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<p> </p> <div class="quote-header"> </div> <blockquote class="quote"> <div class="quote-user">Enzoamps</div> <div class="quote-content"> <p>I hear a lot of "I wouldn't buy it, so it shouldn;t exist."  We can build something from scratch, or buy a nice building from Walthers.  Sure.  Now imagine you are a young dad with a five year old kid.  You go to Menards for a couple 2x4s and see the trains.   60 some years ago, my dad bought me a Lionel 027 set.  He put a spare bedroom door on sawhorses, added a strip along one side to widen it.  It was a panel door, with the raised cross parts and panels depressed inside.  We had a basic squared oval with a siding.  The door raised parts were "streets".   I had a couple shiny Plasticville structures.  We had one of those Lionel self reversing "line cars".  The train was a steam loco, a caboose, and a few freight cars.   I was in hog heaven, it was the coolest thing.</p> <p><a href="http://www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionel_trains_50_gang_car.htm">http://www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionel_trains_50_gang_car.htm</a></p> <p>If we never had that, I likely would never have gone on to HO and followed the hobby.  Not prototypical, not accurate, but fun.   That young dad at Menards, he never heard of Walthers, has no idea what kitbashing  might be, but knows his kid would like a train set.  In 1954, I didn't care about how that Plasticville stuff looked, and today, a 7 year old won;t care what Menards power plant looks like.  It looks like a big factory...to him.</p> <p>Why would someone buy these toys when they could buy an expensvie scale model?  Why does anyone eat at McDonalds or Dennys when there are nice upscale restaurants selling chef food?  There is a market for both.</p> <div style="clear:both;"> </div> <p> </p> </div> </blockquote> <div class="quote-footer"> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="clear:both;"> </div> <p>[/quote]</p> <p>Allow me to retort.  Enzoamps: No one said the words "I wouldnt buy it, so it shouldnt exist."  Several pointed out that in order to undercut the competition, you would have to produce a model that sacrifices somewhere, either in quality or detail.  Some said they will buy both.   Replace "it shouldnt exist" with "wont hurt the major manufacturers customer base".  </p> <p>[quote user="JEREMY CENTANNI"]This guy get the gold star! There is something for everyone and and different pieces fill different needs. [/quote]</p> <p>Yes that is true, but most of the other people who replied to this thread said almost exactly the same thing.  Also this was not the point of your original post.  Your orginal post implied that Menards was going to put major manufacturers out of business.  You proceeded to directly contradict your original statement with the quote above.  </p> <p> </p> <p>Why would I buy Menards when I could buy and expensive scale model?  Well, I prefer to design and build structures to fit the space, not design the layout to fit the structure.  It would be nice if they hid the power connection a little better on the buildings.  I will probably get one of the those O guage flat car bulk packs, for my clubs kids run trains layout, but thats an exception to the rule.</p> <p>Also one of those tandem cars in good condition in its original box will cost you about $200 now...</p>
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