Does the Forum Influence Your Equipment Purchases?

It used to, but doesn't anymore. I learned that there are many variables when using a forum to make a purchase. There are a few members who seem to be able to do reviews without ever seeing, much less owning the reviewed product, and everyone's opinion of running characteristics and detail seem to be different than mine.

 

Over the years I've seen great praise for some products that were less than stellar in real life. My opinion, of course. The Lionel docksider, K-line plymouth, Lionel Acela, MTH railking, or rugged rails, or whatever they are calling it now, 2-8-0. All were represented as "big bang for the buck items", and all seemed to be less than what was reported on the forum. I did get a docksider. Sold it years ago. The others have just been observations.

 

I do use the forum to see if there is any information about a product I'm considering, but rarely does it influence wether I'll purchase it or not.

Yes definitely it has influenced me into buying the VL BB.  With all the rave revues and the videos, I just had to have it.  Now I'm broke for the rest of the year. 

I believe Marty's photos of those beautiful jade green E8s influenced a lot of forum members.  Yes, the forum does influence purchases.  Things look much better on someone's layout as opposed to the catalog image.  Also you find out out the positives and negatives of a given toy train.

I agree with others that often times my decision to purchase something will wait until I see real pictures or videos.  It's not only the flatness of pictures in the catalog, but also everything just kinds of starts to blend together in the middle of a large catalog.  Nothing stands out.  Or I don't know WHY a particular model is interesting for one reason or another.  It's the pictures and conversation about the train here that tells the background about the train, which adds to my intrigue. 

 

Also the introduction of the forum sponsors has increased what I buy.  There have been some great deals.  And people giving heads up on new buildings and other accessories as well has influenced what I buy.

 

I also get so many ideas and am motivated by the things you all do.

 

All I know is that there was a time when I would only go onto the forum from Oct - Dec 31.  Now that I am on it year-round, my purchases have gone way up. 

Yes sir, it does.  The "For Sale" forum makes me buy stuff I would not usually purchase.  

Yes, but maybe not the the way you expect.  

 

Rarely - it does happen, but rarely - do I read a post about something I know about, and say "I had not realized that was so good, I really ought to buy that" or "Wow, he's right, that thing's a stinker, I won't buy it."

 

Many times, though, I hear about something I had no idea about, and realize I have to have it.  Example, the Train of Tomorrow.  I had missed 3rd Rails announcement.  I saw it here, both about the model and separately a post about the wonderful book on it.  Ordered both.  

 

 

No, not really. Since I'm into traditional and O-27 trains I don't buy any of the modern electronically controlled scale stuff normally discussed on this forum.

Well not usually, but it got me on the Train of Tomorrow

Joe

Most definitely.  I've purchased or not purchased several items based on information on this forum.

-Greg

I try not to let it.

 

Unfortunately I am not 100% successful.

Absolutely influences my purchases, layout design, scenery, structures...do I need to say more?

I'd say I've been influenced with scenery and structures which to me is the best part of the hobby.

Yep, a recent example. I saw the Lion Chief Plus line demoed at York shortly after they were released. Nice trains, but wasn't really interested. The folks here on the forum started buying them, posting pics and videos and -- best of all -- writing reviews. I bought one for Christmas.

yes, today "rogerw" made us aware of a new southern railroad product(s)

 

the forum is influencing my decision on track purchase

 

rdeal

Absolutely. There have been items or vendors I hadn't seen before that lead to a "Buy". There have also been the nightmare threads that clearly illustrated what not to buy.

 

Gilly

Threads about new products always get my attention. Brand loyalty seems to influence many post so I read them but they don't get me to buy something.

Brian,

 

   Some time about a year ago someone posted a video of K4 1361 during her trial run in 1990 something. It was shot on a cold rainy Pennsylvania day and the engineer was blowing the whistle like a mad man. Due to the cold weather The steam from the whistle was amazing. I started shopping for a Lional Legacy K4 that same day.

 

    Well I never found one but I did purchase a Polar RR K4 Legacy with whistle steam. had it painted in PRR colors numbered it 3880. I ran it at our open house this year at the Black Diamond in Bethlehem Pa. The whistle smoke is great and it impressed all our visitors.

 

    So the forum did influence my purchase in a round about way.

 

JohnB

Well there's at least two of us Elliot who didn't succumb to Big Boy fever.    Didn't phase me in the least even after I saw it in person.  I certainly appreciate why folks wanted one, but it just wasn't my cup of tea... and I have other plans for later in the year in the form of a Y6b or M1a.  Heck, we could double-head two M1a's for just a shade over the price of the Vision Line Big Boy!  (Which is why I still maintain the Big Boy is a poor price/performer.   But I rest my case, because the Big Boy is admittedly more of an emotional purchase anyway.) 

