Large Scale Central

High prices, is this the new calamity for the hobby

General Discussion
#1

I recently posted on discount prices downunder for Bachmann locomotives. Well, my prices were old prices. The following are DISCOUNT prices from one of the few online suppliers in the country. The current exchange rate is almost on par at this time.

Anniversary $560.00 (previously $399.00)

Forney $1070.00 (no change)

Meyer $1350.00 (previously $1100.00)

Climax non-sound $1759.00 (previously $1079.00)

Climax decoder/sound $1975.00 (previously approx $1375.00)

Mikado K-27 $1890.00 (previously approx. $1100.00)

Big Hauler coach $165.00 (previously approx. $125.00)

Big Hauler freight $110.00 (previously approx. $70.00)

I would think that at these prices live steam and possibly Accucraft are looking more attractive.

No 1/20.3 scale rolling stock is listed and no doubt given the last price when listed of $295.00 each, I shudder to think what a current price would be.

Now this is remember a discounted price and no doubt reflects the lack of competition in the market and the high wholsale/distribution cost. These items would come direct from China so comparable shipping rate as if to West Coast USA.

How is the hobby going to survive price rises like this? Local prices have been stagnant for years. I paid over ten years ago $399.00 for an Annie and $104.00 for each Big Hauler coach purchased.

The high cost of imported personal shipping costs does tend to dissuade many purchasers buying from the States so these local prices are a reality for many. I really feel for newcomers to the hobby as it is pricing itself out of the market.

Edit: there are no ‘street prices’ downunder so prices above are what people are expected to pay. I would think that MSRP would be !0% higher than the prices shown.

Edit (10/23/13): Just so no misunderstanding, these are NEW prices from a Bachmann dealer, not some one’s used items being sold for a ridiculous amount of money.

#2

Hi Tim:

I would say no, the largescale hobby will not survive those prices.

The local Ottawa Canadian folks up here would never buy at those prices.

I guess ON30 will be the alternative for new entrants. At least the shipping costs for the small ON30 product boxes would make State side ON30 purchases possible for Australian folks.

Train World presently has the Bachmann Forney available at 400.00. What is the postage to Australia for a Bachmann Forney? 200.00 or 300.00 ? A Bachmann Forney at 600.00 or 700.00 would not be too bad a cost.

Norman

#3

Those prices are a joke. Hardly anyone in their right mind pays them. Many businesses figure they should mark things up 100% then they just order them online when ordered anyway. They are dreaming in this online world of purchasing options.

The Australian distributors price to retail shops is probably not much less than what online discount US dealer prices are including shipping. It’s all about purchasing quantity. The Australian Bachmann distributor only brings in a batch of large scale items when they are new then does not re-stock them. There is just no volume here and some people only pay retail extortion prices when it’s a new item and not otherwise available from discount dealers.

Shipping a Bachmann Forney to Australia would be about $120 or so, depends on how smart the sender is.

Andrew

#4

Currently al Kramer is citing $148.00 usd shipping on a $399.00usd Meyer on ‘super’ special. That works out at around a tad under $600.00 landed in Oz (half local price). The thing is that many local people I have met in the hobby would rather purchase locally than overseas. With that in mind they are locked into local prices.

The local online stores and shopfronts are well aware of overseas prices but are locked into local distributor pricing.

#5

Tim, that would be with the outer carton as from factory. Have you checked out Trainz shipping prices? They are totally ridiculous. Another eBay vendor wanted $200 shipping for one medium size LGB coach. Now eBay is getting in on the ‘shipping scam’ with their Global Shipping Program. If there are customs fees/tax, expect to be ripped off another $100 or so on top of what it should cost in total.

I know what’s going on here. They are all profiteering on the already expensive shipping expenses via questionable ‘services and programs’. I can smell a con a mile away.

They can go to hell, I refuse to feed the corrupt and evil.

Andrew

#6

Andrew,
I learned at least ten years ago, stores like Trainz are avoided as they would not use USPS. Thus shipping was ridiculously high for even small items like a four wheel coach. When I found a seller that offered USPS then I dealt with him. I have given up on U.S. purchases as shipping is becoming ridiculously high even with the post office.

I recently asked a seller to quote for a few decoders and was told it would be $90.00 usd just for postage using USPS. I questioned the cost and he confirmed that is what it cost to send. I was expecting around $50.00 maximum. If I dont really, really, really want or absolutely must have something these days then it stays in the store and my money stays in my pocket.

The prices I listed above just make me cringe when I recall just how much I actually paid for some of these items a few years ago online from the States, $89.00 for Annies and $15.00 for coaches, coupled with economy surface rate shipping.

