Lionel on K-Mart end cap.

Looked at all the big box retailers last year in Athens GA for any trains any gauge and found none so I am excited to see this

I can't even remember the last time I was in k mart. 

I think I have you beat.  Don't believe I've ever been in one, and there's one located just a couple of miles from where I live.  I'm kind of partial to Target.

Just convenient tonight.  Had to get some car stuff.  I was pleasantly surprised to see it.  Any exposure of this type is good for the hobby.

What about Sears?.   I think Sears owns K-Mart.

K-Mart owns Sears, they bought Sears right after they (K-Mart) came out of bankruptcy a few years ago, that's why you find K-Mart stuff in Sears and Sears stuff  in K-Mart. Both of them are about 25 miles from me and I haven't been in either one lately so I have no clue if Sears has Lionel Trains or not. If interested you can try both stores web sites.

That end cap display is interesting.  With the blue and orange shelf labels it looks like it was purpose built.   It looks like Lionel is supplying more than just product to the retailers.

KMart smells funny

 

You can get Craftsman tools and Die Hard car batteries at K Mart along with Sears.

Seen at BJs Warehouse Club near Harrisburg, PA.   Only set available.

 

I definitely prefer K-mart to Wally world,  and it's good to see Lionel being offered at more chain stores.  Hopefully people that buy beginner sets there will look to LHS to expand.

Too bad the kids can't see it run. Logistically that may not work for the store but even a video on a continuous loop my generate some excitement to buy the set. 

Good idea Chris! Seeing the action is imperative to those never exposed to trains. A video on the cap is a great alternative to an actual layout. A semi-static loco on test rollers would be neat too.

 

 

Not even a visit to an S.S. Kresge's in the 60s, or before, Allan? That's like being the guy that never ate a Big Mac, or Whopper! Smart? Maybe, but you kinda missed out on the 70s version too, it was something...Attention K-mart shoppers! We have a blue light special for you in the toy department today... Wouldn't your child love to receive a new Tyco choo choo (alas no Lionel then) to play with? Well for only..etc., etc.....just make your way to the blue flashing light to get your (whatever?) at todays special price! A countdown might begin.. Attention K-mart shoppers, you only have 5 minutes left to take advantage of the blue light special in our toy dept. on Tyco trains. Wouldn't it be swell to give.......  You never knew when, how long they would last, or what item the blue light specials would be for. It could even be a hot lunch, or dinner in the cafeteria for some pocket change.

Sears had the best Lionel displays, and largest selection near me. At least till everyone and their brothers started making video games. I remember the second year of Atari, the train display was halved. It was replaced by new TV's, and Atari. But the crowds were about equal at both displays. Atari was about 4-5 years old when they stopped the Christmas layout all together, after a final 30"x40" oval on a folding table, and after clearance sales, clearing out the rolling stock on hand, trains became order only items, with no non-electrical defect returns. Then, once people tried returning the new DC trains burnt out by their old AC transformers, just plain no returns. I was shocked, and sad. Even though I liked Atari, I thought the no layout Christmas motif sucked. I think this loss of exposure from Sears, had more to do with the loss of interest, and drops in sales of MPC era Lionels, to middle class America, than any other single factor. If nobody sees one, how will learn they want one?  

Back in 1989, I was at our local K-Mart a couple of weeks before Christmas and noticed they had a bunch of Lionel sets. It was not something I really wanted, but if I could pick one up after Christmas for a good price, I would do so.

 

The day after Christmas, I went back to check. They had about 20-25 sets stacked in the front of the store. They had not lowered the price on them. I thought I would wait a few days to see if they would put them on sale. 

 

A few days after that I went back and they were all gone.

 

Lionel K-Mart Train Set

 

 

Nice to see. A sign of the times (upcoming holiday season).

 

When I see these displays, I always think of the dad (or mom) who will turn the corner and say, "wow, I didn't know they still made Lionel trains." A starter set here and there and somebody gets pulled into the hobby.

Its a double "wow", a Kmart thats still open, and its selling Lionel trains.

