Anyone currently buying?

[Bigglesof266]

Anyone currently buying new high detail 00 gauge locomotives or coaches in 2023?

Curiosity question.

I mean, Hornby, Bachmann and Helijan have really got to be kidding right?

GBP£199 for this?!!! Really?! Yes I realise it's possibly perceived as about normal rather than expensive for a new release speciality or express loco now considering Hornby and Bachmann's current pricing regimes.

Hey no argument. That new parcels railcar is rather nice, but I'll make do with my venerable (2008) Hornby 5 pole motor with NEM couplings & screen printed detail cosmetic makeover release which is hardly shabby, and cost me just GBP£44 DCC Ready but sans decoder (opportunity buy on SALE promo price) just a decade ago. Mod it with some contemporary flush glazing for a few quid and it totally looks the bussiness and runs like an absolute charm DCC.

Seriously. Helijan's GBP£199 boxshifter price equates to GBP£214 by the time shipping and now domestic tax (GST like your VAT) is factored in -less UK VAT. Factor in another 6% for effective bank or Paypal exchange rate (-3% down) and bank card or Paypal transaction fee (+2½%~3%), and that equates to a whopping AUD$445 rounded down to nearest $5 landed for a single loco purchase! Don't know about you, but too rich (overpriced and representing very poor value) for me.

I haven't checked local availability or pricing yet, but if its like everythng else, it'll be even dearer.

For a REAL WORLD basis of comparison of why I'm not buying, well buying model railway stuff that is.

I bought 6 new guitars, 1 a bass guitar and 2 additional amps over the past 12 month period March 2022 to March this year, plus some other kit, i.e. SWIFF wireless TX/RX output input, NUX MightyPlug, a hard case for the hollow body Gretsch, tons 'n tons of string spares -yes it was an extraordinarily big personal interest spending year for me with great looming recession stockholding reduction motivated clearance prices on items I had opportunity triage buy prelisted.

Here's what AUD$445 would buy me within the past 12 months for the same price of that single loco.
43% of my Gretsch G5420TG WS AUD$1050 (killer deal) on the street price of average boxshifter street price of $1619. Current (Fender) Gretsch AU RRP is $1799
60% of my Gretsch G5232T RCM AUD$743 (killer deal) on the street price of average boxshifter 2023 street price of $1169. Current (Fender) Gretsch AU RRP is $1299
49% of my Ibanez AS113BS Artstar with Ibanez ABS hard case AUD$929 (uber super duper killer deal -long convoluted story) on the street price of average boxshifter street price of $1899. Current Ibanez AU RRP $2299
122% of my Yamaha Revstar RS320//02 RCP AUD$369 (killer deal on end of line preferred superseded model clearance, and in my preferred colour win-win-win)
137% of my Yamaha TRBX 174 RM bass AUD$329 in lieu of a 'plandemic unobtainium' TRBX 304. (Decent 13% off sale promo deal on good street retail for current model 174) I'm a 'Gumby' bassist, so the 174 is fine for learning and development purpose plus home studio backing track recording.
232% of my Squier Bullet Telecaster AUD$194 (killer deal -loss leader promo? IDC. Worked for me.) on the average boxshifter street price of AUD$359. Current (Fender) Squier AU RRP $369 Demo of underestimated Bullet -same guitar here in different colour. I've blinged mine up with a 4 ply Black Pearl pickguard for a whopping (joke) AUD$11 from Amazon Prime.
206% of my SX SVTG SST57 VWH Stratocaster AUD$219 (another killer deal on a hugely underpriced instrument generally) on the average boxshifter street price of AUD$289. SX AU RRP AUD319
129% of my Blackstar Unity 60 Bass amp AUD $349 average boxshifter street price of AUD$589. (CMP distro for) Blackstar AU RRP AUD$729

I could go on, but pretty sure my point re the relatively ururious pricing structure of OO gauge model railway operating stock picture is pretty clear by now.

Economies of scale? I think pricing strangles the scale of sales of current OO gauge.

So, anyone still currently buying?

