Hornby Buys Corgi

From experience of working in model shops I would say that the main problem for kit makers is that there is no longer any tradition of handing down kit building skills. Many of the current younger generation have dads who never got to see the contents of an Airfix kit during their youth so they don’t know how to make kits and can’t pass knowledge on to their sons.
When I last worked in a shop I noticed that most youngsters who came in for kits were accompanied by grandad and there was usually a bond between the younger and older person probably created by the shared interest and sharing of knowledge. The kit choice was nearly always a joint decision and this involved discussion and communication – also a fairly alien concept to many modern youths.
I do think that kit building helped promote creativity in all of us and also stimulated our interest in avaition, cars etc and led us all to find fulfilling interests – certainly interests which were far more useful than seeing how many people you can bludgeon to death in a computer game. Don’t get me wrong I am not totally against computer gaming but I am against games which help instil violence and a lack of respect for others and their property in our young and I believe there are many games out there which – inadvertently or otherwise – do manage to do just that.
Maybe a comparatively cheap way to promote model making would be for Hornby to look at some kind of road show which went to schools to promote the hobby during craft lessons or visited youth centres during school holidays. With a couple of competent Hornby staff in attendance to help put the models together it may sow the seeds for a few new kit builders. Both Hornby and Corgi already have road show vehicles promotuing their ranges so this would just be a different and possibly even more productive way to promote their brands.
Having worked with the Corgi Road Show on 3 occassions I got the impression there were two kinds of visitor. Many were already customers and a vast majority of the rest were gawpers who dismissed the whole thing as expensive toys which cost far too much money and there was usually a further comment to their young son of “anway yopu smash all your toys within five minutes (that lack of respect thing again!). Incidentally many of this group would happily shell out around a fiver for a lovingly crafted packet of fags but Corgi models were way too expensive for “just a toy.”
Maybe promoting the hobby (particularly kit building) to the young is the way to go.

there is hope then !!!!

I don’t suppose that lack of airfix kits explains hoodies etc, but if there is hope with these ones ! good enough for me, just pass ’em some interview tips based on the above can you !!!!

Don’t get me started on the workplace…… I’ve noticed interviews with the early 20 set is worse and worse….. a classic reply to “what can your bring to the team?” type question “well, if I get through the day without loosing my temper its a good day as my family all have short fuses” – or my personal best…. I work for a large Japanese electronics company with 4 letters in the name….. we get to the Q&A at the end of an interview, first question from himself “whats it like working for the Japanese? I don’t like them funny little blokes”…….:eek: No lie, no exageration, word for word…. still, another 18 years and I can retire, after I end up working for HIM….!:(

No, no, no, don’t think that way, staying at my kids student place is fantastic, they are such amazing youths, they know so much and are keen to do and learn much more from an old git like me. When I was a student, I would have been appalled at my old man staying over for a weekend, but this generation is totally different, I get nagged all the time to come over and stay, and comment on the progress of their Airfix kits, as well as other matters. I love them to bits, they really are the future, I’m really impresssed with their attitude.

All your model needs and Corgi Aircraft Collectables under one roof…:)

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/shop.htm

are we grumpy old men?

Don’t get me started on the workplace…… I’ve noticed interviews with the early 20 set is worse and worse….. a classic reply to “what can your bring to the team?” type question “well, if I get through the day without loosing my temper its a good day as my family all have short fuses” – or my personal best…. I work for a large Japanese electronics company with 4 letters in the name….. we get to the Q&A at the end of an interview, first question from himself “whats it like working for the Japanese? I don’t like them funny little blokes”…….:eek: No lie, no exageration, word for word…. still, another 18 years and I can retire, after I end up working for HIM….!:(

My eldest is 8, we’ve done a few kits and I held out on the Nintendo for 3 years from the first request – and he has it 30mins AFTER homework and reading. Generally, kids don’t play outside now which is a route cause. At 8, I could play out of sight of the house, so long as I was with others and didn’t go beyond set boundaries. Kids now spend the time in doors, or being shuttled from play date to play centre to play date to swap games and play with two dimensional people! Whats worse we (well me at 42) are starting to sound like our parents and I have a stark realisation that my parents just may have been right after all !:eek: My son does a few star wars kits, we’ve done a few aircraft on rainy days, I used the star wars ones as bait, then we bought a ME262 home from legends last year, and he wants “baddy jets” – so we have an SU-27 set for the w/e – we’ll get there….

