I’m surprised that “Marvin” isn’t on here weaping about LGB of A moving out of their digs in Santa Clause Diego. He broadcast it several other places and says that there is no forwarding address as of now. I’m sure that some will be out knashing teeth, pulling hair, to say nothing of the counting of rosery beads, along with the imerssion of pinky’s in holy water bowels. The was some talk of a two gun salute and the burning of some flag of sorts. I wonder if fire crackers will be heard.
There’s a difference between speculation and instigation!
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
BIG SNIP. Tim,Don’t sweat it, it has been established that any time you question or criticize a mfg the likelihood of someone having bought “that stuff” is good. Doesn’t matter if it’s Admiral, Beaver, Cuisinart, Dodge, Electrolux, Frionor, GoldenBoy or whatever … having bought that product means that it must be above reproach in any and all matters. If it weren’t the person who bought “that stuff” may not be quite as smart as he/she believes her/himself to be. Seems to me that would be a typical case of lacking self-confidence. OTOH I could be all wrong, happens once in a while.
Now ain’t that just the truth of life?
“I chose it therefore it must be the best”.
I used to work down the street from there.
Were still looking and talking about it !
John Spehar said:
All we need now to add to this unprovable speculation is a "GRASSY KNOLL" with an illegimitate cousin thought to be hiding there.
TonyWalsham said:Seeing as how I'm pondering the purchase of an RCS set, let's hope so ... :D
Now ain't that just the truth of life? "I chose it therefore it must be the best".
John Joseph Sauer said:JJ errrr I mean Marvin,
There's a difference between speculation and instigation!
Spot on, that’s why some of us were very surprised at the " … reliable sources", " … wait 'til next week" and “… you’ll see, you’ve got it all wrong” pronouncements of the past two years (give or take a bit here or there 
).
If those who supposedly had the inside track errrrr knowledge didn’t know their ass(ets) from a hole in the ground and couldn’t tell the difference between a fine piece of fluffy prose - like Frau Holle shaking out her downy bed coverings - and the re-write of the Adventures of Münchhausen, now in whom could we place our trust, eh? 
Ten months after the assembly of creditors decided on the EPL assets, the Ventilators are still in denial and just as clueless! But that’s OK Marvin, we all have our little illusions of one kind or another - one of mine is that it isn’t possible to be quite as dumb as some people apparently are! I just like to believe that it couldn’t possibly be!
BTW do you have any hot tips for the stock market or guaranteed winning numbers for the lottery?
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:HJ, They had the rail zeppelins. The condom cars came with sample packs of the products they were advertising! :) laoLarry Otis said:Are you sure those aren't Zeppelin or Cigar cars?
Paul. Marklin did (still) have risque Z and HO pieces. When I was shopping for some Z with my daughter a few years back it kind of shocked me when I saw a couple of the condom cars. Luckily the daughter didn't see it and ask questions. LAO
Tim Brien said:
Vic, the first loco mentioned is sound-equipped in original box and thus commands a higher price than a starter set loco without sound from a broken up starter kit. A typical 'Buy it now' on these locomotives is around $129.99, with auction listing prices varying on how many bid on the same ite listing, but anywhere from $75 - $120.Paul,
for some the hobby is simply running trains round and round and round and do not like to get very verbose on the topic, as their enjoyment is simply fulfilled - trains going round and round and round. For others, the hobby expands beyond the simple premise of a circle of track and a train chasing its tail. I like to expand my interest in the hobby and relish ‘research’ on eBay and other sources to stimulate my mind. The LGB market research gives me a lot of joy and an opening into how many people think. I have similarly made a large number of purchases and am well acquainted with the market and actually enjoy the experience as much as simply owning the product. Each to his own.I find it amazing that when one 'speculates' about a topic, based on well known information, then there is always the person who feels the need to bring up a conspiracy theory. One does not need to believe in a conspiracy if one follows the chain of events. As many a learned colleague on this forum has stated - 'follow the money'. Some simply feel the need to kiss the proverbial to keep in the good books with the upper echelon of the family group forum. I like to form my own opinion, based not on what someone else believes, but on my own research.</blockquote>Tim,
The Coke, Marvel, Disney. and other trademarked products did bring exposure of G gauge trains to non train people. I know to a lot of you it was a waste of product and production but I know a few people in the Hobby who purchsed every Coke item or Disney item theat came out because they are fans of those companies or in one case work for the companies. Not saying the marketing correct but what was behind the marketing.
