On3 is very nice, especially now that track is affordable and available from San Juan. Very tempting to be honest. But, with a 7 and 4 year old as my regular operators, it's unlikely for me.
Many O scalers have the means to buy $40 and $50 cars, and don't mind doing so. But they need to have $40 to $50 worth of value to us. I like to say the Bachmann freight cars make excellent $20 models, but horrible $40 models.
The current price of a Bachmann boxcar at The Favorite Spot is $36, and the current price for an AMS On30 boxcar at RLD is $37. Look at the two!
I'm not so sure the economy is to blame, at least not totally. The train shows I've been to lately have been packed, and people have been buying. But, we've all seen it: stacks and stacks of HO, plenty of N and O. Very rarely will you see any On30 equipment at a train show - either on display or for sale. The last two shows I've been to had none.
Bachmann really had something going there. And perhaps the price increase is unavoidable - they do need to make a profit after all. But I am guessing the On30 market has plateaued and at the current street prices, I don't forsee many newcomers to the scale.
Scott
