Parents saying your to old for Thomas

I am in quite an awkward predicament as I want to collect more Tomy/Plarail/Trackmaster trains, but my parents say I am too old for Thomas, and always moan and grown about buying me Thomas merchandise and sometimes refuse to buy me any. . I am sure that many others are having the same issue, but what do people like me do in this situation.















The Gordon way is better than The Great Western way... keep on chuggin'

ha ha I am 34 and I still collect Thomas merchandise.  To be fair I don't actually play with them.  I used them as props to make youtube movies or create photo galleries.

I picked plarail instead of scale model trains because they are a lot cheaper and less complex.  


Model tracks from different manufacturers may not connect even thought they have the same scale!  not to mention the wiring and stuff.

[Super]

I too am seasoned...way more seasoned than Leyland is.

There is not much you can do about your parents but just ride it out as there will come a time when we all move to a different hobby but in all our cases we came back to these later in life. I am sure you are destined to the same fate as ours. Hang in there. Mean while you can come here to share in love for these trains with others who share the same passion.

I'm 51 years old and collect Thomas trains!!
They may never understand...my mother still doesn't either. Lol
...but it's not her happiness that I am trying satisfy.
LIFE, LIBERTY, & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...thats what freedom is.
The right of each person's own choice as to what makes them happy, and freedom from persecution to pursue it.
That said, If you're not 18, then asking your parents to buy things that they may not be able to afford, or things that they think you don't need, is their prerogative, so either get a job and earn your own money to buy whatever you want, or wait until your of age to become your own boss.
Either way that's how life works.
Good luck to you!

thanks

Yeah, my Mom thinks I’m too old for toy trains.

On the other hand, my kids think it’s pretty cool, although my son wants everything I have!

I’m trying to look at this issue from the standpoint of being a parent and “grownup adult” of somewhat advanced age. Maybe there’s a concern that an interest in “childish” things is a sign of immaturity or some sort of emotional issue. To be sure, there are adults and teens who are so into various pop culture fandoms that they lose touch with reality. They might be concerned that a seemingly harmless interest could mask some darker obsessions. Or less drastic, a concern that you’ll grow up to be an underachieving “40 year old virgin” type character.

Yeah, I can acknowledge those concerns but I don’t agree that it’s actually the case, most of the time. Hang around here and you’ll encounter quite a number of us who may have a “peculiar hobby” but are otherwise very much adults with families, homes, cars, jobs and all the other trappings of being a grownup.

Moreover, if your parents have simply grown tired of buying toys, or may not have the financial resources to do it on the level they once did, again, I can understand that. It can be difficult if you’re in that age range where Mom and Dad don’t want to or can’t buy what they once could but you’re too young to legally work. It isn’t as easy for pre-teens and early teens to find work as it was in past decades. I wish I could offer some advice there (maybe some chores for an allowance arrangement?) but try to hang in there until you are able to have more financial independence.

as a kid, i was never into thomas. [shocked gasps!] but, i WAS into the old magnetic tomy trains in a huge way, buying everything i saw at thrift stores and building huge layouts that took over the lounge. the last time i did that i would have been 15 or 16?
i still remember buying a boxed freight car set from a pawn shop and dad huffing and puffing about me being too old. he did the same when i rescued a cabbage patch kid from the same store.
i am 33 now, and regularly build layouts for display at a local model railway club, and the kids get such a kick out of it, my immature collection makes sense to my folks. my latest is actually on display tonight for the clubs christmas show.
thomas didnt come on my radar until 2008 when i was 22, and then plarail was the natural progression from that.

just hang in there, dude. are you at an age you could find a part time job... mowing lawns, washing cars, helping weed gardens? something to bring in some money for you, then you can say to your folks you will put in so much if they can meet the difference? the main thing is, if they say no, try not to get stroppy. these trains will always be around, even if you have to buy used.

I didn't acquire one single train until I started working full time like 11 years ago.

I know a lot of grown up still play with Legos. To me building trackmaster layouts are somewhat like building Lego sets. You are basically using your creativity to build something from nothing.

I wonder who's the oldest on here? I remember when my son (Gordon James BTW) was old enough that I had an excuse to go out and buy Tomy Train 1 from our local toy shop.

Super should be the oldest here since he has a grandson.