# Sam's Club Bachmann Christmas Set



## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

I was wondering if anyone had heard rumors whether or not Sam's Club was going to sell the Bachmann Christmas sets for 2009...


Thanks, 
Matt


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Matt, 

Don't think they have one based on the talk on the B-man site. Seems Bass Pro shops have a Big Hauler set for sale this year. 

Best, 
TJ


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## digger (Jan 2, 2008)

Just viewed it on the Bass Pro website. Check out the Gifts & Toys link. Looks like a standard Big Hauler 4-6-0, a boxcar, and a combine, yours for only $199 plus shipping. Don't expect to see a run on these..... 

Ed


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

20 years ago, CostCo and the Price Club used to sell those sets for $99. I still have one and it still runs.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Funny, the Bach-man talked like he had information but wasn't allowed to divulge it as yet. That was over a month ago. Was Bass Pro Shop's Christmas set the "info" he wasn't allowed to discuss? We never heard.....


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

The Sam's sets in 2005 and 2006 sets were around $200 bucks as I remember. Both sets had Annie engines and the 2006 was a great value tossing in a trolley instead of a caboose. 










Best, 
TJ


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like a standard Big Hauler 4-6-0, a boxcar, and a combine 
The problem with last year's was that bachmann put colored LEDs along the boiler! Made it tough to use on a real railroad. 

I can't really tell, but this year's looks 'regular' North Pole - straight out of the B'mann factory (click the pic for their page): 



 


CostCo and the Price Club used to sell those sets for $99
George, 

It was so long ago the memory is playing tricks?








My recollection is that they were $150-ish, but both stores sold them after Xmas at 50% off. My handyman went down to Sam's and bought 2 at $70+, and I gave him most of the cars. My loco still runs, but it is heavily converted with batteries, sound, etc.


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for all the info, gents. It doesn't look too good... 

TJ I got hooked looking for these sets in 2006 when I found that Annie set on clearance at Sams for about $90. When I told the wife I was going to repaint and bash it, she said 'Not this one, \you'll have to get another one.' So I did- for $75! 
Anyway, I kinda figured it was too good to happen again...but I'll keep my eyes open!


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm pretty sure it's another "no go" for this year at Sams! Oh well...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tj-lee on 19 Nov 2009 03:01 PM 
The Sam's sets in 2005 and 2006 sets were around $200 bucks as I remember. Both sets had Annie engines and the 2006 was a great value tossing in a trolley instead of a caboose. 
 







 

Best, 
TJ 

I think that is the set I purchased for display on the back bar at Sam's Club. Never intended to run it.  It seems to me I did not pay quite that much for it, but I do recall it was considerably more expensive than the ones that used to be offered some years back. I appreciated the fact that this one was a real Christmas set. It will be pulled out again soon for the usual annual display.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

> It seems to me I did not pay quite that muc 

Could have been under $200. The memory is not what it used to, er, what were we talking about? 

Best, 
TJ


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

When the first BATTERY powered Bachmann Big Hauler sets came out with the Tweetsie 4-6-0 and caboose, a garrish yellow B&O flat and another car I don't even remember, Price Club sold them for $49 at Christmas. A dealer called me and said they didn't have a Price Club in his area, Would I go fill up my car with as many as I could get. He drove up from Roanoke [200 miles], paid me $55 each and paid for my Price Club membership. I remeber the check out lady asking me what I was going to do with 25 train sets. The dealer sold them all for $100 each within about three days. Of course gas wasn't $2.59.9 per gallon either. 

I stilll have both of my sets [somewhere] 
Happy Thanksgiving!!


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## trainman707 (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Matt Vogt on 18 Nov 2009 12:47 PM 
I was wondering if anyone had heard rumors whether or not Sam's Club was going to sell the Bachmann Christmas sets for 2009...


Thanks, 
Matt




I have not seen any in our local club. Was wondering myself. Most of the Christmas decorations, trees, toys, etc. have already been received. If I have a chance tomorrow, will call the buyer and ask. They may be selling them in a different market than here.

