9F in the USA

There was a funny letter in MRE Mag recently where someone complained about how the price cutting for Heljan's 47s was devaluing their collection of the same models. Unbelievable!

Fred X

So if you knew the price of a loco you were planning to buy was shortly to be reduced by 50%, that wouldn't affect your decision to purchase it in any way?

(kim)

There is a difference between the price of something being reduced and the value of locos I own falling. The price of a number of locos I've bought in the past year have fallen, but it's the fact that I could have saved money if I'd waited that bothers me, not the falling "value" of those locos.

Fred X

That is exactly the way I interpreted the posts on MRE Mag, not the way you described it. ie: Had the buyers known the prices were going to be slashed the way they were, they would have held off from buying until the prices had fallen. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I mean, it's not as if Heljan products were at bargain basement prices to begin with. For the record, I'm one of those who did hold off from buying.

(kim)

If you did that for computers, TVs, digital cameras, etc., you'd never buy anything!

"kim" wrote

I guess if everyone did that there would be some incredibly cheap bargains in the short term and absolutely no further production.

John.

But you've had months of enjoyment from the owning and operating the loco which you would have missed if you had waited - we only have a limited lifespan.

Of course if it is the 'investment' that is what gives someone pleasure then I can see the point but I certainly wouldn't be looking at model railways for this purpose.

Perhaps a return to retail price maintenance that we had in my younger days (but without the high purchase tax of that time) would remove all this worry and stress that seems to be associated with getting the best deal in todays society.

If you can afford the model buy it and enjoy it.

Alan

Which is exactly what is happening in large areas of industry. Today's price cut is tomorrow's job loss.

(kim)

I know, that's exactly what I was thinking when I wrote it!

Fred X

Indeed, that is why it is only slightly annoying and it doesn't bother me that much. I generally buy locos when they are first released because I always worry that I won't be able to buy them in a certain livery for a long while if I don't. I've made the mistake in the past where I've put off buying something and then I've not been able to get hold of one which means doing without or paying a daft price on Ebay.

Fred X