Thanks, Richelle. I've sold "starter kits" for a variety of markets, and done well each time - knitting, model railroading, and fly fishing. I can hardly take credit for inventing the idea, but it is one of those logical things that people just seem to forget about when they're approaching their niches. Some kind of kit that has the basic things you need, and -- even better -- a value-added aspect like a small printed guide, cheat sheet, a cute/functional holder for it all, etc. can really make an impression on the newcomers to a niche, especially a hobby niche. Not to be overly mercenary, but newcomers to any given hobby tend to spend a ton of money while their enthusiasm is peaking, so giving them a positive first experience can really pay off handsomely in the long run as they come back for higher-ticket supplies, tell their friends about the awesome starter kit they got etc. etc. etc. It's been three years since I did the railroad kits, and I still get inquiries via my railroad-related sites (none of those sites sell anything but books, posters, clothes, etc. and not actual modeling supplies anymore, so it's kind of wasted, but neat that we still get inquiries.)
Frank