Killing the goose

"John Turner" wrote

Pinch? What pinch? Not being able to spend money fast enough to keep up with a market in entirely non-essential products doesn't strike me as much of an economic outrage. I can see why you, as a retailer, like this guy (and it also inflects your comments on the outgoing retailer in Cambridge, to which I've just replied), but hell, if I had that much disposable income to pour into modelling, I'd aim it at a rather more demanding level of product than glorified plantpots that'll stand being put into a flowerbed for those who run 4mm stuff round the garden. Skaledale isn't my idea of the way that modelling is going, or ought to go. Your bank account may say otherwise, but if I could spend 75 quid a week on toys instead of food, it'd go on kits and scratchbuilding materials for a major legacy modelling project with finescale realism in mind. Milk the guy as a consumer by asssuring him that Hornby aren't going to issue stock faster than he can buy it, but don't look on him as the long-term future of modelling as a discipline. (Maybe ask Roy Jackson how much he's spending on getting Retford up to scratch - his kit pile and stock boxes are pretty impressive and he's barely got a building in place; if you act as his broker you'll be kept in clover for another twenty years without selling an ounce of Hornby).

Has modelling really become about volume rather than quality? If anyone wants to be in the money market, they ought to get into O gauge and stay there, while Pete Waterman can still persuade City bankers to buy ornaments for the shelf from their bonuses. Otherwise, sell cheese, aromatherapy oils, CDs, fairtrade teabags, almost anything except proprietary 4mm models.

Tony Clarke

Reply to
Tony Clarke
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Nah, I've seen Astor Gauge 1 live steam models. I think that's where I would go if I had serious buying power.

Reply to
gl4316

If I had serious buying power I'd go for 12" to the foot scale...

Ian J.

Reply to
Ian J.

"Tony Clarke" wrote

if I had that much disposable income to

But it's quite a popular range, hence the reason I suspect why Hornby are currently flooding the market with the stuff. Not everyone wants their hobby to be challenging, many see it as pure relaxation.

I, for instance, wouldn't thank you for an etched brass kit, even though I'm competent to build even a complex one to a pretty reasonable standard, but I've more to do with my free time than to inhale burning solder flux.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

But you can't run that around your back garden...

Reply to
MartinS

If I had serious buying power I'd have a seriously big back garden... ;-)

Ian J.

Reply to
Ian J.

The message from "Ian J." contains these words:

Hmmm! Think big. Bill McAlpine, Teddy Boston, are two that spring to mind. There's also Alan Bloom, but that's going a bit too far...

Reply to
David Jackson

"David Jackson" wrote

The rectory at Cadeby didn't have a garden even closely big enough to accomodate anything bigger than 15" gauge, and even then it wasn't possible to produce a continuous run. Mind it did also have room for a 40' x 20' wooden shed with Teddy Boston's OO-scale GWR layout and there was room to house his steam roller.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Apart from his 2ft gauge and his pretty little standard gauge tank engine.

Reply to
Christopher A.Lee

"Christopher A.Lee" wrote

Was 'Pixie' 2' gauge? I must re-read 'Rails around the Rectory'. I don't recall a standard gauge loco on my visits in the early 1970s.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Yes.

He had a tiny standard gauge Peckett on a short length of track.

Reply to
Christopher A.Lee

Was it called "Rocket" by any chance?

(kim)

Reply to
kim

Talking of the 'Cloth', what was / is the fate of Buckingham GC?

Reply to
:Jerry:

Conversely of course, if stuff did sit on shelves a bit longer the poor old customer might actually be able to buy what he wants.Last year I bought very little in the way of Bachmann stuff as it either wasn't produced or sold out straight away. So far this year I have bought Hornby stuff but nothing from Bachmann. It is probably likely that I don't buy any Bachmann stuff at all this year so 2006 and 2007 will be either cheap years for me or enable me to buy more Hornby stuff. Not making available the products that your customer wants seems a bizarre way to do business to me, unless you make Rolls Royces or Ferraris. I also don't suppose that a dealer struggling to make ends meet is entireley happy with turning business away either. Kevin

Reply to
Kevin

"Kevin" wrote

The problem is if it sits on retailer shelves for more than a 'bit longer' the retailer is loathed to order quite so much next time around.

The reality is (in my estimation) that Hornby are over-producing whereas Bachmann are very, very slightly under-producing, and this seems to be confirmed by the relative value of the two ranges when they come up for sale on the secondhand market or on eBay.

I think Bachmann have got it about right. Their policy discourages seriously deep discounting, and creates an element of longer-term desirability for their product.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Whereas those of us who try to support our local small shops think Bachmann are not really interested in distribution to low volume outlets. Hence products are either later arriving at the small shops or just dont get there at all. Not critisising, its a valid business decision.

cheers, Simon

Reply to
simon

"simon" wrote

I wouldn't claim to be anything other than a local model shop and a small to medium volume retailer and and I have no trouble in getting supplies from Bachmann.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Not sure what they do, but less than 20 per year.

Cheers, Simon

Reply to
simon

I think I need to go back the careers service, to find what sort of job funds 300 squid of trains a month! And (presumably?) in an area which has the wrong sort of Docklands to find investment bankers' bonuses.

Reply to
Arthur Figgis

"Arthur Figgis" wrote

You'd be amazed how many people there are around with that sort of budget - the pity is they're not all my customers! ;-)

John.

Reply to
John Turner

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