Hornby boss steps down
- Bufferstop
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
Just as I was reading this thread, look what popped up on my other screen.
Hornby Junior,
It's like something I would expect to find in a Poundstretcher store or a toy stall on the indoor market. I worry for them!
Hornby Junior,
It's like something I would expect to find in a Poundstretcher store or a toy stall on the indoor market. I worry for them!
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
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- End2end
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
What a piece of dead end plastic tat that is.
How is something like that going to help inspire an interest in the hobby and reccuring custom?
If I was going to buy someone a small train set it would be something like the Christmas set priced at only a couple of pounds more with proper track and controller! I can see the dissapointed looks and tears on the 25th already. "That's not a proper train set"
Just to drive the nail in even further one of the 2 videos shows it running on a proper layout. What they don't show is the child running around after it trying to stop it.
Hornby 0 - Tomica/Lego/Playmobil et al 1
Thanks
End2end
How is something like that going to help inspire an interest in the hobby and reccuring custom?
If I was going to buy someone a small train set it would be something like the Christmas set priced at only a couple of pounds more with proper track and controller! I can see the dissapointed looks and tears on the 25th already. "That's not a proper train set"
Just to drive the nail in even further one of the 2 videos shows it running on a proper layout. What they don't show is the child running around after it trying to stop it.
Hornby 0 - Tomica/Lego/Playmobil et al 1
Thanks
End2end
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
Nothing wrong with it as a kiddie set, but I'd expect a retail price for about £12 in most stores with a RRP of £14.99 if I compared it with another battery trainset, and that is allowing an extra £5 to sell from the Hornby brand name. The price they expect for what it is is quite a bit more then the competition offer compared for what you get. Some really good battery sets out there which offer much better value for money. For the price they are trying to sell them I would expect some metal rails on the track even if it is steel.
Modelling On A Budget ---》 https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 22&t=52212
Re: Hornby boss steps down
Modelling On A Budget ---》 https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 22&t=52212
Re: Hornby boss steps down
I think you will find that Hornby are cashing in on a new market. European manufacturers brought out similar junk some time ago.Bufferstop wrote:Just as I was reading this thread, look what popped up on my other screen.
Hornby Junior,
It's like something I would expect to find in a Poundstretcher store or a toy stall on the indoor market. I worry for them!
- Bufferstop
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
It's decidedly overpriced and it could have a serious impact on their brand name. Reviving the old Triang name might have been a better move.
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
Hornby dont own the Triang name as it was sold a few decades ago to a company who made child's tricycles and things like that.
To call the product junk is to take away its value to a kiddie who would love such a thing and get many hours of fun from it.
I certainly say it is overpriced and as it is overpriced there will be disappointed parents who could have bought a similar set cheaper from other manufacturers and had more for their money. As a child and a parent, who cares if the gauge is not 00 or N or 0, as long as thew gauge suits the trains and it all runs well. Children want to see their little train run rounds its mini empire of track. They dont look for detail until they grow older. To a child, quality means it still runs after it gets mistreated.
To call the product junk is to take away its value to a kiddie who would love such a thing and get many hours of fun from it.
I certainly say it is overpriced and as it is overpriced there will be disappointed parents who could have bought a similar set cheaper from other manufacturers and had more for their money. As a child and a parent, who cares if the gauge is not 00 or N or 0, as long as thew gauge suits the trains and it all runs well. Children want to see their little train run rounds its mini empire of track. They dont look for detail until they grow older. To a child, quality means it still runs after it gets mistreated.
Modelling On A Budget ---》 https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 22&t=52212
- Bufferstop
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
I would hope they have put some effort into using a stable plastic for the clip together track, I've noticed with similar sets the track sections start to lift at the ends, increasing the likelihood of derailing. I've seen with my four grandchildren the transition from coping with Brio wooden rails to being able to cope with settrack is a couple of years at the most. The original Triang grey based track would have been ideal for this set. Enough of a base to make it firm, a generous rail section for strength and to make re railing easy.
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
From discount shops like home bargains etc you can buy a ready to run train set that is more convincing than that, even if it is American outline, both steam and diesel available for less than £10. This "Thing" is so far off the mark its ridiculous. Yes train shops have sold them, but hornby need to be shifting tens of thousands of them, and they're not.Bufferstop wrote:Just as I was reading this thread, look what popped up on my other screen.
