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Post by rockymountaineer on Nov 18, 2024 22:59:29 GMT
With a new estimated ship-date of 11/27/2024 after enduring a quick round-trip to China and back, things could get interesting VERY quickly with Lionel's Christmas and Halloween F-19's.
From what I can see most of the large dealers are showing "sold out" for both holiday models now. And one of the large dealers that's still accepting pre-orders for the Halloween F-19 is asking $300 OVER Lionel's $1,200 MSRP. 
I immediately pre-ordered the Christmas model the day I saw it in the 2023 Book 2 catalog, because I much preferred the steamer over the diesel E8's that were catalog'd with Lionel's Sleigh Bell Limited passenger set last year. However, I held back pre-ordering the Halloween model until this past August. When I found a dealer to pre-order the Halloween model, the dealer from whom I pre-ordered the Christmas model was sold out of the Halloween model. Then the Halloween model re-appeared on that dealer's website. But now it's gone again.
TODAY the dealer who accepted my Halloween pre-order says they're oversold and can't confirm the ability to fulfill my pre-order. But I quickly found another dealer who had one available for the same pre-order price. That's good, because the Lionel Halloween woodside passenger coaches just arrived. And I had planned to pair them with the Halloween F-19. Then use METCA's Halloween A5 with some Halloween freight cars. Don't you hate when things get this complicated. I thought this was supposed to be FUN!!!
I'm mentioning this just to let folks know that both F-19's are likely gonna be "hot". And that's a shame, because human nature being what it is is never that "friendly" to the consumer when these perceived supply-and-demand shenanigans are in play. Case in point is the one dealer who's already asking $1,600 for the Halloween model... and Halloween 2024 is already in the history books. So beware... and be careful out there in the coming weeks, once Lionel begins shipping the F-19's to dealers and distributors.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Nov 18, 2024 23:26:51 GMT
Greed is one of the more predictable human traits. My dealer has yet to process my Halloween wood cars, but the AEC is showing as a new arrival. I may just have to drive up to Nick Smith's to get the AEC set as I hate beat up set boxes and this time of year they will take a beating even on a relatively short hop.
Maybe I will compensate with some Philadelphia soft pretzels. Now that is rationalization.
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Post by harmonyards on Nov 19, 2024 0:57:47 GMT
Greed is one of the more predictable human traits. My dealer has yet to process my Halloween wood cars, but the AEC is showing as a new arrival. I may just have to drive up to Nick Smith's to get the AEC set as I hate beat up set boxes and this time of year they will take a beating even on a relatively short hop. Maybe I will compensate with some Philadelphia soft pretzels. Now that is rationalization. Arm pit pretzels from Filthydelphia are the best pretzels ever! ……😁
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Post by rockymountaineer on Nov 19, 2024 2:10:09 GMT
... I may just have to drive up to Nick Smith's to get the AEC set as I hate beat up set boxes and this time of year they will take a beating even on a relatively short hop. Maybe I will compensate with some Philadelphia soft pretzels. Now that is rationalization. 
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Post by runamuckchuck on Nov 19, 2024 2:23:43 GMT
Greed is one of the more predictable human traits. My dealer has yet to process my Halloween wood cars, but the AEC is showing as a new arrival. I may just have to drive up to Nick Smith's to get the AEC set as I hate beat up set boxes and this time of year they will take a beating even on a relatively short hop. Maybe I will compensate with some Philadelphia soft pretzels. Now that is rationalization. Arm pit pretzels from Filthydelphia are the best pretzels ever! ……😁 For years you could buy soft pretzels in Philadelphia from street cart vendors. At some point long after I had left the area the Dept of health determined that this mode of sales was unsanitary and that pretzels must now be sold only in stores. I thought the vehicle exhaust fumes added a distinct flavor. I never heard of anyone getting sick or dying from an unsanitary soft pretzel. All I know arm pit pretzels aside, is that I went to Philadelphia on a job interview suffering some intestinal distress. A street cart pretzel vendor was across the street from the interview near Temple University. a few Philadelphia pretzels worked their magic and I got the job.
