Kohl's

Our Kohl's usually has a large Hallmark Ornament kiosk with the ornamental trains.

@Lad Nagurney posted:

Just received my latest email blast from Kohls with pre-Black Friday bargains. Searching Lionel Trains, there are a few O-gauge starter sets and separate sale cars and track. While the prices may appear to be about list, the buyer gets a $15 coupon for ever $50 spent. It appears that the coupon can be used for additional train purchases. Just watch the expiration date.

Lad Nagurney

Why not purchase from one of our OGR Forum/ Magazine advertisers here?  After all, it is these merchants/advertisers  who keep this great forum going.  I'm sure many OGR advertisers will have prices that beat Kohls!  AND if their prices don't beat Kohl's their service will.  Just sayin.  

Be sure to shop carefully for trains at Kohl's.  A few years ago, they priced things based on their cost + a percentage markup.  At that time, the wholesale price from Lionel was a higher percentage of MSRP than is customary in retail.  As a result, their Lionel items were actually priced ABOVE MSRP.  Hopefully, Kohl's has made adjustments to their pricing, but the moral of the story is to shop carefully.

First, I have no connection with Kohl's, except a a customer.

My advice to anyone purchasing train items whether in the local hobby store, from another merchant, from a forum advertiser, on the forum itself, on any of the auction sites is to look at what is offered, check around for price and delivery and then make your decision.

What intrigued me with the email blast is a roughly 30% rebate similar to the 11% rebate we see advertised by another vendor.

As always, it's your money, spend it where, and in a way, that you are comfortable with!

:ad

@trumpettrain posted:

Why not purchase from one of our OGR Forum/ Magazine advertisers here?  After all, it is these merchants/advertisers  who keep this great forum going.  I'm sure many OGR advertisers will have prices that beat Kohls!  AND if their prices don't beat Kohl's their service will.  Just sayin.  

As a former OGR Magazine advertiser, I HEARTILY second trumptrain's post!!!! These advertisers do help keep our beloved forum being the success that it is! Also, if service on an item is ever required, where will you get better service, a business that specializes in O gauge trains or a department store the mainly sells clothing and household items.

I never knew Kohls was back to selling trains during the holidays.  I normally go to Mr Muffins for anything new as I can pick it up in person, saving the risk and cost of shipping things.  We all should be supporting our LHS if you have one.  Now if Muffins would only get in collections of pre/postwar Lionel to buy as that is more my focus than the new stuff.    AD

Surprised that this thread is still here, previous threads about Kohl’s disappeared rather quickly.

@artfull dodger posted:

I never knew Kohls was back to selling trains during the holidays.  I normally go to Mr Muffins for anything new as I can pick it up in person, saving the risk and cost of shipping things.  We all should be supporting our LHS if you have one.  Now if Muffins would only get in collections of pre/postwar Lionel to buy as that is more my focus than the new stuff.    AD

You could ask, but his focus is on modern, realistic trains, and I doubt that he wants to get into buying/inventorying/selling used stuff that he's not familiar with.  There's plenty of that kind of stuff at local meets anyway.

While Kohl’s is our “go-to” department store for most things because of their often amazing deals, I always recommend buying model railroad items from a specialty train dealer for knowledgeable service. Not knocking Kohl’s by any means, though, and frankly, department stores were the most popular vendor for toy trains back in the day, so this is really nothing new by any means.

Aren't we burying the lede?

To me, the important thing is that a well-known department store is stocking Lionel trains for Christmas. That makes model trains available to people who might not normally encounter them.  Maybe some parents will be inspired to buy their child a train set, and that child will really get into it (just as we all did many years ago).  How many of our parents bought our first train set from a department store that stocked trains only at Christmas?

As for us hobbyists, I second the idea of funneling our hobby funds to the LHS or OGR advertisers.

Even though I regularly buy trains and accessories through big-name suppliers who support this forum, a few years ago I bought the O-Gauge Thomas the Tank Set from Kohls at an incredibly low price. It was new and was my first introduction to the first iteration of LionChief. (I was impressed at the ease and simplicity of LC !)

I wholeheartedly agree with Joe Connor regarding the benefit for having a well-known department store selling trains:

"...makes model trains available to people who might not normally encounter them.  Maybe some parents will be inspired to buy their child a train set, and that child will really get into it (just as we all did many years ago)"

And as Lad mentions above, you can get a coupon for further discounts.

Joe Connor has a great point. I know the big department stores would never stock the items that I buy however it’s a great way to expose the trains to the general public. Most of us here have a vendor of choice and if lucky like me, have a well stocked train shop close by. I got started in 1986 with a Lionel direct purchase of the B&A Hudson set. Dealers were upset about this but wow, they have really benefited from me ever since.

This is why I applaud both Kohl's and Menards for getting these trains out front and center to the non hobby public, at least during the holidays.  They are sowing the seed that will create another batch of model railroaders as they grow up, or at least increasing the odds of that happening.  I would love to see even more, especially some advertising on TV or at least more prominant in the ads in the Thanksgiving edition of major newspapers from the likes of Lionel.   Hopefully Menards has the trains in the holiday shopping ads on that day.  If one good thing comes out of the Covid lockdowns, is many people returned or reignited their model train hobby.  And that is good! 

I believe that Kohl’s only sells trains online and you have to search for them as they are not prominently placed in their advertising.   I shop at Kohl’s regularly and have never seen any trains, however they do have some nice village pieces in their Christmas department.  

I just checked several Kohl’s locations and the only Lionel items in store are the Hallmark ornaments.