Lionel 2014 Cataloge Update

Nice Ed but how do we find it?

Grampstrains - I dont believe this info is online yet.  Just some info that Lionel had at the Toy Fair.  Other than some G gauge battery sets, there are no train items in it.

Just a bunch of Holiday items like Lionel had in their 2013 Holiday catalog.

While on the phone this week with the folks at Charles Ro, they told me it is expected around March 10th.

March 10th?!?!?!?! Thats it I've had enough waiting. Throwing all my trains in the trash when i get home and going to take up a new hobby.

I can't wait until the catalogs arrive.  I believe Lionel does this on purpose to get our anticipation level to overflowing then we hit the pre-orders running.  At least when the catalogs are released there will be something new to read about on the forum.

Steve, Lady and Tex

What's your address, I'll take your trash out for you...

They must be proofreading and clarifying the text this time. A few catalogs over the past 2 years have had cut and paste text that means nothing much for the product depicted.

Andrew

No, No, and No. I live much closer. I'll do it.

I do hope that they will sill have the locomotives which are 'able to ruin Legacy' that they listed in last years catalogues. 

All fun aside, I think the truth is that it will be delayed until around 2 weeks before York. The catalog for mass production items will probably come out sooner but the mid-range to high-end product market is extremely competitive and most of the market won't make buying decisions until they see the MTH catalog. And while there is certainly "intelligence gathering" on both sides, no one wants to let all of the cats out of the bag. I remember when there was rumor mongering that K-Line was going to make a boxcab. The K-Line & MTH catalogs came out about the same time. MTH had a Premier boxcab; K-Line had the Lionel 620 remake.

All fun aside, I think the truth is that it will be delayed until around 2 weeks before York. The catalog for mass production items will probably come out sooner but the mid-range to high-end product market is extremely competitive and most of the market won't make buying decisions until they see the MTH catalog. And while there is certainly "intelligence gathering" on both sides, no one wants to let all of the cats out of the bag. I remember when there was rumor mongering that K-Line was going to make a boxcab. The K-Line & MTH catalogs came out about the same time. MTH had a Premier boxcab; K-Line had the Lionel 620 remake.

Not true, the 4 (yes 4 catalogs) should be here in about two weeks. Lionel is not waiting to see MTH's nor is MTH waiting to see theirs before they make a move. Everything is already set in stone at this point.

I just want to see the catalog

I had spoken with the Lionel dealer that I do business with. Its one of the larger ones out west. It was explained to me that many dealers get frustrated and upset when Lionel delays their catalog. Why? The merchandise comes  in later and later and not when they need it. The worst as was explained to me was when Lionel bumped the catalog back months. 

I just wish they would move ahead and release the **** thing!! 

So everyone can start wondering and make suggestions for what will be in the 2015 catalog...

Rusty

Frankly, I seem to be having quite a lot of fun without it, and while it would be fun to look through it and dream some more, I can wait until its here. It's not like I could do anything about it otherwise, anyway.

Do I hear 2016 then?  2017?

Going once...

Going twice...

Rusty

Feel free to insert any other significant world event at any given time.  (they happen every day, you know!)

Just so happens this is a model train forum, so the topic tends to (normally) be ...... da da da...... model trains!

As a person returning to the hobby I am excited to see it.  I feel like I am 8 again!

Plenty of used stuff for me to buy, just curious what is going to be in the new catalog...

Blah,Blah, Blah Blah, Blah, as Yoge Berra would say "When it gets here it will be here".

All I want to know is How much for the dang Big Boy?

I'm excited. Always have been; always will be!

Now that my son, 4, loves the trains, I love em even more.

My money is on St. Patty's Day week or the week after.  Might even be available for the LCCA/Lionel Open House in Concord. 

Regardless of the time frame, my family and I are looking forward to it.  When a new Lionel catalog goes online, I stream it over to the big TV in the living room and my kids and I go through it a page at a time--lots of ooh's and aah's.

Just wish the experience lasted longer... we're usually done in less than an hour and ready for the next catalog! 

AMEN!!!

I heard some numbers tossed around yesterday at a LHS that were higher than we've seen on the forum.  Nothing official, but don't be too shocked when the catalog comes out.  The importers are always pushing the envelop.  So start saving those pennies now, if you haven't already started.  

David

If its more then 2k street price  i am not buying it

Yep...  It's quite possible we'll be looking at a $2.5k STREET price.    I guess we'll know for sure soon.  

David

Just curious, with prices for Premium/ Highly Detailed Locomotives pushing the 2K-3K price-point, how do Manufacturers expect those like myself that are in our early 30's and just getting into the hobby, to be able to afford said locomotives and help keep the hobby thriving as we get older???  My kids (5 & 6 y/o) look forward to the catalogs, and always point to which locomotives they would like to add to our growing empire, but more often than not I tell them no.  When they ask why, I do my best to explain to them that those locomotives are too expensive for what Mommy & Daddy can afford.

