@Jeff T posted:Pull out a 10 year old catalog, then look at the prices... One reason my collection is very small.
I get it completely, but to respectfully push back a little, Lionel does not control inflation of the dollar. $500 in 2012 is equal to just over $600 today. Going back to 2005, $500 then is equal to over $700 dollars today!
In other words, if an engine was $500 ten years ago and a rerun of the model today still sells for $500, there have almost certainly been cost cuts...hmm, maybe explains a lot.