It is interesting that the success of a company is now gauged by how quickly they transfer production to China. On that basis Rover is well ahead of most of the European, Japanese and American car manufacturers, I think not. I must remember that the next time I am out shopping. Now in which year did company X transfer production and therefore leading the field. But then this uk.rec.models.I hate hornby.
Kevin
From the narrow, short-term point of view of the stockmarket, yes.
(kim)
If you think Britain is short term, its annual company reports are almost a life time compared with the US where they are quarterly.
Tri-ang /Lines Bros had a range of road vehicle toys under the Spot ON brand ,not sure when they left the market.Budgie models were around for a few years. I think they finished in the 1980's. ICBW but I think it was Budgie who made a push along diecast Steam Loco. Cannot remember what it was now if indeed it was based on a prototype. From memory it was a gauge that was different than any of the normal toy train ranges. I wonder if it was near S gauge.
G.Harman
It looked like a red-painted Jinty.
I've seen them a few times on junk^H^H^H^Hcollector tables at swapmeets.
I was thinking from the customer perspective. Bachmann are better than Hornby because they transferred production to China first.
Kevin
The Chinese had an incredibley sophisticated counterfeiting network. Who is to say a few extra models don't roll off the production line and turn up in the market place.
Kevin
Don't blame the stock market as such - it merely reflects and reacts to what's happened in the business law. Some years ago, a judge ruled that a corporation was a "person" within th meaning of the law. That unloaded personal responsibility from management and owners, and placed it on the corporation. Not many years after that, another judge ruled that the primary obligation of management was to maximise shareholder value. Although these were US rulings, they've had an effect on corporate/management behaviour everywhere else.
And keep in mind that if you have a private pension (in addition to the state pension), you are benefitting from that short term stock-market, shareholder-value-maximising view. Your pension plan receives dividends from its investments in equity stocks, among others.
"Keep your stick on the ice. We're all in this together" (Red Green.)
No one would waste their time counterfeiting/stealing British models as the market for them is too small.
Fred X
US companies come and collapse inside a year.
From the customer point of view, quality and price are of some importance.
Bachmann sells Thomas the Tank Engine range outside the UK.
"Greg Procter" wrote
Any idea how many times that's happened to Hornby?
John.
"Greg Procter" wrote
Some great importance in fact.
John.
"Fred X" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@skynet.waggs:
Wasn't just that, the other one they were good at was a variation of the "Long Firm Fraud" but playing the suppliers role rather than the more usual buyers role. They took millions that way and at the time there was no effective remedy.
AFAIK it's never approached "quarterly".
Greg.P.
They are second and third on my list of criteria.
Greg.P.
Marks & Spencer and Boots came into Canada and collapsed within a few years.
That hardly constitutes counterfeiting, which involves deceit and fraud. They are different models, and no one tries to represent them as Hornby. The same licensing arrangement applies for Harry Potter trains.
Boots is still around as Pharmasave, which is doing well enough.
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