#7

Good old $urface $hipping. Patience is a virtue. Those were they heydays of Large Scale if you could handle the brash telephone voice from TrainWorld or the 1 in 6 total F-ups from StAubins. LOL

I recently got 2 LGB cars sent here for about $30 total. It depends on how helpful the sender is and if they can keep the box size to a minimum.

I’m almost finished with purchases. A couple of expensive ‘must haves’ from Accucraft in the pipeline otherwise ‘I’m done’. (I suspect Accucraft are conspiring to make something else irresistible though).

Andrew

#8

As the baby boomers age and items get sold at ebay, auction or estate sales, plus train shows the price of used items will be strong. The hunt continues and becomes part of the hobby. Its just how things change with time. There are lots of items out there waiting to be resold and the price will be what the market can bare. It is already there for some LGB stuff. Ask too much and it just sits. I’m aware of people already doing it and enjoying the hobby.

#9

Kinda funny how that works. The ones that piss and moan about the poor quality of certain products are the first ones to start pissing and moaning when the quality improves and the price goes up.

This will probably be another thread that’s fun to watch…:wink:

#10

Damn, that’s karma for you! I said I was finished buying and an hour later was tempted by a not so easy to find Aster I have wanted for some time so I bought it. Was a decent kick in the hip pocket too. Customs will do their usual and demand ransom before delivery.

Andrew

#11

Maybe time to start trawling thru the Oz equivalent of Craigslist?

#12

Conclusion: “If the price is too high, you don’t buy!”

Really simple!

OR

You peruse the Internet and your calculator to figure out where to buy at the best price to your door.

#13

Vic Smith said:

Maybe time to start trawling thru the Oz equivalent of Craigslist?

It’s fairly dud in Australia. Large scale trains are rare to see. There are hardly any in hobby shops. A little bit of Bachmann same old, same old stuff. I think I have most of them in the southern hemisphere. LOL

Andrew

#14

Ken Brunt said:

Kinda funny how that works. The ones that piss and moan about the poor quality of certain products are the first ones to start pissing and moaning when the quality improves and the price goes up.

This will probably be another thread that’s fun to watch…:wink:

Ken,
as usual you could not help yourself. Before you derail the thread take a look at the list. There is NO new production in the list. The C-19 which is a benchmark production for Bachmann is not there as it is probably even more expensive than the rest. The rest are old production that have been issued with minor improvements, Annie and Climax and older production as released, Mikado, Meyer and Forney.

Many on the list are perhaps almost five years out of production so reflect an earlier production cost regime and until a few days ago were selling at approximately 60% of the prices above. Thus improved quality costing more to produce is NOT an argument you can mount.

#15

…winking…

#16

Well, current prices certainly aren’t going to help grow the hobby although I think the big hit took place when track prices went through the roof. I know that if I had to start from ground zero today I wouldn’t be doing largescale. Fortunately I accumulated most of what I needed in the way of locomotives and rolling stock years ago and of late most of my expenditures had been for radio control components, batteries and sound. I still have some rolling stock I need but I can build that and only need to buy trucks and couplers. I once told inquiring visitors if you shopped carefully you could get into the hobby for a reasonable amount but I don’t think that is the case anymore and I tell them so. Not saying there aren’t still some good bargains but they are getting harder to find.

#17

Apart from not buying if the price is too high.

http://www.onlytrains.com/model/trains/72400.html

http://www.onlytrains.com/model/trains/90470.html

http://www.garden-tracks.com/p/347/38103-prr-freight-starter-set-120v

Those who fancy “the real thing” — there are some who come from the smaller scales (http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_tc.gif)— probably also realized that they need a lot less to get a lot more.

As always strictly my opinion. BTW I never believed that the guy with the most wins.

#18

Even for Joisey, that’s pushing the limit, eh?

G Scake Engines
saftety (48" Diamiter) PRR Refer Car

Is that a 48" mitre cut? Or a miter cut? In what Scake? Is that a cake in “S”? Which PRR car do they refer to again?

Make sure you observe saftety.

Very strange.

#19

Dave,

Some people are better at proof reading than others.

#20

…sooner or later the used stuff will hit the garage sales…some has hit the flea markets around here…the fad has worn off, and people are starting to clear out their storage places, in preparation for the next trend/fad to hit…

Too bad, but some of it ends up in dumpsters, because people who don’t care, or can’t be bothered, just toss it…

I was just told of this happening…a telephone call to find out about a garden pike from years ago…the one daughter told me point blank, that after her father died, all his hobby “Junk” went into a dumpster, just to get rid of it, so they could quickly sell his home…pity…pictures I saw of his pike showed equipment that just about anyone would give eye teeth for…this apparently happened within the last year or so…in NY State…