Are your big bucks buying days over?

Having to retire before we had planned definitely put a damper on train buying.  I’m not complaining; after 3 years of not going to work, I can’t imagine it now.  Six months ago I thought I had an opportunity to earn a few dollars for a while, but that fizzled, no it crashed and burned!  😆

Actually since I have more engines and cars than I can run, why would I buy more anyway!  🤔🤷‍♂️

Are your big bucks buying days over?  Yes!  Unless someone produces a product I really like and can find room for it.

Have been for a while. I have way too much to enjoy already. There are a couple of locos that I regret not jumping on (un-shrouded N&W J, for example, as well as the Weaver B&M P-4 Pacific), but I have so much that buying more is never even a thought. Rolling stock, too - but I do have all kinds of projects that I plan to do. But those things are already "on site", anyway.

My final Big Purchase (a loco, naturally) was, and shall remain so, a "used" MTH Premier GN R-2 2-8-8-2, about 5 years ago - and that was after a substantial hiatus before then.

The prices of items would probably hold me back now on new items, also - but my main weakness was low-priced, high-end older production pieces.  Upgrade bait. Say "PS-1" and "ERR" in the same sentence  and I get all twitchy. 

I won't say my big buck purchases are over, but I will say that I am much more selective with what I acquire.  I still have a few locomotives on my "wish list" that I am willing to part with my cash for.  For the most part, my glory days of acquisition have long passed.  This not only applies to trains, but other interests that I have as well.

Tom

A lot of good points in this thread. I completely get it that many people have limits on how much stuff they can store. For a person with a lot of disposable income, they might consider upgrading their favorite subjects for models of higher authenticity. There are plenty of ways to spend big bucks upgrading a RailKing engine to a brass model. I think a showstopping factor can be disposable income. I completely identify with the idea that people need to manage their money carefully. This can be a relatively expensive hobby. One of the reasons why the O gauge railroading world is relatively small compared to some other hobbies is the cost. On the other hand, for people with a lot of knowledge and experience, a nice O gauge layout can be put together at a modest price with used items at the lower end of the price point spectrum. There is a lot of room for different viewpoints based on individual circumstances here.

The product available in this hobby that piques my model railroading interests just keeps getting better so I would say no.

Case in point.  GGD Slumbercoach run 2 reservations close Monday and that car is near and dear to my heart as I rode on them frequently in the 1980's.  I'm not sure if or when they will be produced again so I will be adding several.  I won't go into the level of pre-orders I currently have.

However, I am at a saturation point with trains in general, so the frequency of how often I buy high end trains is much lower than it has been in the past.  Just need to get rid of some of the old to make room for some of the new.

Yes, for me, yes. At 75, I find my physical abilities slowly diminishing. That’s the main reason why I have been selling off trains on Ebay (actually thru my wife's account). Plus, I would like to lessen the burden my family will face getting rid of it all someday. So a prudent thinning of my very overstocked collection is definitely called for.
And as I go through the storage boxes, I keep finding trains that I “had to have” and then never looked at again. It’s kind of embarrassing, actually.

I find myself largely keeping the Postwar stuff, selling many  newer era acquisitions except for select road name I love ( the Great Northern).  I have most certainly cut back drastically on purchases; my latest buying binge was unlettered and promotional 027 Lionel items from the 1960s,  which didn’t break the bank by any means.

Yes, my big bucks buying days ARE over. As a small operator, I don’t have that much anyway, but enjoy what I do have.

In my mid-70s now, I can feel that my train operating days are slowly fading.

This was my last big bucks purchase. :

unless you count 400 to 500 bucks as big bucks i haven't even hit that threshold yet and probably never will

i am a beginner who strictly collects the TOY train stuff who is a major diesel guy and whose biggest advancement will be lionchief plus 2.0 .

other than that its conventional stuff and old rollingstock i buy secondhand

my buildings will mostly be plug n play mixed with Matchbox and hot wheels play sets and plastic roads with hot wheels and matchbox cars

if i do go above 1000 it will be a lionchief plus 2.0 set and something i NEED like anything New Hope and Ivyland or Norfolk Southern

In this hobby, you do not have to spend big bucks to have fun. One of my favorite engines was a Rail-King Pennsylvania steam engine. The one thing that I loved about it, was it had a great whistle. Give me several inexpensive colorful box cars and I'm happy. I haven't owned a train since 2010.

