im just curious
why are these little plastic houses SO expensive
between 10-100 dollars...
any other plastic things you can get free can mc.donalds..
Thats a question thats been asked many many times.
Why do little crappy,ugly pieces of plastic cost so much?
Walthers has wonderfully detailed buildings for not much more than the Plasticville crap. And the Lfe-Lke and Model Power offerings are quite good too. Even old TYCO and AHM are 100% better than those rip-off Plasticville things.
Maybe Bachmann can enlighten us as to why they feel the need to overcharge people for junk? Seems to be a pattern here.
One man's junk is another man's treasure. Every go into an "antique" (junk) store and check those prices?
$100?
Quote from: Paul M. on August 21, 2007, 06:53:25 PM
$100?
yea like big chunks of buildings like i dunno..
i saw them in a catolouge
No kidding the prices for Plasticville are too high!!
I won't even look at any of those buildings because they're so overpriced for nothing.
I just bought 5 factory sealed in plastic TYCO kits for $15 on Ebay, they are still availible from IHC for $14 EACH on sale!! they are 100% better than those cheesy little plastic things that Bachmann sells. The TYCO kits have interiors and the detail is excellent.
I've wondered why Bachmann charge so much for 1950's era plastic snap-tite buildings....no detail and not even close to scale.
So... If they are junk as you say and you wouldn't buy them anyway, it doesn't matter what they cost because you wouldn't buy them anyway.
Thats right I won't buy them.
But I hate to see people getting ripped off. So if I can help a newbie avoid wasting their money on those overpriced under-detailed ''buildings'', then I've done a great service to the model railroading community.
Summertainz - Since you failed to provide any specific examples of $100 building kits, I wonder where you are finding your info or if you are making it up. You seem to think $10 is too much to pay for a building, so maybe you should just buy from EBay like JM.
JM - You are complaning about Bachmann's prices, yet buying your buildings off EBay. I guess all the other companies' buildings are overpriced, too, and that's why you buy them from EBAY.
If you think the buildings are junk, it follows therefore, that you think Bachmann's new camp cars are junk since they are based on the buildings.
JM and LD - I'm sorry you don't have the ability to do any kitbashing or customizing of your buildings, or locos or rolling stock, for that matter.
Perhaps y'all could practice on cheap TYCO buildings to get enough self-confidence and experience to attempt Bachmann products.
You have my sympathy.
To add to that -
I just searched online and the highest price Bachmann building available, that I could find, is the O Scale Town Hall and it's suggested retail price is $42.00.
So where did the $100 price come from?
Quote from: JM on August 27, 2007, 08:39:04 PM
Thats right I won't buy them.
But I hate to see people getting ripped off. So if I can help a newbie avoid wasting their money on those overpriced under-detailed ''buildings'', then I've done a great service to the model railroading community.
Quote from: JM on August 26, 2007, 11:22:02 PM
No kidding the prices for Plasticville are too high!!
Quote I won't even look at any of those buildings because they're so overpriced for nothing.
I just bought 5 factory sealed in plastic TYCO kits for $15 on Ebay, they are still availible from IHC for $14 EACH on sale!! they are 100% better than those cheesy little plastic things that Bachmann sells. The TYCO kits have interiors and the detail is excellent.
Quote from: Summertrainz on August 21, 2007, 01:04:35 AM
im just curious
why are these little plastic houses SO expensive
between 10-100 dollars...
Quote from: LD303 on August 21, 2007, 01:46:12 PM
Thats a question thats been asked many many times.
Why do little crappy,ugly pieces of plastic cost so much?
Walthers has wonderfully detailed buildings for not much more than the Plasticville crap. And the Lfe-Lke and Model Power offerings are quite good too. Even old TYCO and AHM are 100% better than those rip-off Plasticville things. Maybe Bachmann can enlighten us as to why they feel the need to overcharge people for junk? Seems to be a pattern here.
.
Guys, let's remember whose forum we're on. BACHMANN (Maker of Plasticville kits) owns these forums, and if you're going to bash their products, they might kick you off.
Now I'll agree with you, most of the Plasticville stuff is poorly- detailed, but I own a couple Plasticville kits that are just as detailed as some of the inexpensive DPM kits.
And some people like the fact that the Plasticville kits aren't very detailed. It makes it look 'Whimsical' or something like that. :-\
I had lots of Plasticville on my Lionel layouts as a kid. The product is fine as is. It is the year 2007. Wages (even Chinese wages), energy, cost of benefits, cost of plastic, distribution/transportation costs are all up! None of those costs are going down. Let's be real. Now if certain models command high prices on eBay it's only because collectors bid them up that high.
Personally I would like to see Bachmann scale up the O-gauge line to ~1:24 so that Garden Railroaders would have a low-cost option for structures. The plastic compound would have to be UV-resistant and the panels (especially the roofs) would have to be reinforced or thicker, but otherwise the "undetailed" kits could be enhanced / bashed to create all kinds of unique buildings for the budget garden railroad.