Hornby Junior,
It's like something I would expect to find in a Poundstretcher store or a toy stall on the indoor market. I worry for them!
Re: Hornby boss steps down
Hornby lost their direction years ago. I get the impression that the management team have absolutely no understanding or capability of realising where Hornbys strengths and direction are.
In this day and age, a company will only suffer mismanagement and bad decisions for a short period of time.
In this day and age, a company will only suffer mismanagement and bad decisions for a short period of time.
- Bufferstop
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
Who will own the Hornby name in ten years time? Will it be swallowed by Bachmann or Dapol, or will it be one of the current batch of self commissioners? Lord help us if it's just kicked from one corporate finance house to another. It would be a bit ironic if the big H from Merseyside bought it and took it back to it's home territory, perhaps they could find a nice address on Binns Road and really take it full circle.
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
I think Bachmann have enough to cope with their own loan repayments from what someone has said before on the subject.
Dapol may be too small. They have recently invested into a nice machine which could help them grow.
Heljan. Not sure how big they are. I'm guessing larger then Dapol from the volumes I notice in shops...
Actually companies like Oxford Rail may have more up their sleeves then one may like to think as the company actually has generations of experience of making model cars even if they are no longer following the Corgi foundations. They may well have hidden talent and finance. Who knows?
There are actually many companies who can comfortably adapt to model railways due to their current subject being in a similar realm. Some decentntoy manufacturers along with a few model manufacturers who don't currently model trains. Some of the far east companies are huge.
The two largest threats to both Hornby and Bachmann are due to the high prices and the potential profits new entries into the hobby can potentially return if they dont have debts themselves, Hornby and Bachmann have almost left the door wide open.
The other larger potential threat which I have not seen Hornby and Bachmann adapt to is in the form of the 3D printers. While they may seem as a threat to the manufacturers, I actually see a window of opportunity for them to manufacture parts and provide programs for those who have entered the 3D market, which the parts can also help as spares and also for scratchbuilders to use.
So rather then restrict parts supply to force us to buy new, they could do the opposite and start a whole new aspect of our hobby, which could in turn generate further sales for those talented people who could convert the 3D printed locos to RTR form as a cottage industry, which in turn could attract many more into the hobby which is good news for Hornby and Bachmann as they could generate much easier and quicker sales in the form of parts.
Dapol may be too small. They have recently invested into a nice machine which could help them grow.
Heljan. Not sure how big they are. I'm guessing larger then Dapol from the volumes I notice in shops...
Actually companies like Oxford Rail may have more up their sleeves then one may like to think as the company actually has generations of experience of making model cars even if they are no longer following the Corgi foundations. They may well have hidden talent and finance. Who knows?
There are actually many companies who can comfortably adapt to model railways due to their current subject being in a similar realm. Some decentntoy manufacturers along with a few model manufacturers who don't currently model trains. Some of the far east companies are huge.
The two largest threats to both Hornby and Bachmann are due to the high prices and the potential profits new entries into the hobby can potentially return if they dont have debts themselves, Hornby and Bachmann have almost left the door wide open.
The other larger potential threat which I have not seen Hornby and Bachmann adapt to is in the form of the 3D printers. While they may seem as a threat to the manufacturers, I actually see a window of opportunity for them to manufacture parts and provide programs for those who have entered the 3D market, which the parts can also help as spares and also for scratchbuilders to use.
So rather then restrict parts supply to force us to buy new, they could do the opposite and start a whole new aspect of our hobby, which could in turn generate further sales for those talented people who could convert the 3D printed locos to RTR form as a cottage industry, which in turn could attract many more into the hobby which is good news for Hornby and Bachmann as they could generate much easier and quicker sales in the form of parts.
Modelling On A Budget ---》 https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 22&t=52212
Re: Hornby boss steps down
I nominate you for the Gypsy Rail Lee model industry insight award...Mountain wrote:... Oxford Rail may have more up their sleeves then one may like to think as the company actually has generations of experience of making model cars even if they are no longer following the Corgi foundations. They may well have hidden talent and finance. Who knows...
Re: Hornby boss steps down
Thanks. Not heard about the awards before. Something to do with Lionel Trains and Gypsy Rose Lee?
Modelling On A Budget ---》 https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 22&t=52212
- Bufferstop
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- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:06 pm
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Re: Hornby boss steps down
Lets continue this one here -New CEO at Hornby
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
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