Hey Folks?
How are you doing acquiring those Printed parts? I hope it's not breaking your bank!! I recently, as you know accepted a commission for a commercial Client. One of the things we needed was a part that could be had from a Model Train Supplier(Aftermarket That Is!) Well, The Client shipped the parts to me. I needed 1060 of the parts. Yes! they are very small in H.O.(1/87) scale! For 200 parts! the cost to the Client, who runs a Hobby Business, $600.00 bucks !!!! These parts are Not even 1/16 of an inch square!
Now this doesn't seem right to me. I have recieved parts for an L.N.G.(Liquified Natural Gas) tanker ship in "N" Scale.The three Domes cost me $10.00 Bucks for the stand Alone storage tank for the refinery, and Fifteen for the domes that go on the ship. The three domes are an eighth of an inch thick and slightly larger than a Half Tennis Ball! There's enough material in those parts to make over a thousand of the parts the Client got me. I have to wonder who's getting burned here? Is it the Retailer? Yes, in a way it is. My Parts supplier doesn't want to lose his business, so he's keeping prices within a retiree's budget. Remember in Model Trains There five or more levels and Most if not all, like us, are retirees!
The other person getting burned is the retail Customer. They are so engrossed with this new technology they don't seem to notice. You could get cast resin parts, Then the shift began to lean toward printed parts as they became available. I hate to disappoint those of you out there that think this is the way to go! Why? it's simple, All the high Tech resins and Plastics for printing all come from one source, OIL! Now being Gasoline is ridiculous to Americans, remember there a few protectorate and the State Of Hawaii that Import most of what they need. Imagine their costs.Japan? Gasoline is priced by the Litre!! Can you imagine what it costs to gas up from Empty a V-8 powered BMW over there much less say a Kia Luxury car?
We need to find as a hobby, more environmentally friendly ways of making these things so we can continue to enjoy this new High Point in Hobbies. But, We MUST all blanche at the price before we shut our eyes and minds to scratch and greeblie building. The thinking is sound here. I have many ships in my stash and On some I still use an old fashioned way to make rails and ladders. Read some of my posts about found materials. Just in case the moderators are worrying that this is political, No Way!! I am just shocked in the ridiculous price variants in the Aftermarket for stuff. Will it come crashing down because we can't any support the market? I Hope Not, But at those prices I mentioned, I sure can't afford to move forward with some projects I had in mind How about You??
What I want you to think about also is this. The Chemicals for making Etched Brass parts. They are getting more expensive every day. The folks here in the States providing that market got in early, and We've come to depend on them. They are our ages, can you say retirement time? P.E. in many sizes have disappeared for some product lines. The Cost to produce Hobby Products here in the U.S.of A. has become Ridiculous. Before it's over do you think Uncle might be told by the I.R.S that we too need to pay a V.A.T.? All I want you to do is think about it.This is NOT and should NOT Be seen as a RANT. It's a simple statement of a KNOWN FACT!!!