[Bigmet]

Yup, still buying. So far this year Hornby W1, Sonic A5, Oxford N7, wagons from Accurascale, Oxford, Rapido, track from Peco. (All of them ideal fits for my KX area modelling, and way cheaper than I can build for myself (other than the track) even at current prices.) Do I like having to pay more? No.

But I won't spend more than my allocated budget allows; fortunately bought most of what I required when 'prices were right'; and have a large 'pot' of cash from unspent budget allocation from years that were 'dry patches' when little or nothing of interest was available. I am hoping to buy Bachmann Thompsons in BR maroon, Heljan N-C car carriers and O2/2, Hornby Coronation coaches, Accurascale mk1 block enders, Rapido wagons, as they appear, all good for my interest.

The large price increase relative to other hobbyist goods is readily observed; caused in my opinion by two factors. Obvious one, volume: interests like music making are on an immensely larger scale of sales than model railway. Secondly, the Chinese manufacturing economy has reached the stage where they require higher added value goods than model railway to pay the wages and make the returns that their investors require; essentially how model railway production was pushed out of the UK. Time to move this manufacturing on to a developing economy with low wages.

[Dad-1]

I may have made my final purchase only .....

As I'm 81 in May I am looking at disposing of things not buying.
My latest purchase a Rapido Hunslet had to go back to 'Rails'
as it ran for about 4 feet and then decided not to budge again.

So arrived last Friday morning, tested Friday early afternoon
a pre-paid return postage ticket received from 'Rails' and back
in the mail to them on Saturday morning.

Shame as it's a nice little loco and I bought one with sound fitted.
Looking forward to getting a working one back !!
There was no way I was going to open a £195 loco to see if I
could fix it. I did wonder if the Next18 decoder had dislodged, the
only one of them I've fitted was so loose I'd expect it to fall out
if the loco gets bumped upside down.

Geoff T.

[Bigmet]

...I did wonder if the Next18 decoder had dislodged, the only one of them I've fitted was so loose I'd expect it to fall out if the loco gets bumped upside down.

The first one I installed struck me as a very 'soft' retention, but an immediate 'shake it while inverted' test was passed. I feel it would take a wallop that would do serious external damage to the model to dislodge it, which makes it fit for purpose in my opinion.

[Ex-Pat]

I'd buy a reasonably priced D30 (more than 1 in fact!), C16 and J37 if ever they were to be produced.

I'm not even tempted by Bachmann's V2 at their price - in fact I doubt I will ever buy any of their products again good as they are.

I bought nothing at Warley last year.

The end is nigh!

[centenary]

Ive currently stopped buying because I need to buy a couple of hundred quids worth of wood to finish the garage layout then bullhead track, unifrog points and IP Analogs. Illness and other incidentals like sky high energy bills have stopped me doing this but when my credit card cycles early next week, Im down to the wood shop!

There's a number of locos and carriages I want to buy but they're on the back burner for now. When I do start re buying, it will only be flash sales, discount codes (I hope!). I wont be buying Bachmann's top end sound fitted locos as the cost is just eye watering. Neither am Ibothered about lighting in carriages which seems to have pushed cost toward £100 each so £700 \ £800 for a 7 \ 8 carriage rake? I should co-co!

[glencairn]

The ony thing I am buying is Era 2 carriages to replace the old Hornby four wheeled ones. The old four wheelers were ideal when the granchildren were younger.

As an aside. I purchased the carriages from the New Modellers Shop (who I believe run this Forum). Not affiliated. Just a happy customer.

Glencairn

[Bigmet]

I'd buy a reasonably priced D30...

Frankly, I'd buy an unreasonably priced D34, made to the same standard as Hornby's very fine J36 which I have purchased. Such a handsome loco as with so many of Cowlairs' designs; and I don't care that it never got down to the KX area. (My plan is to allow the 'never seen' LNER group classes that are simply irresistible, to run as substitutes for the local equivalents which were seen, which would be J6, J11, J15, J17 in the case of the J36 and J27, and the D16/3 in the case of the D34.)

...I'm not even tempted by Bachmann's V2 at their price ...

