LGBtrains1963,
One shop I know he has nothing but LGB but I have yet to email him to see what he will do.
Toad
....when LGB/Marklin/Silvergate ever offer stuff again I can actually afford, I'll be happy too.
But till then for poor guys like me, its actually WORSE today that when EPL was still in business! Everything NOS online and at brick & mortor shops has gone up to almost full MSRP and beyond at even the formerly cheapest dealers, and even higher by dealers selling on Evilbay! Ever since EPL dropped the Toytrain line, my avenue into Lehmannland has been blocked off and the bridge dynamited...So if it ain't second hand private seller on Ebay, I can't buy it, cause I simply cant afford it, and I have ZERO expectation that ANYTHING from Marklin that makes it over to this shore in the next couple years will be anything less than whopingly expensive, simply because its Marklin, and thats what they do best.
Oh well ...I picked up what is probably my last LGB Porter recently, and my Mack bashes are all running along nicely enough...
Have fun with your trains
Perhaps price increases for "other" makers are in the very new future.
Welcome to 2008
Got Gas?
Tell me about it, my last (at least at that shop) Mack cost me almost $60, I darn near had a flipping cardiac!
I think from here on out its going to be motor blocks/trucks and kitbash/scratchbuilds only!
That will happen when you "put all your eggs in one basket", "going through life with blinders on", blah,blah,blah...
-Brian
altterrain wrote:That will happen when you "put all your eggs in one basket", "going through life with blinders on", blah,blah,blah...-Brian
udo wrote: altterrain wrote:That will happen when you "put all your eggs in one basket", "going through life with blinders on", blah,blah,blah...-Brian Sounds like you speak from experience?Udo
Me? I like to dye my eggs pretty colors and hide them about!
We'll be needing these soon.........
LGBtrains1963 wrote:I know as a collector it hurts me but we forget that this hurts many hobby shops, some shops will tell you that LGB was there top selling line, So without product there sales can drop and could make some close there doors... This is not good for us as fans of LGB and the people who sell them... Please support your local hobby shops and mail order firms who have been around for so many years to give you and me pleasure in this hobby.... Thanks... Mark
I agree with your observation Mark. Now we can probably agree that it is the responsibility of a business owner to monitor and be aware of the viability of the manufacturers of the products the business elects to carry and feature. But, few would disagree that the overwhelming majority of people involved with the large scale market did not see the lethal collapse of EPL coming very far in advance of late 2006. To criticize them now is a bit of 20/20 hindsight. Most even thought that the line would be picked up and continued with minimal interruption in 2007.
Truth be told, for those hobby shops there are *no* single-supplier alternatives to LGB in terms of completeness and breadth of product line. They had extensive varieties of both European and American outline trains, full track and accessories lines, and a huge aftermarket that was built around them. No other large scale manufacturer has equalled that. One may suggest that perhaps it was EPL's extensive line that buried them under it's weight...with so many products that were overproduced and sold poorly (non-train paint schemes and gimmicky items). You can still find many of these languishing on many dealer's shelves - very few people want them - and they make excellent items to bash and/or re-paint in real railroad schemes. But, perhaps more aggressive pricing could have moved more product and recouped much of the costs of production...who knows?
Prices are what they are. In a free market the prices will always eventually reflect the balance between supply and demand. The current economy may have a small effect on prices - most folks will have increasingly less discretionary cash to pay exhorbitant prices in the near future. But, sellers have the right to hold out for those desperate collectors who still exist and are willing...
So our local hobby shop owners have a strategic decision to make - to acquire new large scale lines or quit the LS market. Some have done the former, some have done the latter. Life goes on.
Al
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