OK here goes… http://tinyurl.com/l7uuv9a
Lets say: things will look up on all fronts.
I hope they will look up… but I cant get your link to work…
Did anybody notice that this press release is dated 21. March 2013?
That isn’t the press release in question.
OK, I tried to do the smart thing and used tiny url, but here’s the complete link. And then had to revert back to TinyURL
It’s like a rat’s tail, very long.
Greg has it right, some people never learn the basics.
PS It took me years to get SWMBO to use underscore instead of the space bar.
PPS between the funky link at Klambake and the stupid link parsing on LSC it’s GRRRRRRRRRR time. 
Ok, so I read the little blurb… but what does it mean in reality as far as real expansion goes?
Means more competitive prices in the US with more than just Wathers offering products?
The distribution is staying with Walthers, no mention of other distributors…just that they are expanding?
To me it just reads as more of the same as you have… which in reality is not much of anything.
Vincent D’Agostino said:
The distribution is staying with Walthers, no mention of other distributors…just that they are expanding?
To me it just reads as more of the same as you have… which in reality is not much of anything.
In clear text it means that Walthers will be just one of the distributors, no longer the exclusive importer/distributor. Should Märklin/LGB reopen an office/warehouse they will be the importer and there is always the possibility that they will act as “clearing house” and drop ship straight to the large dealers.
Anyone of you thought that the LGB/Märklin crew in Train World’s video showed up because they hadn’t been on TV for a while?
The new year will bring the change and we’ll see how the promotion and price structure develops.
(
I agree all of that sounds good… I guess wait and see…
I know the only LGB piece I have bought since I got back into the hobby 2-years ago was a old stock (German made) mogul…
And not that I wouldn’t of bought any of the new items, there are just none to be had in my area…anywhere.
Last November when I was at Charles RO they had next to nothing for LGB, and most of what they did have out on the sales floor looked like it had been there for a while and possibly even returned merchandise.
Hopefully this will be good. I’ve been saying they need to get away from Walthers being their sole distributor, relying on them as a single point of distribution in the US would be a slow suicide. they need to be more direct and varied access like other brands have.
Hans – Thank you for the press release.
Further discussion:
If Walthers continues to “distribute,” will Marklin be assertive as to what that distribution entails. I find the “FLYER” promotion of LGB to be an implicit apology for LGB’s continual financial funeral. Obviously, Marklin can determine the conditions with Walther once at least one other distribution outlet is established.
Here’s a guess:
TRAINWORLD gets products directly from Marklin.
AND…
Marklin soon becomes their own distribution operation for large scale.
My suspicion is PIKO is their own distribution operation out of San Diego, CA
Of course PIKO USA is PIKO’s own distribution point.
Walthers still has the exclusive for all things Märklin until the end of the year. You questioned their approach often enough to know how they promoted LGB.
The way I (and some other people) see it, other’s will step up to the plate, do the job that Walthers failed to do - right across the board; promotion and price structure - the rest will sort itself i.e. those who promote and sell at the price the consumer is looking for will sell.
Those who won’t will be either out of the picture or gradually smarten up to compete. Of course this is, as always, strictly my opinion. Suffice to say that there’s a market that has largely been left under served and it isn’t rocket science to figure out where the snags are.
Here’s an example:
Walthers lists this set https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/426-40921 at US$ 319.98
The street price (if you know where to look) is US$221 to US$252. I would be a cold day in July, or August, when I would order anything from Walthers.
As John B mentioned the other day, lots of stuff in stock at Walthers, the question is “At what price?”
The sooner there is a change the better.
I always found Walthers prices to be high. So hopefully, this means more competitive pricing.
The product cited by Hans above is a flat car – “in stock” at Walthers for $319.00.
Incredible.
What was attained by Walthers managing a negative LGB brand image remains unanswered – especially when Walthers was Marklin’s client. Further, what is the advantage to Marklin selling at the same time retaining a major distributor’s negligent portrayal of what you are trying to sell.
Did the price paid for LGB supposedly represent the current value of the brand?
I get it. Destroy the brand name until it reaches a purchasable price. AMF and Harley Davidson was the textbook version of this reasoning.
Well, whatever it all really means, I hope it works out for them. They clearly need to get out of Walther’s death grip.
Wendell Hanks said:
The product cited by Hans above is a flat car – “in stock” at Walthers for $319.00.
That’s over $2000.00 in dog-dollars!!
tac
Hey it’s a 2 car set guys and its LGB, that’s a great deal!!!
Hopefully you see the sarcasm and joke in my posting…
Mark Dashnaw said:
Hey it’s a 2 car set guys and its LGB, that’s a great deal!!!
Hopefully you see the sarcasm and joke in my posting…
Yes, it is a good deal; both cars are very nice models and the savvy buyer will find the source that has the best price. No, it most certainly isn’t Walthers!