The days of beautiful Lionel catalogs are long gone. Treat yourself and purchase some prewar and postwar catalogs. They are truly works of art. Its hard to believe all the artwork was done by artist. It just blows me away!
As long as there is competition, Lionel charging more is partly due to the aesthetic. This includes the bright orange boxes and gorgeous catalogs. When the paper shortage is over, Lionel needs to return to normal, as it is part of their identity.
This catalog is lame. Why even bother making this weak catalog - if paper supply is that tight and costs are that high forget the printed version. My dad had a saying " Do the job right or don't do it at all." Either print the entire catalog on cheaper paper or just forget it. Sorry I had to get my two cents in - my leaflet of a catalog just got delivered today. Please Lionel don't do this again - don't half *** something. Take care Greg 
