The economy, model trains, and you.

The long lasting economic downturn has affected a lot of folks in different ways. Lets not get into politics or anything like that. Or any bad stuff about non train related issues.

My interest is in how it has effected your model train hobby, your local clubs, and any of your LHS or OL suppliers.

For me, retired/fixed income, I've purchased very little new stuff over the past 3-4 years, in fact I'm trying to sell off my excess. I've got several local clubs and they do not appear to seriously affected, why? The one or two LHS appear to have raised prices and/or don't offer some manufactures/supplier (ex:Walters) discounts.

How has it affected you and your model trains. How have you had to addept to the issue? Maybe reusing old stuff in a new way. Salvaging and kit bashing old stuff into something new, or maybe using non train stuff and making it work on your railroad. In other words, using innovation to make up for less available funds.

Thanks
See ya
Ron

 

Well, it's like this. Dead stop! Can you hear the brakes squeeling?

We discussed medical problems over on George's thread T.H.E.R.R. about heart conditions and some of the limitations. Some of us here on TB can no longer hold down the jobs we used to, due to our medical conditions. I'ma thankful for the disability program I paid into through out my adult working years. But it isn't enough to give me the finer things in life.

Anymore, I don't or won't purchase new items from the LHS. They've driven the prices up to where some of us that participate here on TB aren't able to add to our collections...like we used to. I tend to watch the TB store and or swapmeets. However, getting to swapmeets, is turning out to be a bit of a problem.

New prices are going out of sight. I noted a "B" product that used to sell for under $10.00 now sells for MSRP $69.94. Ridiculous! It wasn't worth the price when it was available for $9.95. If you get my drift.

What are they thinking? Here we are in the middle of one of the worst recessions to hit America, in the last ten years and they want to raise prices.

Ok so I vented a bit. Was I lying?:uhoh:

 

I'll tell you how it's affected me..I'm pretty much done buying trains other than the absolute "must have" that pops up now and then,I pretty much only buy stuff I absolutely need to build my railroad,and I make a lot of stuff I would have bought in the past...If I didn't have nearly every loco I want already,and thousands of cars,I'd probably quit altogether.This is from buying five or more locos a month,and at least a few dozen cars..Prices are just getting stupid,my money lately has been going to guns and helicopters.When I can buy a nice old S&W or Walther for the price of 4-5 locos,I just can't see it anymore.Instead of dreaming of C-628's,I get much more enjoyment out of an S&W 52-2,and a much better investment at that...Trains aren't even fun to me anymore.I used to think nothing of buying 6 locomotives to cut up to make three projects,now to do that I'd hafta take out a loan,I simply can't[won't..] spend that kinda money to buy a locomotive to chop up anymore unless it's used..The uncertainty of even knowing if I can get decals has made the idea of that even less appealing..There is one side benefit to me from this nonsense,I've gone back to total scratchbuilding of cabooses,MOW stuff,ETC,like I used to when you had to build what you wanted..

 

Over the past four years which included almost loosing my home I have had to significantly change my approach to acquisitions. To aid me in not buying anything new I had to tell myself that they were all "just pretty pieces of plastic". The 2nd step was to decide what I was going to run and accept that I needed to "DE-accumulate" most of the rest. That process contributed to paying off charge cards which in turn contributed to saving my mortgage. I still have more to let go of and one loco set on order that I will likely cancel as it is over a year late.
I also took up other equally satisfying hobbies including cooking, strategic games and going for walks. Grandure Lady, my love, has been fantastic in supporting me through all of this.

 

Still modeling like a madman. Still spending like a fool.

 

After going 5 years without a raise, I retired in June, 2011. I have been cutting my spending/purchasing since about 2004. I have just about sold off all that I do not run on a regular basis. I cannot believe the prices being asked for new items. The shipping from China must be really high. I have been building t-trak modules using items accumulated by me for years. Kato Unitrack is not that expensive if bought used at swap meets.