After a stroke and a cardiac incident, I decided to put my extensive O-gauge Rock Island collection and accessories for sale through Stout Auctions. In a weekend, my inventory list (eight pages long) was sold. Amazing! I kept a few RI trains as mementos of my "train collecting years."

As it happened, anxiety about my early demise was unfounded -- thankfully.  However, those medical mishaps made me realize that I should dispose of my collection sooner or later -- to spare my future widow from that task. From time to time, I bought some RI items that I "had to have" -- for example, the Sunset 3rd Rail Rock Island TA diesel set which was a model of the Peoria Rocket (the train I rode as a teenager to/from Peoria to Chicago).

Recently I had my Lionel 8004 RI&P "General" steam loco converted from conventional mode to Bluetooth technology -- to match the few other remaining wireless-controlled RI locos in my now-modest collection. A Lionel dealer in Wisconsin performed the "brain transplant." That project will probably be my last hobby adventure since I'm now 83.  Yes, it was impractical and expensive, but I wanted to do it. My train inventory is now filled with the few RI trains I care about, my 15x19-feet L-shaped layout is complete, and my retirement budget is limited.

Besides, I own a classic car that demands my  attention and disposable cash.

Carrying on, regardless ...

Mike Mottler   LCCA 12394

My big spending days are over. I just don’t have enough interest in trains to spend the big bucks. A Railking Southern Pacific cab forward set at $700 was my biggest purchase. I’ve started culling the herd a bit, and I hope to offset every new purchase with getting rid of something else. Eight engines and maybe 60 pieces of rolling stock are more than enough to maintain my interest.

Stay strong, Mike - always great to hear from you. Enjoy thay layout and RI trains. My favorite custom painted caboose is Rock Island - no prototype, my fantasy.

I'm at the point where I really have no more room, either on the layout or on the displays for more. Most of my spending has been in upgrading what I have. In too many cases, though, I'll see and buy something thinking that it is an upgrade, only to disciver, back home, that the one I had was in the same or better condition.

I am finished buying both high cost & low cost items ,as it is i don't run many of the engines that i have now & there is NO MORE ROOM for  anything except maybe a tree here & there & at 80 years old i doubt i have much time left to even think about making any major changes ,as other's have said i will enjoy what i have to the best of my ability .

I don’t know if my spending qualified as “big bucks”, but I spent what I was comfortable with. I got laid off 3 years ago, at 59, and was out of work quite a while. I now actually make more than I used to, but my hobby interests really got squashed. Not sure if they’ll ever rev up to where they were, but I am planning to return to York this year, to give it a try.
I guess I got pretty disillusioned, but I hope to return to normal.

"No."

I don't think I ever did any big bucks purchases. My 9 by 12 layout runs three separate loops plus a trolley and my 20 engines are mostly very old stuff from my childhood (my first engine was an ATSF Lionel switcher (part of a set) that I got as a child (over 70 years old now and still runs), a number of engines purchases through my teenage years and 20's after which everything was put away. Over the last 20 years when I set up my current layout,  I have purchased mostly Williams engines plus a few Lionels but nothing much more than $200. Since my widest rails are 042, I good not think of getting some of the really big steamers.

Though still working part time, I have other hobbies to spend on so the trains are not exclusive, I also setup an outdoor G-Scale layout and the cost of cars and engines is much more than 0 scale.

Yes they are done and I doubt there are many buyers for what I have. I'm 75 and don't play with the trains as much as I used to.

I really can't say yes or no. I don't need anymore trains but I do know I enjoy them. I don't drink or smoke and sports no longer hold an interest to me. I would say besides my family, trains are my biggest enjoyment.  Everyone needs something in life for enjoyment and trains are mine. So if I make a big purchase once a year I'm not going to beat myself up. I think I deserve it.

Depends on what number constitutes big bucks. But, as applied to myself, the answer would be yes, my big bucks buying days are over. I wouldn't consider spending anything like what high-end Lionel locomotives cost these days.

I bought a collection of MTH Premier locomotives with PS1 and PS2 when they were offered for the first time. A few have been run but most have not, and none have been sold. So, I already own most of the locomotives of particular interest to me and don't need to buy more. I also don't feel it's necessary to replace my older models with newer, more expensive versions with fancy electronics or (possibly) upgraded details.