 

As to the OP's question... I think the forum is a MUCH larger influence than most will care to admit... and that's part of why I started a thread about "unplanned and unexpected purchases" as we closed out 2014. 

 

You can't over-analyze everything in life.  But part of me wonders about a corollary question:  namely... if you're that influenced by a product featured here on the forum, do you purchase it because you really like it?  Or are you tempted to purchase it because of super price-point that's too good to pass?  Or perhaps even because you know other folks find it desirable?  Those aren't intended to be trick questions, but how you answer them may tell you a bit more about yourself and your buying habits. 

 

David 

 

Great topic Brian!

The forum does influence my equipment purchases.  I learn a great deal about new products and their care/feeding here.  

 

But most of all, I really like the posts of guys beaming about their new loco or consist and showing them to us in pictures or videos.  You can feel the excitement in the post, and share in it!  It doesn't matter if it is tinplate, 027 or Scale, I love seeing them all, and all the discussions around the item.  

what brr said.

 

Clem k

Yes it does! 

Brian

Only moderately, and most likely to come from the For Sale section of the forum

Steve

Two immediate examples come to mind:

 

1. Brother Love made me a L&N Big Woody Caboose (also painted my Lionel Legacy Alco S-2 in early L&N colors)
2. Contact with fellow member made for a good deal on a Lionel Lighthouse (also got to see his layout and he helped get one of my locomotives runnable)

Brian,

   I am pretty hard to influence into purchasing anything, however when I see some old Tin Plate, like the 264 on the for sale forum and I have been looking for one in great shape for along time, I guess you could say the forum influenced my purchase from that particular forum member.  In a round about way it also influenced my purchase of a Legacy Shay, there was talk on the forum about the Monroeville train show, and what a certain club would be running, when I saw that legacy Shay engine on the tracks with all the gears moving, that sir was a big influence on my decision to purchase.  When I see a beautiful Red 400E on the Tin Plate Forum, the great pictures show me a serious Christmas train and this also influences a Christmas train purchase in the future. 

PCRR/Dave

It goes both ways for me.  I have purchased many items after reading about them here, but also have avoided purchase after reading strings of bad reveiws.   I feel that by checking the forum, I'm tapping into some of the best reviews possible... personal experience of others.   If there are too many problems right out of the box, I'll pass and save myself some greif.   I'm looking to buy the best trains possible every time.

Yes, Yes, and Yes! I have bought, sold, Met a Lot Of New Friends, and Saved a Lot of Money. It's a Fantastic way to add needed Locomotives to Ones Roster... Happy Railroading. (Good Question).

 

Yes for me!

 

Peter

I would definitely say 'Yes' as evidenced by the fact that most of my purchases these past several years have been from members of this Forum. I rarely buy anything when it is released (was tempted this year to pre order a scale PE Berk but the time was not right) and many of my new acquisitions have been trades. When something of interest comes up on the FS board, I sometiimes make a snap decision and buy it. 

A recent example was a member posting the newly released Premiere Texas Special here. I quickly sold off some items including the beautiful RK Scale set and was able to obtain the larger full scale ABBA.

Thanks to this forum!

Only tempted when people here tease me with a PRR or NYC engine that I don’t have for about 25% of what it originally cost. Then it puts it in a price range that I can afford. Thank you to all the ones here that I have purchased from I am enjoying every one of them.

 

Tempted me to move from conventional running to command:

 

MTH which I truly dislike (more like trying to setup a computer network)

TMCC which I am thrilled with (hook up 1 wire play with trains)

 

Forums also convinced me to stay away for the newer Lionel Steam with the annoying tower com announcements.

 

What I find to be of the most value here is the free exchange of ideas and information. Some start out as a simple question and get expanded and improved so quickly sometimes it is amazing.

 

 Sometimes it’s like:

 Look I took this stick and put it through this square piece of wood.

 

 I think I will call it a wheel.

 

That’s nice but if you round off the edges it will roll better

 

My but if you were to put a bushing in that would make it ever better

 

Better yet here is the part number to a bearing that will fit you can get it Here

Unless I missed someone else there are at least three of us that did not purchase a VL BB. I was very impressed by it, but it's just out of my price range for what I am willing to pay for one engine. I have only diesels anyway.

 

As for forum influenced purchases, yes I have been influenced here to purchase a few things. There have been a few things I had purposely passed on in the catalogs that were later discussed here and I had to go back and order them. Pictures of the prototypes or previous issues or other pictures were posted and I couldn't resist after reading the threads.

 

I also read about the problems others have here, but these threads really haven't influenced my purchasing. I know it won't last forever, but I have had very few problems so far with anything I have purchased new. I believe all the manufacturers have good products and like anything else you can occasionally get a defective product.

