Next month, Lionel is set to release its 2021 volume 2 catalog. As the release date closes in, the speculation will start on what will be included. People will be looking for leaks from their favorite dealer. It’s like waiting for the big Christmas catalogs we poured over when we were kids.
The excitement builds as the cover gets released on Lionel’s website. If we are lucky, a dealer will leak a price sheet, now we have a good idea what’s in.
Finally, it’s released! We “flip” the pages on Lionel’s website, a lucky few may have a chance to review an actual paper catalog. Then the discussions here on OGR: many are joyful to see their long-sought locomotive being produced, others will be disappointed. Yes, some will even complain a bit about the prices. As individuals we look over the 200 plus pages like a general reviewing a map, planning his campaign. We in turn start imagining certain locomotives and rolling stock on our layouts and we plan out our budgets accordingly.
We excitedly ask each other: “What are you getting?” It’s an exciting time and more than that it is fun.
Traditional catalogs serve several purposes, they help plan our purchase strategy by giving us the big picture of what products are coming down the pike. The catalogs also serve as a reference for us, especially important when we buy a locomotive on the secondary market a few years after its release. “What features does it have?” “When was it produced?”
I also think a thick paper catalog speaks volumes of the health of the company producing it. It’s takes a significant investment to print, and it takes a healthy company to make that investment. A large catalog also projects that company’s presence in the market as well as our imaginations.
Uncatalogued releases are fine, occasionally. They can be a pleasant surprise, but they will never have the power of a real catalog.
Lets go Lionel 2021 volume 2 catalog!
