Target is now selling Lionel Lines Train sets.

[LL675]

Why doesn't Lionel get into the Targets, KMarts, WallMarts? Have TV commercials? Pay extra to be in the front of the store flyers? Most Dept stores barly have HO stuff. And store displays would attratct kids too. Some would be hooked just at the sights and sounds of a running train in the stores.

[Roger Bielen]

I checked the box out yesterday and couldn't find a Lionel part number, may be an uncatalogued set. Also, I couldn't find anything like it in the recent catalogues.  It has a Lionel Lines 4-4-2 with four cars, loop of track, transformer, tractor trailer, a floor mat (map), and other goodies.  In our store its in the toy department along with other items in the targeted age group.

[cnw1995]

Isn't this cool? I like the set - it has real play value - and the visibility at our local Target- it's a big box...

[phillyreading]

I have seen the set on line, looks nice and is a six unit set including the engine & tender, a 40" X 60" oval of Fastrac and a tractor trailer included for about $250.00.                                                          I think it is a good idea for Lionel and others to advertise or sell model trains at Target Stores, have not seen one in the store down here in southeast Florida as yet.

Also could Lionel or others advertise on TV or would this be too expensive?

If not on TV how about sending out flyers in the mail?

The model train industy needs to get a jump start somehow and maybe Lionel is on the right track.

Lee F.

[MartyE]

This has actually been discussed at great length on another forum.  It seems most feel this is a good move to expose Lionel and trains to moms and dads that would never enter a LHS to begin with.  Hopefully a precentage of them will seek out more items via the LHS that are not available at target such as expansion packs and track.  The way I look at this it is a win win for the hobby if it works. 

[traindaddy1]

My two cents: I've seen a number of stores selling train sets around the holidays but very little in the way of expansion sets or extras like more track or accessories for the trains in those sets.  (Come to think of it, the only stores in my area that had "extras", and mostly for HO, have gone out of business, namely: Lionel Kiddie City and KB Toys). I posed the question to a manger at the local "Toys-R-Us" store. He told me that trains are 'seasonal' items and, as such, 'seasonal' items usually do not sell well after the season is over. I guess it is all the way you look at it. Anyway, it is nice to see Target's effort.

[tex702]

Its about time a local store start carrying trains or components of train sets.  Where I live hobby stores are far and few between.  I do however have a Target Store just down the street from here.  Good going Target.  It seems Target has the hobby stores beat in prices.  I really cant tell what train set it is though.

[daan]

There is one problem though, the train set is behind the playstation/ X-cube pages and most kids don't look behind that these days.. It's nice that they put a simple, but good quality set for sale and not some plastic throw away thingy (though a plastig trow away thingy doesn't cost 249 dollars..)

Why do we always have those darn Tyco and Mehano h0 plastic stuff in our toy book each year..

[Andrew Falconer]

Target is now selling Lionel Lines Train Sets.

In Sunday's newspaper was a Target Toy Catalog which was 50 pages long.

On page 37 was the Lionel Lines Train Set.

It is priced at $ 249.99.

You can see it at www.target.com/toycatalog

This is another way for Lionel to be seen again by people who do not visit the local hobby shops.

Andrew