Hornby announcement 8th May

[Phil Parker]

Inspired by the junior modeller area at Ally Pally this year, I've just built the Airfix bungalow - http://philsworkbench.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/bungalow

 

The design is nice and redolent of the era the kits come from. Yes, there are issues with the soft plastic, but most of the time, tweaking with fingers will untwist parts. As for flash, well, you young modellers don't know you are born. Old hands are used to crafting badly manufacturers kits with nothing more than a blunt piece of stick if we were lucky... ;-)

 

Back to Hornby, I wonder if they fancy taking over the East Coast mainline? It would solve any licencing issues!

[Andy Hayter]

Polythene??  For use in kits??

 

I think not.  For one there is practically no glue to fix polythene parts together.   I think you may have meant polystyrene.

 

Airfix figure sets however may well be made from polythene given how difficult it can be to get paint to adhere and then withstand handling. 

[tomparryharry]

Polythene??  For use in kits??

 

I think not.  For one there is practically no glue to fix polythene parts together.   I think you may have meant polystyrene.

 

Airfix figure sets however may well be made from polythene given how difficult it can be to get paint to adhere and then withstand handling.

Sorry Andy, you're absolutely right.

 

I don't know why I wrote Polythene instead of Polystyrene, I'll edit my post.

 

I guess I've been sniffing glue again....

 

Ian.

[Coryton]

Clearly. But does that account for a 25% difference (as was suggested in the previous post)? Other independents have not necessarily applied such a great differential in their pricing. Indeed, one retailer/commissioner, having adopted an independently generated model wagon, upped its original retail price by around 50%. I see the logic in what you are stating, but I do not see it being used consistently in practice. Indeed, Piko, who sell through multiple chains, have managed to find a way of significantly reducing their RRP whilst still maintaining three distinct levels of detail/sophistication. So there must be other factors beyond the bleedin' obvious?

 

And just to make life even more interesting, Gaugemaster has just announced two N gauge 66's (commissioned via Dapol it seems), to be sold by any Gaugemaster stockist.

 

So we have a shop commissioning locomotives but happy to leave the retail mark-up to someone else.

 

If they behave the same way as they do with their controllers, they won't be undercutting their retailers either.

[Phil Parker]

Speaking to someone from Hornby today, this set of announcements has been so unsuccessful that nearly everything has sold out - they are now looking at increasing production runs. 

 

This would explain why my attempt to pre-order a PLA Peckett yesterday through my local model shop was met with the response that all the allocation had gone. It's not the end of the world, but would suggest the doom-mongers didn't have as good a grasp on the market as the Hornby at the moment.

[robmcg]

I didn't realise the demand for track plan books, Pecketts and 800s was so high!    Good on you Hornby! 

[shunny]

You would be surprised how many footbridges and packets of fencing model shops sell, I know that these were missing from catalogue and my local shop sold out long before Hornby omitted them from this year's announcements.

 

I bet every shop will have ordered these and all the other standard accessories missing from the range as these are staple train set upgrades.

 

The other models were all good selling re-liveries so made a lot of sense to produce these although I notice Peckett listed as next year for release so technically the first 2019 models!

[MarkSG]

You would be surprised how many footbridges and packets of fencing model shops sell, I know that these were missing from catalogue and my local shop sold out long before Hornby omitted them from this year's announcements.

 

I bet every shop will have ordered these and all the other standard accessories missing from the range as these are staple train set upgrades.

 

I agree. I think those of us from the "hobbyist" sector of the model railway market tend to underestimate the value of the "train set" sector. I have no idea how big a proportion of Hornby's revenue that provides (and I really, really wish one of the magazines would do some digging and tell us!), but I suspect it's quite a bit bigger than many here would imagine.

[Legend]

Speaking to someone from Hornby today, this set of announcements has been so unsuccessful that nearly everything has sold out - they are now looking at increasing production runs. 

 

This would explain why my attempt to pre-order a PLA Peckett yesterday through my local model shop was met with the response that all the allocation had gone. It's not the end of the world, but would suggest the doom-mongers didn't have as good a grasp on the market as the Hornby at the moment.

It was more the hype of the announcement rather than the actual content that created criticism. That said while I bet Peckettsand Duchesses are goingdown well I’ll bet the Grand Victorian Suspension Bridge has less takers

[Coryton]

I agree. I think those of us from the "hobbyist" sector of the model railway market tend to underestimate the value of the "train set" sector. I have no idea how big a proportion of Hornby's revenue that provides (and I really, really wish one of the magazines would do some digging and tell us!), but I suspect it's quite a bit bigger than many here would imagine.

 

Perhaps more interesting than revenue would be the proportion of profit that such models provide.

 

With fairly simple tooling that must have depreciated to nothing many years ago, the margins may be a lot higher than for something more sophisticated.

