I got to thinking about whether or not I could have afforded some of today’s offerings way back when I was a kid bringing in about $35/month with a paper route (around 1960). Turns out, I could, although with some items, I’d have to save for a couple of months or so.
Fer instance, BLI has just announced that it will be releasing a modernized ATSF 3800 class 2-10-2. Current MSRP $349.99. Turns out that that deflates to $47.52 in 1960. Yup, I could have afforded one. I’d have had to save for it, but I could have afforded it. Given that PFM’s Southern Ps-4 4-6-2 was going for $49.50 (unpainted, DC and no sound), the 2-10-2 would be a screaming bargain in 1960 even at list price.
A Kato N scale GS-4 ( MSRP $198) would cost me less than $27. Good argument for going into N scale. The 10 car basic Daylight set (MSRP $250) would cost me $33.95. If I saved half my paper route proceeds for 4 months, I could easily afford both the loco and the train and have change left over.
The second Athearn kit I ever bought was a Santa Fe caboose. which was bought in 1957. I don’t remember what I paid for it in '57, but I believe the MSRP was $1.98 in 1960 (probably the same in '57). The current RTR version has an MSRP of $18.98. I would have had to pay $2.59 in 1960. Given metal wheels, knuckle couplers, glazed windows and a better paint job, I’d say the RTR version is eminently affordable, even at MSRP.
Aside from a Mantua Little Six, which my dad bought me, the first engine I bought with my own (birthday) money was an Athearn Hi-F (rubber band drive) F7 A unit. That was also in 1957 and cost me $6.95. An Athearn Ready To Roll F7 A & B set ($89.98 currently) would set me back $12.22 in 1960. Granted the B unit’s a dummy, but current truck side frames are a much better representation of Blombergs. The drive is much better and the new units don’t have those godawful horn-hook cou
This post caught my interest for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that for once it isnt some old timer flaming about how high prices are in our hobby. It made me walk out to the train room (pronounced garage in California) and look at the price tag on the box from the first loco I purchased myself. It was an athearn C44-9W, box had a price tag of $56. I must have bought that back in 1997 or 1998. Then I pulled out a GP40, also athearn which was priced at $54. I bought the GP40 this year, looks like prices havent changed too much (on the bottom line at least). Granted, the GP40 is an rtr, which is rather spartan in details, but thats what after market modification is for anyway. Thanks again for a refreshing perspective on the state of our hobby. Bravo sir.
Andre, thanks for giving us some perspective on the prices of this hobby. I haven’t been around long, but I do know it’s also a squeeze for teens today like myself. I don’t play video games though, and my parents foot the cell phone bill, but I do love music and have a lot of CDs on my want to buy list, which competes with my train want to buy list. the trains usually win unless there’s a great deal on a CD I find
Are you from this planet? 15 or 16 and you don’t play video games? How can this be? I’m 49 and have been playing video games off and on for 20 years. Not that its a good thing mind you. I’m somewhat addicted to C.O.D. Modern Warfare 2.
Interesting comparison. My two lads, 10 and almost 13 get $5 per week in pocket money. They save half, give some at Church each week and use the rest for whatever they want. Add to that other cash influxes from birthdays, and the odd bribery when I am trying to get something accomplished and they seem to do quite nicely. My youngest in particular spends almost all his disposable income on trains and Lego, but mostly trains. It is great to see him at a train show, especially one with lots of individuals with sale tables, going around and carefully selecting what he wants to get. Sure he is not buying $200 locos, but he has a nice selection of older Athearn and Bachmann Spectrum locos and loves them.
I started out on trains in 1963, when my parents (at that time I knew all about Santa) gave me a Marklin starter set, an oval of track, a 0-6-0 toy loco and two tin-plate 4-wheel passenger cars. It was 33 Deutschmarks in those days, equating to a little over $ 7.50. Weekly pocket money was about a quarter “Sunday money” - not enough to buy anything for my trains. A loco was in the area of 50 Deutschmarks - or 1 year of saving up. A class 01 Pacific with Seuthe smoke unit was 60 Deutschmarks or $ 15 - the same loco now sells for Euro 400 or $ 520, but includes DCC and sound. Nevertheless, an increase of nearly 3500 %! No newspaper jobs for kids in those days. But each birthday or Christmas saw an addition and the train set slowly evolved into a layout.
In those days, a kid´s interest was much more focused, as the number of attractions and distractions was much less. You were either into trains, slot-cars or building air planes or ships. Wearing clothing with fashionable labels? Out of question - it was usually the hand-me-downs from my older brother. What would I have bought, then, with money available? No doubt - the loco!
In 1969, I received my first copy of MR - and was shocked to see the prices in the ads. Most of it was more than double of what I was used to here in Germany, due to the exchange rate. Now it is just the other way around! Even if US made locos would be 20-25 % more expensive than those made in China - they´d be a bargain when compared to what we have to pay here.