 

Brand new locomotives/rolling stock are no longer an option - and I am beginning to at least consider selling off some of what I have that I don't run much. Swap meets/train shows are my savior. I think the only new items I buy now are metal wheelsets and couplers...and of course paint. I build/kitbash a lot now, and perhaps that's the silver lining to all this.
The local LHS is doing fine - AFAIK - but criminy, the prices! Even on ebay or other online auctions, I sit there in amazement at what is being asked.
All that said, I am busier and having more fun than ever in the hobby - the prices haven't fazed me, just inspired new methods.

 

I think we're finding a lot of the "use what you have" strategy going around. Certainly as I continue to build out the model railroad, I'm trying to go that route, since I have an alarming amount of material put away already. However, I personally still grab more recent items for the Wilmington & New York, most recently (as in, last week) one of the Atlas laser kits, the freight house modeled on the Clarks Summit structure on the DL&W. (And this is because my ancestors worked for the Lackawanna, and for no other reason.)

There is also the limited run/higher price protocol. Yes, I know this has enabled a greater variety of product in some respects, to the point that one needs a lot of time and money just to keep up with it. However, I don't think there are many "half-Noahs" (one of everything) out there anymore.

Whether this is a chicken/egg discussion is debatable, but I certainly see a vicious cycle forming. Less demand, so lower quantities at higher prices, rinse and repeat. Where this will lead, I'm not entirely sure.

Aftermarket prices -- at least asking prices -- are definitely up in some categories over the past year. When a new loco has an MSRP north of $100, a reasonably pre-owned copy doesn't look too bad at $50. An exception to the rule seems to be a non-trivial fraction of "collector items" particularly special runs. Some are holding their value, some are far less than the original issue price.

 

Good thread, even if depressing....

I am building a new layout, and not really skimping on anything - Atlas C 55, Tortoise, etc. But those are mostly one time expenses that should amortize. I tried to spend wisely. A year ago, I picked up dozens of tortoise and 100 piecs of Atlas C 80 flex (for hidden staging) at pennies on the buck (like $6 per tortoise and $0.50 per flex piece) at an estate sale. Then, I shopped for the new flex and turnouts on line. Frankly, woo woo woo at about 39% can't be beat.

Just not buying much rolling stock or locos new execpt the must haves, which are more tightly defined than in the past. Some IHB locos or paint job materials, some of the MT weathered stuff to update my fleet to a reasonable looking 2005, and of course, the Atlas Coil Cars to represent a steel hauling line. Even then, I got a lot of IM Coils really cheap a few years back.

So, general cut back but not enough. Didn't pay off the CC in full the months I was buying layout lumber, etc. It shouldn't even come close to putting me in financial strees, but long time habits are hard to break, as many of you know!

 

Economy is not causing me any issues, but I am still cutting back and only get new what I want in just a few focused road names.

Years of waiting for some day got me caught up in too, too many locomotives and not enough rolling stock. So I will be selling locomotives or repainting them into the roads I need.

As far as cars go, yes, ouch, they are getting more and more expensive, but that is in response to finer and finer detailing. I do not begrudge them because we brought that upon ourselves with our demands and expectations.

So now I am mostly spending on the very few new things (cars & Locos) I need, and spending mostly on DCC decoders and layouts.

 

There have been two things that have affected my buying, or lack thereof. First is the cost. I was in a hobby shop the other day and thought about buying a new Atlas box car. The price was over 20 bucks. It looked really nice but I needed gas more than I needed a model. And that was one of the cheaper pieces of rolling stock in the store. The other thing affecting my purchasing is the cost of living. Prices on everything else is also way up. Gas, food, insurance. They are all increasing faster than my wages. My paycheck just doesn't go as far.

But I am not disheartened. History has show that the cost of living versus wages is like a slinky. As the rate of price increases slows, COLAs will increase. At least I hope so.

