Weaver To Increase Prices By 30%

[Anonymous]

According to Jim Sutter of Jim's Hobby Shop in Homer City PA, this 30% increase will be imposed on the dealers effective July 1. Of course the increase will be passed along to the consumer.[:(!]

I wonder how many dealers will stay with Weaver. I've never been impressed by their rolling stock with the plastic trucks and couplers.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this level of increase will stick, in the long run. Weaver has established themselves in a niche market. Decent cars at attractive prices.

I would not be surprised if their dealers refuse to place new orders after July !. A 10% increase would be much more tolerable to their dealers, but not 30%.

A 30% increase will place them in competition with MTH/Lionel pricewise but with a lower level of detail and truck quality. Of course, if they also increase the price differential for their die cast trucks they have eliminated any advantage to buying Weaver over the others.

Maybe Weaver has decided to sell direct only and are using this increase as a way to eliminate or drastically reduce the number of dealers.

Jim Sutter is not a happy camper! I'll bet the others aren't either!

I'm afraid they have shot themselves in a very sensitive area of their anatomy!

Tony

[Anonymous]

If true, that's a bold move in this day and age of passing cost savings to consumers, especially when you consider that the most advance engine is fairly low tech.

[Anonymous]

If Weaver adds more details and diecast to their cars, then 30% might be OK. But I think they might want to get rid of the dealers and sell direct.[C):-)]

[FJ and G]

I wonder what the annual inflation rate is for the U.S. economy? Seems you have to raise prices eventually; at least most companies do that; and most employers give their employees a COLA increase, if not a raise.

[FJ and G]

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops.

My eyes must be getting bad. 30%; not 3%

Waaaaaay above inflation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Sandy Jorgenson is right on target when he says:
"But I think they might want to get rid of the dealers and sell direct."

Rumors circulating at a recent Train Show was that Weaver was looking to find a buyer for the company.

BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[Anonymous]

A 30% price hike? If they all do it, it will drive us to HO.

[Anonymous]

Jacking up prices and losing marketshare is not the way to entice prospective buyers.

[Anonymous]

Do you think this has anything to do with the MTH-LIONEL battle?? Do you think that they might do this knowing about the mixed emotions in consumers thinking that people will switch to weaver to try something different. Iv'e bought weaver cars and spent $27.00 for each and, I think thats a fair price for what I was receiving. They better add more details and die cast trucks for the 30% (ouch) price increase! Iv'e been trying to get my boss to get weaver into the store for a while now but I think I should hold off until I find out what the real deal is.[V][:(]

[Anonymous]

I too am a small Weaver Dealer. I just spoke with the factory today and asked for an explanation of the rumored price increase. What I was told was to the effect that a smaller
retail price increase is son coming, but nowg=here near 30%. However the Dealer discount is being reduced by about 1/3. This will not help Weavers Dealer network. This will lower incentive for small dealers. They (Weaver) hurt their Dealers by selling direct and competing with them. I am not Happy that their new catalog shows I originated as related
to Flatcar loads. I bought My flatcars from them, now they are copying My products and competing with Me directly. Quite unfair to steal one of your customers products. Now They
are again producing flatcars and loading them with loads copied from Me. Thats not really very fair,but then again-----Who said business is Fair????
Walt Cameron

[Anonymous]

Walt,
I don't think Weaver copied anything of yours. I read you stuff on OGR forum a while back and it was disputed there. You also said the same about MTH and your trolleys. Please get your facts straight.[zzz]

[Anonymous]

If Weaver wants to add 30%, good luck to them. But I won't be buying. After 20 years I'm getting out of O Scale. There's better value for the $$s in HO. And the new electronics are going to add to HO what O has now.

[Dave Farquhar]

Well, there's always scratchbuilding. I'm in the process of finishing a tanker in styrene, using plans from an old magazine. The plans called for brass but I'm poor this month and the only hobby shop that was open at that hour didn't sell any brass. So I bought about $5 worth of styrene, which gave me enough material to make two cars. I've almost finished the first. The original plans are intended to be a scale, two-rail car using Kadee couplers and Walthers trucks, I think, but a pair of K-Line trucks ($4 each) works just fine. The result is a much better car than anyone is willing to sell for $10.

Just for kicks, I tried to run it on O27 track. It made it! Of course, to make a proper O27 car, you follow S gauge plans and put O gauge trucks on it. But I figured I'd make a full O scale car I could take to the local club and run on its layout.

I probably have 20 hours in the project. That means at best I can make one a week. But how many of us can afford to buy 52 cars over the course of a year?

For that kind of money, I'll make 'em myself. For me that's part of the enjoyment anyway.