7mm If A 7mm Scale Model Of "falcon" Were Avaiable...

alcazar

alcazar

Guest
Would you be interested? I'm trying to get Pete Waterman interested enough to do it, BEFORE I spend £££ and time on scatch-building one.

So.........if you are a member, log onto RMWeb and look here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56538-if-a-7mm-model-of-falcon-was-available/, and please add your name if you are interested.
If you AREN'T a member, please add your name onto this thread.
Please keep comments to a minimum, just answer these three questions:

Would you buy a model of "Falcon" in 7mm scale if one was available?
How much would you be prepared to pay?
Would you be prepared to put down a deposit to ensure it got buuilt?

Any comments, please PM me, if there is enough interest, I'll start another thread.
PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS LIST IF IT'S ALREADY ON THE ONE AT RMWEB. Thanks.
 
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D7093

Guest
I put my vote up yesterday, but I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest in this iconic loco over there.
 
BrushType4

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
It is a nice loco and I would have one, but only once I have got a million and one other items in my wants list. I'm sorry.
 
Phill Dyson

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
Afraid the thing that puts me off is the hint that JLTRT would possibly produce one but at an even more expensive price than their current range.
 
28ten

28ten

Guv'nor
I think Falcon is in the same bracket as the LMS twins, whilst 'collectors' will pop 150 notes off in 4mm, the prospect of what will amount to almost a grand once wheels/motors/sound are added is a big turnoff.
If it were me I would press on with scratchbuilding plans.
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Jordan said:
Just thinking aloud... could the lack of interest be because the model would still be a kit, needing to be made & painted, and also a very expensive kit, to which one must add the price of motors/gears/wheels...?
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Jordan said:
TBH scratchbuilding would probably be a lot cheaper in terms of £££ spent on materials as opposed to on a JLTRT kit - only the build time would be different, but even then - depends on how competent a scratchbuilder you are....?
Possibly the 4mm version proved popular because it is R-T-R and still just about cheap enough for people to think "Why not..?" - i.e. a bit of an impulse purchase, whereas in 7mm you really are going to seriously want a Falcon to consider parting with a large sum of money... the "impulse" buyer market simply isn't there to make up the numbers..??
Just my 2p....
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I think you've hit the nail on the head there Jordan. If JLTRT were to produce a model of Falcon, I imagine quite a few people would want one, but wouldn't necessarily part with the readies. Despite the relative simplicity of a resin kit, if they lack the confidence to actually to put it together, the sale is lost.

Now if Heljan were to do one as an RTR model, I'm sure it would do well - I for one, bought the 4mm version on impulse (number 400 of 800!), in BR blue. It's very nice, but I have no use for it whatsoever and in actual fact, I was thinking about flogging it at some point to free up funds for some more 7mm stuff.

I'd certainly like a model of Falcon, but not before I'd purchased JLTRT's Class 22 and (hopefully), Warship. :thumbs:


Regards

Dan
 
Phill Dyson

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
Dan Randall said:


Now if Heljan were to do one as an RTR model, I'm sure it would do well - I for one, bought the 4mm version on impulse (number 400 of 800!), in BR blue. It's very nice, but I have no use for it whatsoever and in actual fact, I was thinking about flogging it at some point to free up funds for some more 7mm stuff.



Regards

Dan
Click to expand...

Yes a Heljan 7mm Falcon would have be tempting for a lot more people IMO.

I think both of us have expressed an interest in a 7mm Falcon quite a while ago in conversation;) , but for me a scratchbuild rather than JLTRT would be the way to go :)

Phill :thumbs:
 
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D7093

Guest
My problem with a scratchbuild apart from me trying to scratchbuild it:mad: would be trying to getting it to a high enough standard:'(. Although I could possibly get the main body shape and tanks to a reasonable standard, the rest of detailing work would involve etches and castings which is well beyond me and the time to develop and make these parts would suddenly put the build time into a year or even years to have a model of Falcon, which for me the time span is no acceptable.

Heljan don't seem to have any interest in doing an rtr model, which would be the logical route as they have done the work for the 4mm version and 7mm is nothing new to them. But they have obviously look at possible sales they would need and it just wouldn't be viable.

So the other route is the JLTRT, yes it is kit and needs other parts, but I know I could have a presentable model after a few weeks work. So if it was in the same price range of their other kits, then this would be the route for me, no different to having a Western i guess.

What we really need to know is how many Falcon kits would JLTRT need to have orders for to even consider going ahead with the project. I'm still up for a 1200 in BR blue with the extra grilles fitted:cool:

Trevor.
 
OzzyO

OzzyO

Western Thunderer
Hello all,

it has been mentioned that a Diesel kit costs about £20,000 to develop. So just to cover the development costs you would have to sell 40 kits at £500 each and all that covers is the development. As most businesses are in it to make a profit, you would have to sell a min. of 50 kits and that only makes £5000 profit (25% if my maths are right). That is not that much profit for the outlay.

OzzyO.
 
alcazar

alcazar

Guest
Sigh, you are all right.
I haven't given up, but I DO think it will have to be scratch built.

I think Falcon is in the same bracket as the LMS twins, whilst 'collectors' will pop 150 notes off in 4mm, the prospect of what will amount to almost a grand once wheels/motors/sound are added is a big turnoff.
If it were me I would press on with scratchbuilding plans.
Click to expand...

Yet JLTRT DID produce those......
 
28ten

28ten

Guv'nor
alcazar said:
Sigh, you are all right.
I haven't given up, but I DO think it will have to be scratch built.



Yet JLTRT DID produce those......
Click to expand...
And they were desperate to flog them off at Reading a couple of years ago when I wanted a Western (which had sold out at Warley) Mind you they have done a Clayton :eek:
 
alcazar

alcazar

Guest
Thanks for that Neil, I'll peruse that and bookmark it for reference.

Yes, a Clayton..........I couldn't understand it either, plus it's not that good a kit, apparently, needing some mods out of the box to run.........
 
28ten

28ten

Guv'nor
Jordan said:
Or you could sell 80 kits at £250 each... or is that too simplistic? .... the only question being, would double the number of people be likely to buy said kit at the cheaper price, than at the more expensive...?
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That is a business decision, but yes it is simplistic :)
Selling double the number requires double the packing time, posting time, support time etc, so in actual fact you probably need to sell 100 rather than 80. Either way, it is too much work just to break even. Also selling cheap devalues the product and you enter a different market at a lower price point. I find the choice of a Clayton far more baffling than their pricing model :))
 
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djparkins

Western Thunderer
28ten said:
That is a business decision, but yes it is simplistic :)
Also selling cheap devalues the product and you enter a different market at a lower price point. :))
Click to expand...

So if I doubled the prices of my own products would they be different kits or better kits because of the price increase? That seems to be the logic of what you saying. It costs me X to box an 08 kit so I sell it for Y + VAT = a very decent mark up - so why sell it for more?

David Parkins
 
28ten

28ten

Guv'nor
djparkins said:
So if I doubled the prices of my own products would they be different kits or better kits because of the price increase? That seems to be the logic of what you saying. It costs me X to box an 08 kit so I sell it for Y + VAT = a very decent mark up - so why sell it for more?

David Parkins
Click to expand...
Same kits but perceived differently. Classic example being Apple products, they could sell them for a lot less but people are prepared to pay for the perceived benefits and the brand
 
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