Monte


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## Gary Lantz (Feb 20, 2008)

I've never seen it this dry. There is no overstock on anything this season. 5 of the 12 SKU's of big hauler sets are already gone for 2009 and 4 of those 12 SKU's are the thomas and percy sets and the lumberjack and prospector sets. Everything is running dry and way early. And we got the new Aristo Craft Price increase in the mail today!!! Yippee.......... They call it "Inflation". Part of the problem is that Kader is not up and running 100% yet after the Sanda Kan takeover and we are told maybe after chinese new year they will be able to start making some stuff again. Pretty much with a few exceptions what you see on the shelf right now is it for this year and part of next. Some companies including Aristo Craft are going through Christmas this year without any sets to sell. Bachmann and Atlas O are scrambling to put together some O gauge sets with Atlas IR track and williams trains.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Gary Lantz on 20 Nov 2009 06:47 PM 
I've never seen it this dry. There is no overstock on anything this season. 5 of the 12 SKU's of big hauler sets are already gone for 2009 and 4 of those 12 SKU's are the thomas and percy sets and the lumberjack and prospector sets. Everything is running dry and way early. *And we got the new Aristo Craft Price increase in the mail today!!! Yippee.......... They call it "Inflation"*. Part of the problem is that Kader is not up and running 100% yet after the Sanda Kan takeover and we are told maybe after chinese new year they will be able to start making some stuff again. Pretty much with a few exceptions what you see on the shelf right now is it for this year and part of next. Some companies including Aristo Craft are going through Christmas this year without any sets to sell. Bachmann and Atlas O are scrambling to put together some O gauge sets with Atlas IR track and williams trains. 

  It seems like the timing for a price increase is just a little ill-advised.  
.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Gary some guy on ebay has 8-9 of the thomas sets on there for $285 buy it now????? Regal 

p.s. thanks for comin in to the "live" show tonight too!


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 20 Nov 2009 09:25 PM 
Posted By Gary Lantz on 20 Nov 2009 06:47 PM 
I've never seen it this dry. There is no overstock on anything this season. 5 of the 12 SKU's of big hauler sets are already gone for 2009 and 4 of those 12 SKU's are the thomas and percy sets and the lumberjack and prospector sets. Everything is running dry and way early. *And we got the new Aristo Craft Price increase in the mail today!!! Yippee.......... They call it "Inflation"*. Part of the problem is that Kader is not up and running 100% yet after the Sanda Kan takeover and we are told maybe after chinese new year they will be able to start making some stuff again. Pretty much with a few exceptions what you see on the shelf right now is it for this year and part of next. Some companies including Aristo Craft are going through Christmas this year without any sets to sell. Bachmann and Atlas O are scrambling to put together some O gauge sets with Atlas IR track and williams trains. 

It seems like the timing for a price increase is just a little ill-advised. 
. 

Thats Aristocraft for ya..... keep on slammin the train guys with price increases. they had 2 increases last year i beleive. I guess the old man knows something we dont...About the economy i guess they think things must be gettin better...........


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## Splicer (Nov 29, 2008)

Well, isn'tthat what the gubberment keeps telling us, that the recession is over and things are getting better everyday? And Louis has a habit of raising prices at the wrong time. But to be fair, it isn't cheap to do what AC does. Or any of them for that matter. Is USAT raising prices as well? 

Back on topic, I haven't seen any Bachmann sets at our Sams Club in a couple of years. I don't even recall that nice set with the trolley someone posted a pic of. And the last time I saw any Christmas sets, there weren't any left to have to be cleared out. And now the Bass Pro edition at $199 really isn't too bad I guess. If I recall correctly, I paid like $130.00 11 years ago for my sons set from Johnnys Toys. So I guess $11.81 a year was a pretty good deal after all.


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## Gary Lantz (Feb 20, 2008)

ya Regal - the thomas sets came today we will be shipping monday morning. that guy on e-bay wants to retire after he sells his i guess. cant believe he could get those kinda bucks for it but you know what PT barnum said - theres an A*S for every seat. As for the Aristo Craft prices the changes are only in track - this is what the letter says - Track is subject to the copper commodity pricing of the day and will probably change each time we order during the upcoming year. This price is based on Copper at $3 lb or $6.600 a metric ton as shown on the LEM or London Exchange Market. That, along with the Chinese RMB at $6.82 per the dollar determines the price. - In addition it goes on to say that if the situation gets better they will make adjustments accordingly. but rolling stock and such is'nt changed. Its still only 62 cents more for a section of Aristo Craft brass track over a section of Bachmann's tin train set track.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Splicer on 20 Nov 2009 11:14 PM 
I paid like $130.00 11 years ago for my sons set from Johnnys Toys. So I guess $11.81 a year was a pretty good deal after all. 

Exactly. About $25 higher if you factor inflation. How soon we forget.....


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

My first set was a Bachmann Red Comet set that my father found on clearance after Christmas for $27 at COSTCO. Back in 2003(?) Sam's club had the Casey Jones Big Hauler set for $89 right after Christmas which I bought. I kept the cars and resold the engine on ebay for.....$99! I still have the boxcars.


