The Quiet Group!

Makes Fagin look like a mastermind :-)

Chris

Reply to
Dragon Heart
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I one were to write a banks business systems out and present it to a bank (without them realising, somehow) as a proposed business plan, they'd laugh you out of town. Or ring the Police.

Cheers Richard

Reply to
beamends

"Dragon Heart" wrote

Before you can keep the shareholders happy, you have to keep your customers!

Just take a look at the year-on-year increase in price of some of the 'Thomas the Tank Engine' range. It's unbelieveable.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Yes I think they are attempting to cash in on the 'Grey Pound' ie Grandparents spending on the kid's.

It would have been nice if they had passed on some of the cost savings by moving manufacture to Chine onto the customer.

The 'Thomas the Tank Engine' range has no development costs, OK they have to pay something to HIT Entertainment or whatever they are called now but ....... just thinking about my last comment maybe that's part of the problem as I know people are complaining about them.

Chris

Reply to
Dragon Heart

On 2

The news seems to indicate that the Chinese have their own problems. It is hard for us to do the numbers on the scale involved in that vast country .The inevitable result of western industrialists raising the aspirations of that vast country is that they themselves will be consumed. Like the US, once the market is established internally it becomes self sustaining and the infamous "Woolworth" effect takes over ( the one where the buyer names the price). In our case, being a unique market, the actual product will have to fall in line with other similar products and we will have to grin and bear it!

Regards

Peter A

Reply to
Sailor

"Sailor" wrote

The Chinese have mega-problems following a sunstantial drop in demand for their manufacturing capacity. This coupled with a significant drop in the cost of fuel and raw materials should mean that any prices increases are minimal or non-existant, and it's only the drop in value of the GBP against the US$ which is negating what should be price cuts.

It will be interesting to see what if any year-on-year price increases Bachmann announce next month - and bear in mind that is they do increase prices it will be their first since the same time last year.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

eart" =A0wrote

They did, by vastly improving the quality and detail of models they produce.

MBQ

Reply to
manatbandq

"Dragon Heart" wrote

Interesting that the new(ish) 'Railroad' range has not seen any significant price increase, at least not on the recently released locos (A4 & 9F). These surely are also aimed at the 'Grey Pound'.

As a comparison the 'Railroad' A4 has a 2009 RRP of £66.99 whilst the similarly spec'ed Thomas A4 has an RRP of £85.99 (up from £72.00 in January

2008). £19.00 for a cheap plastic face seems a little strong, although is is acknowledged that royalties have to be paid for use of the Thomas range.

James the Red Engine (no valve gear note - and still retaining Ringfield tender drive) is also up from £72.00 in January 2008 to £85.99.

Remember also that the 2009 prices include VAT at 15% compared with 17½% in the January 2008 price list, and represent 22% price increases if my arithmetic is correct.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

"Dragon Heart" wrote

January 2009 RRP on the Elit is £178.99.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Possibly not the best example. Told everyone ages ago when they were £120 to go for it. But no, all experts said its Hornby DCC so its crap and lots of people bought dynamis instead. Now to get the equivalent features, dynamis is £119 and the pro box will be around £100 at a guess (when everyone was told it would be about £50). Oh and theyre still waiting for the pro box.

The Elite should have sold like hot cakes and forced the price of other controllers down. So us 'lucky ones' that bought at the start are now sitting pretty. Good price, good system, lots of time to use it.

Cheers, Simon

Reply to
simon

Not economic downturn so much but the ISP support for NGs waning, Demon failed for around 3 months

Reply to
Martin

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