Eric

 

Yep
I agree with most everyones responses. Especially less production, higher prices or supply and demand. I've also noticed that some folks are getting sticker shock on eBay and it similar type sites. I know of one individuall who still thinks he can buy new in box stuff at a 75-80 discount. He'll hit the wall soon.
But maybe not. I think he is (though retired) financially well off. But he has a handicap, he just hates to pull out the old wallett:crying: and pay more than 15-25 % of the MSRP.hboy:

See ya
Ron

 

For the most part now.. I won't buy anything at near full MSRP.

I buy lots of second hand rolling stock from ebay.. and update trucks.

 

I slowed down a group. I even downsized and can't sell online because people want something for nothing. But it didn't get this way over night and won't go away or change over nite either.
But I will say this that it is an election year and my decision will reflect the fact.

 

While this was posted in the N section, it pretty well affects most people across the scale spectrum. Not everyone in the same fashion, but even those who are still in a better position - I'm talking about people who actually work(ed) for a living in contrast to those who just rake(d) in the money; to me aka FatCats - are cautious with their money. I model Swiss Meter gauge in the garden (IIm) and carefully accumulated "stuff" since I started this layout back in the early 2000s. Picking up stuff - very patiently - that fits my railway, my era and if it doesn't fit as is, it will be modified/kitbashed.

I guess I'm in a lucky position i.e. the right occupation (in my previous life), acquired a lot of the right machinery over the years, am fully prepared to do a lot of scratchbuilding (much easier in 1:22.5) to get what I want/need. Now it's just a matter of keep going, nice and steady.

It sometimes rubs people the wrong way when I mention that one can safe a lot of money by

a) selecting a theme that doesn't stretch any of the various factors in the hobby (space, available time etc. etc.)

b) can be built and then enjoyed in a reasonable timespan (relative term)

c) do all the research regarding what will fit the era, the theme and the locale

d) completely ignore the rest, never mind how you drool over it at the LHS or in front of the computer.

e) remember Less can be More!

Of course as always strictly my opinion!

 

The economy is far from slow. Got back from a show two weeks ago and where we had the layout setup there was a clear view of the BNSF transcon (ATSF Belen cutoff) and UP (ex SP Golden State Route). Both were going great guns. UP had more traffic than they had prior to the 2008 oil and real estate crash. In fact more than that line ever saw previously. BNSF was constantly busy (4-6 trains per hour). All while Diesel prices have reached almost record levels again.

There is money out there somewhere. LOTS of new customers on the shopping cart site: http://wig-wag-train-cart.com .

 

Seems like this is a similar topic that has come up before. I am retired (twice) with reasonably decent retirements from both former occupations. That said I still have to watch my $$ outlay and the higher costs on energy and related items affected by it's costs do bit into my bottom line some. But even in the early years I was frugal modeler stretching my dollar to get the most bang for the buck. Fortunately I have most of what I need in locos and rolling stock thus only buy something that fills a void when it is available. And I still scratch build but even that has slowed down some as the costs of the supplies for that have nearly tripled. All that said my model railroading is but a small percentage of the activities and things in my life. Before I run out and purchase a loco just to have it I'll purchase a good book instead. When the power is out the loco is dead but a good book can still be read by candle light. So probably on a list of expeditures the MRR hobby is about a 9 on the list running from 1 to 10, 10 being lowest. So if the cost continue to go up and the economy decides to go south this is one activity I can push to the very back and ignore for the more important things.

 

The situation with the economy has been brewing for quite some time, I slowed down my purchases, maybe 6 to 7 years ago, but there are still deals to be had. There is a lot to filter through on the auction site, but you can still get good deals if you are patient.

For the most part, my purchases are way down, there are new items coming that I will purchase right away, but then again, I'm a lot more disciplined now vs. 10 years or so ago.

 

I just got started at the end of spring this year, so other than sticker shock for N scale items, I'm doing okay. I'm still actively employed though, never married, no kids, and not a drinker so I have a bit of an advantage. (not saying you all drink, but I may consider starting when I dive into DCC)

I did have to slow myself down a bit this month, because I've yet to distinguish between "oh, that would be nice" and "I gotta have that."