Subject:
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Re: the problem with retail sales of trains is this...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:48:25 GMT
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Viewed:
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511 times
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> It's the same with trains. Sets like 4561 are the games consoles. They
> provide the minimum you need to get started: track, regulator, motor and a
> train. Once you've sold a train "starter kit", then you have a market for
> individual items as people incrementally extend their layout. So, TLC need
> to always have one "starter set" in their catalogue.
Yeah, you need a "starter set". In fact, my belief is that there should be
at least 2 starter sets available at retail.
> I would think selling the bits would be a niche market for the smaller
> specialist toy retailers, but discussions elsewhere suggest that TLC isn't
> doing a great job in its relationship with the smaller retailers. I guess
> it's simpler to sell 10,000 units to a big retailer than 10 units to each of
> 1000 small retailers.
Look at Thomas The Tank Engine Tomica World (the stuff with the blue track).
You can get several different starter sets then you can get extra locos &
rolling stock, extra track, accessories and stuff.
The same thing would work for Lego Trains IMHO.
As long as the boxes clearly stated somewhere things like "this engine is
not motorized, if you want motorization, you need a set xxxx train motor".
Then the motor could say "this set needs a set xxxx speed regulator to
provide power to the tracks".
Stuff like that.
Then the toy stores dont need to know everything since all the important
info is stated on the boxes.
If more than just track (e.g. extra rolling stock, a train station, level
crossing, accessories such as trees, signs, signals & etc and so on) was
available at retail and if the stores carried it, then it would get over
the problem that some people might have where they see the 4561, see mabie
one extra box of track and think "this train isnt very expandable, I will
get a train that has a better range of accessories for it"
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: the problem with retail sales of trains is this...
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| (...) or (...) Think about games consoles. You can't sell anyone the games without first selling them the console, but once you've sold the console, you can sell them the various games, extra controllers, etc etc. It's the same with trains. Sets (...) (22 years ago, 22-Jul-02, to lugnet.trains)
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