trains have ALWAYS been expensive. For exmaple: The Lionel 1952 2343 Santa Fe passenger set with O guage track sold for what $79.95. Adjusting the Consumer Price Index (used a calc from 2004) that EXACT same set would cost someone today $569.88. Then add a ZW transformer to that $29.95 and adjusting it would have costed $213.48 today.
So in reality okiechoochoo someone in 1950 would of had to produce an enormous amount of funds back in the day to have purchased this set. Of course these numbers are estimates but close.
Well, to throw my 2 cents in… I think the major manufacturers make a reasonable assortment of relativelay lower priced items each year. And starter sets are available for less than $130 when discounted. Now is a particularly good time to pick up closeout prices on 2005 sets – keep an eye on the ads in CTT this month and next. You can always put it away til next Christmas if you have to. Plus, Lionel always puts several “less than $200” engines (steam or diesel) in each new catalog, and as long as you don’t require TMCC and Railsounds, as well as cheaper rolling stock and accessories, and you can do quite well with them.
Other ways to save: join a collectors club and you get the benefit of their on-line trading by members where you can usually pick up stuff much cheaper than from retailers – also “like new” as opposed to “new” items. Go to train shows if possible where there are always bargains to be found. Just a few ideas. Happy New Year!
Hi
you are rigth but in 1950 was made in usa, hi quality and the workes was expensive too.
so what do you think today about the price if the trains are mede in china when they pay cents per hour to the workers?
go to dvdrental and look for the movie “the corporation” after the movie think about the real price for the electric trains.
Sorry if I am not clear, rigth now I’m study english.
Andre.
i think what would be nice is a low end set ,or set ups ,for the family man .that doesnt play golf ,fly planes ,own horses,or go skiing.im such a person ,and maybe someday i can pour tons of money in it ,and buy a fancy engine .that doesnt mean i shouldnt be able to have fun now . i would trade some detail ,and realism ,for lower prices .its the same with cars .not every car is a cadilac,mercedes,porsche,or bmw .i would like to purchase the escort,cavalier,kia,neon .i understand the beauty of the high end ,but there should also be an affordable low end .
My point was missed I guess. Dontrainman said Lionel was selling $300 engines in 1950. They were not, Did not even have one cataloged that cost that. Here by your own statement you said the 2343 set was right at $80. That is not $300 of 1950 dollars. It was a lot of money in those days, I had trains then, I know. But it was not $300.
When I posted this All I was stating is that there should be more modestly priced engines out there with out all the fancy lights and such.I think that there should be a few more basic engines out there at a reasonable price .If you want a high end engine then so be it.But for the many out there on a budget there should be a quality reasonable price engines to chose from.Far be it for me to *** considering this is one of my train rooms!!
If they where cheaper I could afford to by more!!
Thanks for your input[:)]
I’m new to the hobby and was very surprised at how expensive some of the loco’s and accessories cost. Example: Why does a piece of plastic with lights that happens to look like a 5 story building cost $75?
My 2 cents…(and probably stating the obvious with way too many words)
Like a few have said here already, I think most hobbies (except maybe reading) are fairly expensive. I was lucky enough to inheirit several trains when I was younger and I still have them. I’ve been trying to add to my running collection over the last few years and I find that some of the venues for picking up pre and post war Lionel items (Ebay and even train shows) can be wildly expensive for desirable items. But, overall I think the amount of enjoyment I get out of the hobby exceeds the pain in my wallet.
Considering that my friends that play golf will think nothing of dropping $200 or more on one golf club, and that a round of golf routinely costs $75 (for a municipal course, forget a private club) and they spend 4 hours being angry cuz they can’t hit that “blankety blank ball straight”, I figured I got a good deal paying $250 for a decent running 2343 A B postwar diesel last year. I can spend those 4 hours building/planning or just running my trains and be happy.
I will say that I was really sticker shocked at what the new stuff costs. I can’t see spending say $1500 on an engine (or should I say my wife can’t see spending…).
