New Lionel trains always were expensive even in the 1950's considering an average person wages.
But other hobbies, more for do it yourselves ones, like building plastic models kits, stick and paper air plane kits, U fly model airplanes kits or scratch building with balsa wood and Testor's glue and air plane dope were more affordable. McCoy came out with $10 air plane motors: .19 or .35 ,the same $10. I had only two model air plane kits, both gifts from my grandmas. I still have them and the Fox and McCoy .35 motors, never crashed. All my buddies and brother built planes, mostly flying wings, from plans in a Model Builder magazine. What fun flying combat and trying to cut the other guys flying wings crape paper tail off.
Have you been in a hobby shop lately? I check them out when I pickup the latest Lionel train catalog once or twice a year. Little plastic model kits of air planes are $20 and up. The cost of balsa wood and dope and glue are way up too. Even considering inflation the prices are high and out of reach for kids.
I have to remember I did not pay the high prices in the 1950s-60s, as I bought balsa wood via mail from Sig company at much cheaper prices and postage was low. I also lived 27 miles from the closest hobby shop and in south Texas all cow driving towns were 27 miles apart, the distance of a one day cattle drive. We even made our own air plane fuel with one guys dad being a pharmacist so castor oil was had and others dads or adults we flew with, worked at DuPont and Union Carbide, so methanol and nitro benzene were available cheap too.
Charlie
