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Post by harborbelt70 on Aug 15, 2024 7:06:50 GMT
Definition of 'spondulix'
spondulix in British English or spondulicks (spɒnˈdjuːlɪks IPA Pronunciation Guide )
noun, slang
money
Word origin: C19: of obscure origin
Spondulix is 19th-century slang for money or cash, more specifically a reasonable amount of spending money. Spondulicks, spondoolicks, spondulacks, spondulics, and spondoolics are alternative spellings, and spondoolies is a modern variant.
( P.S. I only know this because my original in-laws were British and by the time I was on their radar "spondoolies" was in common use as in "That boy will never have enough spondoolies to keep up with her!")
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Post by madockawando on Aug 15, 2024 10:28:25 GMT
I’ve enjoyed reading all the comments thus far and I realized that Lionel’s prices on its higher end trains were too high for me in the 1990s and they are too high for me now. I couldn’t justify paying that much money for toy trains then and I can’t justify it now.
Me and guys like me aren’t Lionel’s targeted customers. They are marketing to a smaller customer base that has deep pockets and doesn’t mind parting with substantial amounts of the elusive spondulix to get their toys.
For me, the magic that was once Lionel is gone. It will never return. You may feel differently and that’s OK. Like I said, this thread has been both entertaining and civil. What is there not to enjoy about that? 
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Post by josef on Aug 15, 2024 10:49:12 GMT
I’ve enjoyed reading all the comments thus far and I realized that Lionel’s prices on its higher end trains were too high for me in the 1990s and they are too high for me now. I couldn’t justify paying that much money for toy trains then and I can’t justify it now.
Me and guys like me aren’t Lionel’s targeted customers. They are marketing to a smaller customer base that has deep pockets and doesn’t mind parting with substantial amounts of the elusive spondulix to get their toys.
For me, the magic that was once Lionel is gone. It will never return. You may feel differently and that’s OK. I agree Joe. Lionel was magic a long time ago. Its what kids and dads would eagerly open those orange boxes Christmas Day or go to the hobby shops for. There were lots of sets and individual rolling stock to pick and choose from on the shelves. Today it seems as if the middle class is left out in the cold and only those with expandible flow of cash can afford the gimmicks and BTO products. Many also don't have the room to build the larger radius trackage needed for these large BTOs, So the small 4x8 and 5x10 have been left out in the cold and ignored by Lionel. I'm sure there will come a time when those with excess cash or exceeded credit cards will have to re-think what they are spending and what they are out laying for a hobby and the losses when they quit working or time to sell. To be honest, I have and had other hobbies and of those I have stopped collecting and sold, I have never paid the prices of what model rilroading has cost me, yet, and can say this honestly, I have made a profit on them when I sold them. Of the train item, I have sold at 40 to 50% of my original outlays. I don't regret it because I do enjoy the hobby. But its also the only hobby I have were it cost more and will continue to be a lose at the end. This is just me. For those that have the available outlay, more power to you.
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Post by Country Joe on Aug 15, 2024 13:50:37 GMT
That would be money and it certainly can be elusive. I heard it in a W. C. Fields movie when I was a teenager.
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Post by madockawando on Aug 15, 2024 15:22:27 GMT
How can anyone say the "magic" of Lionel is gone? The postwar days are over but now we have highly detailed scale trains, with technology that no one would have imagined back in the 1950s. Even better, we can run modern trains with modern road names. This is the best time to be in the hobby.
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Post by elblumbo on Aug 15, 2024 15:37:45 GMT
"So the small 4x8 and 5x10 have been left out in the cold and ignored by Lionel."
What about the LionChief sets that all have command control and remotes, digital sound and cost less proportionally than most sets made in the 1950s? You can buy a LionChief separate sale loco for as little as $200 street price, which is significantly less than Scout locos cost back in the day. The catalog has a fair amount of rolling stock, track, switches, etc. that, as pointed out, cost no more or even less than Lionel back in the day. I didn't know anyone who could afford $100 for the father/son set back in the day, but there were and are alternatives. It's clearly not true that Lionel only is addressing the high end of the market, although that's what a lot of the catalog contains, to be sure.
