If they're going to continue down this route, they'll price themselves out of the market. They seem to have gone from reasonably priced to very high end
MARKLIN ANNOUNCES 2024 LGB NEW ITEMS
- Thread starter LGB333
- Start date
DickyC
(BZB Mountain Railway)
Im guessing Marklin are trying to be a German mass produced Roundhouse and own some of that market in Europe with Euro specs locos, thats a new market and dont blame them. Also LGB made a product that was solid and reliable for 50 plus years with a now buoyant secondhand market, (thats not good for business in the long run) so your sales are limited to extravagant purchases when the pension man comes a knocking with his gold handshake.
When you look at the factory tour videos from the 90s there were ALOT ! of items being produced for what I assume has always been a fairly narrow market over time. The US share was considerable (hence why LGB USA was removed so marklin could take more control of that market) but as time has moved on the market unfortunately is moving on to their eternal glory and its the secondhand dealers who are inflating prices for items they know will sell.
My dad for example thought nothing of paying £800 back in the 00s for a HSB loco he loved, then another and another (and he really didnt have that kind of cash around to do it, but it got addictive) But it was justified when he needed the cash for a move and the same items paid him back. My mum spent the same on dolls houses and there only worth is as memories and firewood (apart from two excellent houses she got from from a guy who ran Trigger pond )
Piko do seam to be re inventing a market in Std gauge which is interesting, but only the Europeans on here will be able to full explain that as i dont think its a UK seller.
As with Merklin LGB, there "marketing" seams way off, is this the real market whos buying there new stuff, glam middle aged couple ?
or is it enthusiast !
The following advert is good, but I thought the Mafia guy was buying up the trains to sell on ebay from the weak dealer not for his grand daughter, she would be more interested in minecraft and gaming now !
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Noting what you say about the Piko sort of Standard Gauge (SG), I have yet to see a layout based exclusively on Piko German SG. Though of course there would be a few in Europe. Have to say if I were starting out anew and with my love of the former East Germany a very believable line could now be built stocking exclusively with Piko products. Plus a big benefit most of their locomotives are pretty easy to fit up for Battery power, mire so than some Maerkling/LGB products that often have tricky to navigate pull apart and put back together options.
DickyC
(BZB Mountain Railway)
your onto something there !
Diesel2000
Registered
There is very high end market for G gauge - Kiss, KM1, ESU Pullman, etc that I think LGB is looking to tap into. In fact it seems like the 'projects' for those high end models bounce around between those manufacturers until there is enough interest from one of them to do it, and then it gets done in a very limited run. These prices are all pretty similar to Marklin Gauge 1, ie $3500+ for a small loco, $5-7k for larger, more detailed ones. The new Big Boy is a perfect example of that.
As many have pointed out the original LGB buyers of yore are decreasing due to the great pearly gates. That LGB is dead and gone since the mid-00s when the original company died and the brand was bought by Marklin. Markets and demographics change and companies need to adapt. I think LGB has been able to do that and thats why Marklin was interested in buying the brand when it certainly didnt have to - to capitalize on the name. Now they try to appeal to a younger audience and the prices reflect those peoples' incomes to spend on hobbies and collections. Thats just a fact and pretty much how every successful business has been run that continues to stay relevant. Its obvious that people like their toys and are willing to spend what most would consider big buck on them. I see the exact same thing happening in bicycles, audio equipment, etc.
As many have pointed out the original LGB buyers of yore are decreasing due to the great pearly gates. That LGB is dead and gone since the mid-00s when the original company died and the brand was bought by Marklin. Markets and demographics change and companies need to adapt. I think LGB has been able to do that and thats why Marklin was interested in buying the brand when it certainly didnt have to - to capitalize on the name. Now they try to appeal to a younger audience and the prices reflect those peoples' incomes to spend on hobbies and collections. Thats just a fact and pretty much how every successful business has been run that continues to stay relevant. Its obvious that people like their toys and are willing to spend what most would consider big buck on them. I see the exact same thing happening in bicycles, audio equipment, etc.
