Hornby selling of HST's

[CallySleeperKid]

I find this quite strange, as this is a pretty new range, but Hornby have slashed prices of all East Midlands Trains and Cross Country HST loco packs and coaches, Does anybody know why?

There are even better bargains to be had in model shops too. Hornby have cut all HST coaches to £19.99, but I have picked up an EMT buffet car (R4417) for £18.99 from Model Zone, and First Class (R4414) for £16 and Standard Class (R4415B) for £18 from Hattons. I completed the set with Standard Class (R4415A) and TGS (R4416) for a bargain £14.99 each off E-Bay in brand new mint condition.

Sadly I had already purchased the buffet car before seeing it for £16 at Hattons.

The loco packs are also reduced on Hattons to £106 for the DCC ready and £122 for DCC fitted. These will have to wait a while, but I have the Midland Mainline liveried HST locos to pull them round, as was seen quite a lot in real life.

Back to the original post though, why are they selling them off? New packaging coming soon? updated models? General sale?

 

[4SRKT]

'Locos'?? Power cars surely?

 

[CallySleeperKid]

'Locos'?? Power cars surely?

Yeah, It was early when I wrote it

 

[Heinz57]

I don't think there is any special reason behined it.

It'll just be Hattons selling them at bargain prices. They'll realise how rediculous the RRP of the power cars is, so will sell them at something more reasonable

I'm surprised, no-body. Namley Hattons are selling like 'bundles' of the Mk3s. They seem to do it with some of the other stock

 

[CallySleeperKid]

I don't think there is any special reason behined it.

It'll just be Hattons selling them at bargain prices. They'll realise how rediculous the RRP of the power cars is, so will sell them at something more reasonable

I'm surprised, no-body. Namley Hattons are selling like 'bundles' of the Mk3s. They seem to do it with some of the other stock

Its not just the power cars though, its the MK3's as well, and not only Hattons but Hornby themselves selling the HST's at cut prices, But saying that i do believe £19.99 is what a MK3 passenger coach should be going at, not £25 plus that they RRP at.

Its sad how much the cost of rolling stock has risen. i always fancied a DCC sound diesel loco, but with prices at £230 plus, I doubt very much that will happen any time soon!

 

[Heinz57]

Thats so true. £25 for a Mk3 is a bit of a joke isn't it? I was looking at those new Royal Mail traveling post offices from Bachmann earlyer, they cost £30 at least, why? Do they function in some way? Even then though, the previous functioning mail coach from Hornby didn't cost that much did it?

The cost is the worst thing about this hobby. Even small shunters are costing £70 and over. I often remember the days when you could go and pick up a little shunter for less than 20 quid.

 

[truckman060473]

Thats so true. £25 for a Mk3 is a bit of a joke isn't it? I was looking at those new Royal Mail traveling post offices from Bachmann earlyer, they cost £30 at least, why? Do they function in some way? Even then though, the previous functioning mail coach from Hornby didn't cost that much did it?

The cost is the worst thing about this hobby. Even small shunters are costing £70 and over. I often remember the days when you could go and pick up a little shunter for less than 20 quid.

Yes and the cost has gone through the roof lately. Just look at Hattons price for Bachmann 47's. Some are now £76. A few years back they had some BR blue 47's on a fantastic offer of £39 if you remember. I should have bought one.

 

[sprinterguy]

Thats so true. £25 for a Mk3 is a bit of a joke isn't it? I was looking at those new Royal Mail traveling post offices from Bachmann earlyer, they cost £30 at least, why? Do they function in some way? Even then though, the previous functioning mail coach from Hornby didn't cost that much did it?

The cost is the worst thing about this hobby. Even small shunters are costing £70 and over. I often remember the days when you could go and pick up a little shunter for less than 20 quid.

You pay for the quality of the model. There have been substantial improvements in the wealth of detail and accuracy of models over the last few years, though unfortunately this has been matched by an even more substantial increase in typical prices, as the manufacturers can justify an exponential price increase and command higher margins for a completely new, highly detailed model. Once you strip away the high margin of profit that the RRP price commands, as Hattons often do, then it can be realised that the costs of manufacture probably haven't changed as substantially as the cost of purchase.

The new Bachmann TPO carriages are far, far and away more advanced and more accurate than the basic and ageing Hornby model, so of course they are going to be considerably more expensive. Similarly, the new Hornby and Bachmann class 08 shunters are lightyears ahead of the basic Triang derived 08 that served Hornby so well for so many years and has now been rightfully consigned to the Railroad range.

I don't think that £25 for a Hornby mark 3 is that bad, and I'm usually the first to bemoan the passing of "the good old days" when Lima diesels cost 30 or 40 quid new. In fact, I'm sure that even then, ten years ago or so when the scale length Hornby mark 3s were released, that they retailed at £19.99, which isn't a million miles away from the £25 price tag a decade on.

 

[truckman060473]

When a model looks dead right, it is acceptable for it to be a bit pricey. yesterday I was looking at real life Murco TEA tanks and then went to look at the Hornby Murco tank which is around the £21 - £25 mark. Just look at the huge gap between the bogies and the tank body! Not acceptable Hornby, it is not an accurate replica of the actual thing!

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Hornby are way behind the likes of Bachmann and VItrains in terms of detail and the prices they charge are very closely matched, but if you shop around online you tend to find someone usually had what you want at a reasonable price.

I would always choose a Bachmann or VItrains loco over Hornby and would pay the extra cost for the quality.

Many model shops are currently selling VItrains locos for as little as £39, including a good selection at Hattons, and from my experience they are superb locos in both detail and running. So there are good prices to be had out there if you wait and shop around.

Sadly with the HST's it's Hornby or nothing, and the MK3's are not a coach that requires a huge amount of detail, especially on the underside, but for Hornby they are reasonably good.

 

[Heinz57]

Agreed, Bachmann and Vi are so much better. To be honest I get more Bachmann and Vi's than anything at the moment. They have a better range of modern stuff, Hornby seems to be lacking. It seems to me that every year the Hornby steam range gets bigger, whilst the modern range seems to shrink.

Although I must say that the HSTs look pretty darned good. They had me drueling when they were released!

 

[dubscottie]

In terms of quality and detail it depends on what you are after.

Bachmann had to sell more than a few of their MK 1's cheap as they had messed up with detail/numbering etc. All there MK 1's also still have the end steps which didn't exist after the mid 60's in most cases. Need i get started about the number of times they have had to retool models as they were wrong? Class 37,40 etc.

Vi trains stuff looks like the "toys" from the 80's.

As for Hornby? Their stuff is as good as the rest. Just have to be careful when handling.

Just incase you damage all the extra detail that most of the others don't have.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Maybe the suppliers are getting ready for new stock to come in. I Was in Ely's department store in Wimbledon this afternoon and just happened to be in the models area, en route to the loo, I noticed that alot of Hornby locos, coaches and waggons plus I think some full train sets had been reduced in price.