Joined: 05/01/2007(UTC)
Posts: 102
Location: Tuki Tuki Valley
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While travelling through Germany earlier this month I popped into a model store.
To my delight the stock was plentiful, I guess for Christmas rush. But the dealer informs me that sales are slow and Marklin staff are unhappy. Management have inform some staff that working hours are to be reduced, hardly surprising, given Germanys economic conditions are deteriorating rapidly.So if Marklin is concerned sales are slowing then many others in the industry are likely to be in the same boat. I guess the cost of living does catch up with everyone at some stage, and while having that new loco appeals ,food on the table will always take precedence.Of course a collapse of the German ( and now the French) governments and along with Trumps pending tariff all will not help the situation. Hope they ride out the storm as we have all been there before.! |
Steve...............
Life with Pinot Noir, Chocolate and Marklin trains.......... |
 4 users liked this useful post by marklin61
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 Joined: 27/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 941 Location: Burney, CA
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Hopefully, just one dealer. Although, it’s true that the German economy has flatlined. |
From the People's Republik of Kalifornia |
2 users liked this useful post by mrmarklin
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,277
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Problem with the sales are people don´t have money enough to keep market alive. This has been cause by of bad politician stand. Migration cost a hell lot of money and in Sweden we do also feel same way. Migration did results expensive cost due to porr fail resource in the market to give people job too. Oh yes it do happens in USA too and Trumps pending tariff has nothing to do with the Europe bad economic situation. I am not write sorry in this comment due to the forum rule about writing politician because we are all sitting in the same boat so why to confuse happens and abuse truth?  |
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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2 users liked this useful post by Goofy
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 Joined: 09/08/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,919 Location: Auckland,
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Not surprising that sales are slow. The economy around the world is slow, and luxuries are the first to go.
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5 users liked this useful post by mvd71
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Joined: 17/09/2006(UTC) Posts: 18,771 Location: New Zealand
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I haven't been buying much this year, in fact I cancelled a lot of my orders after being made redundant from my job in April.
I've bought some small things like the Christmas and Catalog wagons but that is about it. There were a few items being held by my dealer that I had already paid for, these got sent out after the catalog wagon I had on order arrived.
If others have been similarly affected then it will be impacting Märklin and every other retailer. I guess a lot of it is due to the spending binges governments went on during the Covid years.
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3 users liked this useful post by Bigdaddynz
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 Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,453 Location: Scotland
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We are buying toys and these have high profit margins. Looking at a Marklin coach it is just plastic and if you want to open it it shows how poorly it is made as you just pull it apart to get into what is not a great interior.
Removing a wheel set also requires care as it is just plastic smaller than the axle so you bend it back to obtain a fit. IF made in China a coach will cost little to make and some parts will be used for different coaches.
I can buy a washing machine cheaper than a Marklin loco and if a go for an expensive coach set even a dishwashoer or TV set is cheaper.
Just bought a new laptop for my wife a less than half the cost of a CS3 PLus and the Laptop is a quality model.
The hobby does not attract many younger people and to keep going prices increase for those of us who are prepared to continue buying.
Marklin wont last forever but at least some of us can continue to enjoythe hobby for a few years yet.
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Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
13 users liked this useful post by David Dewar
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Unholz, marklinist5999, alonso231gery, Willem99, Bent, hxmiesa, amartinezv, countrylink, arnpao, ixldoc, river6109, kimballthurlow, Gilbert_Ives
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,277
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There is now sales in some swedish hobby store but it looks like just more unpopular products.
Trix are lesser popular than Märklin and harder to sell.
Märklin has always been priority as first hand in Sweden by choice as hobby. |
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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1 user liked this useful post by Goofy
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Joined: 08/12/2021(UTC) Posts: 141 Location: California, Sonoma County
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I am more picky now with my Marklin purchases. I have to admit that prices have gone up. I have only a limited resource, so I have to buy fewer items.
I do not need the bells and whistles in a locomotive, with so much plastic detailing, that I am afraid to handle the new lok with my hands, I will break something. You are now talking about greater than US$300 for a lok. That is a lot. For new people starting up on this hobby, the Primex brand may do well.
It would be great if Marklin revives the Primex label, sell the same locomotives with less plastic detail and with just a simple decoder with 4 functions at half the price. Now that would open up a lot of wallets. I do not see how people run 4 or more locomotives with all the sounds operating on. It becomes unbearable to the ear after 5 minutes, especially the puff/puff of steamers.
This is my 2 cents worth of thought. I do have quite a few Primex passenger cars, and they run just as well at a much lower price.
