Product repetition

[TTDB]

Hi all. 
Watched the Roco YouTube content last night for the 2022 announcements, I see they have announced another OBB 1044 , I already have five all Roco I was tempted by the PIKO model but don’t need another , it looks like a new model but what baffles me is why spend the money on tooling when PIKO have recently released the same model, the same goes for the wittenberger cab car we wait years for one to arrive then we get Brawa, Roco, ESU and PIKO all with a couple of years of each other , I do have a brawa and a Roco and may do a comparison on here, there seems very little left to model that could justify sales to cover production outlay in Western Europe, and I can see (as PIKO have done) more models of Eastern European models coming out, 

[duff man]

Hi.

Its called brand loyalty. Many will only buy from one manufacture this therefore justifies duplication. It's a continental thing I know it doesn't make any sense to us in the UK,   Continental manufacturers are lucky to have such a loyal customer base.

Craig. 

[TTDB]

12 hours ago, duff man said:

Hi.

Its called brand loyalty. Many will only buy from one manufacture this therefore justifies duplication. It's a continental thing I know it doesn't make any sense to us in the UK,   Continental manufacturers are lucky to have such a loyal customer base.

Craig. 

I know of brand loyalty in the states it’s very common recently most are either genesis or scaletrains , I mix and match  all of my standard Regio coaches are Brawa but I do have brawa and Roco control cab cars (as said I will do a comparison tonight) and various coaches from various makers but as you say “my” brand loyalty with my locos is 99% Roco I have one PIKO BR180 and a Jagerndorfer OBB 1163. 

[Allegheny1600]

I found the most shocking example of brand loyalty to be when Maerklin/Trix announced and produced another H0 scale class 66!

If you want a reasonably priced one, Mehano do a pretty decent model, if you want an all singing and dancing version, ESU do it. There’s also a Heljan one but I think that fell apart by the wayside.

So, why do yet another version for a similar price to the superior ESU version (which will run on three rail track if required)?

Answer: some people really will only buy it if it comes from their favourite maker!

Incredible but there it is.

 I have seen shops in Belgium and Germany that only stock Maerklin and nothing else - it beggars my belief that such shops exist but they do.

[TTDB]

I agree I don’t understand the following it has,,,,maybe a brand magazine will be next like Hornby magazine ! My 5yr old has  a full sound (station announcements,whistle and horn) Marklin Lint in HO I know they were known for shortening  trains but this beggars belief and its go the axles of a  Ferkel Taxe ,,,,joking aside it’s a superb way to get him next stage into model railways 

Edited February 24, 2022 by TTDB
Spelling

[TT-Pete]

21 hours ago, Allegheny1600 said:

I have seen shops in Belgium and Germany that only stock Maerklin and nothing else - it beggars my belief that such shops exist but they do.

 

And ditto in Switzerland, it's the same mentality that keeps Apple stores afloat...

[TTDB]

3 hours ago, TT-Pete said:

 

And ditto in Switzerland, it's the same mentality that keeps Apple stores afloat...

Don’t forget HAG too in Switzerland the Rolex of trains lol

[TT-Pete]

5 hours ago, TTDB said:

Don’t forget HAG too in Switzerland the Rolex of trains lol

 

What does that make Fulgurex?

[Allegheny1600]

16 hours ago, TT-Pete said:

 

What does that make Fulgurex?

Probably Patak Philippe or A.Lange & Sohne.

TAG Heuer possibly.

Maybe the first two brands would be reserved for the likes of Micro Fein Mechanik though.

http://www.microfeinmechanik.de/index.php?PHPSESSID=ed72543235d7845fb430b93a3ade9099
 

Don’t - unless you’re VERY well heeled!

[TTDB]

3 hours ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Probably Patak Philippe or A.Lange & Sohne.

TAG Heuer possibly.

Maybe the first two brands would be reserved for the likes of Micro Fein Mechanik though.

http://www.microfeinmechanik.de/index.php?PHPSESSID=ed72543235d7845fb430b93a3ade9099
 

Don’t - unless you’re VERY well heeled!

I had the pleasure of working in Japan for 6 months several years ago, being an avid model railwaymen most weekends I would take a trip for a look around model shops , at the time Japanese didn’t discount the prices or even have sales so once you’d been to

one shop with vast stocks of TOMIX and KATO you’d seen them all,,,,apart from the specialist shops like IMON and Tenshodo, now at Tenshodo you could buy a brass train on one floor for anything £1000+ and a handmade watch on another floor for a similar price,,,however lf your tipple was one of the many EMUs in operation there you’d be looking anything from £1000-£4000 ok hand built and fine details but the mechanisms were very basic compared to US and European plastic ready to run.

[Allegheny1600]

3 hours ago, TTDB said:

I had the pleasure of working in Japan for 6 months several years ago, being an avid model railwaymen most weekends I would take a trip for a look around model shops , at the time Japanese didn’t discount the prices or even have sales so once you’d been to

one shop with vast stocks of TOMIX and KATO you’d seen them all,,,,apart from the specialist shops like IMON and Tenshodo, now at Tenshodo you could buy a brass train on one floor for anything £1000+ and a handmade watch on another floor for a similar price,,,however lf your tipple was one of the many EMUs in operation there you’d be looking anything from £1000-£4000 ok hand built and fine details but the mechanisms were very basic compared to US and European plastic ready to run.

Oh, yes! Japanese stuff is lovely!

A friend of mine has a Zoukei-Mura series 0 Shinkansen in 1/87th H0 scale and that is quite expensive but at Ally Pally once, there was an 0 scale model of an EF58 - that was a case of “if you have to ask how much, you can’t afford it”

Most “American” brass seems to be made in South Korea now and I know from when I had a dabble in US 0 scale, their prices are rather eye watering. They do run a lot better than the old Japanese brass now though.

Sorry! We’ve drifted rather away from the OP.