Simon Says

[Legend]

More power to Charlie! Well said sir. The more competition there is the lower prices will be because people will do comparisons and make up their own minds on what represents value for money for the given spec. I thought Simons piece was pretty balanced and I agreed with most of it. However it has to be said that Hornby have been charging top dollar for some old models for sometime now. The 61xx springs to mind.

 

I am one of the vociferous modellers I think Andy is referring to. No I don't see conspirators under every bed, but I don't believe in lying down and accepting all increases without a challenge. Initially I thought Bachmann had handled the price increases well but looking at the inputs people have had I'm now more convinced the price hike has more to do with Mr Ting of Kaders wish to get his UK operation up to the level of profitability of some of his other ranges. I think he told them get the price up and have put them on probation with the less than stellar new releases this year to see how it goes. No doubt his attention had been drawn to the higher prices that Hornby had commanded! Let's see how this pays out

 

I'd also like to see the model mags take a more consumers point of view. They seem pretty much in bed with the big manufacturers choosing only to repeat their press releases. How about a little investigation as to the actual labour content as a % of the final price to the modeller , we might then have a more informed view rather than just taking someone's word for it. Given his background I suspect Charlie knows!

[The Stationmaster]

This debate is following some interesting twists and turns and the one Charlie Petty has introduced is particularly interesting.  I am of the view, and will remain on that view, that deep discounting by a handful of retailers has probably done the hobby more harm than good because of the false expectation it has created among purchasers; after all how many retailers will remain in business for how long if their nett profit sits at c.3%?  I think most of us can work out that one but in the meanwhile such margins - usually coupled with volume of course - have helped see out of the business many others who had aimed to offer a wider range and had to finance it.  That, I think, is one side of the coin in our hobby.

 

The next one is the financial position of manufacturers (or larger companies which once were manufacturers before putting their work out to contractors).  Generally the truism is that a larger company tends to have higher overheads for the very simple reason that the complexity of managing it increases with size there being a couple of widely recognised tipping points (for want of a better term) at which growth in the size of the organisation creates a jump in overheads which it has to match, and preferably exceed, by a greater percentage increase in its revenues.  Revenues being a combination of sales by quantity considered in relation to sales by level of profitability.

 

Once a business has got to that size and the market subsequently changes or shrinks the company faces some stark choices - some overheads can be reduced but often help has to be sought from the volume/profits mix and that reflects in prices.  If prices rise and the consumer ceases to buy as a result there are two simple options - cut prices, which can only be done for so long, or pack up  (a situation all too common in Britain in recent decades).  The company could also decide to change direction but that costs (usually) and that means it needs finance for additional working capital, and that costs money.

 

On the other hand smaller businesses, often relatively 'young', not only tend to have lower overheads (except probably in the cost of credit & loans) but also benefit from a lot of 'free' labour - no need to keep a market research team, no need to keep a design team, minimal cost of maintaining a sales presence in the market place and so on.  And this has created some of the healthy competition we have seen in recent years in the model railway business - which has delivered things which might never have appeared from the 'big boys' and at what we, the consumers, perceive as 'good value for our money'.  Concerns with large overheads are unlikely to be able to deliver that, or to offer the niche marketing flexibility of the smaller concerns which also means their pricing might not be comparable.

 

So yes, competition is good - because more than anything else in recent years it has improved the product and widened the available range of products.  But that does not alter the basic economics of running a business and there isn't really much the market or deep discounting can do to alter that.

[The Stationmaster]

I'd also like to see the model mags take a more consumers point of view. They seem pretty much in bed with the big manufacturers choosing only to repeat their press releases. How about a little investigation as to the actual labour content as a % of the final price to the modeller , we might then have a more informed view rather than just taking someone's word for it. Given his background I suspect Charlie knows!

We all know - or can readily find out - as Jason Shron explained it all in some detail in a past Rapido newsletter and his figures have been linked or quoted in past debates on this very subject.  There is no mystery - other than the detail of the extent to which it might vary for individual models. And equally some contributors to RMweb have given us some fairly clear indication on how much it would cost to get something of similar quality to various r-t-r products if it were produced by them - presumably they're not profiteers or taking us for a ride?

 

And don't forget that the RRP of a Chinese made model bought in Britain is subject to far more changing factors than how much Chinese workers are paid 'in their hand' - there are also big increases in other employment costs in China (see post above by 159220), there are increases in shipping costs, increase in UK costs such as insurance and taxes, and so on.

