LGB is getting “better”…
Well people, I realize that few of you have a burning interest in matters LGB, but there are so many “interesting” things going on I just can’t resist sharing some with you.
OK, LGB announces the “New for 2003” sometime in February. Wow!! all kinds of goodies for those interested in RhB. In due course one can pre-order the items, dealers are quoting prices, anticipated delivery dates are quoted on North American websites etc. etc. As usual…
Fast forward to early summer…
A whopping 12% price hike is announced by LGBoA, to coincide with a big clearance sale of existing stock. At about the same time LGBoA announces that a large selection of the Euro items will not be available in NorthAmerica for the time being. Reason: Exceptional demand in Europe for the said items.
Now being as I read the LS Euro Forums on a daily basis, I was already aware that there was a lot of buying resistance to LGB’s new eXtra scheme. The scheme in a nut shell is LGB’s way to macro-manage the supply and distribution channels for items they consider “exclusive”, thus the expression “eXtra”. What is extra is the price, the miniscule 20% commission the dealer gets and the restricted availability.
Well, it didn’t take the Europeans long to figure out that the NorthAmerican equivalent item was going to be much cheaper and the traffic for eXtra slowed. In my opinion that’s when the “Large Demand” developed and NA could forget about the items.
Fast forward to Oct 30th…
…and the announcement on LGBoA’s website that a very limited quantity of the “Rare items” will be available by the end of the year. To please contact one of the ATS shops regarding price etc. etc.
Well, well, well!! Some people got a BIG Surprise!!
One example: a LGB 31900 Pilot car originally priced at US$305 will now cost US$399; a “modest” increase of 29%!!
Second example: a LGB 29452 RhB Gravel Train priced at US$819 will now cost US$1100; a “surcharge” of 34%!!
While such “astute maneuvering” wouldn’t have been noticed in the past, let alone the background and interconnections, one has to ask if EPL/LGB and LGBoA really expected everyone to be asleep and just swallow this line, hook and s(t)inker?
Sooooooooooo if you considered LGB to be overpriced before, let me assure you there are more joining the ranks.
LGB seems to be trying very hard to institute the same fixed pricing in NA that they seem to get away with in Europe.
While they finally try to build items that are closer to scale, they happily turn around and try to filch as much as possible out of the consumer’s wallet. And we’re not supposed to notice! Yeah right!!
Nice going LGB!
Steaming North of the Border
HJ