@artfull dodger posted:The demographic change is a factor, from parents being unable to afford or willing to pay the cost for a train set. To kids that have never seen or grew up around real trains, so the desire to model that isnt there like it was for many of us. All we can do is keep promoting the hobby in a positive light, keep the "doom and gloom" chat among ourselves as that hurts the hobby if a potential newbie hears all that. Time to get back to enjoying model trains of all shapes and sizes. AD
AD,
You have many good observations but I will take issue with two specific ones.
The situation financially, for store owners, hobbyists, parents and kids, is unusually difficult presently, but not any different than when I was a kid in the 1960's and 70's. Financial crisis then; same kind of financial crisis now. Stores made it through that period somehow. Can they do it now?
I don't recall real trains disappearing at any time in the last say 50 or 60 years. Why would there be so many more kids now who've never grown up with them around?
Keep up the good conversation. Maybe we'll figure it out.
Mike
