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Post by david1 on Apr 17, 2024 23:29:55 GMT
With the announcement of the new scale ET44 Which imo look very nice and packed with technology I'm wondering if another price increase will it be a stop sign on buying it? Some will, of course but when is it getting to be too much? Now we know the street price will be lower but the prices I have seen from major dealers are $700.00 and above for the powered unit and $600.00 for the super bass.
Mth today announced today a run of the railking scale C630, in various road names. A great looking scale locomotive for around $379.00-$389.00. Certainly a more wallet friendly engine. I can imagine some fantasy schemes being sold by various dealers.
What are your thoughts?
Dave
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Post by rockymountaineer on Apr 18, 2024 2:47:12 GMT
Honestly Dave, I don’t know how anyone affords the newest O-Gauge trains anymore. These price lists toss $700+ ABS diesels and $600+ non-powered SuperBass units around like $5 bills.
Some of us have stuff that’s been on pre-order for 2+ years, and they’re FINALLY being delivered this summer. Add to that a Triplex locomotive due this summer as well. Yet today Lionel announces those ET locomotives — not one unit per roadname, but THREE!!!
And these WILL sell. Perhaps not initially to those of us who’ve built our collections when prices were dramatically less — but there’s a market segment that will scarf these up in a heartbeat. Just look at all the premium priced custom-run products being offered this year. None of these dealers and clubs are sitting on excess inventory for long. If they were, they wouldn’t be announcing more — because they’re taking the risk — not the importers.
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Post by firewood on Apr 18, 2024 4:19:37 GMT
I saw one enthusiastic post about the ET44 announcement on an O Gauge Facebook page - the majority of responses were underwhelming to say the least, but yes, they’ll probably sell regardless.
Dave
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Post by dlagrua on Apr 18, 2024 8:54:27 GMT
I would venture to say that todays train market is supported by a small prosperous group that is buying up the new runs. Todays production runs are in the 100's at best not in the thousands as they were back in the day. When you serve a population of over 330 million surely there must be 100 folks willing to support the O gauge hobby at any cost.
My situation can allow me to afford "luxury items", but trains are not luxury items and will never be. An investment in a classic car collection, antiques and firearms makes more sense as it offers better value and a far wider appeal.
If one wishes to join the hobby today they can attend a show like Allentown where you can build a layout or collection at reasonable prices. With the baby boom generation shrinking there is an enormous amount product on the secondary market to be had.
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oace
Full Member
Posts: 241
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Post by oace on Apr 18, 2024 9:18:24 GMT
Here in France, Model Trains are rather an "Old Man Thing" : we are no exception, I guess... Even if I am not so old !  There's only a handfull of French model trains manufacturers today, and most of them works in HO or Z scale. OACE |
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Post by seayakbill on Apr 18, 2024 9:39:41 GMT
Most folks on SS or a pension are not going to blow $700 or more on a toy train locomotive. There are few that will drop $4000 on a toy train set but they are very few and have big bucks for discretionary spending. Bill www.youtube.com/user/seayakbill |
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Post by runamuckchuck on Apr 18, 2024 11:46:14 GMT
The current owner's of Lionel are no dummies when it comes to finance and matters of money. Unless they limit their expertise to their core business rather than the business of Lionel one has to believe that they know something that most of us don't.
Regardless it seems that they are as the old saying goes 'making hay while the sun shines' for as long as they can.
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Post by madockawando on Apr 18, 2024 13:29:21 GMT
Most folks on SS or a pension are not going to blow $700 or more on a toy train locomotive. There are few that will drop $4000 on a toy train set but they are very few and have big bucks for discretionary spending. Bill www.youtube.com/user/seayakbill Somebody is buying this stuff Bill! 
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Post by madockawando on Apr 18, 2024 13:37:19 GMT
The current owner's of Lionel are no dummies when it comes to finance and matters of money. Unless they limit their expertise to their core business rather than the business of Lionel one has to believe that they know something that most of us don't. Regardless it seems that they are as the old saying goes 'making hay while the sun shines' for as long as they can. Lionel doing just fine. The orders for the high tech, full scale locomotives and train sets are strong. Even the high end fantasy sets like the Atomic GP9 set in the last catalog have had strong orders. We should be glad that all the O Gauge manufactures have stabilized (Lionel, MTH and Atlas) and we have great trains to choose from.
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Post by Traindiesel! on Apr 18, 2024 13:48:48 GMT
I figure the only thing I can control is what I want to buy. What everyone else does or doesn’t do has little effect as I make my own choices. No matter the price a model train has to have my perceived value, be it play value or aesthetic value to my collection and layout. If the price does not match my criteria then it won’t be added to my collection no matter how nice it is. And as David mentions, since I have a large inventory purchased over many years I am more selective in what I buy now. Everything in our daily lives has become more expensive so we pay our dues and take our chances as my Father used to say.
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Post by superwarp1 on Apr 18, 2024 14:12:48 GMT
The secondary market, looks better and better. The joy of upgrading our models, whether it electronics, details, or weathering if part of the fun of this hobby. Much cheaper than buying new. Case in point. I have the MR. Muffin's special order B&A A1 berk on order, possible the last new steam engine I'll ever purchase at this point in my life. Instead of purchasing the standard B&A black berk, I'm going to upgrade my two Kline berks. When Lionel has their 50% off sale, I'll be purchasing new chassis, pittman motors and all the electronics to upgrade to Legacy. I'll have three legacy berks for the price of two new ones.
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