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Well, I do sense an overall price increase when I study the ads in MR. Aside from the fact, that people in China begin to demand higher wages for the work they do, I think that importers/manufacturers attempt to reap additional profits. China keeps the exchange rate RMB/USD at an artificially low level to foster exports (and to counteract the wage increases), so that can´t be the reason for the increased prices in the US market. True, scratch building could be an answer to beat inflation, but not all of us have the means and skills to build a loco. Germany has been more of a R-T-R market, right from the beginning. A lot of German manufacturers have also turned into importers, having their locos and cars manufactured in China. A Brawa Bavarian State Railway S2/6 4-4-4 steam loco, manufactured at the same plant as the Bachmann Spectrum 4-6-0, with the same level of detail and quality, sells for about $ 620,00 here! Buying a DCC/sound - equipped steamer below a tag of $ 500 is close to impossible. Linn Westcott was right with his statement - you need to be a rich guy to be able to afford that! Despite being still sizable, the German model railroading community is shrinking year by year, not because of lack of interest, but because of pricing. Show me a parent, who is able to spend $ 1,500 for a Christmas starter set to kindle his son´s/daughter´s interest in trains. I am afraid that I start to see the same trend in the US market.
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