$$$$$$$$

[orsonroy]

Life in general is more expensive. HAve you seriously looked at the real estate market recently? When I bought my house in the fringes of Illinois five years ago it cost $85,500. I'm now moving closer to the chicago area and the house I'm about to close on costs $250,000. My parents bought five acres and a nothing ranch house in 1982 for $100,000. Today, add a zero.

Just like with anything else, SHOP. Sure, I'd really like a Hummer (the original, not the POS H2), but I can't afford to shell out $80K for a car. I'm happy with my $20K Jeep. Same with toy trains: we might WANT a top end $700 engine with all the bells & whistles, but come down to Earth and buy a satisfactory $80 engine (or even $30 engine, if you dig hard enough). The hobby has plenty of room for all income levels, you just have to be realistic.

[dano99a]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lesterperry

I have been in this hobby since I was 2 years old I am now 50. But seriously for 15 +- years. It seems to me that the manufacturers are pricing the hobby into the wealthy people only allowed. I used to be able to purchase an Athearn GP unit for $25 and it ran smooth, had lots of power and ran forever. (blue box) Now I don't even think I can find these unless dust covered on back of shelf somewhere. I know about inflation but 400%, come on. Am I looking at this wrong? I don't think I could afford to enter this hobby at todays prices.

Right you are that this hobby is being priced something ridiculous, for example there is an ad in the latest MR that the headlne says "That's a lot of Locomotive for $899.99" Now, granted it's a garden railway engine so it's large but HOLY COW!!! $900 BUCKS?
The Headline should read "That's a lot of locomotive, complete with financing options!" or maybe "Skip your mortgage payment and buy this! You don't need a house anyway if your railroad is outside!"

Ok, so I model in HO and things are A LOT cheaper than $900 but still there are some pretty expensive locos out there (BLI stuff and brass). I am pretty much an exclusive P2K user myself, they run good and pretty prototypical, but I'm sure those who buy BLI stuff will stand behind it anyday.

It's at a point now days where if you want better prices you gotta go lookin for them and start comparing. Due to a limited budget I was forced to do this, and because of pricing everything I see and remembering it the last 3 train shows I went to I didn't buy ANYTHING cuz everyone's prices were insane. I mean they were priced higher than the LHS and there was a time when that was unheard of.

So, my 2 cents; look at the price your paying, compare before you buy, you can get some great deals online, or through small private dealers and even ebay dealers.

One other thing: It's great to see another C&O fan out there [:)]

Cheers!

[Anonymous]

Ya right. I want to buy some BNSF GP38-2's and they run like $50 a Model.
Allan.

[Anonymous]

Value is in the eye of the beholder. If our hobby cost us nothing at all, would we value it? If we did not have to put effort forth for our employment, salary,etc., would we have "value" and choices of how we "spend" that value. I wonder how much impact $ 2.40 per gallon fuel impacts us as well. Durning the same time period $ .25 grew to 100 times that and where are the free glasses and other incentives for a fill up?

[Virginian]

Go look in a high school parking lot. Money does not appear to be a problem for one heck of a lot of people. Things change and prices go up. I couldn't get into the university I graduated from today, much less afford it if I did get in.

[NZRMac]

I spent a weeks wages on my PK2 2-8-8-2 and we're on a single income (mine ) and have two kids!! $650 NZ shipping included. I've bought 4 BLI loco's all new since september last year. My point is if ya want it get it cause you only get one go at it, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Ken.

[Anonymous]

Double Post - silly computer (or operator)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CARRfan

For me personally, spending a lot on a hobby does not make me feel good. Some love it.

Uh, aside from the 3K or so I spent on drums / drum related equipment a few years back. Ouch. Busted.

OK, so maybe I just like the concept of lower priced locomotives because then I know I could accumulate them a small amount at a time and have a fleet in 30 years?

[trolleyboy]

Prices have climbed. Most manufacturers are going for more highly detailed and more obscure locomotives. Case in point LL in Canada produced MLW RS10's and 18's last year. Beautifull smack on detail but they are a Canadian Prototype never sold in the US to US roads. They retailed at 149.99 and sold out. Now they have re-run them with the sound chips for $250 also just about sold out.So it's a good news bad news situation. We pay a bit or in some cases allot more but you do get much better quality and detail. The big downside is that everything is limited production. plastic has become the new Brass. Rob

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lesterperry

I have been in this hobby since I was 2 years old I am now 50. But seriously for 15 +- years. It seems to me that the manufacturers are pricing the hobby into the wealthy people only allowed. I used to be able to purchase an Athearn GP unit for $25 and it ran smooth, had lots of power and ran forever. (blue box) Now I don't even think I can find these unless dust covered on back of shelf somewhere. I know about inflation but 400%, come on. Am I looking at this wrong? I don't think I could afford to enter this hobby at todays prices.

