Originally Posted by Landsteiner: Landsteiner, I respectfully disagree with your response. I work in a train store that sells only O gauge trains (MTH, Lionel, Atlas O, Williams, Weaver, & some K-line). I have tried on many occasions to sell Lionel products to my customers. The customers look at the price of a Lionel starter set vs. MTH starter set. The Lionel sets are cheaper than the MTH sets. When they look at the MTH starter set engine on the store layout run vs. the Lionel starter set engine, they always choose the MTH starter set engine over the Lionel engine. The reason why is because of the features that MTH puts in their engines. The only Lionel product that sells VERY well is the Fasttrack!! Can't seem to keep enough of that track in stock!!. Most customer who come into the store rather buy MTH products vs. Lionel because of the price difference!!...............rogerw.
"Apparently you don't understand the corporate hive mind set."
Apparently you've never met Mike Reagan.
LionChief and LionChief Plus are terrific sales and financial successes for Lionel. The evidence is everywhere, primarily in the remarkable growth in sets and locos made with this technology.
Lionel is the only company placing two page ads in OGR. Lionel is the only company doing significant new tooling of locos, rolling stock and accessories. The signs of good things happening financially, even without viewing anyone's books are quite substantial. Look at their competitors. Some competitors are doing no advertising whatsoever. Walk into a hobby shop and ask them how many Lionel sets they sell versus other makes. The ratio is usually 10:1 or even 100:1. No Kool-Aid, just reality and evidence.