 

To add to this, I have purchased quite a few electronic components, boards, relays, tools, etc. found in posts by other forum members here. And I have also learned a lot about trains, electronics and layouts and how to use all these things and put them all together.

Yes,a little bit,but when the catologs come out I preorder it as I model several roads.

Mikey,

 

Yes, indeed. It is Rich's, Jim's, Alan's and the rest of the ogr staff for sponsoring this fine forum that makes me purchase such unwanted expensive trains through the great product reviews that us forum members write about.

The ogr staff is the reason why my wallet can get thin at times.

 

And the answer is yes, it absolutely influences some of my purchases.

Yes and no.  We do not have the budget for big ticket new items from the catalogs, so buying older, previously owned trains is a must.  That said, by reading about other forum members purchases and experiences, I can get the most bang for my train purchasing dollar.

 

A great example of this was this past weekend.  I attended the GTS show in Anaheim, California.  I made 3 purchases.  2 of them were driven by projects I want to bash.  The largest purchase monetarily was for the K-Line Semi Scale NYC Hudson and tender K3270-5335.  A vendor had one at what I thought was a bargain price and I was able to offer a little less than that and score a beautiful engine for a quarter of MSRP when new.  That purchase was directly influenced by what I read about this engine on the forums.  

I believe that the postings of user experiences with various items is an invaluable resource for all of us.

Thanks

Jon

Hello guys and gals........

 

"Yes" and I am trying to put a stop to it........

Looney Tunes, I MISS Anaheim, California as I was born there. What is the city like now days?

 

Tiffany

Tiffany,

 

I don't actually live in Anaheim, so I really can't tell you too much about the city.  I live north and west of there in the South Bay.

But the area around the Disney theme parks appears to be completely built up with motels/hotels, chain restaurants, etc.  The freeway there has been expanded and rebuilt to handle the traffic load.

Parking is non-existent ($15 to park for the train show, admission was only $7 with advance purchase).  My guess is the Anaheim you knew is long gone. 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Jon

 

Hello Looney Tunes........

 

Thank you as last time we visited there was back in 1986. I was born 2 1/2 miles from Disneyland.

 

Tiffany

Heck yeah! Esp when someone posts a deal alert! I also was influenced with the scale polar express on the first round- couldn't afford it at the time but it stuck with me and immediately ordered it on the second go around. Now that Keth guy is influenced me to super detail it too!

Yes, the forum influences my purchases but in the opposite way as the original poster intended.  I have bought less new equipment after reading stories here.  For example, I am a big Hudson fan and was going to buy a PS3 Dreyfus Hudson.  After reading that Lee's was DOA, I didn't.  I also like the Lionel Berks, but after seeing the wheels falling out of the front axles on member's locos, I didn't. 

 

I certainly don't blame or fault those who purchase these items.  And I understand that in many instances the number of respondents here to a "thread" with a particular problem is not a large sample size.  I am also willing to acknowledge that some of the issues reported here aren't that serious (by definition I guess there are no "serious" issues with trains).

 

That being said, it is my experience that the people on this forum are a pretty knowledgeable group when it comes to O gauge trains, and if they are having issues, and given the frequency that quality issues come up on this board, then it is not a random thing -- it is my view that there is a significant quality problem within the O gauge hobby today, impacting all of the major manufacturers -- Lionel, MTH, and WBB.  I have given up trying to figure out why, or blame a particular reason, but I can control my dollars until it is my view that the issues are fixed.

 

I hope they fix these issues, because I think the products have great promise.  It's just that for me, I find that like many people I have very limited time that belongs to me -- my wife and I are in our prime earning/working years, and we have two kids.  I love O gauge trains, and likely always will, but I cannot allocate time to buying and running newer trains given the prevalence of problems -- it turns what typically is a relaxing and fun hobby into one where I feel foolish for buying myself or the kids something that in too many instances is broken out of the box or within a short time thereafter. 

 

As to warranties, certainly I understand that the manufacturers are reputable in the sense that they will fix the problems, but I don't view warranties as a remedy for shoddy or sub-par quality, or a means to impose final quality control at the cost of the consumer's time or expectations.  So as a point of principle I don't like to buy things that don't work -- life is too short and I don't spend money in order to aggravate myself.  I am also a free market type so I believe in market discipline, so I have to impose a bit of my own here.

 

That's a long way of saying that this forum provides invaluable information, and is terrific at spurring additional interest in the hobby.  But I have opted out of the latest and greatest craze until I see less in the way of these quality issues, whether it be boards, tethers, sensors, smoke units or anything else for that matter. 

Only if I find a deal in the For Sale threads....