Journal 1/16 out now

[MikeDunn]

If you read it again, I think you'll see he's complaining about having to join them if he wants to purchase these and instead is arguing that the NGS should waste valuable resource (my words, not his) duplicating what is already done and available elsewhere because he doesn't want to join them - and he can't buy them unless he does.  Which, let's be honest, is exactly the situation if a 2mmA member wants to buy something that is exclusive to the NGS 

Personally, were I that bothered, I'd either try to find a friendly 2mmA member & ask them if I could purchase through them - or just acknowledge that I was being unrealistic in my expectations of a small Club & join the other one myself !!!  Who knows what else may become attractive, once the membership materials etc were issued   

Or - ask the NGS Committee if they can come up with a deal with the 2mmA for the NGS Shop to purchase items that the 2mmA make exclusively (and reciprocate, of course) 

[zwilnik]

If you read it again, I think you'll see he's complaining about having to join them if he wants to purchase these and instead is arguing that the NGS should waste valuable resource (my words, not his) duplicating what is already done and available elsewhere because he doesn't want to join them - and he can't buy them unless he does.  Which, let's be honest, is exactly the situation if a 2mmA member wants to buy something that is exclusive to the NGS 

Personally, were I that bothered, I'd either try to find a friendly 2mmA member & ask them if I could purchase through them - or just acknowledge that I was being unrealistic in my expectations of a small Club & join the other one myself !!!  Who knows what else may become attractive, once the membership materials etc were issued   

Or - ask the NGS Committee if they can come up with a deal with the 2mmA for the NGS Shop to purchase items that the 2mmA make exclusively (and reciprocate, of course) 

Yes, if they're exclusive to the 2mmA because they make them, then that would be a waste of resources. If however, the 2mmA is just sourcing them from somewhere, what's to stop the NGS sourcing them for its members too if there's demand?

The cross purchase deal though does sound like a much more sensible idea. Good for both groups.

[NeMo]

Or - ask the NGS Committee if they can come up with a deal with the 2mmA for the NGS Shop to purchase items that the 2mmA make exclusively (and reciprocate, of course) 

Not a bad idea, but I think there's an issue with tax or VAT or something. Specifically, because the NGS is a club that only sells to its members, there's a financial benefit of some sort. Someone else will know the details. But if they sell to non-members, even if you argue that's good for club revenues, it actually turns out there are definite financial costs involved.

Cheers, NeMo

[red_death]

There's no specific issue with VAT but potentially with corporation tax - any mutual trading (ie just selling to members of a club) is CT exempt, as soon as you sell outside the club then you are liable to CT.

On a more fundamental note I think Mike D has pretty much summed things up for me - if one or other society produces something you want then either join or find a friendly member. That is why the NGS (and 2mm SA) go to such lengths to develop products that will appeal to members and non-members.  We are talking small clubs in the grand scheme of things and if they make something you want please support them or risk losing them!

Cheers, Mike

(not my NGS views but my personal views)

[queensquare]

My understanding is The 2mm Association was started by those who were not happy with using 9mm track, and wanting mush more prototypical rail spacing, track tolerances, etc.. Those that do will stay with, or join, the association.

I doubt seriously it will ever happen, so this is all probably academic.

Jim F

I have no intention of contributing further to the debate other than to say I think it's a real shame, and does the scale no favours, to have such narrow entrenched views.
I do however feel the above statement needs correcting as it's completely false. Modelling in 2mm scale at 1:152 predates commercial N by almost forty years, models first being displayed at the Model Engineering Exhibition in the 1920s. In addition articles appeared at regular intervals in the model press both pre and post war by modellers working in 2mm or 000. The first commercial offerings in the  UK, by Lone Star, were also to a nominal 2mm scale. Continental Europe adopted 1:160 on 9mm gauge in the 1960s, British N grew out of the need to fit commercial mechanisms into the much smaller British loading gauge, hence the adoption of 1:148. N gauge is, if anything, a coarse version of the much older 2mm standard, not the other way round.
As I've said before I'm more than happy to use accurate 1:148 models alongside scratch and kit built 1:152 models, the difference is not really noticeable. I'm also happy to see 9mm N gauge models in the 2mm magazine - many have appeared over the years. It is after all the 2mm Scale Association - finescale is not mentioned in the name. 2mm finescale standards are recommended by the Association as they were established long before N appeared but those who wish to work to commercial N standards are also welcomed.

Jerry

[zopadooper]

I have to say the main reason I joined the NGS was to get access to the kits. Unfortunately, almost all of the ones I'm interested have been long term out of stock......

Production of kits has finally restarted following the relocation and restructuring of the Society Shop and items should be appearing at ngsjoin.com and on the Society Display Stand over the next few months (but there won't be any new stock for Glasgow, this weekend.  Sorry!

Gill
Shop Manager and NGS Committee Member

[NinOz]

I have no intention of contributing further to the debate other than to say ...

<Snip a lot of text>

Jerry

Classic!!   

[trkilliman]

NGS / 2mm.

A couple of years back a person on this forum very kindly obtained some of the 2mm ass'n cattle wagon bodies on my behalf. I was very grateful. Currently finishing them off as they ended up in the "to do" box!

I have been keeping tropical fish for 40 years and a member of a specialist club for 38 of them. You get the same brand of, for want of another word, extremism with fishkeepers who belong to specialist clubs. We all keep fish yet a suggestion of sharing a venue and resources is so often met with hostility. It baffles me as together groups can become stronger, share cetain costs, and benefit from combined buying power. It's almost as if a certain element of people flourish by being insular and damning of others who share a very close interest, but not 100%.  It's a bit like two schools in close proximity, where for no real reason the pupils of each are in conflict with each other!!!

[queensquare]

I have no intention of contributing further to the debate other than to say ...

<Snip a lot of text>

Jerry

Classic!!   

What's classic about it??? I was not offering a subjective contribution to the debate, with the narrow, entrenched views that would be pointless. I was offering a correction of a factual error.

Jerry

[Tank]

 

Thread now locked.  I would appreciate that posts are reported if they are deemed offensive or negative, before bringing the forum name into disrepute.