I still continue to buy some moderately-priced new MTH Premier/Railking (and sometimes Lionel Legacy) locomotives at prices less than about $700. Anything that I buy now is for running on my layouts. Lately, I've begun to buy "like new" locomotives from Trainz.com that I've found to be good value at less than current prices for new equipment.

I don't think it's a bad thing to continue buying some trains. As a Senior Citizen, it's important to maintain an interest in an activity that you enjoy. For me, one of those things is model trains.

MELGAR

Mine never started so I would have to say yes.

It's just beginning.

I left HO to return to my childhood trains, when l discovered they could, mostly, be found, and then backed off on some rarer pieces' prices, not thinking it was worth ($) striving for everything.  Then diverted to Lionel-compatible within the constraints of what l could do in HO, which means within the boundaries of what l wanted to model.  Most three rail prototypes produced were not roadnames of interest, so, that progress has been slow, and slowing.  Unless l bash it, that budget is saved.  There was a rapid growth period when it looked as though less main stream or non class ones could happen.  But as the ages mentioned here suggest, that market is shrinking.  If it had been made, l would have tried to buy it, but it has not, with the exceotuon of #90.

I'm probably still in the hunt, although sneaking the stuff past the boss is getting harder and harder.  If I buy something really expensive, I tell her and she says 'Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary or Happy Fathers Day or Merry Christmas', whichever is closest.  The problem is that I've used up those date through 2029.

@Lionelski posted:

Stay strong, Mike - always great to hear from you. Enjoy thay layout and RI trains. My favorite custom painted caboose is Rock Island - no prototype, my fantasy.

I'm at the point where I really have no more room, either on the layout or on the displays for more. Most of my spending has been in upgrading what I have. In too many cases, though, I'll see and buy something thinking that it is an upgrade, only to disciver, back home, that the one I had was in the same or better condition.

John

Thanks for your comment and the pix of a fantasy RI caboose - a one-of-a-kind item!  My former RI-oriented collection included an "ordinary" RI gondola -- in O-scale, not O-gauge. I swapped the wheel sets and couplers for Weaver products, so it became a one-of-a-kind piece, although it's not very significant. I still have it on display on a shelf in the train room.

Mike M.   LCCA 12394

Well old age is part of it but that aside I don't think I would buy much at today's pricing.

Moving from 3-rail to modeling the LIRR in 2-rail I've bought some brass P-54s and an H-6 and G-5 in brass. Have two RDCs coming from Scott. There's little out there that's correct for my modeling period but if one of my "must haves" pops up I'll be on it.

At this time, I would say no. When I started the hobby in the winter of ‘21’-‘22’, I had no interest in collecting to display. I eventually wanted a manageable layout (which I now have, 6x16) for enjoyment. With the level of knowledge I gained from this forum, I found myself being more selective in the quality of what I buy. I have set a goal/limit to my final purchases. I recently added an Atlas turntable and 3 Snyder shelves(just to have a variety on what to run). I have 8 whisker tracks with 5 Legacy locomotives and rolling stock on 3 somewhat long sidings. When I purchase the other 3 locomotives and fill the shelves, that’s it! I did not intend on the hobby to consume unnecessary dollars that could be used elsewhere.

Gene

Another thought provoking topic Arnold!  Thank you!  

Since 75% of what I own I bought used at shows, hobby shops, action sites, and making trades, I've never spent more than $400 for a single  locomotive which I guess is "big bucks" for me.  Paying $1000. plus for a locomotives is something I could never feel comfortable doing, however, that's just me.  Folks who feel comfortable doing so, I say " go for it!"    

As I model the transition era, I have little interest in modern locomotives and rolling stock both real and model.  Today as I took my house quest back to the MARC station I saw the Acela  whiz by  on the express track at speed.  Although my house quest found the Acela exciting, for me it was like drinking a flat Coke .. no fizz.  On the other - hand, when I hear the rev of a EMD 567 prime mover or the hiss of steam from a steam locomotive my pulse quickens and I get butterflies in my stomach.

In view of the above, after being back in the hobby for 20 years,  I now own all the locomotives of the transition era that I have ever desired ... from electrics to diesel to steam.  The same with rolling stock.   Of course I have learned to " never say never".  I'm sure going forward, there will be a piece here and there which will capture my fancy and therefore my dollars.  

Any monetary investment I make in my layout now will be modest.    I have plans for a small yard which should not cost all that much due to the fact that I already have the track and perhaps the switches to do so.  

