High Price of trains hurting the hobby?

[Anonymous]

There are small engines(Plymouth, Dockside, Porter) for around $100. You can find bargins if you look. Lionel was selling engines for over $300 in the '50's when the average income was about $5000 a year. Just keep looking.[:)]

[overall]

I'm not an economist but, I would bet the prices of trains have actually fallen if you measure it in constant dollars. I have never bought a $1000.00 locomotive. I have bought a $1000.00 set, but never a locomotive. In general, I stick to the middle of the market. Williams, Weaver and Lionel are my usual brands. Actually, space has become more of an issue than money for me. I'm running out of a place to put everything.

George

[oscaletrains]

i agree the prices are too high i cant afford the locos i mean come on 1000 bucks for a loco hase forsed me in to conventnal controal and adlantics and still $100!

[cnw1995]

Well, Richard, I would say it's all sorta relative to one's income and sense of what 'expensive' means - for me, expensive is spending $500 or more for an engine - but I have three young kids, etc. I was browsing Hobby Lobby today and they had several starter sets for under $150 - The market for our hobby doesn't seem to be the mass market anymore - though there's beautiful docksiders from Lionel for $80-100 and the RMT Beep and Buddy for even less. As a personal aside, I got into the hobby several years ago with a $100 train set - and gradually expanded it - while enjoying all sorts of the same shortcuts as you illuminated. I don't think these prices are hurting the hobby per se.

[Anonymous]

Just browsing the advertisements in Classic Toy Trains and started checking out the prices. .[:0] WOW can anyone starting out in this hobby really afford it?.Engine prices are coming close to a mortgage payment. Even low end products cost an arm and a leg. Sure I love all the lights and sounds but do we really need all this realism that drives prices out of reach for most of us. I personally don't need all the fancy high priced stuff. I can do with my pre and post war steamers that produced enough smoke and whistling Lionel tender
and a sound effects CD for background sounds. Many people would love to get involved in this wonderful hobby but the cost is a turnoff .The major producers of O-scale trains sould return to simpler and less costly trains to bring in future railroaders and keeping those of us that have been in this hobby for awhile.