@EscapeRocks posted:If a family has to decide between this boxcar and eating tomorrow, O-Gauge trains is the wrong hobby. It's not like these things are marketed to the general public. They are marketed to people with a vested interest in Lionel, and most likely have many trains and the wherewithal to buy. What does "family friendly" price mean?
Any analogy comparing buying a $100 boxcar & deciding whether to feed one's family is irrelevant to the point I make. The LCCA should remember that when it offers a Christmas item priced like this, it is very much in competition for the buyer's dollars to possibly be spent on the dozens of other Christmas pieces offered each year in the O gauge market. A $100 price tag places it in the price point of operating cars, which provide greater entertainment value. When Lionel offered similar items via its own Railroader Club, target buyers included "newbie" families who may have just begun their interest in Lionel trains. This one obviously is not.
