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

I know first hand some who participated in this quest in the past, but even if I had the finances to do it, this approach would never appeal to me. Most of the items then and now I prefer to take a pass.

Quite frankly... "buying the whole catalog" would very likely bring you to a point in this hobby that is a very different place than most folks here who are operators of toy trains.  Eventually, you'd succumb to the fact that all these wonderful trains would just sit in boxes... and one box would look no different than the other sitting on shelves.

Think of it this way... In my earlier naive days in this hobby, I thought most train shop owners would keep one of everything for their own collection.    Then I quickly realized that these guys and gals are in this as a business.  It's their livelihood -- not a hobby. Stuff comes in and the really successful ones ship the stuff right out to their customers.

Not saying that folks who have the financial means to buy it all can't enjoy the stuff they buy.  Just that they can't possibly display/run it all without the sheer volume of it quickly cluttering up their world.  And at that point, a new toy train just becomes another box to place on the storage shelf.  

David 

Well....there was a time back in the 80's and 90's that I bought TWO of everything in the catalog.  The reason I did this is I found that it was a way to help pay for the items I wanted to keep.  In those days, it didn't take long before the duplicate items I bought to go up in value and then I could sell them.  This gave me almost enough money to pay for the my "collection".  And...yes....I was in the collector mindset in those days so I wanted to display as much as possible.  This developed into a couple thousand feet of shelving!!!

Alan

I know of 2 people..one a collector who went through the weaver catalogs and bought each brass engine, every MTH steamer, f3, and e8. At the time he was using the first tm price guide to track his purchases. This was pre2006.

The last time I visited the other person he knew exactly how much shelving he had...1/4 mile. Which means he also needed 1/4 mile of space for his empty boxes...He describes himself as an operator but I couldn't find a layout.

rat

quote:

Think of it this way... In my earlier naive days in this hobby, I thought most train shop owners would keep one of everything for their own collection.    Then I quickly realized that these guys and gals are in this as a business.  It's their livelihood -- not a hobby. Stuff comes in and the really successful ones ship the stuff right out to their customers.

IMHO, the quickest way to end a hobby is to try to make it into a business.

Regarding Alan's comment about buying two of everything: He wasn't alone. I think one of the people interviewed in the original TM video magazines said some thing like "one to go and one to show", meaning he kept one of each item mint for resale, and ran one.

While I've accumulated a lot of modern era trains over the years, I only purchased a few, relatively inexpensive items out of each Lionel catalog. My fund were limited, I felt that postwar Lionel was a better way to spend my money.

I said above it is fun thinking about buying a whole catalog. It is, but even if I could afford it, there are a lot of things in each catalog I really wouldn't want. On the other hand, there are usually quite a few things I do want and can't get. In other words, want list is always bigger than wallet. That also gives me something to look forward to. Being able to purchase an entire catalog may take a lot of the thrill out of things and the hobby may lose some of it's appeal? I am really very happy where I am, with always having something to look forward to, it keeps my interests high. I always have one more engine, piece of rolling stock, items for the layout, layout expansion, etc. to look forward to.

Not unlike book collectors, one needs a "reading" copy and a "shelf" copy.

I certainly (like many I suspect) have duplicates, some intentionally, most not.

William,

i have wondered the same thing.  And of course trains are a lot more expensive than baseball cards.  I can tell you are a Cubs fan.  I can still picture my Ernie Banks and Billy Williams cards, when I was wishing I could get a Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Bill Mazeroski card.  My brother found a place to buy the whole set at least once.  Yes, I thought he was nuts too.

On to trains.  I have not looked at any other responses yet, but I can think some folks would buy it all for collector value in years past.  I don't think that is cost effective today.  I don't know if anyone buys the whole catalog today, but some can afford to buy a lot.  I am not that blessed or cursed, however one wants to look at it.  I am satisfied buying now and then, and as my tastes change trading or selling a few.

as I've said before on this Forum, there are about as many ways to enjoy this hobby as there are individual hobbyists.   The main thing is have fun, and share it with someone.

Famous Monsters magazines, by chance?

I see the answer here.  You need to start by buying a BIGGER WALLET.  All your problems will be solved.  Merry Christmas.  

I really never understood this.  if you are careful with your books, how does anyone know you have read it?  Do your eyes leave some kind of secret imprint on the pages?  Merry Christmas.  

Sometimes I feel like I bought the whole catalog, I spent so much more than I expected.

I had a couple of friends back in the 90's who bought every scale engine that was being made. They were storing them away for that dream layout. Well time marched on and they were still buying engines and cars Up to 2013.

I finally heard from one of their spouses. Both friends died within months of one another. They both lived in Oregon. 

She sent me a picture of their 3 car garage that was packed from front to back and to the ceiling of nothing but boxes of locomotives that were never opened And that was just her husbands stuff. 

In the end neither ever built a layout, what a waste of time and money. 

Just for the record.  I am NOT A CUBS FAN!  I'm a Sox fan.  My dad was a Sox fan, I am one of seven of his offspring who are all Sox fans as a matter of course.  I had five guys my age on my block who were all Cubs fans.  That's what made collecting and trading cards fun.  Like a rivalry type thing.  I'm one of those guys who roots for the Cubs to lose as much as I do for the Sox to win.  Again, NOT A CUBS FAN!  Thank you.  I needed to say that.  Please continue the discussion as originally intended.

If I purchase one locomotive, I count that as an accomplishment. As for the concept of buying an entire catalog, I cannot imagine doing so regardless of financial position.

Gilly

This buying practice was done in the 80's by those obsessed with the mental illness of buying, more, more and more trains.  I am not uncomfortable financially but never considered such a large waste of money as buying a whole catalog. I have purchased many items over the years until the realization hit that they could all never be run or set up. Today if someone purchased every item in every catalog, I could not imagine what they are going to do with them. What can you run on the largest layouts? Maybe six sets!!!! So what is anyone doing with dozens of sets????? Answer: they sit in boxes or on the shelf.

Thank you for correcting me William!  I can see that would be an issue with 2 teams in the same city, and I am sorry to not have picked up on that.  

We are now discussing trains.  So what's your favorite railroads that you would look for when you do buy.

Smart man.

I didn't even know what a Cubs fan was until we moved from the city to the suburbs.

Rusty

I can't imagine buying a whole catalog even if I had the money which I don't.  Where would I put it all?  I already have too many trains and I am going to have to force myself to get into the disposal mode sometime soon.  (Perhaps this will be my 2015 New Year resolution - sell trains.)  I find it hard to part with some treasures.  

I visited a fellow about six months ago.  He is a bachelor and lives on a large parcel of land.  He has a building behind his house with a very large layout.  The layout was packed with trains.  He mentioned that he had about 500 engines and 8,000 pieces of rolling stock mostly MTH O gauge.   There were probably at least 100 trains lined up on various yard tracks.  

The layout and all the trains were impressive but I couldn't help thinking that building and maintaining such a large display by oneself would quickly become a chore rather than a pleasure - at least for me.  He obviously got enjoyment from the hobby in his own way.

Each of us has to set our own limits and enjoy the hobby as we see fit.  I get more pleasure from running trains and with my friendships with other modelers / collectors than I do from owning a large amount of stuff.

Joe

Actually, I need a purse about the size of a carry on bag, like my wife has. That just might get me close. Somehow I don't think she would let me borrow hers for my intended use here.