A Dizzying, Daunting Dilemma: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Ahh, yes, our First World problems. 

The amount of model trains available now is small potatoes compared to the recent past. If you think back to twenty years ago we had thick catalogs from Lionel, MTH, K-Line, Atlas O, Weaver and Williams. Twice a year! And add in companies like 3Rd Rail and Golden Gate Depot. Catalogs chock full of products. Talk about dizzying overload!  I don’t know how I did it.

That was before the current BTO sales model when dealers were competing and blowing out products at reasonable and low prices to make room for all the new items arriving. Prices were kinda reasonable and you could buy more. 

What I eventually did was to create a spreadsheet for every catalog that was released of all the items I liked for the last fifteen years. As I look back on them I’m amazed at how many things I didn’t buy. With the crazy amount of trains I own there’s probably just as much that I didn’t get (yet). 

So now I don’t stress over it. Now I refer to those spreadsheets, including the Lionel 2024 catalog listings, as my “Pipeline”.  As I mentioned in the Lionel catalog thread the total of my favorites was $10,600. No way I’m spending that. And that doesn’t include current train production I’m thinking about that comes to roughly another $6,500.

Even though trains are my only real vice there’s no way I want to spend that kind of money. So I no longer worry about being able to acquire anything before the “deadline”.  I add my wishlist to my pipeline and it gives me things to hunt for down the line. 

In the not too distant past I thought there wasn’t much more that I’d want. LOL. I know now that is not true. But, if I never bought another train I can enjoy what I have for a long long time. 

How many of Lionel's 2024 offerings will be labelled "Yueltide"?? Asking for a friend...

At our Museum, which we have the hobby shop, we are a Authorized Lionel Dealer, so we get quite a few people ordering from this new catalog. Occasionally I'll hear people bring up prices, but it's what they are willing to spend of what they really want. Sure their are some high prices on some of the engines and cars, but I don't complain about it anymore. I used to some years ago, but now its 2024 and I expect high prices. If anything, I thought the Polar Express was going to like 2,500 because of it being the 20th anniversary, but it's lower then that. So what I have learned in life, is if your willing to purchase a product, but are short on $, go for what you really want as later on you'll very likely find that product you previously wanted, but it'll be lower pricing.

To think the only thing I was making a decision on this week was either start the day with Wheaties or Cheerios.

My decision was made before the catalog even came out. No way no how. Lionel prices are crazy, their QC is in the dumps and I'm done with them. Only secondary market or if MTH/Atlas produces something I really want.

The Last pre order I got is for MR. Muffins special run of the B&A Berkshire which is going on two years now due to something that happen to the tooling. Can't get a straight answer out of Lionel who know if they will be made. Going to ask at the Amherst show next weekend.

Will do.  I ask MR. Muffins on delivery and he said April.  I find that doubtful if new tooling needed to be made.  We'll see what Lionel says next week