 

And what, exactly, is 'the consumers point of view' in any case.  Mine would seem to differ from yours, and both of us no doubt differ in some respect from the next pair of consumers - where an editor decides to place the apostrophe can make a world of difference (and probably still not be right).

[jjb1970]

I don't think UK modelers are being ripped off, if we were then we'd be paying more than other markets for models when the inverse is true. OK, I know comparisons with other markets are problematic due to currency fluctuations etc but in recent years US models (once bargain basement) have been pretty similar to ours if not higher. European outline tends to be significantly more expensive, and Japanese models are anything but cheap. From what we are led to believe Hornby was squeezing their manufacturers ever tighter to suppress price rises. The Station Master has summarised very well why the newer entrants have a much lower cost base other than for accessing credit than big established players. 

 

On the issue of China and Chinese wages, I think we should balance entirely justified moral qualms about the plight of Chinese workers with a recognition it is by exploiting their resource of cheap labour that played no small part in generating the wealth which is funding infrastructure investment we could only dream of in the UK, health and education improvements and rising standards of living along with creating a middle class that is now one of the engines of the global consumer economy. Yes, they still have a long way to go but China is in no way the backwards, undeveloped country that some might imagine. I first visited China in the early 90's and at that time it was pretty dire, I go there now on business and at least in the metropolitan areas it is a very highly developed modern country with very good facilities. 

[dibber25]

"I'd also like to see the model mags take a more consumers point of view. They seem pretty much in bed with the big manufacturers choosing only to repeat their press releases. How about a little investigation as to the actual labour content as a % of the final price to the modeller , we might then have a more informed view rather than just taking someone's word for it. Given his background I suspect Charlie knows!"

 

I think I'm the only former model railway magazine Editor to post on here. After a lifetime in magazine publishing I find odd the suggestion that magazines should take a 'consumer's point of view'. Which consumer? There are as many points of view as there are consumers. Just look at the debates on here. There's scarcely a consensus from the consumers. In any case, it is not the role of magazines to represent consumer or manufacturer but to act as one of the conduits between the two. Model shops are the other significant conduit - passing customer comment back to reps and passing on to consumers the latest news from the reps. We don't merely repeat press releases (I doubt there's more than two or three significant press releases in a year from each manufacturer). Most press releases are about new product and accompany review samples. If we feel the model is expensive, we say so in the review. But it will be deemed expensive based on a lack of features or by comparison to another similar model. It won't be deemed expensive just because there's an element of readership who think all models are too expensive now. I recently reviewed a Hornby loco for which the RRP is £29.99. It's a basic Railroad starter diesel shunter at a rock bottom price - a genuine attempt to offer a basic, affordable loco. No amount of taking the 'consumer's view' in magazines is going to make manufacturers turn out Evening Star, DCC-ready and fully lined out for that sort of price. We all have ceilings on what we can afford to spend and manufacturers have limits on how cheaply they can sell their products. Magazine editors do have a VERY informed view because they listen to all parties in these debates. What we heard first from Hornby, then from Bachmann, is backed up by other manufacturers and has been expounded in some detail by Jason Shron, a newcomer to the British market, with a very small company compared to them. He has taken the view that one or two items in his range would now be too expensive to produce so they've been dropped. In time, the larger manufacturers may also take that view.

A major hiatus in the hobby is coming in the next 10-20 years as the bulk of railway modellers, who are now in the 55-65 age group reach the end of their lives. Big model collections will then come on to the secondhand market but there are far fewer modellers in the younger age groups to buy them. The result could well be a glut of well cared for, good condition models commanding minimal prices because there are few people who want them. Who would want to be a manufacturer of NEW RTR models against that background? I'm afraid I have to disagree with Charlie, despite his undoubted experience. Not buying models at today's prices might or might not drive prices down - it will definitely drive shops and, maybe, manufacturers out of business.

CHRIS LEIGH

[County of Yorkshire]

A major hiatus in the hobby is coming in the next 10-20 years as the bulk of railway modellers, who are now in the 55-65 age group reach the end of their lives. Big model collections will then come on to the secondhand market but there are far fewer modellers in the younger age groups to buy them. The result could well be a glut of well cared for, good condition models commanding minimal prices because there are few people who want them. Who would want to be a manufacturer of NEW RTR models against that background? I'm afraid I have to disagree with Charlie, despite his undoubted experience. Not buying models at today's prices might or might not drive prices down - it will definitely drive shops and, maybe, manufacturers out of business.