[NickC]

Speaking to someone from Hornby today, this set of announcements has been so unsuccessful that nearly everything has sold out - they are now looking at increasing production runs. 

 

This would explain why my attempt to pre-order a PLA Peckett yesterday through my local model shop was met with the response that all the allocation had gone. It's not the end of the world, but would suggest the doom-mongers didn't have as good a grasp on the market as the Hornby at the moment.

Well all the newly announced Pecketts including the H&P pack still appear to be available for pre-order through the Hornby website.

[wombatofludham]

Inspired by the junior modeller area at Ally Pally this year, I've just built the Airfix bungalow - http://philsworkbench.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/bungalow

 

The design is nice and redolent of the era the kits come from. Yes, there are issues with the soft plastic, but most of the time, tweaking with fingers will untwist parts. As for flash, well, you young modellers don't know you are born. Old hands are used to crafting badly manufacturers kits with nothing more than a blunt piece of stick if we were lucky... ;-)

 

Back to Hornby, I wonder if they fancy taking over the East Coast mainline? It would solve any licencing issues!

I have an "aspiration" (i.e. I might do it if I can find the room) to build a fictional Southern milk-float layout terminating next to a small 1930s airport and had looked at using the Dapfix 1950s bungalow as a station building, replicating after a fashion the Allhallows on Sea concrete bungalow station building the Southern built in a rush of blood to the head in the 1930s. Seeing your model confirms it wouldn't look too out of place.

 

On items selling out and the underwhelming announcement, surely the run of the mill, trainset market items should just be constantly in the catalogue, not announced as if some wonderous munificence has been bestowed on us? Even if they are batch produced and therefore sell out occasionally, they should be so bread and butter they are continuously given a production slot for as long as there is demand, not trumpeted as new items. I have no doubt they appeal immensely to junior modellers and consequently are good baseline money earners not only for Hornby but their smaller retailers, which makes it all the more important they are reasonably widely available, competitively priced and in regular production. Publicising the "re-introduction" of these items as a fabulous, exciting, never to be missed press spectacular, when they should be baseline money earners and never going out of the range, is frankly extracting the trucker's Tizer with hyperbole.

[robmcg]

Speaking to someone from Hornby today, this set of announcements has been so unsuccessful that nearly everything has sold out - they are now looking at increasing production runs. 

 

This would explain why my attempt to pre-order a PLA Peckett yesterday through my local model shop was met with the response that all the allocation had gone. It's not the end of the world, but would suggest the doom-mongers didn't have as good a grasp on the market as the Hornby at the moment.

 

Well, 'someone' from Hornby would say that, wouldn't they..... 

 

How come you can still order Pecketts direct from Hornby?  and those whom you call doomsayers were in fact more annoyed at the style of '29 new products' delivery, and many made a point of wishing Hornby well.

 

I'm sorry buy 'looking at' increasing production runs sounds more to me like simply talking up the product, perfectly valid but hardly not exactly full of facts.

[sandwich station]

I had heard through the grapevine many months ago (last year infact) that Hornby had stopped producing the station canopies etc. It would seem by popular demand they are back.

[Andy Hayter]

If you go to the Hornby website you can still pre-order a number of the 29 items announced.  The number you can still pre-order is 29.

 

Sorry Phil but it looks as if you have been sold a pup.

 

Yes Hornby may be increasing production of these items and that is why they are still available for pre-order - although excuse me for being sceptical.  If it ere so simple why did they not increase production on other recently completely sold out items?  First run of Pecketts, Wainwright SECR H Class et al.  Has increasing production levels suddenly become so much easier than it was just a few months ago?

[shunny]

Hornby's website is not a live stock site but a shop and as such gets an allocation of new items. Once it's allocation is sold or not sold has no impact on stock availability. As it stands Hornby could have pre sold all the models but the website shop still have allocation to sell.

Yes this sounds odd but it's Hornby! l know this as I asked my local shop to order a model showing on website and they were told it has sold out of warehouse and that they can't take stock from online shop to send to retailers as they run them as separate businesses.

[The Stationmaster]

If you go to the Hornby website you can still pre-order a number of the 29 items announced.  The number you can still pre-order is 29.

 

Sorry Phil but it looks as if you have been sold a pup.

 

Yes Hornby may be increasing production of these items and that is why they are still available for pre-order - although excuse me for being sceptical.  If it ere so simple why did they not increase production on other recently completely sold out items?  First run of Pecketts, Wainwright SECR H Class et al.  Has increasing production levels suddenly become so much easier than it was just a few months ago?