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meiningen8
Registered
Kiss have had 2 production runs of the Harz mallets as well as 99 5906 for a detailed version in plastic try the Modelbouw boerman modified Trainline models
Software Tools
Registered
None the less they are generally selling out quite quickly. The point here is that there are multiple market segments out there and manufactures nowadays are attempting to address as many as they can.
Price has had a few mentions in here,I got my latest Voi Libre today and in the ‘whats new’ section there are reports of Aubertrain introducing 4 new different liveried Steam Trams in HO12 at €750 plus postage. At those price the LGB Mallets appear to be a bargain.
Wow, some very interesting debate about Marklin's LGB product line! Actually, when you consider how inflation has changed the pricing of LGB products since the original company went out of business in 2006, I don't think their current pricing for non-metal models is way out of line. And in most of the European countries, you must pay the high VAT fee like Germany's 19% on these items. The fact that these large scale trains are still a viable business venture is amazing considering kids these days, at least in the USA, are not prone to becoming model trains hobbyists in any scale. I'm pleased that Marklin is carrying on the LGB brand in spite of all these business adversities........some may poopoo the reintroduction of prior models but they're obviously going to do what's necessary to stay afloat. And for the USA type locomotives, many of us would like them to reintroduce more of the prior models like the Uintah. The Mogul is one of the mostly used models here in the US......most of the customers' locomotive repairs I do are for Moguls. So, producing another Mogul model for 2024 is understandable especially since they just did their last LGB 20283 Mogul production in 2022. And finally in 2022 they reintroduced another US favorite, the LGB Forney Steamer. I only wish they would put a little more focus on design changes from the older models to ensure good operability: The underweight of the 20283 Mogel is a perfect example......it's about 2 lbs less than the prior Mogul models with their lead weights. We'll see if they've done anything with the feedback about that underweight issue that some of us provided last year to the Marklin LGB Product Manager, i.e., will the new LGB 20284 Mogul will have weight added to it or not.
Looks nice similar to the USA Trains model. But I have no experience in the Marklin Gauge 1 product line, so can't really comment on it. But to produce it, they've obviously determined there's some market for it in Europe and the USA.
Fred2179G
Registered
Hi Thomas,
The USA Trains version is 1/29th scale. One just sold at auction for $5200, so they are in demand.
The fact that Union Pacific keeps steaming around the Midwest and West every year doesn't hurt. It keeps the demand high.
I think MTH One Gauge made a 1/32nd version, and sold a few extras after MTH declared it was exiting the One Gauge part of the business. I hear that MTH's employees have taken over the One Gauge business and will be releasing more trains.
jbray90
Registered
The weight issue is across the entire product line. I have the classic Stainz starter set and the updated Harz tank (99 5001/5016) and they struggle over impossibly light grades (like settled wood flooring, not actual grades) pulling two 2-axel cars (The stainz does better than 5016). I'm at the point where I want to support the brand due to previous experience as a child but am running into more frustration than long term-value.
I think MLGB engineers are aware of the “lack of weight” problem: evaluation was being made of the quality, longevity and economics of using a mixture of metal particles with plastic pellets in body moulds in place of the present practice. If proven, this technique may improve a model’s adhesion if combined with the present metal weight casting when manufacturing the standard MLGB loco range. The “High End” offerings have been metal moulds since the re-engineered plastic RhB 2-6-0 tender loco of Brawa origin to improve adhesion. I have not heard anymore comments recently re the evaluation of the process.
Just had a look at the MB site, lots of interesting stuff but sadly not a picture of 5906 as a model. They also do for the Kamel an add-on to depict the raising buffers that the Kamel has, looks to be a simple screw on accessory. Pretty much what I spent a lot of time scratch building for my Kamel.
