Prices
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(In Topic #11508)
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New Farish models
I was pleased to learn that Bachmann (Graham Farish) were planning to introduce some new long open wagons to their range in the shape of the 12 ton pipe wagon. At Warley the first painted examples were displayed, however, following a quick check of the Bachmann website I was shocked to see the RRP cost - £17.95. I knew that prices were going to rise but this seems crazy. Even new released brake vans are set to cost £16.95.  This is way beyond what I would be prepared to pay for a piece of plastic around one inch in length. I can accept paying a bit more for locos, but the idea of a rake of ten wagons costing a few pounds short of £200 is a bit much,  I doubt they will sell too many.Bob
Last edit: by Bob K
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The locos are now in US discounters at $99, the wagon prices remain unadjusted [AFAIK] don't know what it means other than good news for kit-providers, until demand gives them the idea to up their prices too.
Poo.
Doug
Last edit: by Chubber
'You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil…' Aesop's Fables
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
In the land of the slap-dash and implausible, mediocrity is king
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
In the land of the slap-dash and implausible, mediocrity is king
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I guess we probably had it fairly easy 4 or 5 years ago but I understand Bachmann UK (or probably Kader) were being subsidised by Sanda Kan so prices had to go up.
It does tend to make US outline look progressively more attractive - this is one case where size does matter. :roll: The UK outline market is pitifully small in this global economy everyone talks about ……………………..
As you say Doug, maybe the kit suppliers will make a comeback. Needing some brake wagons myself recently, (OO Gauge), I looked at the price from Bachmann (don't like Hornby stuff) and came to the same conclusion you did Bob - "you're joking - for a bit of plastic a few inches long" !!! Had it been a new model, then I'd understand that the research and design costs would have to be covered, but this model was as old as the hills. I bought some of the old Airfix/Dapol kits instead. Not perfect models but good enough for my purposes and at less that half the price ………………..;-)
'Petermac
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Pete.
it was already on fire when I got here, honest!
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I found the price of a Hornby Dublo 3 rail A4 in 1959 was £3 14s. Now this equated today to £67!!! not the answer I was expecting.
Looks to me as though the perception that model railways are rather expensive is right. Maybe production should return to a cheaper country?
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Actually Peter, Bachmann has been owned by Kader for many years & a couple or three years ago, Kader purchased their main rival Sanda Kan Kader - WikipediaI guess we probably had it fairly easy 4 or 5 years ago but I understand Bachmann UK (or probably Kader) were being subsidised by Sanda Kan so prices had to go up.
And also Sanda Kan Shake-Up Affects Model Trains - New Releases & Product Announcements - JNS Forum
Ron
NCE DCC ; 00 scale UK outline.
NCE DCC ; 00 scale UK outline.
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'Petermac
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I was going to make a comment about prices being cheaper today. So I found a site that calculates the price then and what it would cost today.
I found the price of a Hornby Dublo 3 rail A4 in 1959 was £3 14s. Now this equated today to £67!!! not the answer I was expecting.
Looks to me as though the perception that model railways are rather expensive is right. Maybe production should return to a cheaper country?
The only problem nowadays is 'where is that cheaper country???' We're all aware that due to progressive wage increases in China, model prices have gone up quite sharply, and we can't deny that their workers deserve a standard of living in this day and age. Like myself, many will recall electronic items around the 1960's being "Made in Hong Kong", and when their wage rates rose, it became "Made in Japan", then Indonesia, and so on, major Companies 'jumping ship' to wherever the cheapest labour costs were, aided by those countries governments offering big incentives for a company to move production to that country with resultant jobs for the population. This kind of 'hopscotch' of companies moving production from one country to another in turn will doubtless continue, driven by boardroom profit motives, which, after all, are a companies 'Raison d'etre', as the company wouldn't survive otherwise. There are some products ('bog-standard' TV's for example) which are probably cheaper like-for-like than back in the 1960's, but that's only because of largely computerised production methods, whereas something like a model locomotive which requires much more hand assembly with the complex detail we modellers demand and expect, will continue to suffer cost increases. Unfortunately, there are no 'cheap hobbies' nowadays!
Keith.
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Manufacturing companies have always chased low wages - labour is the highest single cost in manufacturing.
Britain used to be the centre of manufacture but, when she started to price herself out of the worlds markets by constantly increasing wage costs coupled with constantly reducing quality, manufacture moved elsewhere.
It has almost done the rounds now and one wonders if it will go full circle and return here. Somehow I doubt it. It's easier to make money shoving bits of paper across a desk in the City than to stand on an assembly line in a factory.
The problem is, and I'm not sure we've learnt it yet, but those "manual" workers will start to demand the same standards and remuneration as the fat cats currently enjoy - otherwise, they'll down tools and we'll all have to eat paper !!!
'Petermac
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Bob
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Another major cost is transportation. Check out where plastic boxes in Poundland come from. Not all are PRC. Probably the best around at the moment are the 'Really Useful' brand, made in the UK!
The reason model trains are probably still being made abroad is the large labour content. There are limits to automation and robotics.
There are many other signs though that things are changing. Nearer home Snugpack are actually making jackets in Yorkshire that are cheaper than those from other brands made elsewhere!
Whether the Institution of Production Engineers will ever return?
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