SGP

I have six layouts in 6 gauges and build layouts for others. I have plenty to do and earn good money doing it. All I am doing is trying to post some facts. I think I'll just keep my facts to myself in future .... your loss.

Says a lot when I offer facts and the owner of the forum sides with comments against what I am trying to say.

Bullhead is a waste of effort. I bought some Peco O gauge bullhead and it is the same as flat bottomed with different chairs. Bullhead should NOT be flat bottomed. It looks ridiculous. Maybe not so much in N scale but then, why bother?

I was not inferring. You know what I meant. Gaugemaster can offer a discount because they are not the importers ... Bachmann do that themselves. Are the T's crossed and I's dotted now? Can you understand what I am saying? Gaugemaster used to offer discount on a lot of lines when they weren't the importer / supplier but they got the job of main suppliers when the previous importer / supplier passed the ball.

I didn't say they did. I can't cross every t and dot every i. Read my post for the information it infers I said that Bachmann are their own importers and suppliers and so Gaugemaster can offer a discount on Bachmann items as they then become a retailer on those goods. Bachmann supplies Gaugemaster and so so does Hornby so Gaugemaster are able to offer a discount. Gaugemaster imports Piko / LGB / Heljan etc and so therefore cannot offer any discounts on those brands With the likes of (say) Piko and LGB, Gaugemaster are importers and distributors and cannot undercut the trade they supply. The only time that Gaugemaster CAN offer discounts on the goods they distribute to the trade, is when all stock has sold out at outlets and there are no further orders.

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but Gaugemaster are the UK suppliers / wholesalers / importers now on most of the items they stock. Therefore, they are not allowed to offer discounts to the public except on Hornby / Scalextric / Airfix / Humbrol / Bachmann and the like where they are just stockists. Likewise, buying direct from Hornby or Bachmann you cannot get discount for the same reason. Look at Gaugemaster's prices on (say) Piko / Heljan and there is no discount because they are supplying the trade. Conversely, look at their (say) Hornby / Bachmann prices and you will find a RRP and a discount price because Hornby and Bachmann do their own importing and distributing.

I can never understand how shops (models or otherwise) make a living. First you have to buy or rent a shop, pay business rates on it and then stock it. Stocking a model shop with just a quarter of a million quids worth of models (that's not much stock today) would cost wholesale more than half of that from the shops coffers. Then they have to sell it on and plough back into stock as stock depletes. Then there are staff costs and write offs ... and the shopkeeper pays income tax and stamp on any profit he makes. Then of course, you are always reliant on someone actually wanting to buy your stock. That to me is a nightmare. If I had the money to invest in a shop and stock, I wouldn't bother ... I'd just salt it away and drag an income from it ... then get an ordinary job working for someone else. Some friends I know (we all have well paid jobs), whenever we go into a model shop, they always ask for a discount ...... they wouldn't go into a supermarket and ask for a discount. What makes a model shop fair game? Most people forget that turnover is not the same as profit. It may look like the shop is minting it but some are just about covering overheads. Worse, when retirement beckons, and the stock has to be reduced, I'll bet they still get asked for further discount.

Reminds me of the old joke ..... A bloke goes into a store to buy a book .... "How much are your books on xxxx?" he asked. "£50" replied the shopkeeper. "That's a bit expensive", the bloke said, "they are only £20 at the shop down the road". "Why don't you buy it from down the road then?" replied the shopkeeper. "I would", the man said, "but they don't have any left". "Well", said the shopkeeper, "Ours are only £20 when we don't have any".

009 / H0e couplings are garbage at the best of times. At least the differing heights make coupling a lot easier. When the couplings are exactly the same height there is no way they will couple up. When they do eventually couple, only one loop does the job whilst the other can't lay flat. Roco's plug links are the best although only good for permanent rakes.

No silicon carbide allowed.

I once bought an item from USA for just under £15 but the postage was £20. En-route the exchange rate changed out of my favour. Upon delivery I was charged on the £15 AND the £20 postage AND the Royal Mail handling fee. I refused the parcel and it was sent back to seller (although he claims he never got it back). So, I lost about £35 and customs / Royal Mail were a bit out of pocket as well. I bought the item in UK eventually for £25, only a bit more than what customs and RM were going to add on. Everything comes to he who waits. I bought a Toys R Us model exlusive to USA but with postage and added costs, it cost me £95 to get it into my hands. Six months later, surplus stock was being sold in Forbidden Planet for £40 and Toys R Us in UK for £30.

I thought that went down to £30 a few years back. It used to be £18 merchandise and £36 gift but these were reduced to £15 and £30 respectively. However, I tried to buy an item from USA recently under £15 and the import was to be applied from £zero. So that has all gone out of the window. Worth noting that those previous figures didn't apply if you went over or if the exchange rate changed en-route. An item worth £14.50p when bought could be £15.50p on receipt. If an item (say £20) arrived here, you would pay the levy on the whole £20 (not the £5 it went over) PLUS the postage and any insurance. Postage was ignored if under the threshold but added if over. Also there would be the £8 Royal Mail handling fee added on top (more with couriers). Not worth the hassle unless a real must have. Books however are exempt from all charges.

I remember when I first started in G scale (1998), their LGB prices were always the cheapest AND they offered free postage on stuff that heavy. They are still among the best prices for Scalextric, probably THE best prices when you factor in free postage. There are model shops that are a pleasure to buy from and some that aren't. I always find Gaugemaster in the former category.

Roofing felt over decking boards looks good. It may protect the boards from the weather but wood pigs get underneath and into the grooves where they can munch away undisturbed.

Since January, buying from a country other than the EU has changed as well. Previously I could buy from USA (for example) up to the value of £15 and incur no extra charge. That has now changed to zero. So, why should ROW have to suffer a tax hike?