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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Jul 17, 2024 15:40:15 GMT
So a $4,800 train set is "foolish" regardless of what it contains or what features it has but a $1,400 train set is the pinnacle of wisdom. From a logical and practical perspective, all trains are a foolish purchase. They don't give us shelter, they don't put food on the table, they don't provide the necessities of living. I think you're missing (or avoiding) the concept of "value" -- whether *any* object is worth what the sticker price is asking for it. Sure, there have been some absolutes thrown into the comparisons -- in effect, citing more important competing uses for that asking price -- but IMHO most of the responders' comments have at core focused on their opinion of the poor value returned for such an astronomical relative asking price. No one is arguing that Lionel can't price a set at that level, or that one should not be able to pay that price if so motivated, but the wisdom of doing so (i.e., whether it is actually worth the asking price) is certainly fair game IMHO, as is the apparent corporate decision to focus so relentlessly on the relatively tiny top end market while abandoning the much larger "value" segment to the likes of Menard.
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Post by JDaddy on Jul 17, 2024 16:09:53 GMT
The biggest problem is a 4pk of the passenger cars is 1,000 dollars. More that 21 inch aluminum K-line cars!
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Post by madockawando on Jul 17, 2024 16:27:09 GMT
The biggest problem is a 4pk of the passenger cars is 1,000 dollars. More that 21 inch aluminum K-line cars! I tried to open K-Line's website so I could check the prices of their 21 inch aluminum K-line cars but I can't find it... I wonder what happened???
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Post by madockawando on Jul 17, 2024 16:29:57 GMT
So a $4,800 train set is "foolish" regardless of what it contains or what features it has but a $1,400 train set is the pinnacle of wisdom. From a logical and practical perspective, all trains are a foolish purchase. They don't give us shelter, they don't put food on the table, they don't provide the necessities of living. I think you're missing (or avoiding) the concept of "value" -- whether *any* object is worth what the sticker price is asking for it. Sure, there have been some absolutes thrown into the comparisons -- in effect, citing more important competing uses for that asking price -- but IMHO most of the responders' comments have at core focused on their opinion of the poor value returned for such an astronomical relative asking price. No one is arguing that Lionel can't price a set at that level, or that one should not be able to pay that price if so motivated, but the wisdom of doing so (i.e., whether it is actually worth the asking price) is certainly fair game IMHO, as is the apparent corporate decision to focus so relentlessly on the relatively tiny top end market while abandoning the much larger "value" segment to the likes of Menard. This is actually a non-issue because this $4,800 train set DOES NOT EXIST in the Lionel volume 2 catalog. More self generated flagellated faux outrage, just like the thread on the "problems" with the Lionel Base 3 that no has yet.
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Post by JDaddy on Jul 17, 2024 16:46:59 GMT
The biggest problem is a 4pk of the passenger cars is 1,000 dollars. More that 21 inch aluminum K-line cars! I tried to open K-Line's website so I could check the prices of their 21 inch aluminum K-line cars but I can't find it... I wonder what happened??? Did Lionel purchase the tooling?
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Post by seayakbill on Jul 17, 2024 17:57:54 GMT
There is no $4,800 train set in this catalog. Now, you can put together through separate purchases a nice train set on your own with add on and what not, but that is NOT the same thing as saying there is a $4,800 train set in this catalog. So you would purchase the American RR GG-1 for $1800 but not the passenger cars that went with it, that does not make any sense at all. It was a one and done combination, that GG-1 would never be seen pulling anything but its centennial American Railroad passenger cars. Bill
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Jul 17, 2024 18:56:48 GMT
This is actually a non-issue because this $4,800 train set DOES NOT EXIST in the Lionel volume 2 catalog. More self generated flagellated faux outrage, just like the thread on the "problems" with the Lionel Base 3 that no has yet. So . . . instead of "$4800 train set", it'd be fine to discuss "$4800 engine and cars"? I'm not sure aggregating the separately priced engine and matching cars and using the shorthand of calling them a "set" is much of a faux pas, nor should the outrage, self generated/flagellated or not, be much diminished by delivery in two packages. But, YMMV . . .
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Post by rockymountaineer on Jul 17, 2024 18:59:40 GMT
<abbr>... </abbr>This is actually a non-issue because this $4,800 train set DOES NOT EXIST in the Lionel volume 2 catalog. ... Merely a matter of semantics. In fairness to the OP, he did specifically reference the American Railroads GG-1 and accompanying passenger cars... which in total tally up to $4,800 MSRP.
Regardless of how we look at it -- and regardless of our comments here -- Lionel will continue to push the pricing envelope. And MTH/Atlas are not all that far behind nowadays. Aside from those of us afflicted with the O-Gauge toy train disease, nobody in their right minds would pay these prices. And I'm sure they just laugh and shake their heads, if they were to browse through these recent catalogs.
