u/Live_Impress3420

The $131.00 shipping was like a jumpscare

(I'm a major dumbass so the toys being on clearance may not mean they are being pulled off shelves)

Image credits by splendid red on twitter

cool

Something that has been bugging me about the recent trackmaster is that from what I've seen, it's likely that they won't run well or that they can't pull much rolling stock. This bugs me because it's clear the designers do care, but the manufacturers don't. I really hope these issues are fixed because I would love to not gamble for whether a toy runs as good as it looks.

the 2012 trackmaster james is great imo, it mogs the current plarail one. I am sad that this James is rarely talked about. What are your opinions on it?

I honestly really like these knockoffs, some because they look like the real thing and others because they look so ugly (whiff). I already have knockoff gordon, but I hope to get more in the future, like Percy, Donald and douglas, and maybe even Edward.

I feel like most people assume that after the trackmaster and take n play ranges became worse the toy aisles have decreased the amount of toys on them, when it simply isn't true. The first two images show the Thomas toy aisle around 2015-2018, and it shows how stacked the toy aisle still was compared to pre 2014. While this doesn't justify whatsoever the actual quality of the toys at the time, it still shows how good the toy aisle was. I really hope that the 2026 show brings along these really big toy aisles, but one can just hope for now.

Credits for the images: u/tidmouth on tiktok

Would it be a hot take to say that the new 2026 diecast line is the best Thomas toy line since around 2013 or so? I just really love some of the proportions and details of engines like Henry and Gordon.

What comes first for you? The show or the toys? For me personally, I believe that toys are a major reason for me liking a show, which may be the reason why I stopped watching Thomas in 2016 or so due to the merchandise not doing great.

Wooden railway was the only toy line (up until 2018) that Mattel didn't mess up, and I've been wondering if there are any chances that it comes back. What do you guys think?

Should Mattel sell the Thomas and friends brand? Do you think there would be a positive or a negative to each answer?

Mattel should retire the trackmaster brand. The diecast line is actually the toy line that I believe is capable of surviving on its own, they should keep it how it is. But I believe Mattel should just retire the trackmaster line, and allow plarail to be sold in the United States and Britain. If they did, maybe they can receive 25% of the income. Plarail sells well and would most likely perform better than the current 2026 trackmaster toys.