Hallmark stores on tap to sell a Limited Edition "Toymaker Santa" series O gauge Lionel train set this holiday season!!!

Interesting tidbit on elf chase gondola.  Depending on orientation of car, elves move forward or backwards.  If elves move backwards, just change which end of car is toward engine.

EddieZ

Austin,TX

I just checked the Hallmark website, and these apparently are not on sale as of today. Wonder if they will eventually go on sale.

I just picked one of these sets up at my local Hallmark at 50% discount.  One clerk said it wasn't included in the 50% off but a more senior clerk said it was.  

I wonder how other stores are handling sets they have left?

Just curious, are the folks buying these after Christmas actual want the set or are just getting jazzed over the discount and in a year will wonder why they bought it?  A great deal IMO is only a great deal when it's something you really want. Not saying this is the case here but again just curious. 

The wife and I went after Christmas shopping and while checking out my wife looked up and high on a shelf there was a set, she showed me, and asked if It was on sale.  The clerk said 50% off.  So now I have it.  I'll probably run it tomorrow under the tree.  

PRR Mark,

    I got the Hallmark/Lionel Santa Toy Maker Express for Christmas, and I love it.  Great Christmas Train, colors are fantastic and family kids love running it, our 5 year old niece was in the day after Christmas, and had a ball with the little remote control, all by herself. She especially loved the Santa Train's Christmas Sounds.  Marty I will not ever wonder why I got this Train after watching Cheyenne playing with it, and my wonderful wife gave it to me as a Christmas present.   Which makes it all more special, at Christmas time every year, I will know exactly why the train is part of my Christmas layout.  I did not get pictures of Cheyenne running the Santa Train, maybe next year!  I also got a way cool Lionelville Operating Christmas Ornament this year, thanks to the guys here on the OGR.

PCRR/Dave

PCRR/Dave, great pictures,  thanks for sharing.  The train is unique with the paint, I also like the Ornament,  might have to hunt around for one...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !

I was hoping to find a post Christmas sale on the trainsets locally as some were lucky in posts above, still the odd set in the local Hallmark stores, but no luck they did not go on sale called a few stores and they did sell out at all the stores except one.  Checked it a couple of days back and just 1 last set in stock at one store only, had a few extra hours at work so some extra $ on the paycheck and decided I could not resist. Based on the enthusiastic response above and this being well just one of the nicest looking paint schemes for a Christmas theme winter village.

I left the track and wall wart transformer in the set box and used a Lionel transformer setting the track speed low enough it would not come off the tracks even if the remote was set at full speed and some old FasTrack for a quick set up for the granddaughter last night. She really got excited when the train was running at speed and figured out that things happen when she played with the LionChief remote. Good variety of the announcements and volume, more variety then I have on a Lion Chief + steam engine.  The moving gondola car works very well, and looks sharp.  And the color really pops, smoke rings, chuffing sound and whistle are great a real winner of a set. Not much light at all from the caboose with the transformer set low, I might add some LED lights from Evans to brighten it up. I think the set lettering very nice design on the Hallmark set is just the right size for a layout under the Christmas tree. The set that I painted up; photos top of the page and bottom of this post  (inspired by the Hallmark set)  I put big letters on so they would be more visible at the public shows that I do with a big Christmas village.

I wonder perhaps should we push Hallmark for an add on cars to match the set for the next couple of years? The gondola and caboose seem a bit heavy but it should pull the set and a couple of more cars if they were not to heavy??  Think the set is a good size for a loop under the tree right now, but a couple of cars would add to the set overall and look great on the Christmas snow villages.

I surveyed the local Hallmark stores on the Santa train sales over the holidays, and some I talked to had a wait list in November and it was mentioned there would be 2 per store.  But in the end they were able to get more sets to meet demand. One store sold 6 before Christmas and had the 1 got the other day left after the holidays not on sale. Another about 20 sets they said an several other stores in the region all had sets and sold them, 3 stores had a set each left after the holidays that were sold at full price before the new year, I guess folks like me hoping for a sale but picking them up. Customer reviews were good people really enjoyed the sets and stores I talked to said they had no returns or complaints so good that the sets worked well.  ( a guy contacted me through the train club and display I had about a different Lion Chief set his kids got for Christmas but, train would not respond to the remote sent it back for a replacement but disappointed on Christmas, took a look at it for him no luck could not get it to go and was able to help him out with an old transformer and old AC Lionel steam engine that the kids could run for a while before the replacement set arrives.)

So here are some shots of the granddaughter enjoying the set last night, she has figured out the train does stuff when she fiddles with the remote and gets excited when it runs at speed and makes sounds. And some shots of the set I painted up in November and a small village that we set up for a Church event last week.

Enjoy those sets before perhaps some get put away for the holidays.

KJ,

   I do think the add on Cars would be a big hit and sell well for Hallmark/Lionel, in fact done with the right advertising, having this train on display, with some add on cars in the Hallmark stores again next year, could make them some serious Christmas money.  I have already made a few of my own Christmas add on Cars, and I also believe the added weight behind the engine makes the train operate better.

