Looking at all the blow outs in the last 2 months, it doesn’t look like it is getting more expensive. To be sure, there are a lot of high end products being offered, but if you look around on the dealer’s web sights, there is plenty lower end product for sale. Champane tastes and a beer budget? Can’t change that in any hobby. Looking at some of the ads in MR I think you can spend PLENTY in HO or any gauge if you want to.
Doing any hobby on the cheap can be a challenge but it can also be rewarding. The make it yourself vs buy it RTR is an option. As a kid I got alot of pleasure from comong up with ideas and building something for the layout that was unique. There is also a ton of used O gauge out there. That is one reason to go to the local shows.
Your friend with the hobby shop is facing what all small retailers are facing…a changing way of doing business. I doubt we will ever see a time when O gauge is more popular than HO. OR see small businesses put large volume dealers out of business. And it is almost impossible for him to compete with the internet retaliers. He can’t do their volume or get their pricing.
I love O guage and think I will stay with O because I can actually see it in my old age.
Paul Goodness