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Post by harmonyards on Nov 19, 2024 2:53:12 GMT
Arm pit pretzels from Filthydelphia are the best pretzels ever! ……😁 For years you could buy soft pretzels in Philadelphia from street cart vendors. At some point long after I had left the area the Dept of health determined that this mode of sales was unsanitary and that pretzels must now be sold only in stores. I thought the vehicle exhaust fumes added a distinct flavor. I never heard of anyone getting sick or dying from an unsanitary soft pretzel. All I know arm pit pretzels aside, is that I went to Philadelphia on a job interview suffering some intestinal distress. A street cart pretzel vendor was across the street from the interview near Temple University. a few Philadelphia pretzels worked their magic and I got the job. When I worked for FOMOCO I often had to go into Philly, as there were a few dealerships, and a liaison office down on River Road,…..breakfast was two armpit pretzels, and street vendor coffee that was so scalding hot, it could remove paint……but those were the years of real bitter winters,…..I’d come in from the Jersey side, get off at Packer Ave., and the same fella in an army coat was always there peddling pretzels,…..in the winter, the best pretzels still had steam rolling out the bags as he held them up!…..those were the best ones!!
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Post by runamuckchuck on Nov 19, 2024 2:58:42 GMT
Ah yes, those were the days, Connie Mack Stadium, the Tasty Cake factory, the EL from Norristown to Market Street, and Wanamakers at Christmas. It did not nor has it gotten any better than that. And that is not nostalgia.
Meet me at the Eagle with the pipe organ built into the walls of the multi story high mezzanine.
Shopping in Wanamakers was like buying in a cathedral. Heavenly.
And then there were the animatronic Christmas/Holiday window displays.
The big department stores really knew how to do it right.
Litt Bothers and Gimbels were no slouches either.
But Wanamakers was the crown jewel.
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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Nov 19, 2024 3:57:45 GMT
Ah yes, those were the days, Connie Mack Stadium, the Tasty Cake factory, the EL from Norristown to Market Street, and Wanamakers at Christmas. It did not nor has it gotten any better than that. And that is not nostalgia. Meet me at the Eagle with the pipe organ built into the walls of the multi story high mezzanine. Shopping in Wanamakers was like buying in a cathedral. Heavenly. And then there were the animatronic Christmas/Holiday window displays. The big department stores really knew how to do it right. Litt Bothers and Gimbels were no slouches either. But Wanamakers was the crown jewel. Remember the monorail in the toy department?  I remember as a kid traveling by trolley from Media (where the western terminus of the line was just outside my Great Aunt Sue's house) into Philly, eventually getting off the subway at the underground station adjacent to Wanamakers' basement.
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Post by harmonyards on Nov 19, 2024 11:18:43 GMT
When my wife & I first started dating ( many many moons ago ) , she wanted to see the mummer’s parade on New Year’s Day, ……..she’s from the south, and although accustomed to being cold, she wasn’t ready for that kind of cold,……when we got off the train, and walked towards the parade route, she was blown away how that wind blows between those tall buildings,…….
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Post by chipset35 on Nov 19, 2024 12:56:14 GMT
For me to spend $1000+ on a model train, I would need to hit the lottery. Even then, I have absolutely no interest in any of Lionels Themed trains. Now if they were to release a Penn Station or Union Station anniversary edition from TW TrainWorx, like they did for Grand Central I would be interested. Or better yet, Legacy P5 box cabs, DD1s.
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Post by runamuckchuck on Nov 19, 2024 13:33:44 GMT
When my wife & I first started dating ( many many moons ago ) , she wanted to see the mummer’s parade on New Year’s Day, ……..she’s from the south, and although accustomed to being cold, she wasn’t ready for that kind of cold,……when we got off the train, and walked towards the parade route, she was blown away how that wind blows between those tall buildings,……. A veritable wind tunnel. The pedestrian concourse/drive through/under the town hall building did not help the wind effect.
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