Oh, I look at the Lionel catalogs - pretty pictures.
Then I see pricing on tank cars for $75, reefers for $80, boxcars for $85 and gondolas for $50 I'm talking about these cars based on "traditional" molds and sizes.
One can easily get brand new, in boxes, LTI equivalents on the secondary markets for 1/4 to 1/3 of these prices. MPC boxed equivalents for 1/4 of these prices and excellent used Post war for 1/3 - 1/2 of these prices.
Ya know what, wait a year or two and you will be able to get the currently catalog cars in these categories with similar price breaks.
Forget engines priced up to $2,000. Give me Post War anytime. Repairable, beautiful, smoke rings, magna-traction, air whistles and bicycle horns and I'm a happy camper, feeling like a kid from the 1950's again.
