RMweb Premium melmerby Posted February 24, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 24, 2011 Just been in Modelzone in Birmingham and they are selling a DCC fitted and a DCC ready version of the same Hornby "King Arthur" for £134.99 and £79.99 respectively. Crazy or what! I think £55 for a decoder even if it is the superb (sic) R8249 is a bit over the top. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orcadian Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Hi, Keith! Possibly the DCC-fitted is for new stock, although the Hornby website this morning shows them at £128.09. The DCC-ready is possibly old stock that they want to clear (to make room for new stock at today's RRP!) Interesting that the DCC-fitted one is almost £7 OVER Hornby list price - I have had a feeling during some visits to some Modelzone shops that some of their prices are on the high side of RRP for some brands. But to balance this, when you find something of interest that they are wanting to clear, you can get a very good bargain - e.g. this 'ready' Arthur! A few years ago in Holborn MZ, I snapped up some EFE buses that were out of production for £10 below the normal EFE price. Clearly, it pays (pun intended!) to know the RRP before going into a Modelzone, (and it may pay even more to know the box-shifters price!) Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted February 25, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted February 25, 2011 Hi, Keith! Possibly the DCC-fitted is for new stock, although the Hornby website this morning shows them at £128.09. The DCC-ready is possibly old stock that they want to clear (to make room for new stock at today's RRP!) Interesting that the DCC-fitted one is almost £7 OVER Hornby list price - I have had a feeling during some visits to some Modelzone shops that some of their prices are on the high side of RRP for some brands. But to balance this, when you find something of interest that they are wanting to clear, you can get a very good bargain - e.g. this 'ready' Arthur! A few years ago in Holborn MZ, I snapped up some EFE buses that were out of production for £10 below the normal EFE price. Clearly, it pays (pun intended!) to know the RRP before going into a Modelzone, (and it may pay even more to know the box-shifters price!) Richard Hi Richard. Quite how you can tell whether it's old stock or new I wouldn't know as they were both the same R number but the "fitted" had the X as one would expect. I look in there regularly, as you say some of their prices are on the high side but clearance items can have quite a reduction, 30% is not unusual. If you want Bachmann locos in Birmingham I find that Ian Allan (nearly) always has a reduction on the RRP. e.g. one of the current GWR panniers is considerably cheaper than Modelzone. They also have some Baccy EMUs at big reductions in their "Spring Sale" along with some continental HO from various manufacturers. Keith Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted February 26, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26, 2011 I popped into Ian Allan yesterday on my break and sadly there was only a few British items of rolling stock left on the bargain table !! And today I thought I'd have a look at Modelzone in Birmingham and to be totally honest how can they charge full RRP and a bit more and still be in business I was shocked at some of the Hornby steam locomotive prices. But what made me laugh was the salesperson tried to tell me that a Hornby class 09 shunter was a steam locomotive because it looked like one and that it only accepts the new sapphire decoders !! Sorry I will be sticking to Ian Allan in future !!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted February 26, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26, 2011 I popped into Ian Allan yesterday on my break and sadly there was only a few British items of rolling stock left on the bargain table !! thats because you have to get there before me!! they do seem to add to the stock on there on a daily basis, wednesday there were no Bachmann mk1s but a few open wagons, friday there were loads of mk1s and no open wagons, some of the continental stuff is really reduced, i picked up all the remaining liliput dcc fitted rail mounted panzer tanks on friday for £20 a piece, reduced from £81, all that is left on there now are a number of 3 rail dcc fitted versions for the same price but i may well grab them on monday too as for modelzone i always have a look in there on my way from moor st if i have the time, not seen too many bargains recently however there was a Hornby hst power car set in FGW livery for (iirc) £99 which is the same as rails etc, modelzone in the trafford centre had the virgin livery one for £89 dcc fitted the other week but i never picked it up!! also all modelzones seem to be selling their ltd ed mainline 09 for £39.99 at the moment Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted February 26, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26, 2011 I did end up buying one of the class 09's after I was told it was a steam locomotive because it looked like one he tried to get me to buy a sapphire decoder too sorry I wasn't that gullible !! So you beat me to the bargain table it's a good job really as I was so tempted with a 4Cep but it was in southern green instead of the proper blue and grey livery !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 And today I thought I'd have a look at Modelzone in Birmingham and to be totally honest how can they charge full RRP and a bit more and still be in business... Clearly, they've found a way! Seriously, while we on RMweb are all obviously (!) up-to-date with all the bargains to be had, we're probably not Modelzone's target market. A retailer in the centre of England's second-largest city, in what is a prime business location, is going to price things accordingly. If they think that they can sell goods to a general model-buying public at around RRP (or even slightly higher), who's to say they can't? The first "R" in RRP does stand for "recommended", after all. I don't think it's fair to complain about shops which dare to use RRP as their guide price - simply avoid them if that's not for you, and as others have said, they do offer bargains once they're having a clearout. Me, I always check out Ian Allen when I'm in Birmingham, but I've only been to Modelzone once, and that was just to take a look shortly after it first opened. I may pop in again sometime, but I doubt I'd make a special journey to do so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Kernows web site has the Hornby RRP for the decoder fitted R2836X King Arthur as being £134.99 so Modelzone are not over charging and Hornbys own website now gives it as £140.86 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed-farms Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Modelzone seem to rely on most of their sales been from parents for "Little Jonny" who won't know about half the model shops out there. The one at the Metrocentre charges full RRP but occasionally they have a bargain - last week they had a sound fitted 50015 for £150, might not be there for long at that price. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I can think of fair number of model shops that charge full or nearly full RRP. Previous postings have indicated that Modelzones stock is on sale or return to Hornby (probably explains why my local store suddenly looks like an Airfix warehouse) so they have little reason to discount and in any case when they do you can find some good bargains - often pays to rummage to the back of the shelves although you might some odd looks from the staff as you put everything in front on the floor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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