Hornby buys Airfix and Humbrol paints

"Jerry" wrote

Read what I said (I repeat it below):

this was simply an attempt to say that the problem may not have been of Heller's making - nor Humbrol's for that matter.

John.

There are other firms doing the same but on a global scale.

There was virtually no competition for Hornby whereas there is already a plethora of well-established companies making upmarket kits far in advance of anything Airfix has ever produced. Also the name "Airfix" is strongly associated with low-cost, value-for-money kits. If they try and change that there is no point in buying the name.

I suspect there is little domestic demand for WW2 Spitfires in China as opposed to Poland and the former Czechoslovakia where many other manufacturers have relocated.

(kim)

In message , %%stu%% writes

DCC, I expect. If you think about it, Scalextric is like a very narrow-gauge railway, but with a pin under the cars running in the slot (which is the equivalent of the very-close-together rails) and current collection via brushes picking up from brass or nickel silver strip laid flat on the road surface, one each side of the slot. To change lane for overtaking, etc., just install one or more crossovers. Simple, innit?

Yes I had worked out the similarity to train DCC systems.

I was wondering really how the lane switch would work to overtake. Is the track moveable like points or does the car steer to select another lane? Either way the control is the tricky part involving some quick switching.

Loking at the web site it isn't clear as to how it's done.

stu

"Jane Sullivan" wrote

Got to say I don't really see the relevence of DCC with Scalextric, or the relevence of two track racing at all for that matter.

John.

I was wondering if this might mean that Humbrol will start producing accurate railway colours?

Fred X

"Fred X" wrote

Wot? You mean like they first started their business doing? Nah, far too sensible a suggestion, although they may well have missed the boat now with Precision and Rail Match having now all but cornered the market.

John.

"John Turner" wrote in news:ej5b2u$881$ snipped-for-privacy@newsreaderm2.core.theplanet.net:

Hummm compared to Humbrol Rail Match and Precision are "mom and pop" operations who only get a look in because Humbrol had withdrawn from the rail section of the market, if they re-entered Precision/Rail Match would be squeezed out with at least one of them going out of business within 2 years ... at a guess.

My concern with the whole Hornby/Humbrol/airfix/Borg thing that's been going on over the last year or two is that I forsee Hornby going the same way as Airfix ... dipping thier fingers in to to many diverse markets, paid for by their core business but in turn neglecting their core business whilst they try to develop the new stuff ... and when that went belly up the core business had to go to pay the bills. Just a thought.

Oppurtunity for words like synergy here. But it depends on if they are considered a railway model company or a model company. Its a good way to expand without moving too far from their current expertise.

Simon

"Chris Wilson" wrote

The quality of Humbrol paint would have to improve 2000% to squeeze either. Right now you'd get better coverage using milk.

John.

I was listening to Radio 2 tonight, the Chris Evans show (stuart Mach??? something) and the MD of Hornby was on talking about the airfix take over.

What he said was:-

. Go for Movie tie ups like they have done with harry potter train sets. This gets the junior market

1. Get the mature market with quality collector items.
2. Keep nostalgia market by keeping existing lines rolling.

I think if you go to the BBC web site you can replay the broadcast.

Sounds like he had it worked out before they bought.

I should bloody well hope so!

I wish Chris Evans would crawl back under the stone from whence he came .... .. sorry wrong group !

I thought Formula 1 was slot car racing ?

But think of one of Hornby's biggest markets! What e might call "the train setters". To them, Humbrol and Airfix (and Hornby) are big well known brands - Railmatch isnt.

"John Ruddy" wrote

Yep, and they'd be able to trade on that reputation until found out. Which on the paint side is why Humbrol sales in my shop have plummeted - you can fool some of the people some of the time ...........................

John.

That's very much what Lego's doing to keep their heads above water. I haven't heard recently whether it's working or not though.

Cat.

Lego's founder would turn over in his grave if he saw the kind of toys they are making today. I think he would rather they went bust.

(kim)

There are effectively points in some of the pieces of track that allow you to change lane. If you want to switch you press a button on the controller which (AFAICR) lights a led on the bottom of the car. This is detected by the track which then changes the "points"

Corner cross overs and a a dual cross over section for the straights. Single lane tracks for pitlanes etc also.

A bit more info on

Darren

That's very much what Lego's doing to keep their heads above water. I haven't heard recently whether it's working or not though.

Yes .... Ole Kirk Christiansen would probably wonder if it was the same company he formed back in the 1920's, but change forces change.

Lego ran up losses of $123 million in 2000. The restructuring resulted in the loss of 500 out of 8,000 jobs and they also shut two factories in Switzerland, sold a tool plant in Germany and an engine-making facility in Hungary. The sale of the Synoptik chain of opticians helped in 2003 but by 2004 they expected loss's of over $34 million. Last year saw a 25% increase in sales in Japan and Lego appear to be putting extra effort in this market and North America.

Apparently there are about 60 Lego bricks for every inhabitant of the planet, so for them 'market saturation' is a major problem.

Diversification is OK as long as it does not take over too large a part of the core business, with Lego I think they would accept it was their theme parks that have been a mill stone.

I hope the move to DCC will enable Hornby to create more 'interesting', interactive models, both on and off the track !