Seriously... it's one thing to price GG-1's at $1,700. It's quite another level of hubris to catalog TEN of them. This catalog might also set a record for the number of $2,400 premium sets as well. Of course, it doesn't hurt that many of these sets include a $1,700 VisionLine GG01. But dealers are helping the medicine go down a little easier by pricing the sets around $2,000. Still not chump change though.
Now you'll never hear these kind of comments from the YouTube generation, because the relevancy of their content DEMANDS they purchase and promote these shiny new products. It's the treadmill they've chosen to play on. And I have no sympathies for them, because they knew that going into the game. Why do you think one of them made a connection with a major train re-seller to purchase a lot of his big-ticket collection? Did the thought ever cross your mind that he was bankrolling purchases of the latest gems from recent catalogs? 
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Post by madockawando on Jul 17, 2024 19:25:42 GMT
<abbr>... </abbr>This is actually a non-issue because this $4,800 train set DOES NOT EXIST in the Lionel volume 2 catalog. ... Merely a matter of semantics. In fairness to the OP, he did specifically reference the American Railroads GG-1 and accompanying passenger cars... which in total tally up to $4,800 MSRP.
Regardless of how we look at it -- and regardless of our comments here -- Lionel will continue to push the pricing envelope. And MTH/Atlas are not all that far behind nowadays. Aside from those of us afflicted with the O-Gauge toy train disease, nobody in their right minds would pay these prices. And I'm sure they just laugh and shake their heads, if they were to browse through these recent catalogs.
Seriously... it's one thing to price GG-1's at $1,700. It's quite another level of hubris to catalog TEN of them. This catalog might also set a record for the number of $2,400 premium sets as well. Of course, it doesn't hurt that many of these sets include a $1,700 VisionLine GG01. But dealers are helping the medicine go down a little easier by pricing the sets around $2,000. Still not chump change though.
Now you'll never hear these kind of comments from the YouTube generation, because the relevancy of their content DEMANDS they purchase and promote these shiny new products. It's the treadmill they've chosen to play on. And I have no sympathies for them, because they knew that going into the game. Why do you think one of them made a connection with a major train re-seller to purchase a lot of his big-ticket collection? Did the thought ever cross your mind that he was bankrolling purchases of the latest gems from recent catalogs?
Semantics? I don’t think so. I can build all kinds of set of trains for any amount of money that you conceive in this catalog. The OP framed his statement in a way to imply that this was a train SET. A train set comes in a single SET box. This is not a train set . However, the OP stated this in way to be click bait and to generate the pearl clutching and hand ringing that populates this thread. It is not a a train set. |
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Post by rockymountaineer on Jul 17, 2024 19:57:47 GMT
We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this point of semantics. I have created numerous passenger train sets over the years, when Lionel often offered 4-packs, 2-packs, and a StationSounds diner… along with a matching locomotive. Worked out good from a shipping standpoint too. Very manageable.
Can you imagine the size box required for both a set box and its associated shipping carton for a scale GG-1 and 11 passenger cars? Not to mention large sets carry the added logistics of coordinating the manufacture of different components before they’re all shipped together vs. multiple shipments as products are produced.
Bottom line… the buyer is still shelling out the street price for “the set”, if he wants the COMPLETE train.
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Post by madockawando on Jul 17, 2024 20:52:37 GMT
We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this point of semantics. I have created numerous passenger train sets over the years, when Lionel often offered 4-packs, 2-packs, and a StationSounds diner… along with a matching locomotive. Worked out good from a shipping standpoint too. Very manageable. Can you imagine the size box required for both a set box and its associated shipping carton for a scale GG-1 and 11 passenger cars? Not to mention large sets carry the added logistics of coordinating the manufacture of different components before they’re all shipped together vs. multiple shipments as products are produced. Bottom line… the buyer is still shelling out the street price for “the set”, if he wants the COMPLETE train. Fair enough.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Jul 17, 2024 20:57:21 GMT
Minor tangent alert
Forgot the cost of the full monty, it is just too much blue for my tastes. I have the same issue with the Blue Comet. I require a bit more contrast/variety color wise in my consist be it passenger or freight.
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Post by rtraincollector on Jul 17, 2024 23:11:07 GMT
I'm sure there are a few over on OGR that would have no problem paying it, The last time I was on there ( which is a few years ago ) it seem they liked to ( in my point of view ) brag at the different $2,000+ engine they just bought/got in.
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Post by atsda on Jul 18, 2024 2:33:28 GMT
I don't know how many would have a large enough Piggy Bank to crack for this. Alfred
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Post by firewood on Jul 18, 2024 3:12:54 GMT
Aimed at an ever-shrinking demographic I guess but maybe the hordes of “influencers” will be the new high-end collectors, who knows. With such a saturated secondary market, it’s hard for my steam-powered brain to understand.
Dave
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