I used to be a scout leader until, ooh, when did my son leave, 7 years ago. The up and coming kids were so appalling that the group was abandoned. They weren’t interested in anything apart from playing football, we tried to take them on a narrow boat trip, but they were a complete nightmare, some of them nearly drowned, and we would have been responsible for dealing with these complete dickheads, and probably ended up in jail as a result of their own irresponsible actions, so we thought sod that and knocked it on the head, what was the point in trying to deal with these terrible kids, and further more, we are talking about wealthy, middle class village families here, and they were looking at any excuse to cause trouble over their precious kids, I can assure you.
I’ve just been having a chat with madam about this, our youth has messed up the computer as a result of downloading God knows what, thats all he wants to do, downloading crap and chatting up girls on chat lines. At his age, I was so good at making and painting Airfix military vehicles, as well as restoring Hornby Dublo stuff, are we right or wrong in thinking back to a different age, I never had this problem with my older youth, he seemed to be able to deal with whatever was thrown at him and enjoy it, he still does it, they have an Airfix making mob at their Uni house, it’s very impressive, they have a workbench loaded up with on going models, maybe he’s the last of the Mohicans, or do they see the error of their ways at the end.

I’m with you !!!!

Brilliant reply TJ, I thank you for that.
My son is 22 now and at Uni doing his finals. Possibly due to me, well parents can have influence if they try hard enough, he was an all action kid, Airfix models, scouting, everything you wanted your kid to be, but at the same time he was ‘cool’, he managed to combine childhood with Eminem, he was never forced into being something he didn’t want to be, I’m very proud of the fact that he is the only western true Masai warrior.
On the other hand our other youth, who was 14 last week, has never shown any interest in model making or whatever, he’s just obsessed with heavy metal music and girls.He’s a nice kid, but where will this go.
I told him last week that when I had my 14th birthday, my presents consisted of Hornby Dublo stuff, it’s a different life we have to face isn’t it.

My eldest is 8, we’ve done a few kits and I held out on the Nintendo for 3 years from the first request – and he has it 30mins AFTER homework and reading. Generally, kids don’t play outside now which is a route cause. At 8, I could play out of sight of the house, so long as I was with others and didn’t go beyond set boundaries. Kids now spend the time in doors, or being shuttled from play date to play centre to play date to swap games and play with two dimensional people! Whats worse we (well me at 42) are starting to sound like our parents and I have a stark realisation that my parents just may have been right after all !:eek: My son does a few star wars kits, we’ve done a few aircraft on rainy days, I used the star wars ones as bait, then we bought a ME262 home from legends last year, and he wants “baddy jets” – so we have an SU-27 set for the w/e – we’ll get there….

Sprawling Basingstoke has a Model Zone, good choices and silly price cuts on a regular basis on die-cast and plastic scale models. We also have an Entertainer that is a bit grim, and a souless Toys are us. Toys and playing seem not be as valued anymore…. As for Corgi, can only speak from experience collecting die-cast and they have struggled a while meeting timescales and they have serious competition now from Hobbymaster and others. At least that filters down to price cuts at times….

And Church Street Models for the model railway clan (from another Basingstoke resident)

Having been involved in the model trade since 1982 including 7 years in th late 80’s/early 90’s when I ran my own shop I can honestly say that it is very difficult now to make a living from a model shop selling at full retail price let alone discount prices. The truth is that the turnover is comparatively small and the profit margins are poor compared to other “hobby/luxury goods.
Sports shops, jewellers and most gift shop items give a profit margin which is anything from twice to four times the margins available to model retailers.
I worked out that to pay rent rates and electric a back street model shop would need to turnover at least £100,000 a year and that is a tall order when you are in a back street. Don’t forget the above turnover is to pay the basic overheads from the profits and doesn’t include paying the owner any wages costs for employing staff or costs of extra stock to expand the business.
Modelzone are in a different situation as they are owned by a major importer who is able to finance stores in major shopping malls. The big malls have more visitors than the back streets so by being able to afford a prominently positioned shop they are able to attract more of the passing trade. You could argue that everyone else has the same opportunity but the financial risk and initial outlay involved to establish a shop in a modern shopping mall (including fitting out) costs is likely to be at least £100,000 to £150,000 and then you have to have more money to keep it stocked and pay the rent and rates until the cash flow picks up.
Unfortunately many small shop owners seem to forget that a smile and friendly advice goes a long way to helping ensure customers return but it seems to be the ones who offer poor service who survive.
Corgi have lurched in and out of trouble for a long time now. Modelzone have been buying Corgi overproduction at silly prices for a long time (by that I mean for years rather than months). Modelzone can afford to buy large qualtities if the price is right and Corgi have often chosen to sell them stock cheaply rather than continue to rent warehouse space to store the unsold stock so the arrangement has worked OK for both parties but there is only so long that a manufacturer can overproduce and then sell off the excess for peanuts before the whatsit hits the fan.
The problem is that there has been so much cheap Corgi around that it made it hard to sell new releases at full price because many collectors decided that it was better to wait as the model they wanted was likely to be available at a clearance price within months.
I suspect Hornby have the market knowledge to get Corgi back on track and the massive dumping of over produced stock should become a thing of the past. Stable prices for new releases should also mean that you can buy with confidence and not have to worry about your full price purchase being devalued by dumped stock a few months later.
Hopefully the Hornby buy out will prove to be a positive move. One thing is for sure and that is that Hornby have rescued Corgi from the abyss – they have definitely not bought Corgi to prop up Airfix.
From a retailers point of view the move to get youngsters interested in Airfix by making Dr Who kits (something which should appeal to the young and many older people) was a good thing. I know from running a shop that building kits is a lost art amongst the younger generation and the Dr who strategy just might get some building kits who will then move on to the aircraft ranges ensuring a good future customer base for Airfix and helping secure the future of Airfix for future aircraft kit enthusiasts.

