I know this may have been discussed before, but it is now getting very extreme.
The Standard 5MT is available at =A359.00 for 73030, =A364.00 for 73068, =A367.00 for 73014, =A374.00 for 73110 and =A375.00 for 73069, but a massive =A392.00 for 73082.
The Standard 5MT is available at £59.00 for 73030, £64.00 for 73068, £67.00 for 73014, £74.00 for 73110 and £75.00 for 73069, but a massive £92.00 for 73082.
You miss a very salient point with the Bachmann Standard Class 5s and that is they did not sell particularly well (too expensive in my opinion) and most retailers, self included, over-estimated demand on the early releases. As a consequence there has been extensive *dumping* of the early examples.
As a further consequence when further examples were produced they were manufactured in smaller quantities and this maybe explains why some have sold out more quickly and as a result some are commanding higher prices.
Collectors or modellers? Irrelevent, it's all about supply and demand, which I suspect is why Hattons priced their first delivery of the new Bachmann 66135 some significant amount ABOVE recommended retail price at £85.00
That's an oxymoron John, in one sentence you say they didn't sell and in the next you say that they sold - and what's more the limited number produced sold quickly....
":::Jerry::::" wrote That's an oxymoron John, in one sentence you say they didn't sell and
No, You miss understand. The mass quantity (eg a batch of 4000) had a lot left over, thus giving the appearance that it did not sell well.
Another batch may only be 2000 or even 1500 (these are guesses, I have no idea how many they do make) in which case if only 300 are left in the UK not sold, then it could be viewed to have sold well. If COLLECTORS then want that one for its so called rarity, then as there are fewer to be obtained it will be no doubt be sold at a higher price as the demand will be higher still for the last 300.
If there had been 2000 (1/2) of the first batch left over, they will be a lesser price to clear the shelves.
No, I said the early batches didn't sell, and consequently subsequent batches were produced in smaller quantities and these sold out comparatively quickly.
This means that there were excessive numbers of the first batches and probably just about enough of the later ones. I believe there was also a reduction in RRP for some of the later 5MTs.
ISTM that Bachmann and Hornby are now marketing to the collector and keeping prices high or at least higher than needs be - sell 100 units @ 100 GBP or sell 1000 units @ 10 GBP, also a lower price unit might well sell more.
Either way they need the model to sell to pay for the investment and hopefully make a profit, but selling at a lower base line means that the model has *got* to be one that people want so it sells by the case load, it could be argued that whilst producing what the market wants they are using the a 'collectors' marketing strategy - in short they are fleecing the majority !..
If, because so many people want instant gratification and many don't want to do much more than open boxes [1], they could charge double what they already do would still make the above comment ?
[1] witness the complaint by some when parts are supplied for fitting by the customer.
So if they sell model 'A' at 100 GBP and sell a 100 units and sell model 'B' at 10 GBP and sell 2000 units which one has made the more money / profit ?...
They are either fleecing the majority or the majority don't buy RTR model railways stuff anymore...
It depends upon the cost of selling the additional units!
We could probably double our turnover by reducing our prices by an additional 5% but as we're currently working at capacity it would involve employing extra staff with all the joys that would bring.
It's simple business economics They have to make a value judgement on the question; "Would I sell the same amount of goods if I double the cost?"
Depends on the unit cost really, doesn't it. If the unit cost of the item is £9.99, and the sell 2000 @ a penny profit each, (£10) they make a profit of £20 If they sell 100 at a £100, the profit per unit is £90.01 (Hell, they only have to sell one to make a larger profit).
Or, of course, they could apply the pricing logic BL did with the mini, and make a loss on each unit sold.
I don't know what the unit costs are, do you? That is one piece of info you would have to know before making the judgement that they are fleecing the end user. I really don't believe they could be, else someone else would undercut and take the market from them.
Err, well considering that in reality there is only one other mass producer of British outline RTR models means they are in the driving seat, if we want RTR British outline models then we pay their asking price - unless the dealers take the BL approach to pricing...
You also seem to be forgetting were most if not all these models are made and the cost of labour there, even if we take the cost of shipping into account. Sorry but looking at the prices of North American Railroad models, even at a 1:1 exchange rate (rather than the true, all but, 1 USD : 2 GBP rate), many equivalent models [1] are cheaper - some even made by / for Backmann's US division. One reason why my next layout might well be have a USA Railroad look about it !
[1] now it may be that our US railroading friends don't demand the same scale accuracy or detailing, but nothing I've read suggests that, although they do seem to take a somewhat different approach to their model railroads ! :~)
Only for the first 2 years, by which time it had become so well established and sought after that they could literally have charged what they wanted and still sold every one made! About the only time in their corporate history that Austin/AustinMorris/BMC/BLMC/Leyland/BL/AustinRover/RoverGroup/MGRover* actually got it right, other than the Landrover!
One is enough for it not to e a monopoly. Unless, that is, you are suggesting that they are collaborating in order to drive the prices up. In which case, you shuld be taking it to the OFT.
I think there is a clear policy by one of the manufacturers to drive up prices. The recent Hornby class 31 proving my point with this having an RRP some 23% higher than the arguably better model of the class 66 just released by Bachmann. OK, so the latter doesn't have quite so many gimmicks, but equally so it doesn't have the errors of the Hornby model.
If there is collusion in this, it comes not from another manufacturer but from the columns of British Railway Modelling's Tony Wright who boldly concludes his review of the Hornby model with:-
"At the price, it's outstanding value for money and I have no hesitation in giving it my strongest recommendation."
Obsequious or what? I'd love to know why he considers a model which is flawed in a couple of key areas to be such value? On the other hand a quick check of the proportion of BRM given over to advertising compared with its editorial content seems to confirm where its priorities and loyalties lie.
This was one of the primary reasons I stopped buying BRM a few years ago. I decided then that they seem to be more concerned with their advertisers than their readers. Having said that, it was a layout featured in BRM quite some time ago that inspired me to kick-start the hobby again, and I have still kept a few old issues!
But they didn't, the Mini never made a penny for any of the companies, it came close in the '80's and '90's when it's cult status took off again and it had seen off it's younger up-start (the Metro).
Err no it wasn't 'pointless waffle', it was a comparison between Bachmann USA models built in (AIUI) China and Bachmann UK models made in China and the price difference between to two ranges - but you seem not to be able to understand that. :~(
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