Mysteriously, the title of this topic just popped into my head, and IMO it has a nice ring to it, maybe because of the alliteration.
Then, I thought about it for a few minutes before posting it. After doing so, it occurred to me that this topic might help promote our hobby in a positive way.
Then, I did a Forum search to see if something similar had been posted (something I almost always do before starting a new thread), and I found nothing similar, as I expected, so here we are.
When model railroading was most popular, when baby boomers like many of us were children in the 1950s and early 1960s, most people buying Lionel and American Flyer trains (our parents), did so in moderation. Many of those parents were children of the Great Depression, and no matter how much they loved the trains (my parents and aunts and uncles certainly did), they did model railroading in moderation.
We are talking about trains around the Christmas tree or during the winter holidays, and then maybe graduating to the 4 by 8 foot plywood board. Purchases were also made in moderation, starting with a moderately priced train set back then, and slowly and gradually adding trains and accessories over the years during our childhood.
I am sure, not all, but many of us have had a similar experience.
Keeping this moderation in mind is good for helping newcomers get started and promoting the hobby.
I could be wrong, but it seems to me that most potential future model railroaders will relate better to doing it in moderation, especially when getting started, like our parents did to get us started.
Once we get started, and have fun and an otherwise positive experience, then we start dreaming and the train collection and layout can grow exponentially, as it has for many of us.
Your thoughts? Arnold