Tried to post a PM about your reply but your box is full

Having been involved in the model trade since 1982 including 7 years in th late 80’s/early 90’s when I ran my own shop I can honestly say that it is very difficult now to make a living from a model shop selling at full retail price let alone discount prices. The truth is that the turnover is comparatively small and the profit margins are poor compared to other “hobby/luxury goods.
Sports shops, jewellers and most gift shop items give a profit margin which is anything from twice to four times the margins available to model retailers.
I worked out that to pay rent rates and electric a back street model shop would need to turnover at least £100,000 a year and that is a tall order when you are in a back street. Don’t forget the above turnover is to pay the basic overheads from the profits and doesn’t include paying the owner any wages costs for employing staff or costs of extra stock to expand the business.
Modelzone are in a different situation as they are owned by a major importer who is able to finance stores in major shopping malls. The big malls have more visitors than the back streets so by being able to afford a prominently positioned shop they are able to attract more of the passing trade. You could argue that everyone else has the same opportunity but the financial risk and initial outlay involved to establish a shop in a modern shopping mall (including fitting out) costs is likely to be at least £100,000 to £150,000 and then you have to have more money to keep it stocked and pay the rent and rates until the cash flow picks up.
Unfortunately many small shop owners seem to forget that a smile and friendly advice goes a long way to helping ensure customers return but it seems to be the ones who offer poor service who survive.
Corgi have lurched in and out of trouble for a long time now. Modelzone have been buying Corgi overproduction at silly prices for a long time (by that I mean for years rather than months). Modelzone can afford to buy large qualtities if the price is right and Corgi have often chosen to sell them stock cheaply rather than continue to rent warehouse space to store the unsold stock so the arrangement has worked OK for both parties but there is only so long that a manufacturer can overproduce and then sell off the excess for peanuts before the whatsit hits the fan.
The problem is that there has been so much cheap Corgi around that it made it hard to sell new releases at full price because many collectors decided that it was better to wait as the model they wanted was likely to be available at a clearance price within months.
I suspect Hornby have the market knowledge to get Corgi back on track and the massive dumping of over produced stock should become a thing of the past. Stable prices for new releases should also mean that you can buy with confidence and not have to worry about your full price purchase being devalued by dumped stock a few months later.
Hopefully the Hornby buy out will prove to be a positive move. One thing is for sure and that is that Hornby have rescued Corgi from the abyss – they have definitely not bought Corgi to prop up Airfix.
From a retailers point of view the move to get youngsters interested in Airfix by making Dr Who kits (something which should appeal to the young and many older people) was a good thing. I know from running a shop that building kits is a lost art amongst the younger generation and the Dr who strategy just might get some building kits who will then move on to the aircraft ranges ensuring a good future customer base for Airfix and helping secure the future of Airfix for future aircraft kit enthusiasts.

Brilliant reply TJ, I thank you for that.
My son is 22 now and at Uni doing his finals. Possibly due to me, well parents can have influence if they try hard enough, he was an all action kid, Airfix models, scouting, everything you wanted your kid to be, but at the same time he was ‘cool’, he managed to combine childhood with Eminem, he was never forced into being something he didn’t want to be, I’m very proud of the fact that he is the only western true Masai warrior.
On the other hand our other youth, who was 14 last week, has never shown any interest in model making or whatever, he’s just obsessed with heavy metal music and girls.He’s a nice kid, but where will this go.
I told him last week that when I had my 14th birthday, my presents consisted of Hornby Dublo stuff, it’s a different life we have to face isn’t it.

