Lionel's LACK OF advertising on their packaging

Classic Toy Trains Forum
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I have noticed that Lionel (can’t speak to the other companies) does a really poor job of letting people know what is in their packaging.

This subject I suppose could be connected to the thread about toy train starter sets.

It’s almost like Lionel thinks that people are either going buy their products no matter the lack of information on the box, or they are just plain stupid. As someone said, they don’t think “out of the box” let alone IN THE BOX!

Here’s what I mean. And believe me this post was made to point out how Lionel can do better and improve, not to just nag at a point.

Recently I was looking at rolling stock at the local train store and my four year old son noticed chickens on the side of the “cattle car.” It was on sale for $39.99, so I thought, “Okay. Kinda expensive for a car that does nothing–but that’s Lionel for you.”

Well, when I got the car home I put it on the track and whatdya know??!!! Out came the sound of chickens clucking! Well, I am easily amused and my son was impressed.

Now here’s the point! NO WHERE on the box was this novelty pointed out. Why didn’t Lionel make the box advertising to read something such as: “ACTUAL CHICKENS SOUNDS!!” or “SOUND EFFECTS!!” Each term with a bright yellow “star burst” around it??

I have found this to be true of all their products. Why heck! Elliot (MR.TRAIN HIMSELF!![:D] ) didn’t even know that my 1999 remake of the Hellgate bridge has lighted tower pillars that are spectacular looking at night and that the remake Rico station is lighted as well!

The list is endless!!

*101 Dalmations car: no where does it point out the features of the running figures!

*Constellation cars: no where is it pointed out that the cars have LIGHTED constellations on the side of the cars!

*Carousel: Does the box read: Lights! Music! Actually turns! Horses move up and down!! No. It doesn’t.

Does Lionel think that people know

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Over the last century or so, Lionel has often done without much in the way of consumer info on their packaging. Remember the stacks of post-war boxes with nary a window? I always felt like I was buying a pig in a poke.

I wi***hey would be consistent with their “standard” and “traditional” labeling. I had just about decided to purchase a car thinking it was one size, and only my dealer gave me a heads up because he knows my preferences. K-Line does a better job by plastering “SCALE” and/or “DIE-CAST” on their boxes.

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Jack:

Merchandising and advertising on Lionel’s packaging is sorely lacking. Now, I’m not defending Lionel, but it would be costly for them to highly detail their individual train boxes. However, this cost would be more than made up by the Good Will and Customer Appreciation that would follow.

BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com

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It wouldn’t be that costly to print up generic stickers that read: “SOUND!!” or “LIGHTED!!” or “ANIMATED!!” Just a simple little thing like that to draw your attention to the piece.

I for one, was shocked the chicken car had sound! I mean that thing had been sitting for a year that I know of. I would have put it on the list last year at Christmas had I known. But then again, if there WAS advertising on the box, it probably would not have been there for me to have! Holy catch 22! Nah!! I’d like to see Lionel advertise on their boxes.

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Amtrak Jack, I agree with the lack of info on the outside of the box. I recently purchased a caboose with crew sounds. Guess what? It has a flashing LED on the back of the caboose and the crew sounds can be sycronized with the crew sounds from the engine to make it sound like they are talking to one another. [:D][:D]

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With Lionel you need to have a copy of the catalogue to know the features of the items and even then you can’t be sure since some are preproduction descriptions. Also, unless you have a source for freeby catalogues you’re expected to purchase the catalogue.

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Well, a little surprise never really hurt anyone, and the items Jack mentioned are rather obvious. But still, Lionel does have a lack of advertising…that’s just lazy. Just look at any Williams box; it has all the features right on the side of the box!

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The cost of printing separate packaging for engines or cars is minimal to the overall costs.

I find the lack of infomation that is provided with most Lionel product frustrating at times. It would not take much effort to make some of the items a little more user friendly.

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It’s like opening a box of Cracker Jack’s.

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Wasn’t Gump that said: "Mama always said life was like a box a Lionels, never know what you’re gonna get. "

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Well, I don’t know what is obvious about the hellgate bridge being lighted, but the animated car is probably a no-brainer. Still, a little direction would be nice.

Cool about the caboose! ANY OTHER GOODIES WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

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Yes true, in the past Lionel’s boxes were orange and blue with a rubber stamped item ID on the box and that was it. But as the song by the Monkee’s goes “that was then and this is now.”

Jack is absolutely right. If Lionel expects to reach newcomers and novice modelers with kids, it is essential that the box state features. Again, I find that many of the comments made on any related topic of reaching newcomers are spoken from the viewpoint of what seasoned-modelers think, not parents. For example, on the other thread on train sets, there’s several comments on sets coming with large radius curves. Yet not once ever in my many conversations with parents has one desired larger radius curves with train sets. The reality is many don’t have room for a 6 foot square board with nothing more than a circle of track. Nor does the issue of control come up much, even when I bring it up. But the reason there could be monetary as well as anything else.

Take a look a toys in your typical department store… features are written on the packaging. If the toy does something out of the norm, this is predominantly mentioned on the packaging. This is not only common sense, but good advertising and practical business procedure. If you want to sell something, then you need to “sell” the product. Since national television advertising is expensive, the idea of effective merchandising and labeling of product via the packaging is far cheaper. And besides, look at all the extra money being spent on that packaging: all the extra plastic enclosures to protect items from the rough ride across the Pacific Ocean. Obviously this must be worth the cost because of the low Chinese overhead. Is it not worth a few more cents to really promote the product to the best light with effective labeling on the packaging?

Jack, your comment on “in and out of the box thinking” is right on. I couldn’t agree with you more. If the hobby is to reach folks with kids, then the hobby has to make that effort to do so. Too much of wh

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Brian,

As usual, your comments are extremely welcome and not just because you agree with me. More often than not, we don’t see eye to eye.

I guess it all boils down to who Lionel really wants to market to. Their last big marketing push I remember was when they put sets in Mervyn’s stores. For those who do not know what a Mervyn’s store is, it is predominately a clothing store mostly geared to WOMEN. And strangely enough, it is owned by TARGET, a store with a giant toy section. I have never seen Lionel trains in a target store! So, what IS Lionel thinking?

I think only they know. Certainly their products would fit well at Home Depot, Lowe’s and the big discount chains such as Wal-Mart. But I don’t think that’s what they want.

As for the packaging subject, I believe they don’t want to bring in children. Well, my idea for better packaging will help ADULTS decide what to buy as well. We don’t all have “catalogs” (and I use that term loosely–but that’s another topic!) So, if Lionel wants to move those dusty boxes off the shelves, let’s see some advertising on the boxes!

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I think this echoes things that Brianel has said in the past.

It’s apparent from the way in which Lionel & MTH package & market their products that they’re really not interested in reaching to kids or selling thousands of units of an item. If they were, they’d try to get their products on shelves in Target & Wal-Mart & Toys R Us.

They’re after the big bucks that “collectors” are willign to pay. Why else would they releast $1500 steam locomotives in lots numbered in the hundreds, with a high level of scale detailing that kids simply don’t care about?

If Lionel & MTH were truly interested in making toys, we’d see the numbers of units of low end sets made increase, we’d see them in these other mainstream stores, and we’d see the same sets cataloged for more than just a year.

My $0.02 worth

Tony

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Worth more than 2 cents! And if Lionel and MTH listened, it would be worth millions.