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Graham Farish Spring 2021 new announcements


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Things change but all or most of the innovations you mention were about making things easier, more convenient or better value for the consumer. Making it harder for people to purchase your goods is never a smart move unless demand is inelastic, the customer is prepared to be flexible and there are cost savings for the producer - that's my only point really. 

 

I certainly agree that you need to keep stock moving whatever you're selling, but conventional shops do serve a purpose and I suspect will do for many years to come. Apart from anything else places like Kernow, Trains4u, Malcs models etc offer a great visitor experience because of the stock they carry - and these places seem to be investing and  expanding rather than the reverse. 

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6 hours ago, fezza said:

 

I certainly agree that you need to keep stock moving whatever you're selling, but conventional shops do serve a purpose and I suspect will do for many years to come. Apart from anything else places like Kernow, Trains4u, Malcs models etc offer a great visitor experience because of the stock they carry - and these places seem to be investing and  expanding rather than the reverse. 

 

These type of shops, and the other successful ones, aren't making it harder for casual purchasers - they're trying to make it easier. They carry more ranges and greater choice, they offer more payments methods than ever (PayPal, bank transfers, credit and debit cards, etc.,) and more methods to purchase from having casual visitors (when allowed out of lockdown) to on-line pre-ordering, telephone mail order and a large presence at exhibitions (again when allowed). And they offer overseas export services like VAT free and international postage.

 

I'm not aware of any retailer who is deliberately making it difficult or hard for casual purchasers, save for constraints placed on them by banks and legal requirements. And, of course, the limited batch production runs of the manufacturers.

 

Conventional high street shops may well serve a purpose but they are having a difficult time, especially at the moment. In order to survive they need to expand their routes to market and offer more purchase options and service levels. If they don't adapt to change they'll get left behind and suffer, so I doubt that any are deliberately making it harder for casual purchasers as you mentioned.

 

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8 hours ago, fezza said:

Things change but all or most of the innovations you mention were about making things easier, more convenient or better value for the consumer. Making it harder for people to purchase your goods is never a smart move unless demand is inelastic, the customer is prepared to be flexible and there are cost savings for the producer - that's my only point really. 

 

I certainly agree that you need to keep stock moving whatever you're selling, but conventional shops do serve a purpose and I suspect will do for many years to come. Apart from anything else places like Kernow, Trains4u, Malcs models etc offer a great visitor experience because of the stock they carry - and these places seem to be investing and  expanding rather than the reverse. 

Not sure how the shops come into this, they can only sell what is supplied and when they do get stock they want it gone as quickly as possible - just like Bachmann or Hornby, stock sat on a shelf (or in a warehouse kernow, Rails or Hattons) is burning money and even the shifters have limited storage let alone the little model shops like Arcadia etc.  Non selling stock is a burden on everyone because that space cannot be used to sell something else whilst that stock isn't selling.

 

In an ideal modelling world there would be stock of everything available whenever you wanted it but that would mean either massive over production or bespoke production to order, both of which will be a lot more expensive to the manufacturer than the current method of batch production.

 

Like it or not, the current situation with Farish is a combination of low numbers of N gauge modellers versus OO, competition between other parts of Kader and what the market itself can stand at any time.

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That's the point - shops with good stocks are successful because they make it easy. 

 

Relying on customer preorders, limited editions and single-supplier Internet sites make things more difficult. Casual buyers may not even realise some products exist. 

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3 minutes ago, fezza said:

That's the point - shops with good stocks are successful because they make it easy. 

 

 

There's a limit to how much stock they can hold - the finance tied up in it and the limited batch production quantities. Shops with a lot of stock aren't necessarily the most successful - they're most likely to be the ones not selling and turning it over. And stock at a shop that can't be easily mail ordered is no good when that shop is hundreds of miles away.

 

Like it or not pre-ordering is often necessary or you'll find that what you want is quickly sold out. It matters not if casual purchasers are unaware about it if it is no longer available. I doubt manufacturers care who and how people purchase if each batch has sufficient demand to quickly sell.

 

 

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1 hour ago, fezza said:

That's the point - shops with good stocks are successful because they make it easy. 

 

Relying on customer preorders, limited editions and single-supplier Internet sites make things more difficult. Casual buyers may not even realise some products exist. 

Model shops like the type you describe - having lots of stock of locos for long periods waiting for that rare customer are the types that went out of business.

 

Like it or not, stock has to move otherwise the shop is not making money and a shop which is not generating cashflow is not a shop it is a debt around the owner's neck.

 

Rails and Hattons have stock longer than other shops because they have greater lending power with their banks to buy more and can afford to hold on a little longer to sell things, they also scoop up stuff that hasn't sold elsewhere and then sell it on cheap.  It's a model they know well and are clever.

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Surely the key is to keep a lot of stock AND keep it moving? That's certainly what my family used to do in sports retail. That's a slightly different business model but we had similar problems with highly differentiated product ranges. You wouldn't believe how many different types of darts and cricket bats there are... 

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16 minutes ago, fezza said:

Surely the key is to keep a lot of stock AND keep it moving? That's certainly what my family used to do in sports retail. That's a slightly different business model but we had similar problems with highly differentiated product ranges. You wouldn't believe how many different types of darts and cricket bats there are... 

People keep buying trainers as they wear out and nearly everyone has feet, phones need replacing for one reason or another so regularly get purchased.  The markets for both phones and trainers is massive  fueled by real need and good marketing to target age groups.

 

The N gauge model railway market for British outline models is tiny, to continually keep producing blue class 47s so the shops have lots in stock is going to bankrupt a company.