If you are willing to put in the time to really look, and are patient and don’t mind used stuff you can find some really nice bargains. For me that is part of the fun, trying to find particular items to add to my collection. Plus, with the old stuff, if something needs to be fixed, I might actually be able to do it myself in some cases.
I truely feel this CAN BE an expensive hobby. After having trains in my younger years, then having them handed down to me, then growing up to understand the concept of money… I was fully aware that this wasnt going to be a cheap hobby. Does the price of trains hurt the hobby? I think it fills train makers pockets and could make the average buyers pockets pretty thin, but I dont see it hurting the hobby or industry any time soon.
There are plenty of cheaper trains out there for the ones that cant spend $1000++ on a set or a single train. Williams has very nice trains at a very nice price for what you get from them.
If you want a train that cost $1000++, you can always save your money and get it at a later date. Not everyone can afford to be an impulse buyer, and walk into a train store and leave with $3000 worth of train stuff. Im sure all the “top dogs manufacturers” know this, but if its quality you want, features you want, etc. Than you have to pay that price to have it. We pay for the time, effort, and effort they put into making these trains look as realistic as they can. If its a nice train, I am willing to pay that price.
Anyway, I just wanted to chime in a bit on my feelings toward the question at hand.
As a Lionel fan, there are certainly Lionel pieces (and boxed layouts) that are extravagant from not only current production, but from the pre & post war and modern era’s.
On the other hand, one can build a nice layout buying reasonably priced pieces on EBay and elsewhere online, or at swap meets. On EBay you can purchase a lot of post war and modern era stuff. For example, a locomotive for less than $100, O gauge remote switches for 35 to $70 a pair, freight cars for as little as $35, passenger cars for less than $150, a classic ZW transformer for $200 to $275, and many Lionel accessories for $20 to $50. Much of this stuff comes in the original boxes but helps to be handy since most of it will require some cleaning and perhaps minor maintenance.
I find it’s more fun this way, you do a little at a time and only for what you want and can afford. With EBay, you get to set your own price and the selection of Lionel (and other train) stuff on EBay should satisfy any train collector.
Isn’t any hobby expensive. The good thing about trains is that you can buy a $100 post war set or a mint set worth $10,000. Everyone who collect postwar strives for a boxed high end set. However, most people can still collect within their price range. You don’t have to collect mint boxed prewar/post war or rare variations. There are levels for just about everyone.
The same hold true with the modern trains. While the $1K scale engines are great. If you collect modern locos you hope one day to have these in your collection. However, it seems to me that most manufactures have levels of trains for most budgets.
Sorry, Richard, but the photos you posted negate your entire premise. You’re complaining about something that you quite obviously have no basis for complaining about.
There are plenty of ways to enter this hobby without going to the max on your credit cards, just do a little leg work and you will find tons of bargains.
If you really want the high end stuff consider a 2nd part time job or simply put away some money at the end of the month, after a few months of saving it will be easier for you to decided if you really do want that special engine
I can you tell you from the time of the 70’s when I had two small boys how much I wanted Lionel diesels, I couldn’t afford them so I settled for entry level sets, still have them and enjoy them but not as much as the entry level Railkings I have now. We’ve come along way baby and bargains can be found.
The old days (1950’s) were before my time. However it seems like people would start with a train set and add one or two accessories or switches a year. Even at $75 each that would be very affordable today and would serve to keep kids interested over a longer time period.
There is plenty of low priced stuff out there although the selection is finite (Beeps, Porters, and K-line switcher sets). True a $50 car is expensive…but it is affordable if you buy only one per year. Waiting for it helps makes it special.
I think the only thing that makes this hobby expensive is when we want to add different track, engines, cars, and accessories weekly or monthly. You rapidly run out of affordable additions and need to move up the price list to keep getting new stuff. If instead you go slowly there is pleanty of affordable stuff for years of collecting.
