NEW BLMA Detail - ACI Plates!

[RioGrandeRod]

Craig, thank you.
You are doing a great service for the model railroading community. I think maybe a lot of people are forgetting that you started out at the age of 16 and have created a very successful company along the way.
You and other small suppliers such as Trainworx, DI, ECM, and others, do not have the large financial backing like Atlas or Athearn or ...., but must try to fill in where they do not.
That means if you do want to get a "share" of the market, you must conform, sometimes unfortunately, to their demands.
Walthers and other distributors "demand" a 55% discount or they "short discount" the retailers. That means an $8 item is sold to the distributors for $3.60. I doubt any producer makes a lot of money, but my guess is they would like to make something, or at least enough to put it back into more production of something else that is new.
When I worked for a distributor, they worked on a 3-5% margin. I would say that if you want to "pi$$ and moan" about prices, you might want to direct them elsewhere.
Also, Craig is the one spending the money on this and assumes the risk(s) involved.
Just my 1.27451236 cents. (2.0 cents after taxes)

[Dave Schneider]

RGRod,

Thanks for you comments. I like many admire what Craig has accomplished with his business and wish him nothing but future success. That said, when you come to a forum to interact with potential customers is should be a respectful two way street. I am not trying to tell him how to run his business, but I reserve the right to offer something other than congratulations. BLMA has made some really nice products, and I have purchased a fair number of them. Keep up the great work.

Best wishes, Dave

[wm3798]

Rod,
I don't dispute what you're saying.  From here, Craig is something of a personal hero,(but that's mostly due to the hot babes he includes in his ads) and he's done some absolutely fantastic things for the scale in particular, and the hobby in general.

I just think that with a little finesse, this product could be far more attractive to a broader spectrum of the market (i.e. cheap SOB's like me!)

It IS a good offering, the product has the potential to meet a very strong demand.  My only dispute is with the quantity provided for the price.  If I'm going to do 5 cars, I'm going to have them done in an evening with little or no expense using my decals and strip stock.  10 pair for that price, or even a tad more, and I start to pay attention. 

Think Micro Trains trucks... they bulk pack 10 pair of trucks with couplers for a hair over $3 a pair, with the end result being a reasonable improvement in the appearance and performance of the car.  At $1.59/pair for these labels, assuming a freight car price of $15 to $20 for a tank car, and you're looking at a 5-10% increase in the cost of the car, with the end result being a relatively minor detail.

For $10 to $12, I'd be inclined to spring for 10 pair, simply because A) I'm cheap, and B) I'd get enough bang for my buck for an evening's tinkering.

Lee

[RioGrandeRod]

Please let me be clear as well, I do not hold any animus towards anyone commenting here.
I too am looking to stretch my dollar and time as efficiently as possible.
I just think that any questions about pricing or quantities should be directed to or involve the "800 pound gorillas".
While Walthers and Horizon offer a lot to this hobby, I also think they have done a disservice as well by wanting such a large discount from the "little" guys. If the small suppliers cannot afford this, then the retailers and consequently you and I suffer down the road with higher prices.
Thanks.

[pogopod]

The five per pack bothers me. Anyone here going to do only one side of a car?

[milw156]

Nice product! But, will my miniature aci  scanner be able to read them like it can Bryan's??? jes kiddin! I can see this as an add on for a super-duper detailed cars, tho not necessarily plain Jane runners.
Rick

[Dave Schneider]

The ad says 5 pair....
Don't sweat it, these things happen!

Best wishes, Dave

[ai5629]

I agree with Lou, in that these will be most useful on flatcars.  I have some Athearn GSC flatcars, MTL depressed center flatcars and GHQ depressed center flatcars waiting for Conrail and Penn Central decals that these will work perfectly on.  Thanks for another great detail part Craig.

Jeff

[rswinnerton]

I think this whole thread comes down to this.

Craig made ACI tags in N and HO to help people detail their models. The price and quantity per package were determined by what Craig thought the market would bear. Why are we arm-chair quarterbacking this on the Internet?  Some people will make their own. Some have equipment that's too new or old for them, but some people will buy them. Simple as that. Let's not get our trousers in a knot over it.

Craig- they look great! I hope they sell well.

Now, let's all argue about something else like wether or not to have deep-fried bacon at the RailBQ.
Russ

[Sokramiketes]

I think this whole thread comes down to this.

Craig made ACI tags in N and HO to help people detail their models. The price and quantity per package were determined by what Craig thought the market would bear.
Russ

No No No No No.  Price was determined by production costs and standard industry markups.  Listen to the man.  He's trying to explain. 

[Mark5]

Awesome! This will make loco mounted plates much easier!

[C855B]

Awesome! This will make loco mounted plates much easier!

My EXACT sentiments! Craig gets more of my paycheck... again.

[wm3798]

I guess I'm still suffering from the hangover of spending most of the day working on my budget for work...   

"Scrooge liked cold.... cold was CHEAP!"

[rswinnerton]

It's ok Lee. I have the medacine for that chilled in the fridge and I have your appointment scheduled.

[John]

I like a lot of the stuff BLMA and the others make.   If the item fits a need and at a price point, I will purchase it. If I can make it myself, I still do that.   It really makes no sense complaining about the price. We all have a choice ..