[RebeccaMB]

Any advice on where to get the best *deal* on a brio train set? my son desperately wants a new train set for his upcoming bday, adn with 2 more boys coming up, i figure a BRIO will be the best bet for money. but, i know how expensive they are. ..

are they only really available at Wise Kids or Toys Club?

[syuan]

we got a BRIO train set as a birthday present, but we expanded that with some other sets from imaginarium. much much cheaper, and really they seem almost the same quality. i think the sets from IKEA are also compatible. just FYI, something you might want to consider.

[rani]

If you just want the plain pine wooden tracks, they have them in Wanchai - 100 pieces for $100. Then you can buy the stations and trains from Wise Kids or Toys R Us. We sell a few thomas trains on ShopinHK.

http://www.shopinhk.com/home.php?cat=27710

D got his first train set at 3. We started off with the Ikea figure 8 train set, and a few Thomas trains. Over the years we've kept adding to it, with the Wanchai tracks and then friends have handed down their tracks and trains. Our flat is covered with tracks every few days. We eventually built a train table for him but he still prefers to lay the tracks around the house and the layouts are getting more complex as they weave in and out of rooms and furniture.

[rani]

The Ikea, Imaginarium, Thomas tracks and Wanchai tracks are all comptabile. There was also a store in Horizon Plaza that sold wooden toys and train sets. I think it was call Woodpecker. Not sure if its still there.

[fee]

Where in Wan chai? At that price I am going there tomorrow!!!

[rani]

The store is called Kam Fai

http://www.geobaby.com/directory/sho...-toys/details/

They have it a plain a white box near the display of Thomas trains. I think it was on the bottom shelf.

[RebeccaMB]

see, my problem is I bought one of the "no-name" wooden train sets from a *side-walk sale* (not sure if that's what you call them here but i mean when the middle of the mall has a temporary shop set up selling books, toys, videos, etc) Anyhow, bought the wooden train set in a white box for HK$100 a few years ago but the "connectors" are all heavy duty HARD plastic that my son cannot use ... i mean i can barely connect the parts myself! ... so i'm worried that if i buy another set like this, then i'll be in the same boat (not-kid-friendly) ... BUT if your (group) experience is that the imaginarium from TrUs is just as good as the BRIO, then i'm off tomorrow to pick up a set.

Rani, i can TOTALLY sympathize with the tracks all over the house! DS also has the TOMY Thomas train set (and add ons) (it's a plastic set, but seems to be durable --- tho really for 4yrs+ to build) ... and we have tracks DAILY ... makes for LOADS of fun with a set of twins trying to learn to crawl on the same (shared) floor
:-)

[RebeccaMB]

Oh, and THANKS everyone for your advice :-)