Thanks Ray for the MTH!

[enginear joe]

 I recently got some of the MTH cars that I had missed from Ray M here on the forum. I'll have to get some pics of them when I unpack them in the spring. I realized that there were many that I missed. It was great to find them and they look like they're in great condition. I wanted to get more. There are so many cars and engines popping up lately, it seems finally to be a buyer's market. It was dry, just a few months ago I thought.

 So anyways, Thanks Ray! I wish I could get them all!! Hoping MTH stays in the game.

[Rayman4449]

Thanks Joe and thanks for the post!  Glad you liked them and hope you enjoy   This stock I picked up is all either new in box or genuinely like new with little to no noticeable wear.  It's pretty rare to run across this much in this condition.  I was really surprised and glad to have gotten it.  I don't think there is any question MTH will stay in the game, we may see some lower production variety and volume (lower volume may be increased prices a bit as we saw in the latest catalog.  They have all the work in the molds.  Even if they never produced new designs, they still have a larger affordable variety of just steam alone than any of the other producers in the market.  With Aristocraft gone, that leaves USA Trains for steam which will run $3500+ per Big boy, Accucraft for their steam $3000-6000 each example.  There are no other players left for affordable stuff.  At this point they have a lock on the market for their price point.  

[xl_special]

I'd like to throw my two cents worth into the ring about MTH. I've been looking for a smoothside coach EVERYWHERE for over 5 months. I watch Ebay everyday, and nothing ever comes up. Two years ago, there was always something on Ebay I was interested in. Since I intend to use it for parts only, I've set the top price at $100.00. Not a bad price to pay for parts. They have a product that is in great demand, and what do they do? They skip off to S gauge or H.O. which is overflowing with way too much stuff. The quality of their one-gauge products is way ahead of anyone else. So why are they producing just a few of certain items? I don't get it! Why not come out with a real nice SW-1? It would sell like hotcakes. Just my take on great products from a poorly run company. Larry

[Rayman4449]

The overall demand right now is not there unfortunately, the economy after all these years is still horrible.  That is what drove many of the big retailers out of business and we see Aristo is no longer around.  Mike Wolf said in one of the more recent yearly meets that G scale is more of a niche market.  Other thing is they have been focused on market diversification for some time, that is why they got into G in the first place.  As long as the economy is this bad we will have to make do with what we get.  Aristo's gone.  So that really leaves MTH, USA and Accucraft.  The Accucraft GP60 has been in planning for something like 5 years and still no model.  Reason for that has to be tepid demand.  Also I understand the Dreyfuss Hudson they announced, supposedly they won't even consider making unless the preorders are higher than what they are.  So this isn't just MTH.  So we are down to very limited selection of diesels and as far as steam, MTH is the only game in town for any sizeable steam with a price point under $3500.  USA steamers will be $3500 because they are die cast and Accucraft is $3000-6000 easy because of brass.  Better hope that the latest plan product run sells well or we may see even less in the future.  It would appear the future of G scale is not guaranteed and may even be in trouble.  Most likely companies like MTH will continue to make this line but at lower quantity runs which will mean higher price points per unit.  So we will see a tightening of variety, quantity and increased cost because of the shrinking market size.  As these prices get higher, the total number they or any company can expect to sell will be lower.

 

But over all MTH and Lionel both have been trying to diversify to stay profitable.  Lionel has gone the way of super high end engines (Vision line) and MTH is going the route of market diversification.  I hope both strategies are successful cause we need all the players we can in the hobby to have any sort of choice in product selection.

[enginear joe]

 Yeah, unfortunately I have to agree about the niche thing.

Ask around what guys will actually buy not just what they want. Most will tell you something else, but they only buy an engine every few years! Some want battery, some want steam, some want an obscure engine, narrow gauge, 1/21, 1/29, ..... and most won't shell out any cash anyways even when they could get what they ask for. G gauge is still a mess.

 I want modern. I'll buy others that are cool to play with. I really liked the Challenger and my girl said it looked cool going 'round the corners at the ECLSTS. So I bought it. I'd have rather bought five new SD70ACes or ES44ACs, but they never came. Not sure now they ever will. I have to make them myself.

[Rayman4449]

Bingo Joe you just nailed it perfectly!  It's about what people actually buy(which is what actually supports the mfg), not what they say they want.  The truth is exactly like you said, most buy engines and even cars in limited quantities given year and in total overall.  The avg train length in most videos is what 10 cars max usually?    And exactly, most won't shell out the money even when it is available.  The truth is for all that we want, any business has to be able to at least show a profit on what they produce (and have that profit turned around within a reasonable period of time) otherwise their is no incentive to make it and would not remain in business.  If the sales were there, you can be sure the companies would be wanting to produce every bit they could to satisfy customer want/demand.  Aristocraft at the end had less and less stock, which seemed to indicate low sales and low capital (or a fear to invest their capital in inventory).  If product was flying off the shelves they would have been able to make the new stock, sell it, turn the profit around and produce more.  In the end it will probably be market diversification that keeps MTH around for the long term as opposed to those only in just one scale.  Again, hopefully the remaining players in the market remain healthy enough to continue producing product.