As you see below I added the 3559 Candy Cane Dump Car & the Santa Coke Car, along with 2 other Lionel Christmas Box Cars, to make a larger Santa Express Consist, would love to add a couple Hallmark/Lionel Highly colored Cars also, especially if they were operating cars.  A new Candy Cane Dump Car would be way cool, and maybe another Gondola with Santa's most famous Rain Deer & his Sleigh.  So far for the money expended on this little Hallmark/Lionel Santa Toy Maker Express, has been nothing but great, especially for the kids!  The little remote control is easy to use and the kids love playing & controlling the train.  Make no mistake about it, the high grade Christmas Colors on this  Santa Express the kids really love, big time.  Hallmark missed the advertising boat on this baby, if their stores would have had this train set up in a circle in all their hallmark stores, for the kids to see and actually play with, the sales would have been just incredible at the Hallmark Stores, this Christmas season.  The trains would have sold out in every store, and orders would have been placed by parents, who could not get them for next year.  As a childs remote control Christmas toy, this Train is Top Shelf.  If I was advising the Hallmark & Lionel business's I would advise them to expand on their great idea, it could be a real money maker, at Christmas time for both companies.

PCRR/Dave

I went to my local Hallmark store the day after Christmas.  Since they had one set on display about 4:00PM on Christmas eve, I expected to find it at the after-Christmas sale.  Alas, I could not.  Asked a clerk and was told it had been moved to the storeroom to be excluded from sale.  I bet it will come out at full price next Christmas.

Chuck

Chuck,

    Check around you should be able to get a decent deal on one right now!  Amazon has one right now for 22% Off ($310.00) with free shipping to your door.  At $310 for the RTR Santa Express, with free shipping right to your door, that's a pretty decent deal, for a Lionel stater RTR set, a remote control stand alone Christmas train no less.  Down stream a ways I am betting there will be a Legacy interface made for these stand alone RTR sets.

PCRR/Dave

According to one manager she thought it was priced too high of which I agreed. She said they did not sell any of the sets. They will not sell any sets next year if offered. 

A nice set but priced to high IMO. 

The only part of this set I would like is the operating Gondola.

I looked at the set, but the pricing was simply too high.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I looked at the set, but the pricing was simply too high.

I agree.  The Hallmark set has a good Christmas sound-set and a great looking paint and graphics scheme, but even w/ an operating gondola the $310 Amazon price w/ free shipping is still too high IMHO (unless you're specifically into collecting Hallmark) for what you get especially when the Lionchief remote Frosty the Snowman, Peanuts Halloween, Area 51 and Silver Bell sets were sold at/near $130.

Keysotne,

   Granted the other RTR sets are being cleared out at lower prices, however I have given both the Silver Bells & the Frosty sets as Christmas presents and IMO this Santa Express is a much nicer RTR train set.  Still I get your point.

PCRR/Dave

Hello All,

Was wondering if anyone has the Lionel number of the set itself and the Lionel numbers on the rolling stock. The info is needed for my list of Lionel Christmas items that I started a few years ago.

Many thanks for any help.

What quick service!!!!

Many thanks.

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Keysotne,

   Granted the other RTR sets are being cleared out at lower prices, however I have given both the Silver Bells & the Frosty sets as Christmas presents and IMO this Santa Express is a much nicer RTR train set.  Still I get your point.

PCRR/Dave

Some Hallmark stores also cleared this set at 50% off after Christmas. That's how I got mine. Maybe they'll do it again this year for any unsold sets on December 26th.

I asked my local Gold Crown store to order me a set. I also offered to set up a small display layout in the store for them the manager spoke to the owner and everyone was on board. All throughout November and December I keep checking and all I got was crickets. My wife and daughter out doing the post holiday shopping stopped in the store and called me. The store was closing at the first of the year, due to the owners deciding to retire. I found out a few months later when I bumped into the manager, and I asked her about it and I was shocked when she told me that the owners told her NOT to make any special orders for any items for the holidays.

They closed and it sucks as they were my Hallmark Gold store for over 20 years! I now have to drive to the local mall for a Hallmark corporate store, or drive 30 miles round trip to another store. Very sad.

Hope is still springing eternal, that I can get myself a set!

Grampstrains posted:

franksansev posted:

I asked my local Gold Crown store to order me a set. I also offered to set up a small display layout in the store for them the manager spoke to the owner and everyone was on board. All throughout November and December I keep checking and all I got was crickets. My wife and daughter out doing the post holiday shopping stopped in the store and called me. The store was closing at the first of the year, due to the owners deciding to retire. I found out a few months later when I bumped into the manager, and I asked her about it and I was shocked when she told me that the owners told her NOT to make any special orders for any items for the holidays.

They closed and it sucks as they were my Hallmark Gold store for over 20 years! I now have to drive to the local mall for a Hallmark corporate store, or drive 30 miles round trip to another store. Very sad.

Hope is still springing eternal, that I can get myself a set!

 

There are several sets on Ebay for less than Hallmark's price

They were also sold on Amazon last December - with free shipping too! I'm fairly certain you'll be able to get a set at less than msrp,  fransensav, since this will be the second year the set's available. Don't understand why Hallmark obviously wasn't targeting Hallmark collectors for this set since last year's sets weren't dated or numbered therefore no way to distinguish them from the sets offered for sale this upcoming holiday season. Wonder whether Lionel has made a second run of the set for this year's sales or if Hallmark instead held back on what Lionel made for them last year and only distributed to Hallmark stores a portion of Lionel's 2015 run so that Hallmark stores wouldn't have a glut left over to sell at 50% off last December 26th. Holding back on distributing all of Lionel's Lionel production run last year would certainly explain why the sets offered last year weren't dated 2015.