LAO
Larry Otis said:LarryHans-Joerg Mueller said:HJ, They had the rail zeppelins. The condom cars came with sample packs of the products they were advertising! :) laoLarry Otis said:Are you sure those aren't Zeppelin or Cigar cars?
Paul. Marklin did (still) have risque Z and HO pieces. When I was shopping for some Z with my daughter a few years back it kind of shocked me when I saw a couple of the condom cars. Luckily the daughter didn't see it and ask questions. LAO
Swooooosh, the joke went right over your head!
Larry,
there is/was definately a market for some of the collector cars (even I have a large number of Coke cars, Campbells Soup) but the market was saturated with them and even today dealers/distributors? are still bringing them out of storage for sale (not just on the second hand market on eBay). They were produced in totally unrealistic numbers, far outweighing the actual demand. Thus EPL squandered valuable production time on a very limited market potential product. Not only that but they continued down that road oversupplying other licenced product goods. One can only be amazed/bewildered by what the boys/marketting team were thinking. On top of this they ignored the pleas from train enthusiasts for actual railroad related items (apart from the Euro market which they bent over backwards to please).
The main thrust of the licenced production was from the early 90's onwards. Prior that there were Coke and Pepsi cars in European outline plus the very collectable early two-truck Coke car. Therefore one would assume that the new topguns in the company were pushing this agenda.
Peanuts and Disney do create non-train oriented markets but really are impulse buys. I really do not think that the majority of train purchasers make a conscious decision to actually go out and purchase a Peanuts or Disney or Coke starter set, just to run trains. It is more the impulse buyer ("Oh that looks cute") or the licenced product afficiando who is the market and I feel that these people are in the minority.Disney sells because there are a lot of collectors. I checked ebay and there were 108,000 listings for Disney, compared to about 3,200 for G scale. So it’s no surprise someone would have a licensed Disney version on the market.
Speaking of Disney, there’s a whole discussion board just for Disney trains. I picked up one of the 800 Accucraft Casey Jr locos a few years back. Obviously it would be of no interest to model railroaders interested in prototypical operations, unless their layout looks like Disneyland. But its a fun display piece (along with the Fantasyland ticket office I found). You might be surprised how many times visitors will get a smile on their face and say “OH LOOK! IT’S CASEY JR!” Except of course my wife, who thinks it just another train filling up the shelfs.
HJ, Were those Zeppelin cars battery operated?
It also DOES NOT help try and engage non-train folk like the Disney people buy selling your over produced product at a premium price thats higher than than the already high MSRP for stock stuff. Some of that Disney license stuff pricing was, and still is…well, loony!
Also how many Morton Salt fans were there roaming the aisles of train shows across the country pondering “when will somone make me an engine and set of cars with Mortons Salt plastered all over it”, wish granted and all 2 of them got their sets by day 3 of that release…the rest face getting repainted as soon as there out of the big red box.
Some of the marketing thought process was clearly questionable IMHO.
Victor Smith said:Victor, you posted this same misguided concept on G Scale Mad and I responded to you at that time.
Also how many Morton Salt fans were there roaming the aisles of train shows across the country pondering "when will somone make me an engine and set of cars with Mortons Salt plastered all over it", wish granted and all 2 of them got their sets by day 3 of that release....the rest face getting repainted as soon as there out of the big red box. Some of the marketing thought process was clearly questionable IMHO.
The Morton Salt’s were a contract job for an East coast dealer. He ordered 1000 with deposit, Lehmann made them and were paid on delivery. Would you have turned down the money? I guess you don’t believe me, but it’s recorded in two different LGB history books. Or you simply chose to perpetuate a myth. I notice you never mention the “Winchester” and “Jack Daniel’s” wagons that were made under the same type contract by a different dealer, but sold well.
Jack B.
I got a chance this morning to stop by and talk to Jim Donlon, the owner of Train Town. Over the weekend he sold most of the LGB starter sets he picked up. He confirmed he was working through a distributor and not directly with LGBoA. Apparently some of the distributors (that deal in all gauges) have started clearing out the old LGB stock collecting dust in the warehouses.
My understanding is that most of the private labels are contracted by someone and paid for. Train Town carried a station modeled after the Ashland train station located close by. He had to cover the entire order from MTH, but they turned out to be a good seller. Joe Douglas of Granville Buildings told me he was contracted to model a kit after a train station turned museum. The museum will buy all the kits and sell them in their store.
