Toy train fans are still waiting at the station for Polar Express train sets

This is toy train season, and the hard to find Christmas gift for kids this year might be a toy train. Not just any train, The Polar Express. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Rick Wells talked to one hobby

Tuesday, November 30th 2004, 10:36 am

By: News On 6


This is toy train season, and the hard to find Christmas gift for kids this year might be a toy train. Not just any train, The Polar Express.

News on 6 reporter Rick Wells talked to one hobby shop owner, and found there may not be nearly enough Polar Express trains to satisfy the demand.

A new holiday movie from Warner Brothers based on the classic children's book, Polar Express, has been out for three weeks and there was supposed to be a Polar Express electric train. "They were supposed to be here the day of the release, in conjunction and they're not available yet." Dave Cole owns Action Hobbies at 51st and Memorial. He ordered 12 of the sets from Lionel and has been told he might get two, but is afraid he won't get any. He says they've had several calls from customers looking for the train sets, but as far as he knows no one in town has them. "This is a Christmas item; the theme of the Polar Express is Christmas."

And he says the time to sell an item like this is when interest is high, specialty items are never a guarantee. "It's a roll of the dice if it will sell well it depends on the success of the movie." The movie's doing all right, it was still 5th at the box office this past weekend and its creating interest in the train sets.

If EBay is any indication, there are several Polar Express sets for sale and the price is climbing. Bids on some have the cost up to nearly twice what you'd pay in a store, if the store had any. The Internet may be the only reliable source for a Polar Express train set in time for Christmas.

Lionel says they hope to get a limited number of Polar Express train sets to hobby shops later this week. Dave Cole at Action Hobbies told us, after that, there may not be any available until February.
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