Collector Series Insanity

I've been afflicted with the addiction for a few of these.

 

Luckily I never did the Quarters set.  I did get the engine though to pull my patriotic cars (flag cars, etc).

 

I avoided the Monopoly Boxcars, realizing that was going to of course be a large set from the get-go, though I did get a couple of the non-boxcar issues.  (I too started with the cars from the old Eastwood series, though I never did get the original Mint car, and I did not get the 3 engines Eastwood offered either)  I did get the more recent (2009, I think?) Monopoly steamer and caboose.  I also got what I think might be an RGS product - a silver GP with caboose done for Monopoly (I did not buy this directly from RGS, so that's why I am not sure if it's his or not - I probably acquired it years after it was made)  There were a few other RGS cars - I got the flat with Submarine, but didn't get the Generator car (there may well be others).

 

I started, but knew I would resist completion for the recent Presidents boxcars.  In part, I wanted to support the Made in USA effort.  I bought the first 8 and then Reagan, but I'm probably mostly done except for maybe one or 2 more if they get around to doing them anytime soon.

 

I re-ignited my late 2000's Disney affliction by recently filling in my blanks for the operating cars, which I had avoided when they were first issued.  I sort of look at my set for those as completed at this point, if they re-visit the Disney license, I would probably consider it a new series and not consider too much of it. 

 

I may be in the minority here, but I group Lionel Disney into 3 sub-groups:

• the late 70's series of boxcars (with engine/caboose),
• the 90's series of boxcars, 3 operating cars (with engine/caboose),a few handcars, and 2 accessories,
• the 2000's series of (I think 5, or was it 7?) boxcars, operating cars, and a few handcars.  The lack of an engine/caboose specifically meant to go with these sort of dilutes this latest series, I think.

 

There were also the starter set offerings, but I don't collect those (though I may have a few cars from those sets).

 

Long answer to short question.  I guess I should have just said, "yes, but I'm trying to reform my habits!".

 

-Dave

Well its the lesser of two evils.... you could have other crazy collections that fill up that space...

 

 

 

 

Guilty - IDM Industrial Rail cars. I've got them all, every road, every number - excluding special runs for custom orders, but I even have some of those.

My only regret is that my new train room doesn't have good storage for the cars. They are very much in the way as I try to build the new layout. Hopefully I'll find a solution before I have to thin the collection.

Scott,

I too am infected with this disorder.  I just completed my Looney Tunes themed collection at this past Cal-Stewart meet by purchasing the K-Line Porky Pig Merrie Melodies Reefer.  I now have every Lionel and K-Line O gauge release including the 3 hand cars, the Coyote - Road Runner guard shack, and the two "limited production" add on cars to the Looney Tunes Set.  I now have to fight the urge to find a different theme to collect.  I will try to just run what I have and enjoy them.  

 

P51,

 

I agree with you completely.  A company can NOT manufacture scarcity.  Only time and attrition can do that.  Buy what YOU like and enjoy for that reason.

 

Jon 

My only real collection would be the Lionel Christmas boxcars. I started these in 1986, and keep buying the standard car each year. I started collecting off-shoots, like Angela Thomas, employee and LRRC boxcars, but decided to stick with the main cars. Now that the LRRC is history, I guess I will find he cars I missed. I also need to find the pre-86 issued boxcars.

 

At least they all fit in a 50 gallon tub for storage.

Did you feel let down when K-Line went out of business before they produced the last of the Looney Tunes cataloged items? I did. I only collected certain ones, but, there were at least three that I had ordered that never were made.

 

I do collect the MTH Christmas box cars. As long as they continue with the "Real Meaning of Christmas" theme, I will continue to do so. 

Hello. my name is Steve and I am addicted to collected series of things. Through the years I have collected the following series"

5700 boxcars

7600 boxcars (Spirit of 76)

9200 boxcars

9300 boxcars

9400 boxcars

9500 boxcars

9700 boxcars

9800 boxcars

6464 Postwar 

6464 modern

Covered hoppers

Ore cars

Bunk cars

MPC passenger sets

FARR sets

Fallen Flags sets

Military items

F3's

Hudsons

Boxed sets

Service Station sets

MTH flat cars with autos

Motorized units

 

Fortunately I have sold most of this stuff and now have a much more controlled purchasing approach. Lionel's over-pricing and under-quality has helped a lot.

 

It is a fun hobby though,

Steve

My only ongoing collecting addiction is for the Lionel Mint cars.  When MTH got the rights to do Lionel Corp. Tinplate, I started collecting the MTH DAP and MTHRRC Lionel Corp. Tinplate offerings, but quit after a few years when the offerings seemed to become repetetive (to me at least).

 

When I was still deep into coin collecting, I briefly toyed with the idea of collecting the State Quarters series, but was turned off by the monotony of the set (if they had made the cars more colorful and perhaps included some additional design elements in the decoration beyond the quarter image, they would have had me hooked).

 

Andy