OK, after I cooled off from the umpteenth “the hobby is doomed because of high prices” controversy, it occurred to me that I was spending way too much time online and way too little time in the workshop so I hied myself out to said workshop. That turned out to be a pleasant interlude ( being far from the madding crowd as it were ) and I determined that it would be far more relaxing to work on models than pretty much anything else the following day.
However, during the night the wind started howling and the rains came. Due to a six month accumulation of leaves and other debris, the storm drain one house up the hill from us went on strike and a mini version of Noah’s flood inundated both our front and back yard. Fortunately, nothing came into our house, but I found myself at least wishing we had an inflatable boat or something if not an actual ark.
I spent the better part of the morning cleaning leaves and debris out of the storm drain. My wife did call the city, whose job it is to maintain the system, and I have to admit they arrived fairly quickly, but by the time the city workers arrived, I had actually managed to get the water flowing more or less where it was supposed to. I did manage to get thoroughly soaked, which naturally added to the overall tone of unbridled hilarity.
After that job was done, I got to thinking that not only was I possibly too harsh in my judgment with respect to hobby prices (potential floods do strange things to the mind), but probably dead wrong. So I decided then and there that:
The manufacturers and distributors really are a bunch of rip-off artists out to bankrupt the whole lot of us.
We all need some kind of protection from the mind games foisted upon us by the hobby powers-that-be.
That protection had to be of a nature that would prevent our minds from being controlled by not only the government, but also the demons from Walthers and Horizon.
There is one way in which we can thwart the high priced dollar snatching mentality. Shun these new fangled ready to run products. Do not accept anything less than everything in kit form, and to cut costs to the bone, Start Scratchbuilding.
The average RTR car costs in the $15-20 range. For that price you can pick up eneugh parts to scratchbuild two or three cars.
I have long ago reached this same conclusion, and I am glad that through alot of independent thinking you two have reached this conclusion as well. Perhaps we can form the “Association of Railroad Model Builders” two combat the trend towards Lionelesk style modeling where by you open the box and set it on the track.
First - There are several FEMALES in my extended family who regularly visit all manner of yard/garage/moving sales. During such visits, they always have an eye out for HO scale railroad items. In the best tradition of “The Haggle,” they’ll usually come away with whatever happens to be there. Sometimes it might be a freight car or two, and on a couple of occaisions it was boxes of stuff. Cheap! [:D]
Second - I model in the transition era, so the latest and greatest whiz-bang, gotta have it item does not impress me. My railroad follows no rivet counting format, therefore the “company shops” have a fairly loose set of rules to follow when “new” equipment is added. The “raw materials” on hand can usually yield what’s needed. Just add a little imagination.
I do, buy new couplers as needed and motors for re-power projects, but that’s about it…
The Acme Equipment Corporation will shortly be announcing an improved aluminum helmet with enhanced radio frequency attenuation characteristics. It is made of a special alloy of aluminum and secret materials developed at Area 51.
I believe Walthers will soon have these improved helmets available at a retail price of $79.95. You’ll probably be able to get them more economically on e-Bay or through Internet discount stores.
Hope this information helps to allay those fears you may be having.
I believe it was “Pogo” who said, “We have seen the enemy and they is us!”
Walthers is out of stock on helmets, both new and improved as well as the old worthless ones!
The sky is falling!
Quit buying stuff from hobby shops, unless you absolutely have to. I priced a “photo processing thermometer” at a camera store ones, cardboard scale, two staples, glass tube filled with mercyry, you know the drill, eight bucks. An hour later at the grocery store I found the exact same item, same packaging even, a dollar twenty nine. Lesson learned.
This week I found scale silver colored chain in a Bratz kid’s neclace at Wal-mart, 18", two bucks. I found wire rope in the craft department, labelled “Fine Tigertail” from Mainstays Crafts, 15 feet for 97 cents, complete with 20 little metal rings that crimp to make end loops.
If it says “HO scale” on the package, there’s a 10x premium in cost. Look around.
It is interesting that we live in a “supply and demand” free market economy yet discuss high prices of a hobby. The power of the dollar rests with you and your buying decisions. A recent example that I experienced at a train show–I was looking for a specific Sante Fe Gensis combo, the vendor had one, saw it was what I was looking for and quoted me a high price. I passed and continued on around the show floor. Later, I passed the same vendor who now offered the same engine combo for $10 less.
I did my homework before going to the show and saw mail order prices, they were lower than the current offer so I passed again. I try not to put myself into a situation where I “must have” because that will always cost me. A certain level of baby boomer affluence undermines this approach and that is what the manufacturers are betting on and catering to.
jeffers-Thanks for that chain and rope tip.
I think the simple fact that Lionel is still alive and well, no matter what something costs, someone will be there to pay it.( no knock on you O guys)
I’ve gotten in the mind set lately that I’ll hold off on something till I can get a deal on it.
I built a helmet using an old hockey helmet, the foil that covered the turkey at Christmas, and some Silly Putty. I am fully protected during my somnambulence with the hockey helmet, I dream of yet another Christmas dinner, but my wife says the foil is still covering the turkey. Should I zap her with my disintegrator? [:D]
Depends. Does she support your hobby even if she does waste perfectly good aluminum foil on turkey carcasses? If she supports your hobby, cut her some slack. I was about to use my trusty disintegrator on my wife early in December when she handed me the January issue of MR. Seems she was out shopping and popped into Borders. They had just received the latest issue. She’s a good wife. Besides my disintegrator’s disintegrating from lack of use.
Hmmm. Then there’s the possibility that she read my mind about the disintegrator and made a pre-emptive strike.
Got any spare foil? Looks like I may need it after all. [sigh]
NOTE: It doesn’t really matter if it has turkey drippings on it. That actually adds to the shielding.
The hobby will survive however it may be without us due to the euro or ruble exchange rate. I’m a blue box bottom feeder. And they have gone from 3.50 to 6.50 or more. Have fun, Happy New Year. Phil
If you do find one of those helmets on ebay - watch out for the shipping costs. Almost bought one the other day, but the guy wanted $10.00 shipping. What a rip off - I guess I’ll keep looking for another one.
Build it and they will come!!! Supply and demand, if it is popular they will try and milk you!!! If you can wait a little hold off, mind you the new way of running batches can mean you might miss out for a while!
Not to slam Woodland Scenics but it cracks me up about their scenic sprayer thingy. What does it cost? Six bucks maybe? Well I just went down to the local Dollar General, bought a two dollar bottle of some window spray-generic Windex, dumped out the contents and had a scenic sprayer for maybe a third of the price. Yeah, unless you make mucho denero, you have to be careful not to get scalped! Maybe they could put the Woodland Scenics name on Big K soda, quadruple the price and sell it at the LHS.
You know I read one thread bashing high prices saying we’re getting ripped off, and others wondering where the hobby stores are going. There’s nothing wrong with finding creative ways to cut the costs of our hobby, but if we want our hobby shops to still be there we must support them too. Are you really saving money buying from the internet when you add the shipping costs?
I’m a Mac usere and I can tell you from experience that even though I love my Mac it would be nice if I could stroll down to a local store and buy what I want for my computer instead of driving miles or ordering off the internet.