Hiawatha98 posted:scott.smith posted:The licensing is not the issue as much as it is the dwindling interest in tinplate. The demand has reached a point where it is difficult to find anyone to manufacturer the product in the low qualities that are ordered. Generally speaking the tinplate purchaser is on the upper age end of the model train hobby. Tinplate is dieing because the collectors of tinplate are. It’s sad but it is reality.
Scott Smith
I can confirm this. I am 20 years old and have zero interest in owning any tinplate trains. Not to say tinplate is undesirable, though, I do enjoy seeing Std. Gauge layouts at train shows.
When I first got back into O gauge I was interested in the latest modern products. I didn't give tinplate a second look or thought. I did not have a personal connection to any tinplate or even postwar stuff. However, after several semi-annual York trips where I saw both original pre-war product and the modern replicas I started to look more seriously at the modern tinplate by MTH, Lionel and Williams. While at York I would always buy Tom McComas/TM Video DVD's. Several tinplate themed episodes pulled me further towards the shiny stuff. I admire the character, colors and design of prewar and modern tinplate products. The mix of colors and varied metal trim remind me of the creative and beautiful designs of automobiles from early to mid 20th century. I primarily collect and run modern trains, but when possible, I will also buy and run both eras of tinplate. Tinplate is the true toy train.
Unless something changes within the current manufacturing/import environment, the higher minimum production order quantities now demanded by offshore production companies likely will greatly hurt the train hobby in all its scales.