CHRIS LEIGH

 

This is a very prescient comment, and one that is spot on, in my opinion.

 

CoY

[Ozexpatriate]

Conclusion:     If you have fewer manufacturers & retailers,  you WILL get higher prices.    You need competition, so lets support not only Hornby (British), Dapol (British) but Heljan (European) and the up and coming 'Small Guys', as without these Bachmann will be even more expensive.

There is no better barometer of a healthy market than the existence of multiple profitable competitors. "Commodity" items (as opposed to disruptive technology products) would have a number of large players dominating the market with smaller providers competing in niche spaces. This is somewhat what we see, but none of Hornby PLC, Kader Holdings (Bachmann Branch-Line) or Dapol appear to be particularly profitable right now.

 

Only by consumers continuing to purchase product does the market flourish.

 

Stop the Rip off:   I suggest if we all resist buying new models at silly list prices, then the silly list prices will reduce.  ITS IN OUR HANDS!

What "rip off"?

 

Not buying models at today's prices might or might not drive prices down - it will definitely drive shops and, maybe, manufacturers out of business.

Yes, not buying models will drive shops out of business, likely increase prices (since volumes will plummet) and then drive manufacturers out of business. Everybody loses.

 

If people cannot afford to purchase models, then they won't. But choosing not to purchase models you want and can afford as a form of deliberately trying to manipulate the market is a lose, lose, lose scenario for the shops, manufacturers and consumers respectively.

[Ronny]

There are a small number of vociferous modellers for whom the price increases are anything between a massive media-supported conspiracy, corporate lies or greed and total destruction of the future of the hobby for them. It's not even armchair modelling.

 

A tad harsh. There's a number of us that think that Bachmann's recent large price raises did indeed have something to do with widening margins in addition to covering current and future manufacturing cost increases.

 

There's nothing wrong in holding that view as there is equally nothing wrong in believing Bachmann's words to have been 100% gospel.

[Andy Y]

There's nothing wrong in holding that view as there is equally nothing wrong in believing Bachmann's words to have been 100% gospel.

S'true, I don't hold anything against anyone who thinks the moon landings were done in a tin shed in Nevada or Phil the Greek was driving a white Fiat around Paris one night. 

[Ozexpatriate]

S'true, I don't hold anything against anyone who thinks the moon landings were done in a tin shed in Nevada or Phil the Greek was driving a white Fiat around Paris one night. 

I just knew the Illuminati were running model railway companies to launder money for the Institute for the Works of Religion (aka the Vatican bank).

[robmcg]

With Simon's latest blog entry 22 August

 

http://www.Hornby.com/news/simonsays/what-goes-up/

 

it appears that the trainset is still seen, by him at least, as the entry to the model railway hobby and that price increases are inevitable. He also suggests that new Hornby models like the D16 will be perhaps slightly less thoroughly detailed than such as the T9 and Schools, but from the pre-prod photos of the 700 and D16 I cannot see where they are lacking. I think he fully appreciates the difference between a trainset bought for a child and a highly detailed 00 model, and price rises are inevitable,but says this better than I can...

 

Interesting thoughts from Simon, as ever. (which of course many of you have already read and digested). I thought the trainset and detailed model divide was interesting.

[ThaneofFife]

evem if the china bubble bursts and our models get made somewhere else all that will achieve at best is a lull in price rises and for only a short time period. prices wont be lowered unless the spec is lowered and nobidy really wants models to regress.

[lyneux]

A major hiatus in the hobby is coming in the next 10-20 years as the bulk of railway modellers, who are now in the 55-65 age group reach the end of their lives. Big model collections will then come on to the secondhand market but there are far fewer modellers in the younger age groups to buy them. The result could well be a glut of well cared for, good condition models commanding minimal prices because there are few people who want them. Who would want to be a manufacturer of NEW RTR models against that background?

 

I beg to differ: most railway modellers that I know are in the 35-45 age group (anyone got figures?). Dare I suggest that we associate with people from our own age group?

 

Would I be interested in the collections of the (now) 55-65 age group? Possibly, but only collections covering the 80s onwards. I suspect that this is a minority of the collections from people in the 55-65 age group. Personally I'm not particularly interested in steam or green diesels so I certainly won't be taking on the majority of models from these collections. If there is a hiatus, then it will be in models that appeal to the older demographic (i.e. stuff that was around in the 1950s/early 60s). As an analogy: models of mid to late 19th century models are few and far between as they don't really appeal to us 20th/21st century modellers.

