Can anyone else relate? My 6 year old son LOVES model trains and has been an avid train lover since he was 18 months old. My problem is he is attracted to the most expensive sets. Does anyone have advice or an explanation I can use to explain to him why model trains are so expensive? :) Any tips or guidance is much appreciated.
Sincerely,
A train supporting mom
Here is his wish list to give you an idea:
- Amtrak City Sprinter
- Acela Set
- Amtrak Acela II Set
- Daylight Special
- Track King
- Coastliner
- Overland Limited
- Circus Spectacular
Your son is attracted to them because the expensive sets have all the pretty colors and all the (literal) bells and whistles.
Nobody knows why they are so expensive, since the initial costs of new tooling and technology should be offset by now.
Start him off with one of them like the Track King or Coast Liner. Tell him that you'll get him more stuff if he takes care of the first one. Tell him that he has to help pay for it out of his allowance though, and that you'll match whatever money he puts up. I had an arrangement like that when I was a kid, and was able to eventually build an empire of my own that connected to my dad's railroad.