Agree with the others, not dying just changing. What I find most interesting is the price of secondhand models through ebay or facebook groups has PLUMMETED. Almost nothing is worth what it was only 5 years ago. Seems like all Norscot models can be bought for 50% or less of their original price. The old NZG and Conrad model values are in the basement as well. I remember when the livery Cat 966s seemed like they were all $200-300 a piece, now they are the same price as the standard version.

While the price of the newer models has steadily increased, I think its easier to be a collector now than it has in the past because of the older prices dropping. This is an expensive hobby and I think most people have a connection to the machines whether its a profession or family history. Barring those circumstances I have a hard time seeing a pedestrian buyer justifying $600 for a CCM piece. Keeping that in mind, there are NO young people getting into construction anymore, much less any other trade. I believe that has to have an effect on the hobby as well.

Personally I think the closure of the classifieds cut the traffic back immensely, and photobucket is starving the forums dry. I can remember people posting in the classifieds that had never posted on the forum before that point. I have bought many items from the classifieds, and oddly enough some of the classified listings brought me to buy direct from DHS rather than secondhand.

Seems like the consensus is the hobby has evolved, and is not dying. This Forum is much like a magazine. As you thumb through, if the pictures grab your attention, then you read the content. I have no clue about Instagram or Facebook, but from reading there, you have the ability to see the pictures AND read the content? So the Forum has suffered to a large degree because of the loss of pictures. Along the same lines, the loss of classifieds hurt the Forum. I can only imagine how much Chuck is gnawing his teeth right now. I would not want to be responsible for managing the classifieds. And then there is the pricing and value of models. I know first hand that Ebay is dying off. I'm losing my butt on fees, shipping, and too many sellers vying for the same few buyers left. I'm slowing getting out of Ebay and the hobby altogether. I keeping thinking that I can come up with new ideas to attract buyers. It works for a short time, and then flops. The older models don't sell, as written here above. The newer models are sold by everyone. I guess what I am trying to say is a perfect situation would be a place to go talk, show pictures, buy and sell, and see custom ideas and models. Someone point me in that direction and I will join. CAW

I agree with most of the ideas posted here. I have been here since 2003, and before the "internet" we only had toy shows and the Toy Trucker magazine (the Bible). The obnoxious "kids" were a big problem, and I assume they have migrated to social media. I also agree that a Facebook type forum would be a great thing to try, along with another classified adds section. I think the hobby is thriving quite well, but I see a few problems. New collectors have very little interest in the older models, the market was flooded with models of a particular type, (RT loaders come to mind), and I see a not very good future ahead of us. A good majority of collectors are company owners, operators, truck drivers, have jobs or are interested in construction. A majority of the new generation of Millennials have no interest in construction jobs, transportation, and certainly not collectibles. Just my opinion.