 

I'm sure that demand is increasing for models of more modern prototypes. In D&E I don't see a hiatus at all, merely a shift forwards in time of the prototypes being modelled. Life for D&E modellers is excellent at the moment; for example, in 4mm this year we have annoucnements of the APT-E, 90, 71, 59 and a number of modern wagons. It stands to reason that manufacturers will turn their attention to more and more modern prototypes as time goes on as that is where the demand will be.

 

Guy

[The Stationmaster]

The interesting thing about Chris' point about a glut of high quality models coming on to the market as older folk go to where ever they go as this, or something akin to it for other reasons, has been going on for some time.  Hardly a glut but a fairly steady stream of Chinese made Hornby locos, and to a lesser extent coaches, passing through auction houses at an average of around £40-45 per loco with occasional ones (mainly Bulleids) going for double that or more (presumably because of rarity) and some going for less.

 

Thus far prices do not seem to have dropped, in fact if anything they have probably risen a bit although that might be influenced by the supply situation from China.  And of course what models sell for at auction, very often to dealers or Ebay sellers, doesn't necessarily bear much resemblance to the price at which they subsequently appear in the wider market - and taht could change if the quantity increases.

[Buhar]

I don't have a model shop within an hour's travelling of me but I try to support the smaller ones who have web ordering.  However, now that releases are all limited runs and I have heard tell of smaller shops not getting the quantities they requested, I am struggling with where I put my order for my 1F in LMS livery.  If I go small and their order is cut, it could well be sold out everywhere when I widen the search.  Hornby and Bachmann could positively discriminate in favour of small shops by guaranteeing smaller retailer's orders in full (maybe with a small allowance added for shelf stock which would also support them) and if orders have to be trimmed, its from the major discounters.  This will put the price up a little for some purchasers, but to the benefit of the hobby as a whole as these stockists of wagon kits, styrene sheet and point motors would survive.

[JSpencer]

You have to remember youngster today will not be enticed by train sets of the 1980s style.

 

Today you basically need a train set one can run from a hand held device like a iPad, smartphone etc. none of the big players offer this yet (Hornbys railmaster system requires an intermediate PC to run it, that is one device too many in the loop).

 

The loco should have sound (Hornby tts sound hits the spot there), maybe lights as well.

 

If you can run it from a Nintendo, that would entice more still.

 

The vast bulk of my locos are in BR steam era, yet I was not even born when the last baby deltic was scrapped so the argument that we model only what we saw as kids is not valid.

 

Why BR green? Because you the greatest mix of locos possible.

[JSpencer]

You have to remember production runs in the 1970s were 10000 per loco and colour scheme. Today we average around the 1000 mark.

 

We have talked about light compromises on detail such as not having opening vents, sprung buffers etc, but what compromises in finish?

 

Do we required builders and shed plates to be readable under a microscope for example?

 

I agree having correct lining is important, but readable numbers on gauges in the cab?

[Buhar]

You have to remember production runs in the 1970s were 10000 per loco and colour scheme. Today we average around the 1000 mark.

 

We have talked about light compromises on detail such as not having opening vents, sprung buffers etc, but what compromises in finish?

 

Do we required builders and shed plates to be readable under a microscope for example?

 

I agree having correct lining is important, but readable numbers on gauges in the cab?

I do wonder about some of the "extremes" of printing.  But maybe it's a case of it's as easy (or cheap) to do it legibly as it is to set it up for a load of sqiggles.

[antrobuscp]

A major hiatus in the hobby is coming in the next 10-20 years as the bulk of railway modellers, who are now in the 55-65 age group reach the end of their lives. Big model collections will then come on to the secondhand market but there are far fewer modellers in the younger age groups to buy them. The result could well be a glut of well cared for, good condition models commanding minimal prices because there are few people who want them. Who would want to be a manufacturer of NEW RTR models against that background? I'm afraid I have to disagree with Charlie, despite his undoubted experience. Not buying models at today's prices might or might not drive prices down - it will definitely drive shops and, maybe, manufacturers out of business.

CHRIS LEIGH

I agree absolutely with this. The current price rises and production delays compound the threats to model shops and the hobby - which will not die, but it may well contract as a result. The last thing the industry needs right now is for sales to decline even further.