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Post by madockawando on Aug 15, 2024 15:44:18 GMT
"So the small 4x8 and 5x10 have been left out in the cold and ignored by Lionel." What about the LionChief sets that all have command control and remotes, digital sound and cost less proportionally than most sets made in the 1950s? You can buy a LionChief separate sale loco for as little as $200 street price, which is significantly less than Scout locos cost back in the day. The catalog has a fair amount of rolling stock, track, switches, etc. that, as pointed out, cost no more or even less than Lionel back in the day. I didn't know anyone who could afford $100 for the father/son set back in the day, but there were and are alternatives. It's clearly not true that Lionel only is addressing the high end of the market, although that's what a lot of the catalog contains, to be sure. Yes, there are some really nice Lionechief sets available. I also have a 5 x10 layout and I am happily running scale trains.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Aug 15, 2024 15:54:35 GMT
How can anyone say the "magic" of Lionel is gone? The postwar days are over but now we have highly detailed scale trains, with technology that no one would have imagined back in the 1950s. Even better, we can run modern trains with modern road names. This is the best time to be in the hobby. Not to pick a fight or start an argument, however if the magic is lost perhaps we have to look to ourselves as aging adults for part of the disenchantment. While I now look at a lot of things differently through adult eyes I see the magic of trains from the sparkle, magic and excitement of our grand children's eyes as they watch our trains. They may be physically in your presence, but in their imagination they are worlds away in their own wonder land. The magic is definitely there, just not perhaps as much in ourselves as there used to be. And while one may have issues/concerns with price and quality one certainly cannot complain about choices be it from VL to Lion Chief, Premier to Rail King, Mennards, Atlas both stock and custom/fantasy offerings. There is plenty to choose from. So yes despite certain misgivings and deal breakers there are plenty of choices for those who choose to buy in the retail or secondary market. From the perspective of an abundance of riches this is indeed an era in model trains worthy of note.
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Post by madockawando on Aug 15, 2024 16:37:07 GMT
What has never been clear to me when I read the curmudgeonly complaints here about "high prices" and "lost magic" is what is the realistic alternative? What does their idealized train world look like? And most importantly, what prices do they think these high end trains should be at?
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Post by josef on Aug 15, 2024 18:10:53 GMT
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Post by superwarp1 on Aug 15, 2024 18:16:26 GMT
What has never been clear to me when I read the curmudgeonly complaints here about "high prices" and "lost magic" is what is the realistic alternative? What does their idealized train world look like? And most importantly, what prices do they think these high end trains should be at? Dude, let it go. Different strokes, different opinions. Go run some trains, that's what matters.
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Post by madockawando on Aug 15, 2024 18:30:46 GMT
Yeah, I guess that is what I thought. 🤔 |
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Post by david1 on Aug 15, 2024 18:41:07 GMT
Good one Walt!
I think today is a great time to be into trains. The trains today are amazing, great detail, sounds and paint schemes.
We all have our choice of what to buy. We also have a choice on what we buy.you want the best, its out there. You want a more moderate less expensive train, it out there.
Nothing in this world is perfect. But enjoying trains is!! I have been buying trains since around 1972. I still buy trains though not to the degree I have done in the past.
There is not one way to buy model trains, buy what you like, buy what you can afford!! Its Just a hobby, albeit a very great hobby.
Always remember family first,God second, responsibilities third and help others in need.
I have had a great life and I learned from my Mother and Father to remember the above even though they had nothing.
Dave
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Post by madockawando on Aug 15, 2024 18:47:51 GMT
Good one Walt! I think today is a great time to be into trains. The trains today are amazing, great detail, sounds and paint schemes. We all have our choice of what to buy. We also have a choice on what we buy.you want the best, its out there. You want a more moderate less expensive train, it out there. Nothing in this world is perfect. But enjoying trains is!! I have been buying trains since around 1972. I still buy trains though not to the degree I have done in the past. There is not one way to buy model trains, buy what you like, buy what you can afford!! Its Just a hobby, albeit a very great hobby. Always remember family first,God second, responsibilities third and help others in need. I have had a great life and I learned from my Mother and Father to remember the above even though they had nothing. Dave Yes, it is a great time to be in trains. Our trains do more, run better and look better than any trains in the past.
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Post by madockawando on Aug 15, 2024 19:13:47 GMT
What has never been clear to me when I read the curmudgeonly complaints here about "high prices" and "lost magic" is what is the realistic alternative? What does their idealized train world look like? And most importantly, what prices do they think these high end trains should be at? Dude, let it go. Different strokes, different opinions. Go run some trains, that's what matters. So what are you ordering from the Lionel volume 2 catalog? Any custom runs?
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