I know this subject has been discussed before and I really don't mean to hijack this thread but I felt it appropriate to put my thoughts on this subject here. I'm going to make a cause & effect leap to a conclusion. See if you agree or disagree:

 

In last Sunday's paper Toys-R-Us had an 80-something page booklet of their holiday toys and I was surprised that there was absolutely nothing from Lionel or anything even in the way of HO trains advertised. They did have a couple of "Thomas" wooden pre-school sets but that was about it. I also noticed that Barnes & Noble, which last year carried some Lionel stuff and has an interesting and eclectic mix of tech-toys has nothing (so far) this year.

 

On the positive side, I'm sure we have all noticed that the multitude of various club displays that occur at this time of the year are absolutely packed with spectators of all ages, many of whom have to pay to get in. So that leads to the question: Is the hobby actually becoming less interesting to the next generation, OR is it that the large retailers don't want to deal with broken/non-functioning trains and the complexity of handling all the returns that would inevitably occur which is the reason they don't want to handle the product? I suspect the latter.

 

So why can't the leading manufacturers get it into their thick heads that if they paid a little more attention to quality control so that their products, especially intro-level sets, would be a little more bulletproof, or in other words make some investment in their own product, they could insure their future?

 

This is just my opinion but I think that the lack of quality control and the large retailers perception that the toy train/model railroad product is unreliable is responsible for the overall decline in the hobby and NOT the aging of the population of hobbyists.

 

 

 

Wish they would realise we have to have time to ship that Christmas car to the UK!

 

Nick

 

Major retailers really don't much care about quality control issues.  The contracts they have for selling stuff don't place any real burden on them since returned merchandise is a burden born by the manufacturer/distributor (including the cost of shipping back returned merchandise).  All the retailer has to do is provide a presence for the item, be it a toy train or something else, AND be able to sell it at a price that the store or chain's buyers feel will be attractive to their customers.  They buy/display what they feel will sell.

Marty,your edit made me

I disagree, toy trains just simply do not interest most kids of today. These days when 8 year olds are getting I pads and I phones that can take them anywhere, a toy train going in circles gets old fast.

 

  In this digital age toy trains aren't stocked in stores because they simply don't sell.

 

How many shops have closed over the past 20-30 years, far more than are still open I'm sure.

 

Times change,its just the way it is.

While out doing the shopping on Friday. I was at the local BJ's Wholesale in Attleboro, MA.

I spotted the Lionel Penn. Flyer sets on the floor among other toys. Next up was Target and zero trains. And at my favorite store Benny's, (a true Southern New England treasure) I spotted a HO train set by Life Like. And that was it!  Sad state of affairs, fifty years ago I remember train displays in Jordan Marsh in downtown Boston, Sears & Roebucks in Cambridge and Lechmere Sales. All had Lionel, American Flyer and even HO.

 

I know you can never go back, but I do miss those days more and more as the years go by, a sign I am getting older I guess.

 

Regards

Kids of ALL ages--3 to 103--enjoy watching toy trains do their thing at shows and other venues.  However, when it comes to actually purchasing a train set (assuming it's for more than operation around the Christmas tree), that's a whole different ballgame.  Most folks today--young and old alike--are so tuned-into electronic gizmos that do things almost mindlessly that they have forgotten how to tap into their own creativity and imagination to build a real-world fantasy creation of their own.

 

Like Frank noted in his post above, we oldsters can truly savor the days of old.  As far as this hobby goes, we were (and are) truly blessed.

Then they go home.

 

Rusty

My experience with multiple grandchildren: I agree that watching a train run around in a circle paled really fast. Over the years I accumulated several operating accessories and cars. They include the original log loader (nothing like the guttural grow when it operates), coal loader, gateman; and the milk car (every kid's favorite), flat car, coal car, plus lots of gondolas that they could put things into. The operating accessories kept them interested for quite a while (although the wiring mess under the tree was something to behold).

Make the extra investment and go beyond the basic set.

Rambling thoughts around this subject........

 

Sears- I remember the Lionel displays at the Sears downtown LA. As a kid Dad would take me there and we would buy new and used items from the giant Sears store. Just the purchase of 4 O-27 curves and 4 straights made my day.....and less than $2....it was used...but gold to me.

 

K-Mart - I recall going into the first K-Mart in So Cal. A great store back  in the day. Fresh popcorn, big toy section, deli subs for 59 cents. THE place to go for many years....and text book example of how a business can lose it's way.

