DCC prices

"Robert Flint" wrote

It doesn't seem to affect the amount of the stuff we sell. I would say DCC is the biggest growth area in the hobby.

I disagree, there is movement on decoders, but in much the same way as with computers it's value for money which improves rather than prices actually dropping. The latest Gold decoders from Lenz are a street ahead of what went before, and are only around 10% more expensive than the previous top of the range items.

Interestingly enough it is the cheaper end of the decoder market which doesn't sell. I can't recall the last time I sold one of the ten quid Lenz MacCoders, whereas customers have been buying Gold decoders by the dozen.

The only explanation I can give is that it is down to volume of sale. The function decoders do not sell particularly well. I can understand that too, when you can buy a four function LE1014 loco decoder for a lower price than a function decoder. The only advantage I can see with the latter is size - it's much smaller than the cheap(er) loco decoders.

John.

A four function lighting decoder can be made for less than =A33 in component cost, even in reasonably small volume (100s), even less for higher volume. To that you must add manufacturing cost, manufacturers margin, wholesale margin, retail margin, etc, etc.

It could certainly be done for less than =A316. The TCS two output fleetlighter is =A310.50 at Bromsgrove models. The marginal component cost of adding another two outputs would be pennies.

I've had a design on the drawing board for some time and may yet take it into production alongside SPROG.

Andrew Crosland

SNIPPED

So maybe if they were cheaper they would sell more?

ROB

"Robert Flint" wrote

They've recently *upped* the price of the function decoder so maybe they don't agree.

John.

I would buy several!

ROB