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11 users liked this useful post by Bill L
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ixldoc, Unholz, Harryv40, marklinist5999, Eurobahnfan, Willem99, hxmiesa, DB Fan, kimballthurlow, Donb, Gilbert_Ives
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 Joined: 07/08/2015(UTC) Posts: 245 Location: Wilshire
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The price is always going to be an issue. My family for Christmas purchased a diesel loco plus 4 Austrian wagons. The wagons were Piko 98548 were 11.22euros and the loco Piko 98548b was 71.42 euros plus postage 9.90euros total 145.86. Because the total was less than £135 on import duty of 20%.
They are from the Piko hobby range. Yes they are a simpler finish but have lights and a decoder and of course AC. If you run them at normal speed they don’t look different from any other model.
I do find the sound locos great but after a time I turn it off, because it becomes to much!
My budget is limited and really the important things are paying for bills and food, so I accept I am not going to get all the whistles and bells but an acceptable models that don’t look out of place and keep me happy.
It really is a trade off, if Marklin don’t let price slip then I cannot see them in the market for much longer.
In the words of Bill L that’s my two cents
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9 users liked this useful post by Harryv40
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 Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,594 Location: Spain
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Originally Posted by: Bill L  I do not see how people run 4 or more locomotives with all the sounds operating on. It becomes unbearable to the ear after 5 minutes, especially the puff/puff of steamers. I think you are right. I´ve never really experienced the problem with too much sound though, as I am a purely analogue runner. The only train I have that runs with sound, is the VT11.5, and there I have turned the sound off. -It´s really not very nice to listen to in the long run... I watch tons of videos on YouTube, and the Chufff-Chuffs and Rrrrrrrrrrs from the locomotives is extremely annoying. (I like the whistles though) About reviving the Primex brand to its original purpose; I dont see that happen, as it would compete with its own mother-brand. Better to have a dedicated Hobby-range as now, with a clear segmenting. Personally I would of course welcome locos with simpler on-board electrinics, but alas I am from a dispappearing minority (analogue runners) |
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5 users liked this useful post by hxmiesa
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 Joined: 24/08/2002(UTC) Posts: 3,959 Location: Hellas (Athens)
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I agree too, running many locos seems impossible, i believe old simpler locos is a better option, Nowadays i am planning to invest on tracks and on automation, technology has made that possible. |
An outsider.
I'm looking for the owner of that horse. He's tall, blonde, he smokes a cigar, and he's a pig!
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2 users liked this useful post by alonso231gery
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,890 Location: Michigan, Troy
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It's about route control, and timing, and the size of the layout. I run three at once within the same route. They follow each other. When the gaps start to close in, I adjust the speeds. The CS 3 has two speed knobs and a third pop-up one for any model on the layout. My MS 2 is the secondary controller as well. Larger layout's with more automation and using a software program for a laptop, tablet, desktop or phone run several at once.
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1 user liked this useful post by marklinist5999
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 Joined: 16/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 5,843 Location: Hybrid Home
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Originally Posted by: Bigdaddynz [...]after being made redundant from my job in April. Oh no !  |
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1 user liked this useful post by Alsterstreek
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 Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC) Posts: 14,875 Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
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I am disappointed with Märklin, bought an Austrian electric loco (trix model) and there are no spare parts available, this is News for me, if you want spares you have to send the whole loco back., all I wanted is an axle with rubber tyres, if this is the trend, Märklin will be no longer on my list of possible purchases
John |
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2 users liked this useful post by river6109
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Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC) Posts: 6,763 Location: Brisbane, Australia
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The origin of the topic is slowing retail sales.
I am in a retail business, and our sales generally are about 10-15% lower than the same period last year.
This is not good when most costs of running the business stay the same while the sales revenue gets lower.
In these circumstances one has to have contingency plans.
Imagine Märklin with their overall costs remaining the same and the sales revenue is reduced.
We dont know the costs or profit margins in that company selling above Euro100m per year.
But size does not matter, you have the same mathematics of survival.
Kimball
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HO Scale - Märklin (ep II-III and VI, C Track, digital) - 2 rail HO (Queensland Australia, UK, USA) - 3 rail OO (English Hornby Dublo) - old clockwork O gauge - Live Steam 90mm (3.1/2 inch) gauge. |
7 users liked this useful post by kimballthurlow
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,277
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Everything cost nowadays and in every house hold there are expansive cost like to pay the bills. We focus on what is most important to get and use. What it depends is your wallet and yours payment. Forget about Primex! It will get worse for Märklin when other competitors offer customer with better quality and fun of the sounds/physical functions so why wouldn´t Märklin do the same way by survive in the business market? If you want to buy an expensive locomotive then save your money every month before to buy, but you must plan by do it.  |
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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