Your right about the lawyers, maybe they will ignore each other and get on with business!
Lets hope so anyway.
Rgds Ian
More than one company having the right to use a name or symbol is not new. When the Victor company was bought by RCA, the dog in front of the Victrola with the slogan "His Master's Voce was used by both RCA and JVC. The records on this side were labeled "RCA Victor", and I suspect Victor was also included on the Japanese labels; it certainly was included in the corporate name..
I'm sure that other examples can be cited.
Art
Yes mate, time will tell, but i hope they survive as i think LGB is the most forward thinking company in this business.
I think that if i could not have had all the alternatives that LGB have to offer, i would not have gone on with the hobby.
That's business, it will survive or it will go under, either way the hobby will move forward and I, for one, am glad that LGBoA is a seperate company, at least something will survive to carry the mark forward. As always, time will tell.
Kim
I have been to the factory in Nuremburg and I am used to watching factory people at work and i can tell you they are the slowest workers i have ever seen, I don't know why but it could have been low morale or even trying to keep themsleves looking as though they are working (self Preservation)
Interesting new development:
http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?id=7058
I have always been a fan of things LGB, their passenger starter set got me into the garden back in '86, but I think this is going to end up with a lot of redundancies in Germany, the prices have now increased with the starter sets shooting up by 25%, now that's the way to get people into the hobby isn't it? If the european end goes toes up we'll have to see how LGBoA reacts and what range they will make. As said before, a big shake up in anything never hurts, as long as the customer remains the focus.
Cheers,
kimbrit wrote: Now Hornby, that'll be different, they'll change the hook and loops so the hook is on top of the loop and we might even see a complete range of Brit outline.
Now Hornby, that'll be different, they'll change the hook and loops so the hook is on top of the loop and we might even see a complete range of Brit outline.
And do away with those plastic springs that push them up in favour of gravity, that's definitely not a German solution! Brit outline & possibly Thomas now that'd be funny, lots of serious collectors being forced to buy engines with faces to complete the collection!
Seriously though I hope someone does take it on although whatever you may feel about the prices at least they tried to keep their staff in Germany. Any major company like a bank or Hornby will definitlely move all production to China and if they're lucky keep R&D in Germany.
Paul
Yes that's very true, I was just crystal ball gazing again and actually seeing, as you said, the UK being supplied by LGBoA. A lot of what I buy these days seems to be LGBoA origin, made in China with, in the case of a recently purchased set, a 120v transformer. I have seen the same sets in retail shops, all with 120v transformers. Now Hornby, that'll be different, they'll change the hook and loops so the hook is on top of the loop and we might even see a complete range of Brit outline.
kimbrit wrote: Just another thought on this, as LGBoA own copyright/trademark worldwide (except Germany) I assume we can expect supply to the UK to be maintained, but will we enjoy the sort of prices our American cousins enjoy? or will we still be ripped off?
Just another thought on this, as LGBoA own copyright/trademark worldwide (except Germany) I assume we can expect supply to the UK to be maintained, but will we enjoy the sort of prices our American cousins enjoy? or will we still be ripped off?
Except that all the wholesale UK stock comes from Germany unless they all change to LGB USA for supply. I think the less friendly takeover option , as far as the Richters are concerned, may well come to pass with the investment bank that was interested before or even Hornby having a go. At least if it was Hornby the boxes would still be red!
Here here or is it hear hear.
AHA!
SO the cat is out of the bag and we finally know why LGBofA was been so quite of late!
Over at MLS there was a suspicion that EPL/LGB would be just that: LGB of Germany, and only Germany and Europe, serving the Euro profile crowd with only made in Germany products . While LGBofA would serve the USA (that "rest of the world" statement surprised me!) with Made in China (I guess we're generally less fussy about that) US profile products. And thats just whats coming to pass! This will definetly be an Interesting year!
Have fun with your trains
Hi Rene, I posted the following on the 12th July last year in a thread on LGB, close to the mark methinks..........................
My understanding is that LGB is now back in control of itself after re-financing and LGB of America is a seperate company that has promised to make LGB its main supplier of goods. I expect that in reality this means LGB will stagger along for a while longer and LGB of America will buy whatever it wants from whomever it wants. This is why I've spent a lot of money on LGB recently, just in case my own personal view is correct.
This just in:
http://www.trains.com/grw/default.aspx?c=a&id=611
(I literally just posted it. The article may not appear for a few minutes yet.)
Rene Schweitzer
Classic Toy Trains/Garden Railways/Model Railroader
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