[CMOTD]

Dave has a marginally valid point although he could have put it more succinctly. Compare early Scalextric catalogues and the latest ones in the LIBRARY to see what he means.

However, adding borders and fences to sets is hardly likely to set the world on fire. Ever since the early days, slot cars (and choo choo trains for that matter) have been a short lived toy for children which invariably ended up in the loft after a few months. The percentage of people who progressed to embracing the hobby properly has always been tiny which is why so many old slot cars have survived.

Neither slot cars nor model railways have ever been a cheap hobby and most households lack the most important ingredient to take them any further - space for a permanent layout. Sets still sell in large quantities at Christmas but, as houses get ever smaller, the scope for more involvement continues to diminish. If rug racing is your only option you are never going to be able to build that dream circuit and any initial enthusiasm will drain away.

Video games, by way of contrast, take up minimal space and are relatively less expensive.