Get your Dapol orders in before November

[Snowwolflair]

I take a philosophical view, I buy a lot less "New" these days.

This is partly as I have caught up with what I want, and I now generally concentrate on building kits or handmade which the parts for are with the exception of Shapeways sourced form the UK or Ebay for mechanisms.  Almost all new is from abroad.

Unfortunately there appears to be a hike on Ebay second hand, particularly from the retailers who sell there.

I'm very happy to promote British kits and manufacturers, avoiding the trouble of the pound, and it would be nice to see more threads on the forum encouraging home made kits and conversions. 

Incidentally with my business hat on I think the pound is now where it should be and we have been lucky in recent years, and it wont go back any time soon.

[NeMo]

I'm very happy to promote British kits and manufacturers, avoiding the trouble of the pound, and it would be nice to see more threads on the forum encouraging home made kits and conversions. 

I couldn't agree more, @Snowwolflair.

For sure stuff from Farish and Dapol is more expensive than it was, but that just means I'm more careful about what I buy!

At the same time, I'm directing more of my time into the crafting side of the hobby, whether that's scratchbuilding or modifying something off-the-shelf. The variety and quality of kits and bits has never been better, and the Internet makes it very easy to find information on a particular kit, prototype or technique.

I think the NGS has done a great job promoting the crafting aspect of the hobby, and Grahame H. has really pushed the journal towards inspiring casual hobbyists, like me, to try to actually build something rather than buy it.

This forum is also a good place to find out about how to make stuff, and in turn, show off what you've made. If economic factors mean that more hobbyists are forced to become crafters to some degree, then in my view, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Cheers, NeMo

[trkilliman]

I think that us mere mortals have no bearing on the value of the £, or $ or anything else.  We have had year on year price rises from Farish in response to the Chinese workers having a (warranted) better deal, decreed by their Government. I'm not convinced there was a need for 20% year on year, but then I am suspicious of businesses.

Each time there is a price rise it must mean that a further number of modellers have to make decisions on what they really want compared to "oh that's nice I'll have one or two of them"  People have already said they will need to or have indeed cut back on their new purchases.

Health issues mean I no longer have the disposable income I once enjoyed, and model railways must come after the mandatory bills/outgoings in life.  Increasingly I am looking at my collection of  unstarted or part finished projects, what can be converted, could I scratch-build as a Scenecraft item will cost me £30+. 

I do believe the response of an increasing number of people will be to be content with what they already have, buy less from new, and/or to try their hands at some actual modelling instead of from the box.

When I was a lad around 55 years back, model railways were out of reach for many. Secondhand was the option for many and it seems this situation has returned for increasing number of people. Yes I could afford the Airfix buildings at two shillings (10p) from my pocket money of half a Crown (12.5p)  but overall prices had me learning how to make stuff myself. No Woodland scenics back then, it was cereal packet card strips and gummed paper parcel tape around 50mm wide. Mind you, the dyed sawdust of the 70s could be pretty naff!

There are undoubtedly some very finely detailed models around nowadays, but the cost will become a bit too much for increasing numbers of people. Just my opinion of course.

[NeMo]

and/or to try their hands at some actual different types of modelling instead of from the box making kits and wagons alongside the baseboard construction, scenery, buildings, track laying, wiring and all the other types of modelling they already do and are just as important and real as building and painting a wagon kit.

There we go, fixed that for you. 

Wouldn't want people to get the impression there's an elite end of the hobby that builds their rolling stock and the hoi polloi at the other end who muddle through with stuff from Farish and Dapol!

In seriousness though, I do agree with your general point. The price rises are the inevitable consequence of higher living standards in China and the outcome of the Brexit vote. So yes, I think people may find they get more for their money if they try building a kit or repainting an existing loco into a livery they desire rather than waiting for a manufacturer to do it for them. At the same time, the investment in time and skills is significant, and if you don't already have the tools, paint, soldering irons, etc., so building a kit isn't necessarily "cheap" as such.

Cheers, NeMo

[Bob Tidbury]

Perhaps the manufacturers will now think of doing an economy range for those of us that can't even see the extra detailing on the models now .
While they are doing that they could make them a bit stronger and longer lasting .
It's all very well having all the bells and whistles and all the fancy brake gear and pipe work if the loco packs up after a couple of weeks,or it won't stay on the track .
I certaintly can't afford many new Locos now as I just get my pension and Val had a head injury last year and isn't old enough to get a state pension just £90 a month from the NHS pension ,so money is very tight for the next six years or more .The only new Locos I will be buying in the future are Union Mills GWR Locos and the most expensive one will possibly
be a class 68 in Chiltern Livery as they run on our line .
Thank heaven for the old Farish and Minitrix they are still going after 35 to 40 years so I will have enough Locos to last my life time .
My Popylino is allready paid for by my family so no worries there though I expect there will be a slight increaseDue to the vote and the Chineese wanting two bowls of rice a day instead of one
Enough Waffle now.
Bob

[austinbob]

Thank heaven for the old Farish and Minitrix they are still going after 35 to 40 years

These old locos are increasingly becoming my locos of choice, especially when clever guys like Ozymandias have had their hands on them and turned them into something special.
As you pretty much said Bob, if you're at operating distance then you can't see much of the detail of the new locos and the old ones look pretty good to me.
What's most important to me is if the locos just 'look' right. Memories of the real thing add the details.