Trains (particularly that overpriced little blue one)

Splash

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #1

Charlie has lost his mind when it comes to trains. He has to have every train he sees, he has to carry five with him at all times, he wants to watch them on TV all the time, and he'll happily spend hours on the back porch with the pathetic little train track he has.

He has one plastic "travel" track with a few plastic engines, and then one little wooden track that we borrowed to see if he could put it together by himself (he can). We also borrowed some of the trains for it. The only wooden trains he has that are his are Thomas and Bertis (not a train, but it still goes on the tracks). There is a local guy on Craig's List selling a set with all the tracks, stations, carrying case, 9 big engines, 22 small engines, and 14 misc. cars. He wants $200 for it (it's all Thomas, except maybe some of the cars). And while I can't fathom spending that much money on trains of all things, these things are $10-$20 EACH in the store! So I know that, retail, this lot is about $600, if not more. But it's really way more than we need. But when I think of getting what we need/want, it would probably be well over $100 just for a basic track and a few engines. Should I just get the big lot? What he has won't even FIT on the table we have for Charlie's trains... so a lot of the track and stations won't ever be used.

I know someone was talking on chat a few weeks ago about prices, and apparently someone (Canada Julie?) gets them on eBay at fell off a truck prices... who do you buy from? Is it worth scouting eBay for them? I want to buy them new, but I never imagined a 2 inch block of word would cost twenty bucks!

 

Morganthe

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #2

Poor you. Do you happen to have an Ikea near you or know someone who lives around one? If you're trying to avoid expensive product placements in your household, they have various wood train 'products' for almost dirt cheap.
Lillabo 20-piece basic train set is $12.99

Lillabo 12 piece set with train & bridge & tunnel is $8.99

10 piece rail $6.99
Trains for $3.99

I used to have wood trains like these when I was a kid & I did buy the $13 starter set from Ikea in Dec-Jan. It's excellent quality. I still haven't given it to dd. I'm waiting for that special occasion

 

mominabigtruck

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #3

I also have thomas coming out my wazoo at home and to be honest I buy most of his trains at garage sales. I don't think I've ever bought him any at the store except if it was his birthday or christmas. Of course my mom buys him trains because that's what she does but mostly I just pick stuff up at garage sales and thrift stores.

 

Splash

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #4

Wow, that Ikea one is great! Too bad there isn't one in Florida! (well, Miami, but that's not FL). Although I know there is one in Atlanta, and Jess could always pick some stuff up for me...

That's really cheap. Dang, I could deck him out with that! And the little $13 set is all most kids will ever need/want.

But...

He really loves Thomas. Really. And I am so against all characters, but... I dunno. I do let him watch one episode (about 6 minutes) a day, normally when we wake up and he's having his milk and we're getting ready for work. I know he'll play with the other trains just fine, but he loves Thomas... I tried talking AJ into buying generic wooden trains, but she wants him to have Thomas. And he knows the characters, because I've gone overboard on the books and we read them all the time and he can identify all the major ones.

I don't like most character stuff. But this is beyond one or two characters. There are dozens of them, which I think makes me a little more accepting. If it was just Elmo or Dora or that crap, I'd can it. But there are 50ish trains, all with (supposedly) different personalities and functions. There more... personal... than standard wooden trains. I know I am over thinking this, but already he is emotionally attached to his character trains. Especially Percy and Ben. I just like to spoil him, and I want him to have the little boy trainset of his dreams, even if I go bankrupt!

The local guy said he'd sell the lot for $180, so I told him I'd buy it. I found a place online to buy some marginally cheap (I want to get him a few more that I want him to have... I want him having the girl engines as well) so I'll go ahead and get him a few more. I hate hemorrhaging cash, but it'll be fine. This is the *one* aspect I like about my new job.... unlimited overtime. I'll just have to log some extra hours to get him his trains.

 

J

jenny03

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #5

I dunno, I'd think the same as you. It's a lot of money, you don't really need that many trains, blahblahblah. But in the long run, you'll probably end up buying that much anyway if Charlie is like my son. He was addicted to Thomas for 3-4 years. LOL We have 2 bins full of stuff.

