Sticker shock pricing from "company A"

[UP_Modeler]

What up Dudes,

Have any of you noticed the recent Atlas N-Scale announcements?  Dash 8-40C's priced at $140, yet another run of RS-3's priced at $120 and today they announce a gondola (a plain looking run-of-the-mill gondola) priced at $19.00.  Talk about sticker shock.

A few years ago Atlas said they were outsourcing everything to China so they could lower prices.  Now their stuff is more expensive than Kato who manufacturers in Japan which has more expensive labor cost than China.  So Atlas is charging higher prices than Kato and their stuff isn't as good. 

Atlas has always been a very arrogant company but this kind of pricing in the current economy is foolish.  If Bachmann can offer good prices producing models in China then Atlas should be able to do the same.  Sounds like those boys at Atlas have gotten mighty greedy in recent times.  I don't know about you guys but I rather buy Bachmann than Atlas.  Bachmann's quality has improved dramatically and their prices are still excellent.

Mike

[fieromike]

What up Dudes,

Have any of you noticed the recent Atlas N-Scale announcements?  Dash 8-40C's priced at $140, yet another run of RS-3's priced at $120 and today they announce a gondola (a plain looking run-of-the-mill gondola) priced at $19.00.  Talk about sticker shock.

A few years ago Atlas said they were outsourcing everything to China so they could lower prices.  Now their stuff is more expensive than Kato who manufacturers in Japan which has more expensive labor cost than China.  So Atlas is charging higher prices than Kato and their stuff isn't as good. 

Atlas has always been a very arrogant company but this kind of pricing in the current economy is foolish.  If Bachmann can offer good prices producing models in China then Atlas should be able to do the same.  Sounds like those boys at Atlas have gotton mightly greedy in recent times.  I don't know about you guys but I rather buy Bachmann than Atlas.  Bachmann's quality has improved dramatically and their prices are still excellent.

Mike

But remember that you're looking at MSRP, not street pricing.  Bachmann's dash-8 locos  are also stickered at $140.
When you get down to it,I'm getting a well detailed,NCE decoder equipped loco with alternating ditchlights for $135.  I'm not a Bachmann hater and have several of their locos, but I'll put my money where the real quality is.

[UP_Modeler]

I'll put my money where the real quality is.

If that is the case then you should be buying Kato.  The Chinese made stuff doesn't come close to the Japanese quality.

Mike

[hobo1]

atlas locos are on par with kato locos,as an owner of both these locos are the best built and you get what you pay for. Iwould rate proto 2000 locos up there too. Bachmann locos have a long way to go to catch atlas and kato. If I had to go with one loco company it would be atlas -hands down      hobo

[skipgear]

Keep in mind what the currently available Dash8 C's retail for:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=344

This is without ditchlights and without needle point axle pickup.

If you haven't figured it out, prices are going up and will continue to go up as the Chinese worker learns his true worth and demands higher pay. Add to that, increased materials and shipping costs.

At the shop I work at, we have seen recent jumps of $40-60 in the selling price of $300 RC aircraft. Atlas, Bachmann and others have gone through at least 3 price increases in the past 2 years, each one being 10% or more. N Flex has gone from a retail of just over $3 a section to $5.45 a section in less than 2 years.

[brokemoto]

This is why you should run N scale small to average sized steam.

The B-mann 2-8-0 is reasonably priced.  Recent runs come without the bugs of the originals and are the best pullers out there.

The B-personn USRA heavy 4-8-2 is a bit pricey, but performs well and looks nice.  It does come with a decoder already in place for you DCC boys.

The Kato USRA heavy 2-8-2 remains the standard against  which all N scale steam is measured, even if it does not pull as well as the B-mann consolidated.  Street prices are reasonable.

The Athearn 2-8-0 and 2-6-0 are very reasonably priced and run well.  They are pretty good pullers for their size.

This is why I tend to avoid diseasels.