 

I understand that the PLA Pecketts were sold out to the trade within a couple of days of them being announced.  As a pretty little engine in a nice livery that would undoubtedly have happened however they had been announced - back to the point made by Legend.  And don't overlook the fact that it is announced for 2019 delivery - possibly over a year away

 

The fact that the Pecketts are sold out to the trade of course, as already noted, doesn't mean that Hornby's direct sale allocation has been sold out.  As far as production levels etc are concerned I share your scepticism although it does at least look as if Hornby might have got somewhere with the latest announced Pecketts, not that they are available yet!.  But reportedly various Pecketts from the previous announcement (originally for sale this year( are still widely available to pre-order and they have in any case been deferred to, I think, next year in a couple of cases.  Overall it looks as if Hornby still might not be getting it right and that getting themselves production slots is no easier than it has been in the past.

[John M Upton]

Production slots may have been freed up by binning the Thomas range though although to then go and waste some of them on the old line side stuff defeats me!

[Hilux5972]

The “old lineside stuff” as you put it is a great way for youngsters to build up their model railways with their pocket money. I started off with the traditional trackmat when I was 16 and the plastic buildings were the perfect way for me to build it up. Don’t be so harsh about them. Dont forget, the youngsters of today are the modellers of tomorrow.

[Porcy Mane]

Speaking to someone from Hornby today, this set of announcements has been so unsuccessful that nearly everything has sold out - they are now looking at increasing production runs. 

 

Whether selling toy trains or any other commodity, this smacks of the oft used business marketing tactic of "leaking" to the relevant trade press a snippet of info designed to increase sales.

e.g. "we are virtually sold out" when in actuality there is a warehouse full of "stuff" or a distinct lack of orders.

 

Granted the Peckett will sell well, even with the new kid on the block.

 

Just my opinion: It's ok for us mere mortals to speculate and say, "I heard Hornby said this", "Somebody form Hornby said that" but when you work for the "Trade press" and a lot of people hang on to every word that you write, you should be naming and quoting your sources or saying nothing.

 

Otherwise you are just fuelling up the rumour mill.

 

Nice that you say Hornby can now up production whereas in the past it's been pretty well accepted that production for a very specific number of units have to be booked years in advance with very little leeway.

 

P

[Clearwater]

Production slots may have been freed up by binning the Thomas range though although to then go and waste some of them on the old line side stuff defeats me!

You’re assuming the same factory that makes locos and coaches is the same one as produces these comparatively simple items. That may not be the case - given history, I doubt Hornby uses a single factory for all its production.

[Andy Hayter]

Hornby's website is not a live stock site but a shop and as such gets an allocation of new items. Once it's allocation is sold or not sold has no impact on stock availability. As it stands Hornby could have pre sold all the models but the website shop still have allocation to sell.

Yes this sounds odd but it's Hornby! l know this as I asked my local shop to order a model showing on website and they were told it has sold out of warehouse and that they can't take stock from online shop to send to retailers as they run them as separate businesses.

 

That's a business model I am familiar with and one open to smoke and mirrors manipulation.

 

My first point would be however, so much for full support for our trade network.  We've got plenty but no more for you Mr trade support..

 

As for manipulation (and I have no evidence that H have done this, just that it is possible to do and has been done by some companies in the past):  You have a production run that does not sell as expected.  You offer the surplus to yourself via your on-line web shop.  You announce the item as sold out/out of stock.  You create a market where there was not one before.

[Coryton]

 

My first point would be however, so much for full support for our trade network.  We've got plenty but no more for you Mr trade support..

 

There have certainly been times in the recent past when models were shown as sold out on the web site and prospective purchasers were directed to model shops.

 

However, the allocation for shops may also have been sold out but models potentially available from the shops who had already ordered them.

[Widnes Model Centre]

There have certainly been times in the recent past when models were shown as sold out on the web site and prospective purchasers were directed to model shops.

 

However, the allocation for shops may also have been sold out but models potentially available from the shops who had already ordered them.

 

But only when sold out on Hornby direct sales.

 

I have tried to order from Hornby to be told that they have sold out, but still available on their own website.

 

Not what we were led to believe would happen.

 

If we were unable to sell a Hornby product but direct sales were sold out, do you think Hornby would buy the stock back? I know what their response would be.

[brushman47544]

Has increasing production levels suddenly become so much easier than it was just a few months ago?

 

Nice that you say Hornby can now up production whereas in the past it's been pretty well accepted that production for a very specific number of units have to be booked years in advance with very little leeway.

 

I would be very surprised if Hornby can increase the production run of one or more items without a compensatory reduction in another. Perhaps its relations with its factories have settled down enough now for that to happen, or to agree something moves up the queue at the expense of something else.

 

Although this doesn't seem very compatible with the general production delays seemingly being suffered by Hornby (and Bachmann for that matter), which I thought might be due to a shortfall of skilled staff returning after Chinese New Year, perhaps that's why the Virgin Class 87 is now July 2019...

Edited May 24, 2018 by brushman47544