Large Scale Central

Aristo Switch and Crossings Price Decrease!

Track and Trestles
#1

Price adjustment for switches and crossings straight from the big guy -

July 30, 2007
Greetings!

Though we were told that all track prices had doubled, we thought this through and re-evaluated all of the switches and crossings that were more labor intensive than rail intensive. Sure enough, the content of rail was far less than the doubling of prices warranted, so we received a recalculation reflected in our latest price list. (You can download a copy of the track price list here.)

Brass has already gone up by 5% since we set our last prices in June. We are hard-pressed to maintain these prices. However, we will try to maintain the pricing for the balance of 2007, but will likely have to adjust in 2008 if the copper pricing maintains its skyrocketing advances.

We will make credit adjustments for the higher switch and crossing prices charged in the interim period. We will also continue our sales through February 28, 2008, which is in place to try to soften the sticker shock of the rapid price escalation.

The good news is that we should be able to have a steady supply of track in the near future and we will continue to expand the range with new switches and crossings.

Please note that our pricing is lower than track was priced in the 1970s when G-Gauge boomed into existence. We noted a new maker in Europe has posted a price of 15 Euros for a 60-cm size (2 feet), which works out to a foot price of $10.50 dollars, so the price increase is a world phenomenon and not just one related to China production.

We apologize for not having questioned the switch prices before the initial price announcement, but it was the customers that pointed this out to us: thank you.
Please click here for the latest track price list.

All the best,
Lewis Polk
Aristo-Craft Trains

-Brian

#2

It must be quite painful once you realize you shot yourself in the foot. :confused:

#3
Warren Mumpower said:
It must be quite painful once you realize you shot yourself in the foot. :/
But, oh such a plausible rationale.
#4
Warren Mumpower said:
It must be quite painful once you realize you shot yourself in the foot. :/
Much depends on the size and type of projectile. ;) :lol: ;)
#5
Lewis Polk said:
July 30, 2007 Greetings!

snip

Brass has already gone up by 5% since we set our last prices in June.

Bigger snip

All the best,
Lewis Polk
Aristo-Craft Trains


How can the stated 5% increase in brass prices cause a doubling of track prices since the last price increase in June?

Inquiring minds want to know.

#6

Steve,

I think he is saying that the price of brass went up 5% just in the last month or so, beyond all the other price increases of the past few years.

-Brian

#7

Looking at the 5 year price of copper, I dont think there’s any collusion going on:

#8

Bob,

I don’t think so either, but it is very unfortunate timing. It’s that all adage about “perception being everything”.

#9

Bob I agree with HJ. Nobody has really accused Aristo of collusion. The problem is over reaction, poor timing and poor business management…and maybe a pinch of greed. While the copper prices did give reason for a substantial rise in price, I don’t think it gave reason to double the price.

#10

Sure as h*ll ain’t helping anybody over here in yUK…

I got my Aristocraft #6 switches at the ‘old’ price of $198.00…they have now gone up to WAAAAAAY past $300…

custom points/switches cost a LOT less…

tac, back from Japan

#11

OK, so the cost of copper has gone up $3.00/lb since Jan, 2003.

There is less than a pound of copper in a 5 foot piece of track, 12 pieces of track to a box, that is < $36.00

How does that justify an increase of well over $100.00 US for that 12 piece box?

Inquiring minds want to know.

#12

Steve, it’s the new math…:lol:

#13
Steve Featherkile said:
OK, so the cost of copper has gone up $3.00/lb since Jan, 2003.

There is less than a pound of copper in a 5 foot piece of track, 12 pieces of track to a box, that is < $36.00

How does that justify an increase of well over $100.00 US for that 12 piece box?

Inquiring minds want to know.


Hey Steve do you drive a car? Does it run on gasoline? Have you ever wondered how those prices at the pump go up (mostly) and down (occasionally)? :wink: :slight_smile:
Harder to ignore that than price fluctuations on track, eh??

#14

Yeah, HJ, it’s called speculation on the futures market. Most of the copper is produced in areas that are relatively stable, unlike oil.

Oh, well, I will make do with what I have on hand. I may(will) need a few more switches, though. The price of track will either come down, or my wages will go up in the future. Ha! I can wait.

#15

Steve, last I knew minimum wage would be a vast improvement in your income…:smiley:

#16

There is no other costs in making the track…

We all know, the metals just magically show up at the plant that makes track, and when the track is made, it just magically appears in the warehouse, ready to go the hobby shops and individuals ordering the stuff…

Other than the metals, I don;t think fuel has gone up, hence, shipping charges haven’t risen, salaries have not gone up… But this should have no bearing in the cost of track, should it???

#17

Andy, :smiley: :smiley:

Of course they haven’t, what gives you that idea? :wink: :slight_smile:
But I bet you in retrospect Lewis Polk would have been better off to raise the price a little bit every year and listen to a little bit of bitching every year, than to have what happened this way. Just the way I see it and as we all know “I don’t know anything!”. :smiley:

#18

HJ,
Quote - "Just the way I see it and as we all know “I don’t know anything!”. " End quote.

Utopia on a forum is knowing nothing about anything,  then when some redneck 'expert' posts a criticism,  then his sum total of knowledge is only marginally more or less than your perceived knowledge.   A very wise poster on this forum advised me to not become embroiled in 'world' politics on a forum,  as posting a topic response is like an insult to some who have nothing better to do than express their own biass and lack of perception of the world around them.   Reminds me of a favourite image of yours of an ostrich with its head buried to the neck in sand,  with a posterior available for a good swift kick.   Age is certainly no measure of maturity.
#19

Tim,

The “I don’t know anything” is more along the line of “the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know”.
Actually, I think that if all the LSers would get a one week intro to what goes on in a distribution/production facility - could be widgets instead of LS trains - there would be fewer discussions about rip-offs. And if they would get an intro into how tooling gets designed and made that would be a nice additional benefit.
I think an excellent example would be those plastic gears which so many mfgs use and which are notorious for splitting. :wink: :slight_smile:

Just prior to emigrating to NA ('69) I earned my money as the QC man in a hightech toolroom in CH. Back then we had tolerances in profile grinding and surface grinding of +/- 0.002mm for injection mould parts. There was a very good reason for that, fluctuations of +/- 3ºC would play havoc during the moulding process unless those tolerances were kept.

Welllll, my “guess” would be that those lovely gears are suffering from a similar “condition” and unless you get the benefit of seeing those temp variations in action it’s just “crappy design”.

Of course they should all use hobbed brass gears, wouldn’t have the problem! :wink: :slight_smile: :smiley:

#20

Aristo justified their price increases solely on the basis of increased raw materials.

So that $3 per lb is the key figure. Obviously the material used in rail is not solely Copper, but lets say they were getting their coppoer free previously, the increase still makes no sense.

How much Copper is there is a switch compared to the 3 recent prices, original, doubled and now oops we can not use a simple calculator.

I am sure their tooling costs were substantial, but that was sometime ago, probably all amortised by now.

But it really does not matter, they can charge what they want for thier product, it’s a free country. Well sort of anyway. Personally my issue is with their illogical pronouncements.

This is worth a real laugh:

http://www.aristocraft.com/vbulletinforums/showthread.php?t=10124

Post 9, is that not the opposite of what you said when doubling the prices?