There is an HO manufacturer that pumps out basic sets that are all contracted by various companies. Those are the ones you see with the local chain store markings. I have the Jolly Green Giant train. As for the Morton Salt car, I’ll spare you the joke about what it does to my blood pressure.
LGB note:
If you haven’t seen it already, the latest press release has a picture of a Croc being built at a factory in Hungary:
http://maerklin.de/de/service/veroeffentlichungen/presse.html
I trust my eyes, but I’ll leave the translations to Hans-Joerg.
Paul Lambert said:
...............As for the Morton Salt car, I’ll spare you the joke about what it does to my blood pressure.
Paul,
You shouldn’t have, a good laugh is a good thing. One of those Morton Salt cars would be ideal by the computer; read one of the “Ventilator” posts … have a pinch of salt! Sorry one grain just doesn’t cut it with those posts.
For a really good laugh, consider the self appointed Great Guru of all things model railroad.
He thinks John is Marvin. I know both of them and have met John and he is not Marvin! John rolls on the floor laughing about the GG’s belief that he is an alter ego of any one else.
Salt is good, but one best battles innuendo and name-calling with one truth at a time.
HJ, why don’t you use your skiing photo? You know, the one with tourist type Swiss cow bells. I have a copy if you have lost yours.
Jack B.
Ok I just had a pinch of salt. :lol: Jack do you mean the one from World Cup 2005 at Sovereign Lake? Too bad you missed that on TV, eh! If you tune to the World Cup 2009 on January 15–18 you’ll be in luck. Same fine job, including the cow-bells. BTW they were carefully chosen from our large “Kollektion”, had to have the right size - swinging three at the same time takes a bit of doing - and the right pitch, to go along with my cheering! From the comments I got: people like a bit of enthusiasm. They also like my language capabilities at those International events. Along with my never ending series of quips and jokes. Sour pusses get to work in the deep recesses at those events. BTW If you miss the 2009 World Cup at Callaghan Valley, watch out for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, bigger show at the same place! PS naturally I have the pictures from those events, need them for my resume.
(http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-023.gif)
Along with the clippings from the papers, you have no idea what’s cooking with my other hobbies! :lol:
Jack Barton said:Victor Smith said:Victor, you posted this same misguided concept on G Scale Mad and I responded to you at that time.
Also how many Morton Salt fans were there roaming the aisles of train shows across the country pondering "when will somone make me an engine and set of cars with Mortons Salt plastered all over it", wish granted and all 2 of them got their sets by day 3 of that release....the rest face getting repainted as soon as there out of the big red box. Some of the marketing thought process was clearly questionable IMHO.The Morton Salt’s were a contract job for an East coast dealer. He ordered 1000 with deposit, Lehmann made them and were paid on delivery. Would you have turned down the money? I guess you don’t believe me, but it’s recorded in two different LGB history books. Or you simply chose to perpetuate a myth. I notice you never mention the “Winchester” and “Jack Daniel’s” wagons that were made under the same type contract by a different dealer, but sold well.
Jack B.
I’m not perpetuating any myth, I guess all the Morton license items I still see at the online shops that still have product are just a myth. It doesnt matter if someone payed them to make’em, that happens all the time, Bachmann is the biggest whore out there with there On30 line trainsets, but these dealers still payed someone for them hoping they would sell, and well, they aint moving are they? so regardless of how much $ green LGB got, its the dealers who are still taking the hit, whether it was Morton paying LGB to make a salty set or LGB paying Disney, Coke or the Charles Schultz estate for the right to put their hutzpah on the side of the cars, someone still has to buy them in the end for everyone to break even, likely thru a dealer who had to pay someone else for them.
Now does that make the dealers at fault for accepting them? maybe, of course we dont know what kind of a sales pitch, promises, cajoaling, pleading or arm-twistings that were made pre-Hindenburg, all we know is that post-flameout, there seams to alot more of this license stuff lingering around than the bonified model railroad stuff. Last visit to a large scale retailer out here, I asked about an LGB Porter he had, while considering it the owner motioned towards a Morton Salt engine he had with something like “I also have this little beauty” with I’m sure a notion of trying to get the lump of lead off the shelf. I passed on it. It was still too expensive for the price he needed to break even.
But I’ll keep a weather eye open at this years BTS, if I can get one at a price I find right, I might be back on here asking how to remove the license decal paint so I can give it a proper paint job.