I used to refer to S as "An Acquired Taste."
2009-2010 was the pinnacle of S, especially when viewed the scale side.
However even before Sanda Kan pulled the rug out from under quite a few model train manufacturers (particularly S-Helper service,) there still wasn't the variety of locomotives and rolling stock and availability in S in general that O , HO and N enjoy, either then or now.
Rusty