 

Today's kids - Allan has it correct that today's free electronic 'toys' and games dominate. But I do see the fascination of my grandkids with real physical things....IE model trains and cars. It's different from the norm for them. Doubt we will see levels of participation like the 40's-70's but I see a slight increase in the under 25 crowd. 

 

Trains in mass marketers - I don't see a real downside unless the product is so bad it turns folks off. But most starter sets I have bought for myself or others have been decent, not GREAT, but decent. Not going to cut into brick and mortar hobby stores.

 

 

"So why can't the leading manufacturers get it into their thick heads that if they paid a little more attention to quality control so that their products, especially intro-level sets, would be a little more bulletproof, or in other words make some investment in their own product, they could insure their future?

 

This is just my opinion but I think that the lack of quality control and the large retailers perception that the toy train/model railroad product is unreliable is responsible for the overall decline in the hobby and NOT the aging of the population of hobbyists."

 

As one who has bought many starter sets over the years, I have had not one single defective set from any manufacturer. Not the first set I bought, but the first Lionel set I bought was at K-Mart: one of the typical 4-4-2 starter sets that I purchased over 22 years ago and still runs today. I find the quality control totally acceptable on starter sets, and this is coming from someone who buys and runs them!

 

If you don't like so much plastic on your trains, then there are other more expensive alternatives such as MTH and Williams by Bachmann. But again, plastic components are not indicative of poor quality. That 4-4-2 steamer I got at K-Mart has plastic gears and is still running with original gears, as with every single other of my similar quality locomotives.

 

Yes, there is more plastic in many starter sets, but that is not an indicator of quality control. And yes, there are occasional threads here about a starter set not working, but given the much higher numbers of starter sets produced, these are a very low percentage. Train dealers I have talked to over the years echo this: Very few starter sets are returned for out-of-box defects.

 

The more expensive high-end stuff appears to have much higher defect rates with much lower production runs, meaing a higher percentage of defective product. But then again, there's less to go wrong with a simple starter set. Needless to say, the early production CW-80 Lionel transformer was a standout defect for Lionel. But Lionel made good on that problem by replacing them. Not good to have a problem, but good to take care of the problem.

 

I applaud Lionel for making a real concerted effort to get back into big box retailers. If MTH starter sets are such better quality than Lionel (and they are, but they are more expensive too) then why weren't they more successful when Sears was selling MTH starter sets? And why isn't Sears (and now K-Mart) still selling them?

 

The reasons for big box retailers not carrying trains sets has little with quality control or defect rates. It has more to do with economics, consumer demand and retailer expectations for sales and profits.

 

I’ll bet Charles Ro Supply Company is a nervous wreck!

Not exactly what I call a Marketing Blitz, and considering that Lionel will only have a shelf life a little longer then a loaf of bread, they should do well. 
It is a good sign the Holiday Season is Upon Us!!!



K.C.

K-Mart...way back when...I was able to buy three AHM HO N&W Y6b's for $25 apiece. try to do that today. They actually had a pretty good selection of HO trains back then!

Never saw AHM at any K-Mart....in my area WOOLCO had a twice a year AHM blow out. I bought and still have a Y6b, Cab Forward, Challenger and lots of other stuff....never more than $25 a pop......where;s that time machine???

IMO the best thing Lionel could do would be to take a play out of MTH's playbook and put TMCC/Legacy Command into every single locomotive/set it sells.   When the $60 toy has enough technology in it to make the $200 toy look like it belongs in a neanderthals cave, it's hard to sell the $200 toy. 

 

Again, IMO, command control should be table stakes at this point.   It's not exactly cutting edge a it stands anyway.   I have four young kids - a train running around a layout - especially a small, simple one, is pretty far from captivating.   The $20 RC helicopter with lights and sound - that gets their attention.   My kids are too young to have any appreciation for the history of rail, and Lord knows I've tried - there HAS to be something more.  They don't even bat an eye unless the sound and the smoke start flowing;  then it starts to get a little interesting.   The Polar Express starter set was fun for about 15 minutes:  forward, reverse, bell, horn....  next....

 

As it stands I think its pretty clear that the manufacturers are selling to adults.  At some point, if they ever plan to change the dynamic, they need to sell to kids.   Treating old technology as a "premium product" only serves to lighten our wallets.  In time, there will be no more wallets to lighten.   