 

Simplysomething

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #6

A certain craft store sells some of the Thomas trains and tracks--and when they aren't on sale you can use the coupon on them, for 40% off.

If I had the space, I think I'd totally have gotten a train table.

 

L

LuvBug

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #7

what we did was buy everything else knockoff except the engines, the engines we bought brand name whereever we could find it on sale.
So DS doesnt know that every piece isnt from thomas the train, but the engines he all recognize.

 

Splash

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #8

Right, I was just going to buy the knockoff tracks and cars, and buy the Thomas engines and a few troublesome trucks. But this guy is all Thomas everything.

I found them cheap online (cheapish) on a sale ending today. I *could* buy 3-4 large engines and half a dozen small ones and a few rail cars for about $150 and then buy the tracks elsewhere, and everything would be new. But this guy really does have a pretty amazing set, including all the stations, water tower, etc, and everything looks in good condition. I think it's a good buy, and Grandma this morning said that she'd go in on it, so.... if I can buy him hours of pure bliss (he's in a zone when he plays with these things...) for $200 (less if Grandma kicks in), then it's worth it.

Off to call the guy and get Charlie's new trains! Pictures to come!

 

L

LuvBug

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #9

go for it then!

 

Morganthe

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #10

It really sounds like a great buy! And with AJ AND Charlie AND grandma -- you're outnumbered

Remember, you don't have to give him the entire setup all at once. That would be very overwhelming with all those pieces.

I'm happy to hear that there is more than one 'girl' engine. Last I heard, there was only one and it wasn't an engine. Or was that Bob the Builder?

You get Thomas -- I have a dd obsessed with Cinderella and (gasp) Barbie I think I'd rather have Thomas -- but I can't stand watching the tv show. It's too slow! DD has never liked it. :shrug-shoulders:

DD starts 'Cinderella Magical Dance camp' on Monday. Thankfully, all I have to do is drop her off and pick her up. No more mommy participation.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Jun 2, 2007

• #11

Target has clearance figure 8 sets for like 17 bucks... you can buy any wood track (except Ikea, they have plastic connectors...weird...), and I always just bought clearanced priced cars or plain (I like plain better, have to wait till the kid is DEMANDING the Thomas before I get those)... we have spent well over the $500 for the full set, because I thought it would be too much...so we bought 1000$ at least but spread it out over a few years..didn't seem so bad. Table? What table? We just line that track up all over the living room and down the hall, baybee! (Tables were all like 400 when Kar was little, now they have lots of cheap knockoffs, I might get one for Leah...)

ETA: Duh, read the whole thread... Yeah, go for it, good price, all at once...I agree, don't give it to him all at once...spread that joy out for years...

 

cdncasper

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #12

The girls love Thomas and trains too so when I went to Edmonton last year I picked up the 20 piece train set from IKEA and they love it. The little thomas trains they have fit on it and it isn't too big to put together. Their parents bought them another small train set too (thomas one) but the tracks from both don't fit together nice so we have to stick with 2 small ones instead of 1 bigger one.

 

Y

Yoshi

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #13

I'm gettin' all nostalgic here, Splash! My son (named Thomas- named so before the popular show in 1989) had a real Thomas craze around age 3. Luckily for me, it wasn't as commercialized as it is now, and there were just a few die-cast trains and the wooden ones came out after his major love for trains abated. He did have a Thomas backpack, though. He is 18, now, and still has his die-cast trains put away somewhere. I used to have to do the voice of Diesel....Their imaginations actually do much more work without giving them EVERYTHING that goes with a set. As he gets older, he can make tunnels and other things and learn to improvise....JMO. Have fun with whatever he gets!!!!!

 

R&J'sMom

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #14

We have the whole Thomas set, my boys LOVE it and play with it daily. It was totally worth the money, and you get what you pay for. The knock offs break, while the Thomas trains have a lifetime warranty. The kids know the difference, when we go to the haircutting place they have a generic set and "trains with no faces" as my 3 year old tells me. I would say buy it, it's worth it, they are only young once, you know? Here's the set we bought my boys on Christmas..It's the Thomas lift n load train set and we glued the tracks and buildings down and I bought a ton of the trains when Toys R Us has their buy 2 get 1 free on the wooden railway trains during train month in September.