It's all about the wait!!!  Check it out!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoLoyg3JKRQ

Frankly, I am not sure they do . . .    When you look at the numbers that 3rd Rail says they make of various models (75 or so) its clear they make a very few with the firm knowledge that somebody will buy them - and from what I see its mostly guys like me - kids long out of the house, etc.  I suspect Lionel and MTH make a few more of their most upscale models than 3rd Rail, but probably not thousands of them - perhaps only several hundred in some cases, and they probably are not thinking many parents-with-young kids will buy.  They have learned, through experience, that the market - whoever that is - will absorb a certain number of very upscale locos and so they make them and try to make money on them. 

This is certainly not limited to the toy train industry.  In fact the car manufacturers come to mind as perhaps the best examples.  GM makes the Corvette knowing younger people lust after it (in fact they count on that for image) but they know the average Corvette buyer will be 59 years old (Autoweek, Jan 2013).  They have other products they target at younger folks like the Cruze, various vans and crossovers, etc.  Lionel is the same way - a few pages of their Signature catalog are devoted to those really high-end models, while the rest are targeted at the broader market.

LOL,  this thread has been the source of a good laugh for months now. I almost hate to see it end.  

Unless Lionel is intent on testing the market for sheer stupidity, they would be insane to price it any higher then 2k knowing its really just "OLD" tooling with noirmal electronic upgrades and a silly new feature.

Knowing how they priced the  reissued Challenger,  why would it be any different?

My guess is $2k. 

Joe 

I agree with Lee 100%.  The Lion Chief control set is the best thing Lionel has done for starter sets in decades.  Two of my 4 year old grandsons were running Thomas the Tank and Percy on a Fastrak carpet setup yesterday.  They had a blast.  Easy setup of track, plug it in, and you are ready to go.

"how do Manufacturers expect those like myself that are in our early 30's and just getting into the hobby, to be able to afford said locomotives and help keep the hobby thriving as we get older???"

As Lee pointed out, they expect folks in your age demographic to be buying $150-200 Lion Chief sets, and perhaps a $200 or $300 (at a discount) Lion Chief Plus diesel or steamer.  The only 30-40 year old folks with families,  and the need to save for retirement and their kids' educations who could afford a $2,000 loco would be those with trust funds.  And those folks may be more likely to buy a polo horse .

I didn't buy my first Lionel train until I was in my 40s, and I never had Lionel trains as a kid. Family couldn't afford them.  I've overcompensated, to say the least, since.

And I haven't bought a $2,000 loco either, although I could afford to.  My guess is Lionel is targeting folks with incomes in the upper 5-10%, who are likely in their peak earning years (say 50-70) with these high end models.  It's a lot easier to consider such expenses when your mortgage is paid off and your children are no longer dependent on you in any way.

If that's your metric, you can probably officially consider them "insane".

The hoop-la made when they showed the Big-Boy on October (Glass case with ropes around it when it was not being shown off) indicates Lionel is marketing this as unprecedented, even if it's not really so much (I'm one in the camp of not being terribly impressed with the coal feature, YMMV).

They've already been to the $2500 MSRP with the Vision Line Santa Fe 2-10-10-2, so at the least, it will be higher than that.

It will be interesting to see how this dovetails in with the recent price structure change mentioned on another thread.  It's possible (but not likely) Lionel is actually approaching the point where orders may start to suffer due to prices being too high. 

If MSRP is $3000, then street price certainly won't be anywhere near $2000. 

We'll all see in a bit.   And then we will see if the latest "hurry up and order" strategy of "made to order" actually has more teeth than previous such announcements meant to keep prices up (until the blow outs happen anyway in some cases).

-Dave

This thread is just like watching the MLB Channel in the off season. They have the pundits comment on every aspect of the game on "pure" conjecture.

What are we talking about, two weeks and we will know for sure what the new releases are and at what price points they will be offered. Then let the games begin.

It it's $2500, or higher, I doubt I'll be getting one.  There are several older engines I would get instead, like the PRR S-1. 

From the comments above I can understand the level

of frustration with the annual Lionel Cataloge, and 

the actual delivery date of items listed in the Cataloge.

From the 2012 Cataloge on Page 72 are some nice looking

Santa Fe "Map & Slogan" Reefer 3 Pack for $189.99.  I have

looked high & low for these Santa Fe Reefer's (I admit my eye-

sight is not the best) but so far I have not seen them listed in

the major LHS around the country.  

In the Charles Ro Price Guide for 2012 on Page 4 they are listed

for $136.95 due date June 2012.  I would love to have these freight

cars.  My question is and understanding Lionel does business in

China (who does not these days) are they available?  If not this is

why I will never pre-order and never will. 

This Topic only serves to reinforce my belief that we live in the

age of hit or miss when it comes to items we would want to purchase

for our railroad, but must reliy on a nation at least six thousand miles

from the West Coast for satisfaction.  

A great Football Coach once stated "You are what you are".  When it

comes to our trains that says it all.  

Many thanks,

Billy C 

Billy

Those Santa Fe cars were issued and quickly disappeared due to low production quantities. I am looking for a set myself.

What's interesting is that there has been an item on Lionel's shipping schedule for quite some time now for a similar set.

I don't recall ever seeing this in a catalog and when you put that sku number in the product search nothing comes up in the search results. Good this be a 2014 catalog item?