I live within a prett tight budget, so my layout does not get expanded very quickly or easily. Like all commodities, prices do go up over time, but frankly, I think the recent track pricing is total gouging - it does NOT reflect the increases in raw materials. So, for me, it has come to the point where I can no longer play with those big manufacturers - I don't afford track at those prices - I'm simply stuck at the level I now have.
Trainman
I bought my LGB track and turnouts all last year right after the Aristo announcement and got pre-crisis prices so I was happy and am done buying track for now. But that doesn't help Snowshoe or any new guys afford their track today.
I think the advice given earlier about joining a large scale model RR club is very good. Members are less likely to try and profit off of a new struggling young member and will often offer any used track or rolling stock at bargain or token prices if they know you're really going to use it (i.e. "keep it in the family") and not try to re-sell it to make a profit on your own. Many large scale clubs have a lot of middle-aged and older men who like to mentor new-comers to the hobby and young lads with small wallets and help any way they can within their limits.
Al
Check out the following link. He makes everything, locos, cars, tracks and turnouts from wood. I'm sure you will find the site very, very interesting.
http://4largescale.com/fletch/
DD1 wrote: Check out the following link. He makes everything, locos, cars, tracks and turnouts from wood. I'm sure you will find the site very, very interesting.http://4largescale.com/fletch/
For some reason I could not open the link.
Try it now
As all of us know, prices have been going up on everything from garden railway track to food and pantyhose. I used to think that when a gallon of milk goes up 50¢, how does that relate to an oil increase. What does the cost of oil got to do with milk prices? The answer is: the cost of a barrel of oil, affects not only transportation costs, but it also affects everything that depends on oil and that just about includes everything. That gallon of milk has to get from the dairy to the coop. The container is plastic and oil affects the cost of the container. The dairyman has to buy feed, which again has to be transported to the dairy for the cows. The cost of electricity to operate the dairy increases. The trucking cost to get that milk to the retail store increases. Once you add up all the small increases to get that gallon of milk to the retailer, it's not so difficult to see why the price of milk has increased as it has. For every gallon of milk, there are probably 30-40 other places where increased oil prices have had an incremental effect on that one gallon. The same holds true for track and just about everything you can imagine. Some industries work on a slim margin of profit. Holding the price down, might bankrupt that industry. All they can do is pass the costs on to the consumer. Those who work on a larger margin of profit, might be able to absorb the increased cost, but only to an extent. Their answer to cost increases is to cut the labor cost through layoffs, early retirements, etc.
There isn't much the consumer can do about it. Screaming about high costs and boycotts has little or no effect on the problem. Since everything is geared to oil prices, the only way costs will come down is by a reduction in oil price. Don't blame the track maker. He has to increase his prices to stay in business. Otherwise we will just have to do without track.
DD1 wrote: As all of us know, prices have been going up on everything from garden railway track to food and pantyhose. I used to think that when a gallon of milk goes up 50¢, how does that relate to an oil increase. What does the cost of oil got to do with milk prices? The answer is: the cost of a barrel of oil, affects not only transportation costs, but it also affects everything that depends on oil and that just about includes everything. That gallon of milk has to get from the dairy to the coop. The container is plastic and oil affects the cost of the container. The dairyman has to buy feed, which again has to be transported to the dairy for the cows. The cost of electricity to operate the dairy increases. The trucking cost to get that milk to the retail store increases. Once you add up all the small increases to get that gallon of milk to the retailer, it's not so difficult to see why the price of milk has increased as it has. For every gallon of milk, there are probably 30-40 other places where increased oil prices have had an incremental effect on that one gallon. The same holds true for track and just about everything you can imagine. Some industries work on a slim margin of profit. Holding the price down, might bankrupt that industry. All they can do is pass the costs on to the consumer. Those who work on a larger margin of profit, might be able to absorb the increased cost, but only to an extent. Their answer to cost increases is to cut the labor cost through layoffs, early retirements, etc. There isn't much the consumer can do about it. Screaming about high costs and boycotts has little or no effect on the problem. Since everything is geared to oil prices, the only way costs will come down is by a reduction in oil price. Don't blame the track maker. He has to increase his prices to stay in business. Otherwise we will just have to do without track.
I agree oil prices effect the prices of everything else including track. But lets face it the price of track is way out of hand as compared to other products.
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