For all that the camming loco to tender link is a sad mistake (easily replaced) it's otherwise rather good. Some small tweaks to appearance required, but there aren't many RTR locos that don't need this, and the on track performance is excellent. Two's my limit though, the way inferior previous versions lightly adjusted are retained all filthy for freight, the two new are the KX shed pet 'Green Arrow', and a recently cleaned <identity yet to be decided> for passenger services.

...Neither am I bothered about lighting in carriages which seems to have pushed cost toward £100 each so £700 \ £800 for a 7 \ 8 carriage rake? I should co-co!

It is a pain, especially as there is no thought of conductive couplings to enable multi-vehicle control from a single decoder; if going for sophistication, then the full deal for the money is required.

...buying, it will only be flash sales, discount codes (I hope!)...

My top target: s/h from the impulsive 'must have the latest types' who are quickly bored. I thank you, and will have that discount...

[Bigmet]

...My top target: s/h from the impulsive 'must have the latest types' who are quickly bored. I thank you, and will have that discount...

And another favourite, someone who has bought a 'limited edition' and actually used it on their layout, so the collectoratii aren't interested if it is offered s/h, thus the price is sensible. Come to me my beautys. I ordered this just after the post quoted, and it's arrived: something I have been looking for ever since release, since it contains three QoS car identities that were only produced for this pack. (If anyone wants the limited edition certificate, I'll fold it into a glider, write your address on, cross my fingers, and give it a good throw in your general direction.)

[Mountain]

I have to ask myself if I would recommend the hobby to parents who are looking for their children to expand their horizons into and I struggle to recommend this hobby due to thee being no real budget option available for them to buy.
There are only really a few options to budget modelling these days and that is to buy secondhand and use as it is, or buy secondhand a nd convert them into something else like what I tend to do in narrow gauge or to buy those attery operated train sets from China and do something with them.

[Alexander Court]

Basically, No.

My finances have been rather curtailed by the current cost of living crisis, rising bills etc. Necessity has rather trumped leisure and luxury(not that I do luxury,hahaha) I'm having to spend money on learning to drive, my daughter has multiple prescriptions to pick up a month (although subsidised, its still like 15 euro for antihistamine) and then having to pay for hospital trip/hotel stay, plus going to the UK to see my family and my grandfather as he is deteriorating. When I can afford stuff It's usually second hand on hattons and goes into my trunk. What I got for Xmas was bought second hand over the months from the summer, in order that I could try save to pay for a Bachmann Henry so the kids could have him to run, still couldn't afford it by Xmas and had to wait for after (My secondhand repainted version of Gordon had expired anyways!).
When it comes to new models, I do have preorders, but my 88DS preorder was paid for at the end of 2021 I think when I ordered it from the New Railway Modellers Shop. I also managed to pick up a blue rocket coach from there for just £16. The other things I have preordered are the titfield buffet coach because while I know I probably will never afford a model of thunderbolt, at least I could have the coach.....if I have the funds when they are due. I also have the E1( ? ) from Rapido on preorder (That's the LBSCR 0-6-0?) but that's years away and I'll probably still have to cancel, I've had to cancel so many preorders in the past I often wonder why I bother xD

It all really comes down to justifying the expense, and for the money I earn and what I can budget. Usually though it's got to be the cheaper and second hand stuff for me, that's not really a complaint as such, as I love quirky things and Triang stuff. I had wanted to build a 009 layout for the odd bits of stock I've picked up over the years but couldn't justify spending the money on the points I would need, but I dug out my old Kato unitrack and my N gauge rolling stock that's been put away for a few years and I'm looking at doing something with those.
One of the things that does hamper things sometimes is Brexit and taxes and stuff, especially with the more expensive stuff.

I know that model prices do seem to be going up and up but there certainly seem to be the customers there with the wallets to pay for them, so I guess that's keeping the investment coming in (and the profits?) There are certainly plenty of personalities on instagram who have deep enough pockets to have the fancy latest Hornby releases xD And though I can't afford the models myself, it is nice to see some of those exquisite locomotives pulling realistic trains on a great looking layouts. Just have to try not to get to envious/jealous haha
To be quite honest though, I'd really need a bigger layout with more lines to do my collection justice as it is.