Lester - There are several ways to view what is happening in the hobby today.

On the face of things, as manufacturers continue to cater to an ever smaller faction of hobbyist that are demanding ultra-accurate models with all the bells and whistle (literally!), and at the same time with the manufacturers appreciating that this niche group is willing to pay almost any dollar value for their models, we are seeing the pricing of highend equipment spiraling beyond the reach of the many hobbyists. Likewise, probably 90% of hobby advertising addresses only these highend items, giving the somewhat misleading impression that only the wealthy can be model railroaders today.

On the other hand, if you are not detail crazy, don't need sound, and are willing to poke around on-line retailers' full listings, there are still a large number of reasonably-priced engines and rolling stock to be had. It's just that you usually won't see them mentioned in the hobby press and they aren't going to be state-of-the-art. There is still a fair selection of the old Athearn blue-box diesels to be found out there, along with BB rolling stock kits. The smaller IHC steam locomotives are usually pretty good runners, as are recent examples by Bachmann. Anyone with the talents model railroaders are supposed to have can detail these engines up to their own standards without breaking the bank.

CNJ831

[tstage]

You can still find some good deals on newer locomotives. All you gotta do is look for 'em. My P2K S1 from Trainworld still beats the cost of an Athearn BB: $29.99. Quiet as a mouse and runs smooth as glass. No complaints from me on that price...[:)]

Tom

[ericsp]

Athearn produced many Blue Box locomotives last year and many are still available.
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=locomotive&OverallCatID=T&CatID=THL&SearchType=Standard&BrandID=ATH

[jeffshultz]

Personally, I'm hoping that the $220 I'm going to spend on an Atlas Gold Master Series MP15DC will be the most I'll ever spend on any single item on my laptop...

[Anonymous]

I agree, the newer locos are getting a bit pricy for the beginner or the one tight on money like me, however there is a model train show, 365 days a year on ebay, I prefer to run blue box athearns, espicaly the older diesels with the metal trucks, and AHM/Rivarossi steam locos. Both are plentiful on ebay or at the local shows which I also support and set up small train layout for the kids at. You can make this hobby as expensive or cheap as you want to. We all want the super detailed brass loco, or the Trix all metal big boy, but may never have one. Just remember, you cant take any of it with you when the time comes to pass on, so enjoy it while your here! Cheers Mike

[Anonymous]

It's like any other hobby. If you're into bikes, you could buy a totally decent mountain bike for $500 that will get the job done. Or you could spend $4,000 (I know a guy who did this recently).

Guitars - you could spend a few hundred bucks or a couple thousand.

For me personally, spending a lot on a hobby does not make me feel good. Some love it.

Since there are still affordable BB Athearns, I'm happy.

[Darth Santa Fe]

You can still find some pretty inexpensive engines that are pretty good. Bachmann has 8 wheel drive GP40s, FTAs and FTBs and GP50s for about $33 each.

[CP5415]

Not a lot of people could anymore.

The only reason got back into the hobby is because I joined a club in '96 & I've been steadily increasing my loco & rolling stock fleet looking for bargains where ever possible.

Gordon

[TrainFreak409]

Well, you can still get Athearn Blue Box F7 units for roughly $35, and I think they are awesome locomotives; smooth and powerful. But, some of the prices are a bit excessive for the quality. And it seems that some companies use the "Quantity over quality method." The prices may be high, but I am still in the hobby. I am 16, and have little money for trains, but I still make do. It takes more saving, and more information for the right model nowadays.

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

[lesterperry]

I have been in this hobby since I was 2 years old I am now 50. But seriously for 15 +- years. It seems to me that the manufacturers are pricing the hobby into the wealthy people only allowed. I used to be able to purchase an Athearn GP unit for $25 and it ran smooth, had lots of power and ran forever. (blue box) Now I don't even think I can find these unless dust covered on back of shelf somewhere. I know about inflation but 400%, come on. Am I looking at this wrong? I don't think I could afford to enter this hobby at todays prices.