I would guess that you don’t understand why hotshot wheeler dealers always buy into a farm or a ranch. “loss incurring” is an important part of doing business in America.
If Märklin wants to treat the North American market like an order for 500 wagons from Vedes, then it will be their loss. Could be a costly way to make a point. I get tickled when people assume that North Americans are the only ones that want Western prototypes.
Jack Barton said:Maybe I'm stupid, but I sure don't understand. If this is the way the movers and shakers think, I can understand why the US economy collapsed. Ralph
I would guess that you don't understand why hotshot wheeler dealers always buy into a farm or a ranch. "loss incurring" is an important part of doing business in America.
Jack Barton said:
.......................I get tickled when people assume that North Americans are the only ones that want Western prototypes.
Nothing preventing LGB® to run a batch of Moguls (or any other item), paint them in names that have never been issued before and have every Kollektor on the globe reserve his anywhere he can reserve it. There are very many ways to do things. :lol: :lol:
Then you could package that same Mogul with a few cars, preferrably loaded with golf balls or some such, label it for Neiman-Marcus or any of the other highend retailers and Bingo! Of course you would package a blue Massoth powerpack instead of a red LGB, one more problem solved.
Hard to resist that kind of stuff … errrrr it is for at least some people.
Ralph Berg said:Ralph,Jack Barton said:Maybe I'm stupid, but I sure don't understand. If this is the way the movers and shakers think, I can understand why the US economy collapsed. Ralph
I would guess that you don't understand why hotshot wheeler dealers always buy into a farm or a ranch. "loss incurring" is an important part of doing business in America.
Jack tries to allude that “G45”, who “bought” LGBoA, is run by a bunch of Wall Street Boys who need the “loss-incurring” factor to off-set some of their outrageous windfalls. He could be right about “the Boys”, but I doubt that they’re from Wall Street or Bay Street. 
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:In no way did I try to allude any such thing! Typically hand-Job's way of trying deflect anything that doesn't fit his "Garp" theories.
Jack tries to allude ......)
Jack,
How about throwing us “dogs” another bone?
I’m sure you can find something in the collection of interest to us all.
Ralph
Jack Barton said:Certainly didn't see me mentioning "hotshot wheeler dealers" in any connection to the loss incurring LGBoA, did you? You gotta be careful, your closest friends may take offense, those similes could get you like that croc in de-nile. :)Hans-Joerg Mueller said:In no way did I try to allude any such thing! Typically hand-Job's way of trying deflect anything that doesn't fit his "Garp" theories.
Jack tries to allude ......)
Ralph,
Jack is hording the bone he’s chewing on at the moment.
Ralph Berg said:Ralph,
Maybe I'm stupid, but I sure don't understand. If this is the way the movers and shakers think, I can understand why the US economy collapsed. Ralph
Nobody said it was right. Say You got a really profitable business. Then you take your profits to buy a farm or ranch, greatly increasing your assets. Typically in agriculture you can take a loss 6 out of 7 years without triggering an audit. You use your losses to offset your continuing original profits. beats the heck out of taking the business offshore like Kingsbridge does. (Actually chartered in the British Virgin Islands.)
Buy a $100,000 tractor and write it off in 5 to 7 years or build a large holding and “land bank” it, then Uncle pays you not to farm. Otherwise you farm and have to settle for the healthy Govt. crop subsidies. (selected crops) The list goes on and on. I didn’t make the system but I have a small idea how it works.
Jack
Ralph Berg said:Very soon I'm going put my water feature and rock work up against the B.C. gardener. :D
Jack, How about throwing us "dogs" another bone? I'm sure you can find something in the collection of interest to us all. Ralph
Jack Barton said:Make sure we have some reference points what it should represent. :lol:
Very soon I'm going put my water feature and rock work up against the B.C. gardener. :D
Sorry, no plywood planks involved. Those are all on my indoor layout.
Jack,
Read Kevin Strong’s post…
Hans-Joerg,
When you loose 40% of your market it hurts, as a businessman you should know that…
Jack Barton said:I guess that means you have to carry your stuff outside to run, eh? Better planning next time, eh! AND perhaps you should take your eyes off the LGB topics, there's a lot more going on here, LGB is just a side show. The real performance happens with planning, designing and building "stuff" in all the other sections, not in "General Discussions". Remember these are full fledged Forums not some pale YAHOO! Group. ;) :)
Sorry, no plywood planks involved. Those are all on my indoor layout.