So to answer the question, of "Anyone currently buying new high detail 00 gauge locomotives or coaches in 2023?"
Basically, No.

[Phred]

I recently purchased a Hornby R3569 from Hattons because my wife wanted something to put away for my birthday and I couldn't think of anything else. I mainly bought it as it appears to be a bargain at £89 with a list price of £206.99. Did it ever really sell anywhere for a list price of £206.99?

When I compare what I can buy for my other hobbies (eg. aquariums, gardening) model trains don't seem to be very good value. Plus, PayPal is now adding a 'currency conversion fee' to my bill, which is something I haven't noticed before.

So, long answer short: No, I'm not buying anything full price.

[Bigglesof266]

Interesting responses gentlemen.

Observably those who are buying are exercising discernment and due diligence, although a goodly portion of respondents including myself simply aren't spending on MR right now.

My last significant MR purchases were way back in early-mid 2017 (?) as best I recall. I paid best price I could attain on undeniably overpriced newly released items I just had to have which had been on my wishlist for some time. Hornby R3434 Merchant Navy "Channel Packet", and a particular new release detailed Pullman Brake Third (?) coach whose R number escapes me for now that I paid far too much for but just had to have.

But that is unusual for me. Luckily I've managed to pickup my fair share of bargains during the good times, and did a great deal of purchasing during better times such that there's not really much I crave and little I need now. I could not buy anything more in the coach, rolling stock and loco departments before I die and still have more than sufficient to keep me occupied and happily 'playing trains' insofar as OO gauge British Outline MR is concerned.

That said, I would very much like a rake of Hornby's new tool Bulleid coaches, and a rake of the new Coronation coaches would go down a treat as well although I can't envisage a spend on that happening anytime soon. The inevitibility of the body aging dictates it's time for the motorcycles to go, and the boat as it's no longer getting the use to justify the capital tied up in it. So if I'm successful getting what I want on those put to market, I may indulge myself later on in the year.

[Bigmet]

The inevitability of the body aging dictates it's time for the motorcycles to go, and the boat as it's no longer getting the use to justify the capital tied up in it. So if I'm successful getting what I want on those put to market, I may indulge myself later on in the year.

What you are describing there, is a conclusion I have seen many others act on in the last dozen years. Sold the 1930's classic car because it wasn't comfortable to drive anymore, didn't renew football season ticket, golf / rugby / sailing / cycling club memberships, sold out a share in a Caribbean beach house because transatlantic flights are just painful now, insufficient energy to follow my favourite bands on tour; and so forth. Now what can I do that is comfortable, especially in those dreary winter months?

Ah, a model railway. This may only be true in the UK, but men in the 'time to slow down' age band here are regularly pleasantly surprised at what can now be had RTR; their memories are of the shoddy OO product circa 1960, and they haven't noticed the last 20-odd years progress. And having given up on one or more expensive pursuits, they have the cash...

...When I compare what I can buy for my other hobbies (eg. aquariums, gardening) model trains don't seem to be very good value. Plus, PayPal is now adding a 'currency conversion fee' to my bill, which is something I haven't noticed before...

I see model railway as a long term game. Buy carefully, look after it, and it's still good 20, 30, 40, 50 years on. When I compare it to the money ploughed into the garden, I have still got 90% of the model railway purchases in use, whereas all those bulbs bought more than 4 years ago are so over, and that's the very least of it! But the lady of the house greatly enjoys it, which is all the justification required.

(I think you know what to do about Paypal, there are many ways of conducting transactions.)

[Phred]

Bigmet wrote:
and it's still good 20, 30, 40, 50 years on

Funny you should mention that. I just ordered a Mainline Class J72 from Hattons. The tooling date is 1976 so, for around $63 (AUD) delivered, I thought it would be fun to see how it runs. The grandchildren will be impressed to know it was built when dinosaurs still roamed the planet.