Hornby Acquisition of Lima Now Approved

Rich Mackin wrote:-

Try doing a search on Google. Something like "young people spending habits uk"

Alternatively visit any city centre at night.

(kim)

Err... what?

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*** *** Rich Mackin (rich-at-richmackin-co-uk) MSN: richmackin-at-hotmail-dot-com

Any evidence to back up this claim that teenagers spend their money on drugs?

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*** *** Rich Mackin (rich-at-richmackin-co-uk) MSN: richmackin-at-hotmail-dot-com

Rich Mackin wrote:-

DCC is seen as 'playing with computers' as opposed to 'playing with trains'.

(kim)

Rich Mackin wrote:-

Err, well actually most of the web sites thrown up by a Google search on teenagers spending habits are concerned with drug and alcohol abuse but it's completely off-topic so I don't intend to list them here.

What is important is that the 16-20yr olds represent a significant proportion of consumer spending which has been virtually ignored by RTR manufacturers. The argument goes something like this:- "Young people don't currently spend much of their disposable income on model railways --> therefore we won't produce train sets which are attractive to young people --> therefore they don't buy them". It becomes a sefl-fulfilling prophecy.

Take a look as Bachmann's DCC starter kits. One is aimed at kids under 4yo and the other at 50+ yr olds like me. There's nothing for the huge age range in-between and it reinforces the widely held stereotype that model railways are the preserve of tiny kids and senile old men. (A bit like Hornby's collector magazine). If I was a 15yr old interested in model railways (and my ex-wife says I still am) I would want something like a Turbostar or Class 66 with built-in DCC and sound.

(kim)

Playing with computers is 'cool' whereas playing with trains in 'uncool'? I would of thought most teenagers view both things as equally 'uncool'. How do you think the phrase "computer geek" came about?

Fred

"kim" wrote Take a look as Bachmann's DCC starter kits. One is aimed at kids under 4yo and the other at 50+ yr olds like me. There's nothing for the huge age range in-between

So, in your opinion, what fills this "gap"? I feel at 27 years of age that I fit that so called "gap" and it would be what I like to model, so hazard a guess! What do I like or what do you think I like?

Andy Sollis CVMRD

- Home of the Churnet Valley Model Railway Department Remove the Standard Tank from E-mail to reply

Fred wrote:-

If DCC is not considered to be 'cool' by teenagers, why is Scalextric adopting it?

(kim)

Andy Sollis wrote:-

I am guessing you are not old enough to remember a Class 25 in two-tone green? I suspect you have a fondness for BR sector period (Executive Grey/Dutch livery) but then you are not a beginner so not in need of any kind of starter set.

(kim)

"kim" wrote

Because Hornby have always liked gimmicks?

John.

You ARE joking, aren't you? :-)

But apparently the Australian orders come direct from China (for both Hornby and Bachmann allegedly) or so I heard. I would have thought it would be easier to ship to Australia then NZ rather than UK then NZ!

As for what use the Lima models would be given Hornby has 50 years of their own junk in the cupboard, a possibility may be the brand itself. That way Hornby can sell their old junk cheaply whilst keeping the Hornby name for the current quality models. No idea, but just a thought.

It's an old term used to describe somebody who sat in a dark room hacking into NASA. Or maybe programming their own EEPROMs or something. However, with the advent of the internet and messaging and cool games for both genders referring to someone as a computer geek is so, like, 80s!

Actually in a lot of social settings, being a geek was/is seen as cool anyway. In fact once I have my (DCC) layout running, I know a surprising amount of younger people (many old enough to spend money in pubs) who want to come and have a go playing trains with some of us oldies (32), so maybe it's just a UK thing.

They used to, apparently it was more of a hassle in the trans shipment process (orders don't make up a full container), so all NZ orders go to the UK and then back to NZ.

No, I'd just like to know where kim came up with his/her sweeping statement. The vast majority of kids don't use drugs, despite what some people might think.

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*** *** Rich Mackin (rich-at-richmackin-co-uk) MSN: richmackin-at-hotmail-dot-com

Rich Mackin wrote:-

Which sweeping statement? Show me the post where I am supposed to have claimed the "vast majority" of kids use drugs"?

I listed a lot of things that teenagers spend their money-on. Drugs and alcohol were just two of them.

(kim)

Because it adds to the operating flexibility to Scalextric, just as it does to model railways. I wouldn't have thought teenagers were the target market for Scalextric anyway. I presume it's the same as model railways with most purchasers being either pre-teens and older adults with lots of spare cash.

Fred

Well that's the thing with model railways. People say they are uncool and geeky, but most of them would play with one given the chance!

Fred

There's not a lot of difference in cost of shipping between UK-NZ and Aus-NZ. Most (surface) shipping costs are actually in the handling, not the distance. Aus customs aren't very adept at refunding their sales tax and the lower quantities they order mean higher prices.