https://www.pokemoncenter.com/...odel-train-by-lionel
Any opinions on this one?
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Wow that's a cute train, but 400.00 for a 2-4-2 steam engine set seems high for me. But, maybe as a collectible Pokémon item, it may be worth it.
Oh, I'm sure there are plenty of opinions. My son is a Pokemon nut. He is 26. I still buy him PM stuff from time to time. I don't see myself dropping $400 bucks on this set. I'd let him buy it if he were so inclined. In years past my kids would want some cartoon themed Lionel stuff at the local train show. We bought a few and they never really did anything with them. They were displayed briefly then ended up back in the box in my shed, where they have been to this day.
After taking a good look at it, I would say you could buy any Lionel starter set, paint it shades of black and gray and put Pokemon stickers all over it for half the price and still have the same thing. It won't be collectible if that is important to you.
In the end it really up to you as whether or not you want to spend that kind of money on it and if she'll appreciate it for a while or if it will end up forgotten in a closet or shed in a couple of months. I guess it could be something to hang on to for the grandkids one day if/when then happens.
Isn't she a little old to be playing with trains? . . . Wait . . . never mind.
My 30 and 31 year old daughter and son-in-law love Pokemon!!! Too bad they don't like trains! They are getting a Pokemon gift from us for Christmas. I'm with Mike, I don't see you paying $400 for it, though.
Well, I considered buying that myself for me (age 60) and my Pokémon obsessed son, so I understand why she asked for it. In the end, I decided to pass. From a model train perspective, there is nothing special about it and there is no particular connection within the Pokémon milieu for a train. It’s a very basic Lionel starter set, as anyone here can see. I think it is overpriced. However, for Pokémon fans, it has the most popular characters on it and some pretty cool graphics. Besides mail order from the Pokémon site, there is only one physical store in the entire US you can buy it, and that’s the Nintendo store at Rockefeller Center which adds a lot of collector credibility to the set.
In the end, it all comes down to a personal decision on what it’s worth. You won’t find it discounted anywhere, that’s for sure.
postscript: I note that it has 24 reviews and every one of them is “5 Pikachus”, so the highest possible. While regulars here would like give it 1 star, it’s telling that among Pokémon fans, it’s a hit.
Value is always what someone is willing to pay for it. I have three daughters ages 26-12 and they all love Pokeman. I thought it would be a passing fad with my oldest, but I was certainly wrong on that. She teaches high school calculus and wears a Pickachu shirt to class on occasion. If you like it, not harm in buying it. I've never considered this hobby an investment though. It is just fun.