 

And BTW, Hills was the WORST  in terms of the smell.   You could swim in Febreeze after visiting that store and still feel unclean.... 

Dave,

You are exactly right. It was Woolco back then. K-Mart is in the same building now. That's what time does to you!!!

They will still be there after Christmas.

We get Kmart commercials on TV every so often, but the nearest one is roughly 50 miles away!  They've fallen a long way since the 1990's.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think another thing about train sets is that they actually require some work to set up, which is something, at least from my own observation, that appears to be a hassle to most people.  Even with many of the cheap plastic battery-powered sets that I used to see set up as a demo product at stores, they often looked like the employees has no clue how to actually put them together.  Even as a kid, I had to restrain myself from fixing them!

 

Aaron

GCRailways post hit the nail-on-the-head.

Unless Mom's current boyfriend knows how to connect two pieces of track and attach two wires from the transformer to the previous mentioned track, and then figures out how to move the big red thing on the transformer until the train moves, it just ain't gonna work.

 

Sorry to be so negative, but after dealing with some people all week, it's the best I can do. On the positive side, our local K-mart doesn't smell bad, seems to offer good products at competitive prices, and the employee's only seem to hate their job a little bit, which it better than most retail employee's, who hate their jobs a lot. 

 

All joking aside, I hope K-mart sells some trains, Grandpa is able to get it going, and some kid is happy to have it. Maybe it'll take a couple days before he finds a train forum that tells him it's crap, should have bought a different brand, and it doesn't have sound and command. Oh, and the warranty isn't any good.

 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

 

Please take the above comments with a sense of humor as they were intended. Love the topic edits by the way.

I haven't heard if Wegmans Food Markets are selling Lionel Trains Sets this year but I doubt that they are because the Geneva, NY store still has last year's set for $199.99 on the counter and no new sets and a 4 pack of 10 inch Fastrack straights for $24.99, I think they're just trying to get rid of last year's stuff hoping most people don't realize it a 2012 set.

I think that "last years model" doesn't need apply to a well put together train set. Commemorative, "hyped", high end, and "digital" stuff excluded for obvious reasons. Most train sets should be "timeless". With any product if it has a warranty, and is new on a shelf, and within its age tolerance for working out. I don't care about age. I buy old packaging vs new if given a choice too, just to help keep general prices down.

  

I don't see any O gauge on that shelf.  I think the battery operated G gauge sets dilute the brand.  I remember looking at the great set up Wal-Mart a few years back.  They had giant cardboard Lionel logos and  cardboard Santa Fe F3's set up, great Lionel T shirts for $5 and even Lionel Key chains you could buy.

 

Then I got looking at the trains.  If I was new to the hobby and did not know better I would probably been drawn to the G gauge stuff.  It was bigger, it was cheaper, they are the same brand so they should be the same quality right?

 

The same thing happens at stores that sell the O and G Polar express sets. The new Lionchief Polar Express comes with a remote and plays sound clips just like the G gauge one does.   The O gauge set also cost more than twice what the G gauge set does

http://www.amazon.com/Lionel-T...Remote/dp/B00BK5MXQ8

http://www.amazon.com/Lionel-P...in-Set/dp/B000GL1EEE

 

We all know the O gauge set is more detailed, comes with more cars, and has WAY more cars and accessories available for it.  Some one just starting doesn't know that.

 

I would like to think the O gauge stuff with its metal drive wheels and track will hold up longer and better than the all plastic G gauge.  If not I want to know how they can make the G gauge sets for 1/2 the price of the O. With the Lioncheif sets they don't even have the excuse that AC power supplies and E units drive up the cost.

 

I am glad to see any trains in stores.  I just wonder if a kid gets the $99 G gauge set and runs it till it breaks how successful he will be in getting mom and dad to pay twice as much for a smaller set from the same company. 

 

PS I still wish Lionchief came with a switch that could make it run conventional.  It doesn't and I doubt it ever will.  I own at least half a dozen starter sets.  If they all go to Lionchief I'm not sure I will keep buying them.  I get that kids are the primary market but those of us who run conventional and have smaller curves (we do still exist) are a strong secondary market.