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DJM N gauge Crowdfunded King Class Steam Loco has started


DJM Dave
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So if everyone who has placed an order ordered one more we would be there. It's only money.

Yes, exactly that, but if everyone who's placed an order told 10 friends and only 1 of those 10 order, then that might also be the total we need.

The quicker the money is raised the quicker we all get a cracking model.

 

However please don't forget the cad/cam needs to be shrunk first, but I'll only get that started once we've hit the target so no one loses any money on it.

 

cheers

Dave

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Out of interest is there any give on the order book? Say you hit 94% of orders for example. Is that a no-go or take a chance that you can sell 6% after stock hits the shelves?

 

Or... (Please don't stone me to death!) If the project was a little lite AND THE CROWD FUNDERS AGREED AFTER HAVING THE OPTION PUT TO THEM, would a price rise of say £5 per a model be agreeable to pick up the short fall?

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Out of interest is there any give on the order book? Say you hit 94% of orders for example. Is that a no-go or take a chance that you can sell 6% after stock hits the shelves?

 

Or... (Please don't stone me to death!) If the project was a little lite AND THE CROWD FUNDERS AGREED AFTER HAVING THE OPTION PUT TO THEM, would a price rise of say £5 per a model be agreeable to pick up the short fall?

 

 

 

I reckon this is an interesting question, that many would be keen to hear an answer/option.

Edited by wellseasoned
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Hi,

 

My crowdfunding figures for the king, are basically based on the cost of tooling, the unit cost and what they can sell for to break even at the figure for crowdfunders.

 

I have build no leeway into it, but might consider a possible increase in price if everyone, and I mean everyone was ok with it to get it over the line (or should that be along the line. Lol), however I'm not going to do it at the moment.

 

Orders are still coming in, and it's in the next round of advertising, and I'm pushing it this weekend at Perth show.

 

Obviously this project doesn't have the backing of a factory underwriting me, and I do this as a full time job, not as a part time play thing, so I have to make figures count.

 

What I will do, and I'm sure you all know this, is actually try and take a wage from surplus models made and sold, possibly to crowdfunders or possibly to shops (as ever shops will have the opportunity to buy alternate names,numbers and liveries) should I have to go down that route.......a mans got to live after all. Lol

 

Cheers

Dave

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Would buying extra models to flog on eBay be a morally grey area? :whistle:

You buy something in the hope of selling it on at a profit. If that's a morally grey area then we are in trouble -its called business isn't it!

 

Jerry

Edited by queensquare
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Obviously this project doesn't have the backing of a factory underwriting me, and I do this as a full time job, not as a part time play thing, so I have to make figures count.

 

 

Cheers

Dave

 

I know you are sometimes sensitive about other crowdfunders, Dave, but somehow it does not seem professional to keep harping on about it, when you are using the same business model for your livelihood. Who else is crowdfunding a King, by the way?

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I know you are sometimes sensitive about other crowdfunders, Dave, but somehow it does not seem professional to keep harping on about it, when you are using the same business model for your livelihood. Who else is crowdfunding a King, by the way?

Hi Mike,

 

I think you and I will need to sit down with a cold beer one day, so I can show you a few things that might change your mind.

Then you will see why I might , just might, be alluding to things, that have upset / annoyed me.

 

Name the date, I'll bring the e-mails and buy the beer. Could be fun. :-)

 

Cheers

Dave

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Raising the price and bringing in retailers (as Dave has done with the Class 92) are possible make-weights but would be tricky to pull off without eroding the crowdfunding support. On the other hand the evidence from other recent crowdfunding projects is that more orders will flow after the project go-ahead is confirmed.

 

Hopefully the arrival of the Mermaids and more particularly the first sight of the Class 17 EP at Perth will convince some of the show-me brigade to sign up.

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What about shops chipping in? I know the crowd funded OO gauge 71 had Kernow and Hattons commision a couple of limited editions, is there any shops out there who would comission a model? If so what King's are viable as unique for this?

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What about shops chipping in? I know the crowd funded OO gauge 71 had Kernow and Hattons commision a couple of limited editions, is there any shops out there who would comission a model? If so what King's are viable as unique for this?

6000 (KGV) with Bell would be an easy choice for a shop to commission. The only challenge would be to decide what livery. KGV carried the Bell throughout its life and into perservation so you could model anything from original condition to the present day (although preserved condition could be problematic as some of the later features might need tooling up separately which would potentially increase the cost).

 

king-george-v-in-bristolian.jpg

 

Another option would the experimental dark (Prussian) blue livery with LNWR-style lining. Several Kings carried this interesting and unusual livery in early BR days before the standard "Caledonian" blue was settled on for Class 8 locos.

 

post-5983-0-51218900-1409649016.jpg

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Hi everyone,

 

I've been away this last week and am now back updating orders for the King class loco in N gauge.

 

The grand total at present leaves now us 250 short to be borderline on the project proceeding, which although this seems negative is in fact a fantastic achievement so far.

With the crowdfunding being extended and advertising renewed i would hope we reach this total and can push on over that without too many problems.

 

So at present i believe we are on track, and to those that have signed up for 1 or more i say on behalf of all who have, a hearty thank you. :locomotive: 

Now the 'final' (i hope) push is upon us, its the time to use social media, post on all the forums, tell your friends and club mates about it and help the collective push on through the 1000 models.