I haven't heard anything of Marklin experimenting with metal flake infusion into the plastic.......if that works, fine, unless it degrades the plastic's durability. Two years ago when I alterted Marklin Germany to the weight issue of their new LGB 20283 Mogul, they responded that their testing indicated that the weight was sufficient even though one of my customers couldn't get his Mogul to pull three 4-axle passenger cars around his flat indoor layout's curves.
Many may not be aware of the current LGB Stainz Starter Sets are produced without any circuit board, instead of 18v. lights and smokers that operate off DC track power. And we all know from the first Stainz locomotives produced starting in 1968 that the smokers and lights didn't work well unless the locomotive was operated super fast. Maybe this cost-savings approach is okay for a starter set selling to new G scale hobbyists.......once you get them "hooked" they'll want buy the upgraded locomotives, e.g., the LGB 20215 Christmas Stainz that's being reproduced again for 2024 with 5v. lights and smoker.
Software Tools
Registered
stevedenver
Registered
I love the highend locos.
i love the fairlie, but, what the heck would do it justice via lgb rolling stock?
I notice too, the new mogul in proper black. And, accompanying passenger cars livery remind me of the bachmann spectrum eureka and palisade cars, but, less appealing and somehow, more noticeably malproportioned. The very plain box car looks great.
It’s my own baggage, but…….
I have been in lgb since 1985. I have a lot of it. A lot.
Initially, back in 1985 or so, the hodge podge of colors, compression, unavailable matching rolling stock, etc., have, over decades, made me approach my large scale trains as a compromise, (want a dsp box car, repaint the drg one…pita), a toy-ish train….i scratch build, but very little for a variety of reasons, so yes, its my own fault. But, there is still a dearth of rolling stock to go with locos, eg the Soeg/sachsen, etc.
Nevertheless, the re direction of marklin to a few new highly detailed, accurate models is too little too late, especially in light of retirement. While in my own hierarchy of interests, trains are still a daily joy, given marklin parts availability and support, together with my own priorities for carefree low management operation, marklin is leaving me behind.
I watched the novelties video. Excellent. Inspirational. As always, even with the ‘new’ g scale obb wizzy crank loco and cars, everything is appealing, but, between being another ‘re-paint’ of sorts and pricing, one must ask ‘why?’, unless of course, one is starting out and has no history with it. Otherwise, pricing and features seem high and value…dunno. When i think of mth/lionel locos with amazing features and details ,and pricing, its getting harder for me to embrace and understand.
i love the fairlie, but, what the heck would do it justice via lgb rolling stock?
I notice too, the new mogul in proper black. And, accompanying passenger cars livery remind me of the bachmann spectrum eureka and palisade cars, but, less appealing and somehow, more noticeably malproportioned. The very plain box car looks great.
It’s my own baggage, but…….
I have been in lgb since 1985. I have a lot of it. A lot.
Initially, back in 1985 or so, the hodge podge of colors, compression, unavailable matching rolling stock, etc., have, over decades, made me approach my large scale trains as a compromise, (want a dsp box car, repaint the drg one…pita), a toy-ish train….i scratch build, but very little for a variety of reasons, so yes, its my own fault. But, there is still a dearth of rolling stock to go with locos, eg the Soeg/sachsen, etc.
Nevertheless, the re direction of marklin to a few new highly detailed, accurate models is too little too late, especially in light of retirement. While in my own hierarchy of interests, trains are still a daily joy, given marklin parts availability and support, together with my own priorities for carefree low management operation, marklin is leaving me behind.
I watched the novelties video. Excellent. Inspirational. As always, even with the ‘new’ g scale obb wizzy crank loco and cars, everything is appealing, but, between being another ‘re-paint’ of sorts and pricing, one must ask ‘why?’, unless of course, one is starting out and has no history with it. Otherwise, pricing and features seem high and value…dunno. When i think of mth/lionel locos with amazing features and details ,and pricing, its getting harder for me to embrace and understand.
The Fairlie would be just fine with the LgB Rollwagens, on the real line in former East Germany they busied themselves hauling these with standard gauge wagons on to and from sundry factories on the line.