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## lvst4evr (Feb 28, 2008)

Bought a couple of the Bachmann "Big Hauler" train sets way back! The 1st. at Price Club for $89.00 & the second (my favorite, the "Blue Comet" passenger set), at Orchard Supply in San Jose, for $50.00 on the day after Christmas! They always had "Christmas stuff" on sale for 50% off on the day after Christmas! Also for a few Christmas seasons they had a run of Bachmann box cars lettered up for "Orchard Supply" for $20.00 & they were also 50% off after Christmas. I bought 4 of them but made the mistake of not buying the the one full box of ten they had left which the manager would have sold for $80.00! 
Haven't seen them for many years there & most of the sets "On Line" or "Back East" are $250.00 & up! So much for the "good old days" Jim


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 20 Nov 2009 09:25 PM 
Posted By Gary Lantz on 20 Nov 2009 06:47 PM 
I've never seen it this dry. There is no overstock on anything this season. 5 of the 12 SKU's of big hauler sets are already gone for 2009 and 4 of those 12 SKU's are the thomas and percy sets and the lumberjack and prospector sets. Everything is running dry and way early. *And we got the new Aristo Craft Price increase in the mail today!!! Yippee.......... They call it "Inflation"*. Part of the problem is that Kader is not up and running 100% yet after the Sanda Kan takeover and we are told maybe after chinese new year they will be able to start making some stuff again. Pretty much with a few exceptions what you see on the shelf right now is it for this year and part of next. Some companies including Aristo Craft are going through Christmas this year without any sets to sell. Bachmann and Atlas O are scrambling to put together some O gauge sets with Atlas IR track and williams trains. 

It seems like the timing for a price increase is just a little ill-advised. 
. 

I dont think they really care one way or another, remember how track prices rose after LGB production stopped and they have continued to be high despite a global drop in copper prices? Now that Aristo is the defacto "big boy" in the track market now, I just dont believe the "inflation" or "supply" issues anymore, I think its simply them pushing the market price as far as they think they can.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Vic say it ain't so not from the "Polkyman" I see a rapid or declining market, as I consider myself at the lower end of the market, and I have not bought anything from a retailer for years! I search for bargains or just plain good deals in order to further my layouts mostly track, buildings, rolling stock, as I have the engines I wish to keep, and have 4 i'm trying to move out of my stock, as they are pretty much shelf queens and just sitting and not being run! Unless something exciting similar to the Triplex comes out and tickles my fancy again I will not be purchasing anything other than the above. They keep raising their prices and they will surely shut down the hobby and or hobbyist's who wish to come into g-scale or further purchase anything in the near future! I myself have had thoughts of switching to O or HO scale again because of the prices that are being charged out there!! (just thinking! not acting on my thoughts yet!) Regal


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Regal, I'm in the same boat as you. Other than 4 SS switches that I bought from Train World and some Kadee couplers that I've bought along the way, everything else I have bought has been used or new at a very low price on Ebay. Shiny new track is nice but so long as I can get the top of the rail clean, used track works fine for me. 

As far as blaming Kadar for the increases in prices and shortages of product, that only shows how poorly these companies business palns are. There are plenty of other companies in China that can and will build toy trains. 

In the end, it's the G Gauge hobby that will suffer from the high prices and shortages. I for one see far more used equipment I'd like to buy and can't afford, to worry about buying new. But the newcomers are typically attacted to shiney new train sets especially at Christmas time. They will walk into WalMart and see those big signs "Lionel Train Station" as soon as they enter and most will become Lionel train enthusist. 

Randy


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I just got my 2 Aristo #6 SS switches, to beat the increase. Boy the story about the Chinese new year interfering with production is wearing a bit thin, huh? 

Let's see, how many years has there been a Chinese New year? The second millennium before Christ? 

Uhh... so it's a surprise?, and no one in China saw it coming and it disrupts production? 

Kader has not adjusted to the Sanda Kan takover, even with falling sales and less production, they still can't handle it? 

BS. 

Profits are down, and they are only producing what they are SURE they can sell, and running out of stuff (like SS track) ups the demand and makes people give in to increased prices. 

Regards, Greg


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Simple Marketing... Petroleum 101 

The oil companies have removed refiners from the market, creating artificial shortages, thus keeping high prices as the cost of a barrel goes down.... 
Plus China is keeping their currency below market value... 

Instead of Quality fade, we get quantity fade.... 

What ever the market will bear. 

John


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Ya and the younger generation does not care they will pay. They got plastic and its buy buy no mater what as long as it's available. You think G scale had got pricey HO not much better. It's gone out of sight also. Later RJD


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