 

We will cross bridges once that 1000 is reached, but that's a milestone where things will start to happen and rather quickly.

As i've said, the first thing to do would be to invoice everyone for their deposit to be able to get the cad/cam started and finished quickly and simply shrinking down the OO one to N isn't the way this goes so will take a while (probably a month or so) to come to fruition. 

 

Ideally i'd like the King, the 92 in N and OO on the stand at Warley to be able to show you all progress (plus the 17 of course but that's not crowdfunded. lol)

 

I'll post again when i have something new to add in the next week or so.

Cheers and thanks again

Dave

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Dave,

I signed up with an "expression of interest" on your website, and contacted you by email as mentioned earlier. I haven't been invoiced for a deposit, but I'm not sure if you're at that point yet.

 

Jay

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Dave,

I signed up with an "expression of interest" on your website, and contacted you by email as mentioned earlier. I haven't been invoiced for a deposit, but I'm not sure if you're at that point yet.

 

Jay

The deadline's been extended, due to orders still coming in steadily and a show coming up which Dave is hoping to attend and drum up further interest

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Hi everyone,

 

A quick update from me on the King class locomotive.

 

Last week was a very quiet one 'sign ups' wise, and there was only 7 for the whole week when previously we have been hitting up to 10 per day since the advertising started.

 

So we are still a fair way to go, with time slowly turning against us.

 

With always having a 'plan B' i think we should talk about this amongst ourselves and chat about this project.

For instance, we are currently 20 sing ups short of going to tooling. Now before you all get excited, that's just the tooling, not the unit costs, which also must be taken into account.

 

A couple of things i could consider......1, tooling anyway, with the hope that more people will put their name down for 1 at a higher price, ergo paying for the individuals sign up models out of their monies. But that's a risk, and i dont like risking other peoples money, and especially so as i dont have a factory underwriting this model, or any others for that matter.

 

and 2, that we consider the possibility of opening this up to stockists, so that the stockists pay for your individual models out of the cost to trade price difference. However we need to shift a few models as trade is a fraction of crowdfunding costs, so we need to sell about 3 models to the trade to take the shortfall.

 

Anyway, just thinking out loud, and i will take on board anything you might want to have considered in this open debate.

Let us all know what you think?

Cheers

Dave

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Hi everyone,

 

A quick update from me on the King class locomotive.

 

Last week was a very quiet one 'sign ups' wise, and there was only 7 for the whole week when previously we have been hitting up to 10 per day since the advertising started.

 

So we are still a fair way to go, with time slowly turning against us.

 

With always having a 'plan B' i think we should talk about this amongst ourselves and chat about this project.

For instance, we are currently 20 sing ups short of going to tooling. Now before you all get excited, that's just the tooling, not the unit costs, which also must be taken into account.

 

A couple of things i could consider......1, tooling anyway, with the hope that more people will put their name down for 1 at a higher price, ergo paying for the individuals sign up models out of their monies. But that's a risk, and i dont like risking other peoples money, and especially so as i dont have a factory underwriting this model, or any others for that matter.

 

and 2, that we consider the possibility of opening this up to stockists, so that the stockists pay for your individual models out of the cost to trade price difference. However we need to shift a few models as trade is a fraction of crowdfunding costs, so we need to sell about 3 models to the trade to take the shortfall.

 

Anyway, just thinking out loud, and i will take on board anything you might want to have considered in this open debate.

Let us all know what you think?

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave

 

If It was me I'd be talking to the traid and seeing if they would order a set amount of a different running number that would make it possible to get them off the ground and then see what happens you might earn some cash out of it

 

Thanks

Alan

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Is there any possiblity of another model joining the list? If we are 250(ish) short that is roughly what you wanted for each model. So if a 6th joined the ranks would that get people to sign up? Only thing there is what would it be? Perhaps GREAT (crest) WESTERN as per the Graham Farish Nunney Castle? Or a weathered BR Late Crest? Some of these must have run in dirty state towards the end.

 

Or as mentioned above KGV perhaps in BR Green early crest? Mainline runner in the 1970's and 80's like this so would have quite an appeal to those who mdoel/remember that era.

Edited by Ed-farms
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Not being a GW modeller I can't justify subscribing to this much as I have agonized about it, but if I may express a thought. Maybe offer the Trade their own unique model(s) not available to the crowdfunders. It may sound a little counter-intuitive and contrary to the purest principles of crowdfunding to do that, but if it makes the difference between the project crossing the line or not I can't see anyone is losing out by it, just getting the model they want at the price subscribed.

 

Roy

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I agree with Roy L S. A unique model for the trade, to incentivise them. If that's what it takes to get the model over the line, then that would seem a good option.

 

I have to declare that I have signed up for one, mainly to help the project.

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Hi Dave

I have ordered 3 Kings. I would be prepared to pay £20 more per loco if others agreed and it was enough to get the project over the line. Then there could be 4 instalments to spread the cost.

Just a thought,

Cheers,

Ged

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Trade sounds to me like an idea worth considering, exclusive or otherwise.

 

Also could someone remind me when the current end date is for this, and how long we have after the first invoice is sent out in which to pay it?

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