Having been involved in the model trade since 1982 including 7 years in th late 80’s/early 90’s when I ran my own shop I can honestly say that it is very difficult now to make a living from a model shop selling at full retail price let alone discount prices. The truth is that the turnover is comparatively small and the profit margins are poor compared to other “hobby/luxury goods.
Sports shops, jewellers and most gift shop items give a profit margin which is anything from twice to four times the margins available to model retailers.
I worked out that to pay rent rates and electric a back street model shop would need to turnover at least £100,000 a year and that is a tall order when you are in a back street. Don’t forget the above turnover is to pay the basic overheads from the profits and doesn’t include paying the owner any wages costs for employing staff or costs of extra stock to expand the business.
Modelzone are in a different situation as they are owned by a major importer who is able to finance stores in major shopping malls. The big malls have more visitors than the back streets so by being able to afford a prominently positioned shop they are able to attract more of the passing trade. You could argue that everyone else has the same opportunity but the financial risk and initial outlay involved to establish a shop in a modern shopping mall (including fitting out) costs is likely to be at least £100,000 to £150,000 and then you have to have more money to keep it stocked and pay the rent and rates until the cash flow picks up.
Unfortunately many small shop owners seem to forget that a smile and friendly advice goes a long way to helping ensure customers return but it seems to be the ones who offer poor service who survive.
Corgi have lurched in and out of trouble for a long time now. Modelzone have been buying Corgi overproduction at silly prices for a long time (by that I mean for years rather than months). Modelzone can afford to buy large qualtities if the price is right and Corgi have often chosen to sell them stock cheaply rather than continue to rent warehouse space to store the unsold stock so the arrangement has worked OK for both parties but there is only so long that a manufacturer can overproduce and then sell off the excess for peanuts before the whatsit hits the fan.
The problem is that there has been so much cheap Corgi around that it made it hard to sell new releases at full price because many collectors decided that it was better to wait as the model they wanted was likely to be available at a clearance price within months.
I suspect Hornby have the market knowledge to get Corgi back on track and the massive dumping of over produced stock should become a thing of the past. Stable prices for new releases should also mean that you can buy with confidence and not have to worry about your full price purchase being devalued by dumped stock a few months later.
Hopefully the Hornby buy out will prove to be a positive move. One thing is for sure and that is that Hornby have rescued Corgi from the abyss – they have definitely not bought Corgi to prop up Airfix.
From a retailers point of view the move to get youngsters interested in Airfix by making Dr Who kits (something which should appeal to the young and many older people) was a good thing. I know from running a shop that building kits is a lost art amongst the younger generation and the Dr who strategy just might get some building kits who will then move on to the aircraft ranges ensuring a good future customer base for Airfix and helping secure the future of Airfix for future aircraft kit enthusiasts.

am with you

Sprawling Basingstoke has a Model Zone, good choices and silly price cuts on a regular basis on die-cast and plastic scale models. We also have an Entertainer that is a bit grim, and a souless Toys are us. Toys and playing seem not be as valued anymore…. As for Corgi, can only speak from experience collecting die-cast and they have struggled a while meeting timescales and they have serious competition now from Hobbymaster and others. At least that filters down to price cuts at times….

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7376855.stm

Was Corgi in trouble then, or are Hornby just accumulating every well known toy/model manufacturer, or have they bought a succesful company in order to prop up their purchase of Airfix.
I would be interested to see a reprise of the recent ‘Money’ programme that dealt with Hornby’s purchase of Airfix, at the time, they seemed to be putting all their efforts into producing ‘Dr Who’ paraphinalia, I wonder if this worked.
Trouble is, every town used to have a model shop, ours closed just before Christmas, can you beleive it, we now have a large expanding town, population approaching 40,000, and you can’t buy a model kit of any description anywhere. We have a specialist die cast shop, but the people that run it are miserable sods that won’t allow kids in on their own, hardly encouraging youthfull collectors is it, and their attitude is to treat everyone in the shop with suspicion at all times, father in law has already had a row with them and quite frankly, I can’t be bothered to go in there, I don’t know how they make a living.
I went to Chelmsford last week, major local city, but you couldn’t find any type of toy or model shop anywhere, sad isn’t it, we seem to be ruled by out of town ‘Toyz are Us’, our nearest is either Harlow or Ipswich, bit of a trek as far as I’m concerned, but they are pretty naff anyway.
We used to have a good shop chain called ‘Toymaster’, but they’ve gone down the tubes, you could buy anything there from Barbie Dolls to Airfix kits, bloody good shop group, especially the one at Keighley, it was awesome.
Remember Beatties, they only died a few years ago, now they really sold everything from my favourite Solido tanks to computer stuff, but they succombed to whatever reason.
Does anyone have a childhood anymore.