 

I agree demand outstrips supply, but not enough to ramp up production to the levels you think it should be.

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4 hours ago, fezza said:

Surely the key is to keep a lot of stock AND keep it moving? That's certainly what my family used to do in sports retail. That's a slightly different business model but we had similar problems with highly differentiated product ranges. You wouldn't believe how many different types of darts and cricket bats there are... 

 

You are comparing chalk with cheese there. Sports equipment is a huge market, schools and adults numbering millions of prospective buyers. Whereas N gauge, just a few thousand modellers, and most would hardly be classed as casual buyers, they are working to a plan, except for rule 1 purchases.

 

4 hours ago, woodenhead said:

The N gauge model railway market for British outline models is tiny, to continually keep producing blue class 47s so the shops have lots in stock is going to bankrupt a company.

 

Niche sums it up nicely I think.....

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2 hours ago, Steven B said:

It's certainly a niche market but I suspect Bachmann could reduce the gap between re-runs or increase the production run of TSO by 20-50% without breaking the bank.

 

The quick question is what other production run would you sacrifice to get that increase..?

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1 hour ago, Clagmeister said:

Am I being a bit thick, are they models that are arriving now or at some unknown date in the future.  If the stuff I'm waiting on like the Standard 5 wasn't mentioned does that mean its further delayed?

 

Thanks

According to my Bachmann Times, the Standard 5 sound upgrade is currently in the tool room so realistically even though only part is being retooled, by the time EPs have been produced and validated and ditto for deco samples we will be talking at least 9 months until release I would think, possibly more. It would be nice to be surprised though!

 

Regards

 

Roy

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7 hours ago, Clagmeister said:

Am I being a bit thick, are they models that are arriving now or at some unknown date in the future.  If the stuff I'm waiting on like the Standard 5 wasn't mentioned does that mean its further delayed?

 

Thanks

The models announced in the quarterly announcements are previously unannounced models that are due in the following few months. IIRC all the GF models announced in 2020 and this quarters announcement have been additions to the production runs of previously announced models.

 

For models announce in 2019 or earlier, if they have a release date it will be on the Bachmann website. Currently the Bachmann website has release dates for models that are currently due until Oct/Nov.

 

 

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I first dipped my toe in N gauge when Graham Farish brought out the 94xx and J69. I bought one of each, a few wagons, a couple of Minitrix MK1's  and 3 Ian Kirk wagon kits and an oval of Track to run them on. the J69 had a habit of shedding its coupling rods resulting in me returning it to the stand that I bought it from on the second day of the MRC's Central hall Westminster exhibition. they then tried 4 more which did the same before finding one that made it round an N gauge layout without this happening! I still have both of them and all the wagons (I sold the minitrix coaches in 2004) I then had a break from N gauge railway modelling from 1977 until 2004 (I worked on full size steam locos) when Dapol unveiled its 14xx. I had to have one and its attendant Autotrailer and the following 16 years have been punctuated with more and increasingly accurate models, the 8F being the latest superb release. when Farish upgraded the MK1's to Blue riband standard, I took a deep breath and replaced all of my older ones and it cost me a fair bit, but considering the cost of a single coach now, I am glad that I did it when I did.

I agree with the comment that pre ordering is necessary and really has been for some time, but to get the model you want I would imagine for many of us that is not the end of the world.

As for kit building, I have built several  locos, wagons and even the Gresley full brake (although it was a full year after I bought it that I got brave enough to build it!). along with a few buildings. Finally, from my viewpoint, I believe that N gauge modelers today have a terrific choice of models although I understand that not all of the locos coaches and even wagons we want are, or are likely to become available as RTR, we have come a long long way from  the 1970's when poor quality RTR stock and crude kits were all we had.

 

Regards,

 

Alex      

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No mention of the Class 08s I've got on pre-order. Kernow are just expecting it 'during 2021'. I mean..it's only a Gronk but I shouldn't be shunting my stock around with ruddy great 56s and 53s :)

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On 06/03/2021 at 19:25, AndrueC said:

No mention of the Class 08s I've got on pre-order. Kernow are just expecting it 'during 2021'. I mean..it's only a Gronk but I shouldn't be shunting my stock around with ruddy great 56s and 53s :)

I use a jinty or a pannier as there dcc ready

 

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20 minutes ago, meatloaf said:

I use a jinty or a pannier as there dcc ready

 

Heh. I've just decided to stop waiting. It's not like I have a real shunting layout anyway. It also gives me an excuse to buy more main locos and just leave everything permanently coupled.

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Sorry If I have been slow, but given the summer announcement is tomorrow , have I missed 374-121B BR Mk1 RU Maroon? Nothing seems to bring up anybody with it in stock.

 

I do wish they would do B4 and Commonwealth bogies as spares. Most of my C/C and Maroon stock is run as 1980s'/90's/00's excursion / SLOA rakes and my 2mm passengers are moaning about the ride on BR1 shod stock :o

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2 hours ago, Bomag said:

Sorry If I have been slow, but given the summer announcement is tomorrow , have I missed 374-121B BR Mk1 RU Maroon? Nothing seems to bring up anybody with it in stock.

 

I do wish they would do B4 and Commonwealth bogies as spares. Most of my C/C and Maroon stock is run as 1980s'/90's/00's excursion / SLOA rakes and my 2mm passengers are moaning about the ride on BR1 shod stock :o

 

It's not out yet. May/Jun according to the Bachmann website.

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Thanks, I have found it on their website, they seamed to have moved it again, or is it my memory!

 

Given today's announcement' should this thread by changed to 'Summer/Spring 2021' given Scenecraft is covered in another area?

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