The interesting thing about Chris' point about a glut of high quality models coming on to the market as older folk go to where ever they go as this, or something akin to it for other reasons, has been going on for some time.  Hardly a glut but a fairly steady stream of Chinese made Hornby locos, and to a lesser extent coaches, passing through auction houses at an average of around £40-45 per loco with occasional ones (mainly Bulleids) going for double that or more (presumably because of rarity) and some going for less.

 

Thus far prices do not seem to have dropped, in fact if anything they have probably risen a bit although that might be influenced by the supply situation from China.  And of course what models sell for at auction, very often to dealers or Ebay sellers, doesn't necessarily bear much resemblance to the price at which they subsequently appear in the wider market - and taht could change if the quantity increases.

I think. at the moment, there are probably enough of the former 1950s/60s "Trainspotter Generation" young enough and with enough money to soak up those collections coming to the secondhand market. I don't think that will be the case in 10/20 years time - by then, the balance of supply and demand will have changed dramatically, and also the younger modeller's tastes are much more likely to be BR Blue period or later, rather than Steam/Green era.

 

Ultimately, time will tell who's right, but my personal view is more in line with Chis's.

 

I think the industry will really help itself a great deal IF it can overcome the long hiatus between announcement and production of a model, and keep costs "under control"(not necessarily static) even if that means the loss of some individually added or complex detail. Here I have in mind hidden details(in enclosed cabs or under a model), rotating fans or opening doors, NOT separately applied handrails or smokebox detail. I suppose I mean an intelligently applied look at a model to decide what should or shouldn't be modelled, and not as apparently done on the Hornby GW tanks where some obvious detail was stupidly sacrificed to reduce production cost and selling price. I await Hornby's new releases with interest if, as Simon says, this "intelligent review" is what Hornby intend to undertake.

 

Even more important than price if today's generation of young modellers(kids) is to be attracted to the hobby, is product on the shelves for youngsters to build a layout over time, and to go to a local shop or online to see what they want and buy it then and there. If that can't be done interest will be lost and the hobby will suffer even more. This has to include track, scenics, and a range of rolling stock and locos. At the moment, and not least because of the way the manufacturer's supply chain seems to be changing and seems unlikely to allow for stockholding I mention, I am generally pessimistic for the future of the hobby. Substantial contraction over 20 years seems likely, I'm afraid, as a result of a combination of factors..

[jjb1970]

Indeed, nobody is suggesting that there aren't plenty of younger modelers, but my own experience supports the premise that the age profile of the hobby is biased towards more mature modelers. I think to some extent this is reflected in the fact that most manufacturers (with the honorable exceptions of some of the new entrants like Rapido) are still heavily biased towards steam era models. That is not to say that many youngsters do not model steam, I was born after the end of UK mainline steam yet am a bit of a Southern nut (or maybe more accurately, a Bulleid nut) and love the GWR and I know plenty of older modelers who have a great interest in modeling diesels and electrics particularly of the BR corporate blue era. That said I suspect there is a correlation between the enduring interest in steam and the age profile of the hobby although I'll admit that is just supposition.

 

When I was young BR steam was not that popular and most of the steam releases tended to be big four, there has been a complete reversal in that and not GWR, LMS, LNER and Southern releases seem to be very much the junior relations of their BR cousins. That may mean nothing, it may mean there are a lot of modelers who want to replicate the railways they themselves remember in model form, it may mean there are many who like this era for the potential to run steam, diesel and electric trains all together. Heljan have carved a nice niche making models of pilot scheme and prototype models which I expect few expected to see RTR. They have also made models of modern(-ish....) locomotives like the 58 and 86 (OK the 86 is an antique but Heljan did it in late liveries) and I get the impression neither went down that well for them. In the case of the 86 it was as much because it was not a very good model but the 58 wasn't bad and was certainly a lot better than the old Hornby effort. 

 

I do worry about small run batch production. I collect diecast model aircraft models and used to collect diecast model cars, one reason I got fed up of cars and reduced the aircraft is that I got fed up of ordering models from reputable, very good dealers only to be told they'd be short supplied and couldn't get more stock and to realise by that point all the e-mail stockists would be sold out. Then I got really cross when it seemed certain sold out dealers suddenly found stock at greatly inflated prices after a short period. I know it is dangerous to generalise based on experiences with another hobby but I am not going to jump through hoops to get new models, it should be within human scientific invention to devise a system that ensures that if the manufacturer is sold out then they tell dealers this when recieving orders rather than waiting until models are shipped out several months down the line. That is why if the hobby goes down this road (and it already has) then I'd rather it was done openly using the American system where there are pre-order cut off dates and if you don't pre-order then you take your chances. This system also has issues but if we are in a low run environment I think it is better than what we have now. 