Just my 2 cents.. ;D
GB
I'm not sure where the $100 is coming from...perhaps you mean the original pieces from the 50s. Yes some of these in like new condition with the box can get quite pricey.
I don't think Plasticville is "junk". In fact the original pieces from the 50s are anything but junk. However the newer pieces color choice could be better, which is why I prefer the original pieces from the 50s and 60s.
But Plasticville is an easy way to have an instant town. I've built several buildings for my HO layout (Magnuson, Suydam, Campbell, Walthers, etc...) and while they may look realistic, they take a long time to finish.
For my O scale layout I had to go with Plasticville. O scale and Plasticville just seem to go together. Can anyone honestly tell me this looks like junk?
(http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/_uimages/O1.jpg)
(http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/_uimages/O2.jpg)
(http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/_uimages/O3.jpg)
(http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/_uimages/O4.jpg)
(http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/_uimages/O6.jpg)
Here is what you can do with HO Plasticville:
(http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/_uimages/Town1.jpg)
(http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/_uimages/Town7.jpg)
Tell me about the HO motel... You kitbashed it, right?
Quote from: Paul M. on August 30, 2007, 09:12:58 PM
Tell me about the HO motel... You kitbashed it, right?
It started out as this:Bachmann HO Motel (http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/160-45214). I bought two kits so I could have a two story motel.
The roof comes sloped, so I had to add styrene to make the lower roof flat. Then I stacked the second motel on top...pretty simple actually. I added railings, a stairway, neon signs, interior lighting, drapes, figures, and a coke machine. Painting made the biggest difference.
It was a fairly simple project, and well worth it.
Cool looking layout. I like what you did with the motel.
Quote from: Terry Toenges on August 28, 2007, 11:27:27 AM
Summertainz - Since you failed to provide any specific examples of $100 building kits, I wonder where you are finding your info or if you are making it up. You seem to think $10 is too much to pay for a building, so maybe you should just buy from EBay like JM.
JM - You are complaning about Bachmann's prices, yet buying your buildings off EBay. I guess all the other companies' buildings are overpriced, too, and that's why you buy them from EBAY.
If you think the buildings are junk, it follows therefore, that you think Bachmann's new camp cars are junk since they are based on the buildings.
JM and LD - I'm sorry you don't have the ability to do any kitbashing or customizing of your buildings, or locos or rolling stock, for that matter.
Perhaps y'all could practice on cheap TYCO buildings to get enough self-confidence and experience to attempt Bachmann products.
You have my sympathy.
Thats the kind of rude,arrogant and condescending attitude that has driven some many people off this forum. I have a different opinion than you, so that makes me stupid?? well, you're just going to have to get over it.
As for the other comments, you got it bassackwards there son! people who can't build kits and make them look decent are the ones who buy that tinkertoy Plasticville junk! and just FYI...I haven't seen any camp cars from Bachmann.
I buy from EBAY because I get good deals, I guess you have a lot of money to throw away on junk, well, the rest of us that work for a living don't have it. So yes I do think some companies kits are too high.
You think TYCO kits are cheap?? ever built one? If you had, you'd know they have excellent detail...wheres the detail on Plasticville? its all SNAP-TITE!! THATS FOR 3 YR OLDS! :D
You know nothing about me Terry, and your smart mouth,condescending remarks makes you look like an idiot. I have been building models for 30 yrs, so yes, I am an accomplished basher and detailer on armor, aircraft, ships and trains.
JM - It's no more ruder than people getting on Bachmann's board and calling their products junk.
Dear JM,
Plasticville kits have been popular for over fifty years. Since they were designed for toy train layous in the Forties and Fifties, they are what they are, and many people like them. High prices are sometimes asked for original pieces that had small parts, like the airport. These are worth the price to collectors.
Take a look at the bashe Plasticville buildings on our display layout- they were very well regarded by the attendees at Portland, and narroe gauge modelers are among the best in the hobby.
If they don't work for you, simply don't buy them, but Terry is right: to get on our site and call them junk is rude.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Well, thats MY opinion, I don't buy Plasticville because it's just too outdated and undetailed.
I don't care for Terrys attitude towards my opinion AND towards many other posters, him and people like him drive others away from this forum, many have left because of the constant snobbery and arrogance displayed by some members here.
Theres an old addage ..it goes...."I calls 'em like I see'em'', and I will continue to do so, even if some consider it ''rude''.
woah this is getting heated
::)
angry train people... :P
Quote from: Summertrainz on September 03, 2007, 01:10:49 AM
woah this is getting heated
::)
angry train people... :P
Nah, not angry, it's just that some people get offended when you have a differing opinion, and they get all arrogant and condescending and make smart mouth comments about things they know NOTHING about.
It's been going on on this forum for a loonnggg time and has caused a lot of good people to leave, it is unfortunate, but all you can do is correct them when they're wrong and then let them rant and rave and make fools of themselves....................then sit back and laugh! ;D
Rude. Sarcastic. Arrogant. Yep. I fit right in with a lot of people on here.
I'm not a Bachmann basher, though.