Buying the whole catalog

William1:

      I also remember people buying everything in each Lionel catalog. That was, I believe, in the mid-1980's or so when catalogs were smaller. We're talking MPC here!

      Your comments about trading baseball cards and paper route money also hit home. Those were the days!

John Knapp

Erie, not Eerie

Somebody else who used to use fireworks to blow up model airplanes!  I would be happy to find ONE stinkin' thing in a catalog that I was dying to own.  That has been

at least a couple of years.

William 1,

Your post brings back so many memories. Many of which, I thought I had lost. Thank you!

God Bless,

"Pappy"

I'm sure there a lot of folks that could do that, but I would guess that was more prevalent back when the catalogs were just a few pages and there was no command control and few if any scale offerings. I have trouble with a half a page these days, let alone a whole catalog. Heck, I'd be happy if I could afford just one of my entire want lists one in one catalog.

Sure is fun thinking about a whole catalog though.

To all that can't find anything in the catalogs they like, you are very lucky and so is your wallet! I am hoping I find one (two would be even better) like that soon.

I knew a gentleman who bought two of everything in the Lionel catalogs during the MPC era. He had shelves set up in his living room and, when you walked in, he would show you the high lights. He also did repair work in the basement. He was a real artisan. And fair in his pricing. He charged me $3 to do some work on a Lionel 600 diesel, fixing the e-unit. He thereafter died and his widow put the trains up for auction at a local house, Alderfer's, in other words got rid of them as soon as possible and moved to Michigan to be with family. I learned the outcome, when I went to the house to drop off a repair and the new owner filled me in.

Many moons ago there was a guy on the old AOL board who went by RADIVV who used to buy at least one of everything in each catalog. He had a remarkable collection but I've heard he has left the hobby years ago.

Wilton (Tony Lash)used to buy whole catalogs in his hey-day also ..or so I'm told....

Back in the 1980's and 1990's... Charlie Ro offered a nice volume purchase discount which was calculated at the end of the year.  Don't quote me on the threshold ('cause it was adjusted somewhat each year), but I vaguely recall it was in the $5,000 area and then bumped up to $7,500... which if you exceeded, you received a 5%-10% store credit the following year based on your annual spend.  For example, if you spent $8,000 in one calendar year, you'd submit all your yellow store receipts and receive $800 in store credit to spend the following calendar year.  Sweet!!!  

I managed to hit the threshold one year, and I remember getting a Lionel GG1 Congressional Passenger set with the store credit.  Today, hitting a $5,000 threshold is a no-brainer with prices being what they are now.  So even if a volume purchase plan were offered now (which it's not -- at least not published publicly ), the volume purchase threshold these days would likely be north of $20K.  

David

Not sure if it is right or even polite to get into what others pay or don't pay for their trains. The reality is, we are all in this together because it is fun and educational as well as a means for people to connect, make friends. This hobby is for the poor and the rich. The wealthy and the famous. The regular Joes and gals. Once we allow ourselves to be brought down to a level where we ask others about how they can afford "everything", then we lowered ourselves.

I am sure there are many in here that can buy/purchase huge amounts of train stuff. Now ask me if I care.......

Personally, I don't and I am glad they can. Just makes the hobby grow.

Pete

Lets face it there are some wealthy people in this world and some of them share the same hobby as we do.

I have bought some of those collectors' stuff at train shows.  From their heirs.  They would talk about how dad bought the whole catalog and then kept it unopened.  I especially like to buy accessories this way when I can.

There is a hoarding element to this hobby as there are with many others. 

I've learned to not be judgemental about anything a person buys or pays. The important thing is not to put your family in any kind of hardship because of it. 

I have collections of a few non-train things that some of you would consider insane.

I was picking up my Berkshire at the LHS and the owner quickly tucked 4 Berkshires away for one his customer that he said he must take care of, he stated that this person was crazy... I replied no, he is just very wealthy!

Pete:  in my years of buying and "collecting", as it were, I have come to know two things.   First there is ALWAYS someone out there with more money.  Second, that someone is willing to spend it on what you want.  

Some times you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes is rains.  (Kevin Costner in Bull Durham)   Bob Severin 

I swear someone priced this out a year or two ago - what it would cost to buy one of everything in the catalog, including multiple road numbers/names.   It was an impressive sum IIRC....

Just had a thought.  In today's market place, it would be impossible to actually purchase and possess everything in the catalog.  The reason being, the manufacturer's almost NEVER  really produce everything they show in any given catalog.

Today's catalogs are night-and-day differences from their counterparts of 20-30 years ago.  I couldn't imagine "buying the catalog" back then, so even thinking of buying the catalog today is something I can't wrap my brain around.    With all the multiple road-names AND road-numbers, you'd need a warehouse or a huge barn for storage!  Seriously.   This ain't the kind of stuff we just stash away in a small closet. 

David