Bob Burton said:
Hans-Joerg,When you loose 40% of your market it hurts, as a businessman you should know that…
Sure I know that. But it only hurts if you have excess capacity and you can’t make up the 40% (or most of it) in another market segment. My very first comment when EPL went tits up was “I sure hope the new owners will clean-up the product line in a big way!” Looks to me LGB® Märklin is well on the way to doing that, just watch what’s coming off the production line and what the schedule prioritizes. That tells the whole story!
Find a reliable contractor to do the service/spare parts work in NA and things will be just fine; for the time being.
Bob Burton said:
Jack,Read Kevin Strong’s post…
But I will take the opportunity to mention a problem that most are not aware of. Many posters mention LGB having “declining” sales in the USA. I have never seen any direct information, so I don’t know. But, I do read several European model magazines and have read that Germany is facing some similar problems. The short story is an aging (dying!) hobby base with huge collections and it’s affecting the largest the most, read Märklin. Any reformed model train company is going to have to be really lean and mean to survive. I know Märklin/kingsbridge can be mean. it remains to be seen how lean they can get. I do know management consultants at 3000-5000 € a DAY wasn’t cutting it.
Jack
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Two things!
I guess that means you have to carry your stuff outside to run, eh? Better planning next time, eh! AND perhaps you should take your eyes off the LGB topics, there's a lot more going on here, LGB is just a side show. The real performance happens with planning, designing and building "stuff" in all the other sections, not in "General Discussions". Remember these are full fledged Forums not some pale YAHOO! Group. ;) :)
I know your are kind of rapped up inside the space between your ears, so you must have missed my post where I announced that I was going “ride-on”. So no carrying involved, they are going to carry me! Gauge to be determined. I have been leaning toward 7.5" but I’m still dealing on some genuine Austrian 18"-24" locomotives. The price is close but the shipping is out of sight and they are on this side of the pond.
I’ve been in this hobby a long time. When I began it was a solitary endeavor and I like that very much. I don’t have to read twenty posts telling me how I should really be using this or that radius, that battery volts are better, or that Euro prototypes suck. All are good points, but I have done my planning and I’m sticking with a decision I made some time ago for my indoor layout and that is Hi-RAIL! A few more steps and I’ll start with the photos. Oh wait, Kevin may want to do a story on it for GR. Don’t worry I won’t hold my breath till I hear. MR would be a better chance.
Jack
Jack,
This part of Kevin’s post>>
The St. Aubin’s Ad in the most recent GR indicates 2012 as when the rights expire. The ad doesn’t specify a source for that, so take it for informational purposes only. At this point, I think it’s safe to say Marklin and LGBoA/Silvergate aren’t going to play ball. As with all contract disputes, who’s responsible for the breakdown depends on which side you talk to. (Hint: it’s never “our” fault.) The truth sits somewhere in between.
Bob,
I won’t be seeing the ad since I allowed my subscription to expire. (Kevin talks about liking smaller layouts, as I do, but GR never shows any.)
Do you take the expiration to be 1 Jan 2012 or 31 Dec 2012? I suppose I could ask someone, but it never was as important to me as a reasonable deal. Call me crazy, but I still hope for one. I’m afraid the last plank of the last bridge has burned.
Jack
P.S. Trains magazine is the best buy going!
Jack Barton said:
..................Two things!
I know your are kind of rapped up inside space between your ears, so you must have missed my post where I announced that I was going “ride-on”. So no carrying involved, they are going to carry me! Gauge to be determined. I have been leaning toward 7.5" but I’m still dealing on some genuine Austrian 18"-24" locomotives. The price is close but the shipping is out of sight and they are on this side of the pond.
I’ve been in this hobby a long time. When I began it was a solitary endeavor and I like that very much. I don’t have to read twenty posts telling me how I should really be using this or that radius, that battery volts are better, or that Euro prototypes suck. All are good points, but I have done my planning and I’m sticking with a decision I made some time ago for my indoor layout and that is Hi-RAIL! A few more steps and I’ll start with the photos. Oh wait, Kevin may want to do a story on it for GR. Don’t worry I won’t hold my breath till I hear. MR would be a better chance.
Jack
Friends of mine suggested I’d go with Live-Steam ride on a long time ago, when there was a lot of property to do it on. Always turned them down: too young to do that. But I’m getting closer.