C&L Displays only at shows.

[t-b-g]

I agree 100% about appreciating the small trader and what they bring to the hobby. We have lost far too many product ranges when people either retire or sell a business on to another and the hobby would be so much more difficult without such people.

 

So I am not having any sort of a dig at Peter, I am just trying to think of a possible way forward for him, that may actually improve things for him and for those who wish to purchase his products at shows.

 

It just concerns me that if others start to do the same, it may have a big impact on the exhibition world as a whole. Will traders who do not have a full trade stand need as much space? Will that result in the much needed stand rentals not being there for contributing to the running costs of shows etc. Will people who go to shows just to browse the trade stands and look for bargians (and there are some, I know them!) still go?

 

So an action like this, while hopefully a one off, may turn out (another bad trackwork pun) be the start of a slippery slope down which we really don't want to go.

 

I do look at some trade stands and wonder just how they manage to lug so much stuff around and whether they need to. A lot of the small traders started with a small range of core products and the businesses and product ranges have grown until the number of products they offer is huge. Is there any scope for cutting back to their core product range at shows and having other stuff available via ordering/internet/mail order etc. ? 

 

From a practical point of view, I am sure that many traders at shows carry massive amounts of stock around that has been on the stands for ever and a day and could easily be left behind as it sells once in a blue moon. I was looking at items on one stand at Ally Pally and some of the stock was so old that metal corrosion had set in!

 

Speaking from a personal point of view (bad trackwork pun alert) all I ever purchase for track are sleepers (usually timber from EMGS but sometimes cut my own from ply as the GCR used mainly 14" point timbering, not 12" like most), chairs and rail.

 

I can't explain why but I have never been a huge fan of mail order and ordering stuff. I like to be able to go to a shop/trader with some cash in my hand and come away with what I went to buy. Purchasing stuff shouldn't have to be any more complicated than that.

 

I don't pretend to have all the answers but I hope nobody minds me asking the questions!

 

Tony

[Paul Cram]

If you read the news on C&L's site you will note that Exactoscale prices were unprofitable without the trade discount when Peter took them over. Would you be prepared for a further 50% increase to cover the trade discount? I am sure I wouldn't and suspect very few if any others would be.