Lionel mimicking Menards?!?

I just see it as simply a way to reduce inventory.  With rents up, storage space costs money so it is financially to Lionel's benefit to literally box up items and move them quickly.  At roughly $17 a car the gamble is getting a nice $30 or $40 car to make up for the ones that no one would spend $10 on.  If nothing else, at this price the unwanted cars would sell fairly well at a swap meet.

I personally have no interest in Lionel rolling stock at this point, but those who do operate it I see it as a worthwhile gamble.  Just my 4.5 cents adjusted for inflation.

I've never been tempted to purchase a mystery box at the state fair or any other place.  Similar to buying a lottery ticket.  Adding the menards or lionel name doesn't tip the scales either. 

I'd rather see what I'm buying in person with no hassles. 

Moves like this devalue the Lionel brand IMO. There is no reason for them to have to sell used stuff when charging $70 for rolling stock. Menards is for bargain hunters so the grab bag fits their model.

Well, my personal concern is this just furthers the rumors that Lionel may not hold the warehouse sale again this year. Obviously rumors are just that- a rumor, but the story is that setting up the physical sale as in the past was too much work and selling online and through the Lionel store in the mall in Concord.

Still hoping for at least the parts sale portion online as well.

@PRRick posted:

Moves like this devalue the Lionel brand IMO. There is no reason for them to have to sell used stuff when charging $70 for rolling stock. Menards is for bargain hunters so the grab bag fits their model.

That is exactly the point.  I have introduced myself to Menards products through the mystery boxes.  I have always liked the buildings, but not enough to buy them outright.  It's been much more of a curiosity.  I really don't care for the rolling stock - it doesn't fit my preferences.

The Lionel boxes seem to be low end stuff that I don't care for, hence the no go for me.

With this kind of thing it literally is a pig in a poke. It is pretty obvious this is stuff from train sets that got broken up for whatever reasons, or equipment that got returned or maybe was used for demos (??? Do they even do them).  I think it is simply a way to get rid of inventory that they otherwise can't sell, so they price it cheap as a grab bag. Will it hurt Lionel? Only if a lot of people buy this figuring they are going to get vision line level boxcars or high end passenger cars, pristine and great. Lionel pretty much is telling you what it is, and if you value gambling you get something nice out of it that outweighs the *eh?*, great.

Me, I wouldn't go for it, would rather look for bargains at a train meet, so I know what I am buying. Could there be gems in there? Maybe (for example, a used higher level car), but it is pretty clear most will be getting rid of low level stuff.

Some people like to gamble .  At $15 per model, it's cheaper than current Menards prices, so they are undercutting Menards as well as imitating them.

If anybody buys a package of these please let us know what you got.

I'd be very curious

Amen to Lionelski!  Whatcha get?