*Edit*
I just read the post that says you're going to buy the $180 set from CL, good for you, that's a GREAT price and your son will be thrilled. You will be amazed at how these trains turn into learning toys. My son learned his #'s from the trains, has a fantastic memory and can name EVERY train (even the ones we don't have) and it keeps him occupied for hours. Both my boys are TOTAL train nuts!

 

R

remken

Member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #15

Remy has some imaginarium and Thomas train tracks and pieces. About half of the imaginarium trains he got for last christmas are already broken.

 

Niea

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #16

My suggestion was to just go ahead and get the ones off CL. Sounds like a good deal and Charlie really wants them, so why not?

If it's too many pieces, you can ask the guy if you can buy half. He can then relist the other half and sell them to someone else. Or, if he won't do that, you can buy the whole lot and put whatever pieces you don't want back on CL. Bottom line is that I don't think you have to be stuck with way more pieces than you know what to do with. But once you buy the whole thing, you might find that Charlie (and you) really want the whole lot anyway.

 

MsFacetious

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #17

I have never gotten my kids the Thomas toys... because I was afraid I'd create a monster! However... taking them to see Thomas, created that monster... so now I'm debating getting them for them.

I think I want to leave that for their Dad to do though. He was equally obsessed with trains. Plus right now we have 2 airports close by and a military base. So they are content with how often they get to see airplanes and helicopters.

And of course they are thrilled when I get stuck waiting for a train forever! Lol

Splash... my boyfriend's name is AJ.... lol For some reason that made me laugh. Good for her for wanting to spoil him! It amazes me how much better parents people are when they actually have to try for the kids. But, that's a whole nother thing!

 

lovinwaves

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #18

Hi Splash,

I haven't read any of the other posts yet, so sorry if this has been mentioned already.

Our local Craigslist always has Thomas the Train items on there.

Here is an example of one that popped up not to long ago.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/bab/340609775.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/bab/340597297.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/bab/334401940.html


Also about a week ago this $66 Thomas the Train Ride-On Toy came on our Local Craigslist. I got for $5 BUCKS :thumbsup:

 

Splash

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #19

Well, I bought it. $180.

No pictures yet. We went to my in laws' house, and Charlie and my FIL were all over it. I'm not sure who liked it more! Of course, I didn't have my camera for this very sweet moment...

Here is what I can remember of it.

Thomas
Edward
Henry
James
Percy
Skarloey
Rheneas
Diesel
Diesel 10
Gold 60th anniv Thomas
Molly
Lady
Emily
Iron 'Arry
Duck
Donald
Mavis
Gordon
Butch
Oliver
Rusty
Salty
Stepney
Terrence
Toby
Bertie
Toad

And Thomas, of course.

There are a few more that I am forgetting. I got about halfway through before I have to go pull up a list of them (you'll notice it got alphabetical after a bit)

Then there was a carrying case, water tower, Knapford station, fire truck, several troublesome trucks and other railcars, tenders for about 80% of the engines, some other station I can't remember, the power company, and a ton of track and road. WAY more than I can make fit on the little table we have! I think Thomas is moving to the floor!

Some need new paint (Percy, Charlie's favorite, was apparently the last child's favorite as well. He might not be able to be saved), but nothing too drastic. Most of them need their black roofs touched up, though. The tracks have been colored on in spaces, but still perfectly functional.

I think he'll be happy. I let him have them all at once at my in laws' house, and he couldn't handle it! WAY too many trains! He was in heaven though. Soooo happy. Much better than the plastic ones. The plastic was cheaper, and bigger, but these are better. The plastic ones he could not hook together and was always upset when he wanted to switch them around. Now I just have to teach him about magnetic poles!

I'll post pictures when we get it all set up at home. He is definitely set for life, though! I want a few more engines for him, but he's good!

 

R&J'sMom

New member

• Jun 2, 2007

• #20

That's great!! I wouldn't worry about the chipped paint, they all get like that after a while.