Thats an interesting topic as the only thing I have ever know to deflate was my wallet or the back tire on my old rigid frame Harley on a rainy night. You bring up a good point about “The good old days” and how things are way too expensive these days. Heck whats out there that you would be willing to pay more fore, nothing come to mind for me…lol Looking back I wish I only had the piece of mind to be smart enough to buy some of those really cool brass locomotives that the hobby shop had for a few hundred dollar. The one’s the really grouchy old guys bought. Now I’m one of those grouchy old guys and I still can’t afford those same danged brass locomotives…
Not for long. As a serious gamer I was able to tolerate MW2 for about a month. There are too many broken mechanics that can just be spammed for kills. On the other hand, video games have, for me, influenced the way I approach model trains. They have given me the mindset that the layout is like an instanced encounter with the railroad. You complete the switching moves and get the trains rolling but eventually the (model) railroad needs to reset, then you can do it all over again.
The inflation cost comparison sounds reasonable, but you’ve neglected one thing. As a kid you didn’t pay for your food, cloths, house payment, car payment, insurance, taxes, ad nauseum. So, although the price of an item back then may, in fact, be comparable to today’ prices, the cost of the item as it relates to your other financial responsibilites is not. A kid today may be more capable of purchasing one of those expensive locomotives than their model railroading parent given the fact that they don’t have those hobby money sucking expenses either.
Not sure what you mean? I suck, but play for fun, not how many kills I can get. I know some guys can hack the xbox for cheats, but that’s not very fun and they get booted eventually.
I wish I would have had the brains to save up some money when I was young I remember one LHS used to have a whole display of brass engines we thought they were expensive. If I remember correctly the big boy was about 100.00… But again I was only about 12 at the time…
I have noticed an odd phenomenon related to pricing of some items over the years. It seems that some items have actually gotten cheaper or at least haven’t increased in 20 years or so. I have a few issues of MR from the late 70’s and have seen some locos advertised for less than $20, those same locos are less than $20 today! OK sure they are the typical “trainset” stuff with horn-hook couplers, 1 powered truck and maybe all wheel power pickup but… same for some low end rolling stock which can still be had 3 for $10. OTOH Kadee #5 haven’t risen much over the years which makes em a better value now than ever. Atlas flex track is still inexpensive enough and how about Model Power dual drive F7s?
The high end stuff (sound locos) has gotten up ther but this stuff simply wasn’t availible back then. Anyone know what Astrac or Zero One cost and how does that compare to todays DCC?
I bought my first Lionel set back in 1956 with “paper boy” monies. I spent $23 and that was the biggest sum of money I ever spent at that time. In the mid-late '50s (in Chicago), you could pick up most of the Lionel cars for about $5 each. Today that seems like nothing, but back then it was a significant purchase. Consider this, my first minimum wage job (1960) was at $0.85 per hour. So ignoring taxes, I had to work 6 hours to buy one boxcar! Today’s calculation would be somewhat less time worked to accomplish the same thing.
For the usual reasons, I went into HO in 1960, and discovered Athearn & Atlas!!! WOW, all of a sudden my hard earned money went sooooo much further! I was hooked!
I also agree that you really didn’t have a whole lot of stuff to buy back then and one’s “disposable” income went for fewer hobbies or interests.
Ha, of course that all went out the window when I discovered cars and girls…
Dude, just download limewire. All the music you could ever want for free, although to put it on CDs you’d have to get blanks and have a computer capable of writing them.
But I do agree about it being tough for the younger guys.
I haven’t boughten that game yet. Probably because I keep spending it on trains. lol
Kids don’t have paper routes these days. It’s all stay-at-home mom’s or people working second jobs trying to make ends meet. They drive around before dawn on the wrong side of the road, sometimes with their hazard lights on, sometimes not.
Ha, of course that all went out the window when I discovered cars and girls…
Mobilman44
And people think TRAINS are expensive.???
My first car cost me $600 in 1965 (about $4150 today). That’s a lot of trains to give up. A reasonable date would have cost around $10 (excluding automobile operating expenses) or just under $70 today. If you went on a date a week, you were coughing up the current equivalent of about $300/month (an average month is 4.33 weeks). Gas was selling for the current equivalent of $2.30 -$2.55/gallon depending on where you were unless there was a “gas war” going on. I paid $2.70/gallon today.
If you’re lucky enough to find a low maintenance girl, itt will definitely lower your non-train expenses and if you marry her (and stay married ), count your blessings.
Just for reference, any item currently on a $1 menu costs the equivalent of $0.14 in 1965 dollars. Back then, you could buy a McDonald’s hamburger for $0.15 and you could get an order of fries order of fries for an additional $0.15. The Big Mac wasn’t introduced until 1967 and it initially cost $$0.45.