Only expenditures now are detail or repair related. Maybe the occasional freight car. (Those rmt tank cars called to me.)  Display shelves are full.  Now I'm dabbling with small shelf layouts both HO and O plus I'm converting some locos to dead rail. 

Ok maybe the lionel rdc's will call to me but only if they are CNJ.

Interesting thread.  I’m also at the point where I’ve got more locomotives and rolling stock than I ever dreamed of.  I model the steam/diesel transition era and I’m not interested in “modern” locomotives or rolling stock, either.  I’d bite at an Alco HH 660 which has never been made in O gauge to my knowledge, but in this day and age, I’d be very surprised any of the remaining O gauge manufacturers would invest in new tooling.

Inasmuch that I have not purchased any big ticket items for several years I would have to lean towards saying ,yes, my big bucks buying days are over.  More trains than I ever thought I would own coupled with an absence of storage space on my layout and in my basement make this almost a sure bet.  However, I learned a long time ago to never say never even though my spouse of 51 years continues to pepper me with requests to rid myself of my collection.  I'm still having fun with my trains and have to admit there are a couple of engines out there on which I'm still casting covetous eyes so she will just have to bear with me.

I am 80.  I can't say that I still feel the thrill I felt in 1952 carrying home my new Lionel 671RR set in the back seat of my grandmothers 35 Ford.

I did feel it again the first time I saw a Williams brochure featuring his new line of Brass Engines.  As they steadily improved and then the Weaver line of engines and passenger cars appeared I kept buying.  I kept buying right up through the Dash 8 brochure. Then the Challenger appeared.  That was world changing.  That started the serious effort to be a part of acquiring what these guys at MTH were doing.  There had never been and may well never be again that level of production of product I never expected to see in 'toy' trains.

Then three years ago, in July, as I recall the door slammed shut on that amazing time period for 'O' Gauge Toy Trains.  In the past three years I have purchased an MTH Beer Train, that is it.  I do not hold it against Mike that he decided to make life changing moves.  However, there is no thrill in getting an email saying that, this or that is being offered. I am still the little kid that spent hours going through the catalog over and over again, checking my meager savings to see if I had enough the next time we went to San Antonio to stop at Joske's and pay the $7.95 for my gang car.

In the last three years I have purchased a lot of K-Line.  The chase has been a lot of fun.  Mostly I buy the early stuff produced when Klein was building a company from scratch with any tools he could get his hands on.  My wife likes it for the colors and the advertising.  There is a great deal of satisfaction for instance being able to acquire every one of the dealer packages that K-Line offered his dealers for several years.

Anyway, I am still buying.  When I die it is not my problem.  My wife has a sense of humor, mostly.  If the kids don't want it they can lock the door of the building we live in and forget about it.  They are getting a bunch of real estate that hopefully doesn't cause them to hate each other.

@texgeekboy posted:

I'm probably still in the hunt, although sneaking the stuff past the boss is getting harder and harder.  If I buy something really expensive, I tell her and she says 'Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary or Happy Fathers Day or Merry Christmas', whichever is closest.  The problem is that I've used up those date through 2029.

😆😆  My wife does the same thing, although since my birthday, our anniversary, and Christmas all fall within a 7 week period, she ends up giving me everything on her gift shelf during that short period.  I have started to unbox new cars, check them over, then rebox, and keep under the layout for future gift shelf distribution.  These are the only cars I don’t have out on the layout or shelves.

My big buck buying days stopped 3 years ago when I opened NIB lionmaster big boy and little parts fell out of the box. That was the last straw for me. I have been enjoying tinkering, building scenery, fine-tuning the layout. I have been much happier since.

Just when I think I acquired all the trains I ever wanted, and more, another catalog or announcement leads me astray.

Therefore, Counselor, I refuse to answer this question on grounds that I may incriminate myself.

Having recently retired, I made a New Year's resolution to buy only those engines I need or want. I am pleased to report that I have honored that resolution to date.

Pat

Forced retirement 3 years ago changed my buying habits considerably. I now have a “train budget” and have not exceeded it the last 3 years.

However, when Lionel announced the updated UP Heritage SD70ACe’s last year, I ordered all 6. Old habits are hard to break. I have been borrowing money from my wife’s purse when she is not looking to pay off the credit card!

Donald

Yes, prices are just to high.  I'm in to second hand engines and rolling stock.  Engines can be upgraded so I'm not really missing out on the latest and greatest features.