WTH are Lionel train sets so expensive?

[lokiju]

I had a Lionel train set growing up and for some reason my parents got rid of it.

Now I want one for my home to have out around the tree at Christmas time but I just can't get over how freaking expensive they are!


Anyone want to get rid of theirs on the cheap?

 

[So]

LIionel has been a collectors thing since the early 90's. Sorry, but odds of you getting anything but the crap sets from the mid 60's - 80s at a reasonable price are slim to nil.

 

[Yreka]

If you dont care about brand, Toys R Us has a HO Set for pretty cheap. Sure its plastic, and not Lionel but it should be pretty neat around the xmas tree.


Its actually 29.99 at our store, but web is showing it at 49

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[MattCo]

No Joke, they are pretty high.

My son was in the hospital last year for a couple of weeks, and it had a lobby area with a pretty extensive train setup for the kids. He loved it and I though it would be cool to get him one for home. Wow, the O and G scale models are outrageous, the HO ones are even expensive.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: Yreka
If you dont care about brand, Toys R Us has a HO Set for pretty cheap. Sure its plastic, and not Lionel but it should be pretty neat around the xmas tree.


Its actually 29.99 at our store, but web is showing it at 49

Text

I might just end up doing something like that for now...

I'm hoping Frys will have some crazy deal on a set before to long here.

 

[Queasy]

Yeah, we got my son a HO track last year for Christmas. It was definitely more expensive than I expected. I was set to build him a train table this past summer but then we changed the furniture around in the house and now I don't have anywhere to put the track much less an 8' x 4' table.

Model Trains have become more of a niche hobby so the products have become more expensive.

 

[Squisher]

ebay? craigslist?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Squisher
ebay? craigslist?

Actually, model train shows are a good place to go too. I went to a couple this past spring and they had some decent prices.

 

[Brainonska511]

I still have tons of HO scale stuff at home. I'm not sure, but my parents and I were thinking about trying to sell off the stuff to help clear out some of the junk sitting in the baement (some of the scenery and cars we have are over 30 years old, but there is plenty of newer stuff).

 

[Linflas]

If You want it for around the Christmas tree HO is kind small for that. I got a LGB sized set for that purpose a few years back from Costco for around $100.00.

 

[Tylanner]

They are intricate.

 

[PepePeru]

I blame Neil Young.

 

[slag]

I inherited my father's Lionel train set from the 40's and 50's last year and we set it up at my house last Christmas.

Man.... thats one awesome setup. I'll set it up sometime soon and take pics. He has the villages with the wax paper/cellophane windows, a tunnel, a water tower made from a peanuts can, coal elevators, trees, fences, etc.

I believe its O scale, but i get those confused. A locomotive is roughly the size of your forearm.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: slag
I believe its O scale, but i get those confused. A locomotive is roughly the size of your forearm.

That would be O. G scale is the next one up and is typically used outdoors.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: slag
I inherited my father's Lionel train set from the 40's and 50's last year and we set it up at my house last Christmas.

Man.... thats one awesome setup. I'll set it up sometime soon and take pics. He has the villages with the wax paper/cellophane windows, a tunnel, a water tower made from a peanuts can, coal elevators, trees, fences, etc.

I believe its O scale, but i get those confused. A locomotive is roughly the size of your forearm.

It's either O or O-27 (I think that was the term) they are pretty much the same size. I don't have any now, but my father has a bunch from a combination of his childhood and mine (I was fascinated with it when I was little). They're in boxes somewhere, and they get put under the christmas tree every year now...

 

[Bibble]

I inherited my grandfather's awesome train set a few years ago. Several years before he gave them to me he was offered $10k for them. Unfortunately, I now lack the time and imagination to enjoy them. Oh well, they'll make for a good down payment on a car one day.

 

[rivan]

My mom's still got my grandfather's Z scale set that always went around this tabletop tree they had.

Good memories.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: rivan
My mom's still got my grandfather's Z scale set that always went around this tabletop tree they had.

Good memories.

z scale! I've seen them before, but damn. I mean, I think you need tweezers to hook the couplers.