 

Another worry I have is what it will do to new blood and youngsters if model shops end up being almost virtual shops in terms of locomotives as everything is sold on pre-order basis with minimal shop stock which sells out quickly. That may not be a problem for dedicated enthusiasts but if you are a youngster or a new entrant it is hardly going to be encouraging, people like to see models for sale, models on shelves that they can buy and if this is not the case then there are plenty of other interests/hobbies to pursue.

[dibber25]

I beg to differ: most railway modellers that I know are in the 35-45 age group (anyone got figures?). Dare I suggest that we associate with people from our own age group?

 

Would I be interested in the collections of the (now) 55-65 age group? Possibly, but only collections covering the 80s onwards. I suspect that this is a minority of the collections from people in the 55-65 age group. Personally I'm not particularly interested in steam or green diesels so I certainly won't be taking on the majority of models from these collections. If there is a hiatus, then it will be in models that appeal to the older demographic (i.e. stuff that was around in the 1950s/early 60s). As an analogy: models of mid to late 19th century models are few and far between as they don't really appeal to us 20th/21st century modellers.

 

I'm sure that demand is increasing for models of more modern prototypes. In D&E I don't see a hiatus at all, merely a shift forwards in time of the prototypes being modelled. Life for D&E modellers is excellent at the moment; for example, in 4mm this year we have annoucnements of the APT-E, 90, 71, 59 and a number of modern wagons. It stands to reason that manufacturers will turn their attention to more and more modern prototypes as time goes on as that is where the demand will be.

 

Guy

Yes, we associate with our own age group, but take an honest look at the attendees at any major model railway exhibition and the vast majority are WAY above 35-45. I can only base my figures on what I see and on the surveys done by Model Rail (some of them at the time when it was considered to be a primarily 'modern image' title). In those surveys well over half the total readership was always in whatever age bracket I was in. I'm now 67 and the majority of people I see at shows are over 50 and (I'm taking an informed guess now) primarily into steam or transition era. The likes of Bachmann and Hornby still say that steam outline outsells modern image several times over. You're right in the sense that the collections that come up for sale will be mainly steam and not of interest to your age group. That's part of my point - the market will be awash with unwanted models going cheap. Now, if you're new into the hobby at that time, will you be buying a £250 all-singing/dancing Class 59 or might you be tempted by a giveaway-priced secondhand Lima or, dare I say, a super-detail Hornby West Country also at pocket-money price? I'm not suggesting there's an answer to this. Nor am I suggesting that there won't be SOME modellers who are able and happy to pay the prices for new diesel and electric models. The big question is, will there be ENOUGH of them to sustain half a dozen ready-to-run manufacturers? I suspect if you calculate how many units those six manufacturers need to sell in a year to stay in business, the resultant figure would be pretty scary. In fact, iI wonder if the market is actually big enough for the volume of models which are already promised. It is notable that new D&E subjects tend to be promised by those manufacturers who can cope with much smaller production batches - Dapol, DJM, Rapido, and that Hornby which requires much greater volumes has recently concentrated on steam outline but if steam sales subsidise D&E models, what happens to the latter when the 'steam generation' is gone?

CHRIS LEIGH

[Legend]

I agree the point that not buying models is not going to do the model railway shop or retailer any good. But neither is an increase on RRP of 20% and a lot more in some instances (Bachmann) or restricting retailers margins (Hornby) .infact you could argue that these are the triggers for not buying models

[Les1952]

The group I belong to acquired a new member fairly recently who reduced the group's average age by two years.  He was just approaching his 65th birthday.....

 

35-45?   Not many youngsters like that in this neck of the woods.

 

Les

[jjb1970]

There is also a correlation between sales volume and costs, for the simple reason that certain costs of producing a model are pretty constant regardless of how many you sell and have to be recovered. Some of the commercial risk which is built into pricing can be mitigated by the sort of pre-order system used by American manufacturers but the issue of recovering costs and amortising credit used to fund product development over shorter production runs is there whichever way you look at it. 

[jjb1970]

In the case of model railways it is not the manufacturers imposing ever lower production numbers to gouge the market, it really does appear to be a response to a shrinking core market, which is worrying.