Well, this is the weekend of the big warehouse sale up at Lionel Trains’ headquarters up in Concord, North Carolina, just on the north side of Charlotte. I believe this is only the second year that Lionel has done this. More importantly, it is the first time I have attended. The sale goes on Saturday and Sunday, the 4th & 5th, but Lionel Collector Club of America (LCCA) members get in early on Friday night. Nice to be able to get in a bit earlier, though it is still quite crowded.
Little did I know that there is also a Lionel retail shop on site. Those pictures above that are all nice and tidy (the last 6) are the shop. The shop isn’t huge and by no means carries the full range of Lionel merchandise, but it is nice, friendly, and well worth the visit.
I won’t tell you how much money I spent, heck I am still trying not to let myself know, but there were some great deals to be had. Sections of curved FasTrack were only a dollar each, and straights were two dollars. There were random un-boxed cars, mint in every way except missing their boxes, for just $10. Suffice it to say that I stocked up on all sorts of stuff. But hey, I needed it all, right?
I must also mention how nice everyone was. From the Lionel folks working the sale to the collectors, kids, and other shoppers, everyone was smiling, pleasant, helpful and just having a good time. These are toys after all!
So, to some up, I think I have a new must-attend event and perhaps a new kickoff to the holiday train season. Now to see if I can make it to York next year …
