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Hornby in financial trouble
drabslab
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 09, 2016 - 09:14 PM UTC
There is press coverage saying that Hornby is in financial troubles, making millions of pounds in losses. That does not sound good for Airfix ...
betheyn
Senior Editor
#019
Joined: October 14, 2004
KitMaker: 4,560 posts
AeroScale: 2,225 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 09, 2016 - 10:03 PM UTC
Heatnzl
#435
Joined: February 14, 2013
KitMaker: 480 posts
AeroScale: 478 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 09, 2016 - 10:03 PM UTC
Don't Panic and Buy Airfix.
tinbanger
Joined: February 04, 2008
KitMaker: 2,507 posts
AeroScale: 1,814 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 02:57 AM UTC
LHS here has had trouble getting orders filled by Airfix for a while.
Jessie_C
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 03:36 AM UTC
Looks like it's time for the Airfix IV Campaign, this time you must buy brand new kits!
betheyn
Senior Editor#019
Joined: October 14, 2004
KitMaker: 4,560 posts
AeroScale: 2,225 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 03:38 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Looks like it's time for the Airfix IV Campaign, this time you must buy brand new kits!
Sounds like a cracking idea Jess.
Andy
SaxonTheShiba
Joined: February 01, 2009
KitMaker: 1,233 posts
AeroScale: 663 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 05:58 AM UTC
I really hate to hear that and I hope they can turn it around. I really have enjoyed building these new Airfix releases and would hate to see them go. Jess is right---Airfix IV and UP THE IRONS.! 
Best wishes,
Ian
Best wishes,
Ian
tinbanger
Joined: February 04, 2008
KitMaker: 2,507 posts
AeroScale: 1,814 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 06:02 AM UTC
Count me in!
SgtRam
Editor-at-Large#197
Joined: March 06, 2011
KitMaker: 3,971 posts
AeroScale: 511 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 07:35 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Looks like it's time for the Airfix IV Campaign, this time you must buy brand new kits!
Should we open this to any scale, any type(armor, air, naval), any era?
I like the idea, count me in.
Kevin
Jessie_C
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 07:49 AM UTC
Anything Airfix. The idea is to throw money at them because they need it 
PrickleHead
Joined: December 31, 2013
KitMaker: 338 posts
AeroScale: 190 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 11:59 AM UTC
Count me in too.
drabslab
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 11:42 PM UTC
Any sale is welcome, of course. But it is the home company (Hornby) that is in trouble, not Airfix itself. Depending of the nature of those difficulties, supporting airfix may make little difference if the losses are made in another branch of Hornby.
Merlin
Senior Editor#017
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
AeroScale: 12,795 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 01:06 AM UTC
Hi there
They'll certainly get a few bob out of my wallet this year, because they have one of the most interesting line-ups from my point of view for the year ahead.
All the best
Rowan
They'll certainly get a few bob out of my wallet this year, because they have one of the most interesting line-ups from my point of view for the year ahead.
All the best
Rowan
RussellE
#306
Joined: June 27, 2010
KitMaker: 3,959 posts
AeroScale: 598 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 01:33 AM UTC
Stay calm,
and
Build Airfix!
Seriously though folks, this is not good news for us, if Airfix/Hornby can't get out of trouble.
Since Hornby have taken over Airfix, they've breathed new life into the brand, and now IMHO Airfix are THE ONLY kitmaker who are releasing new, exciting kits year in year out and getting me down to the LHS, readies in hand!
Problem is, we haven't seen too many of the new releases making it down under!
which kind of limits how many we can buy.
Just wish that instead of contracting everything out, Airfix would setup their own factory in asia, in order to avoid these constant supply problems they seem to have, resulting in these financial crisis every few years!
The bonus being, they also get better quality control!
and
Build Airfix!
Seriously though folks, this is not good news for us, if Airfix/Hornby can't get out of trouble.
Since Hornby have taken over Airfix, they've breathed new life into the brand, and now IMHO Airfix are THE ONLY kitmaker who are releasing new, exciting kits year in year out and getting me down to the LHS, readies in hand!
Problem is, we haven't seen too many of the new releases making it down under!
which kind of limits how many we can buy.Just wish that instead of contracting everything out, Airfix would setup their own factory in asia, in order to avoid these constant supply problems they seem to have, resulting in these financial crisis every few years!
The bonus being, they also get better quality control!
Merlin
Senior Editor#017
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 17,582 posts
AeroScale: 12,795 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 01:49 AM UTC
Hi Russell
Even better - they'd set up their own factory back in the UK again. Sadly, Haldane Place has long since been built over.
All the best
Rowan
Even better - they'd set up their own factory back in the UK again.
Sadly, Haldane Place has long since been built over. All the best
Rowan
GhostHawk
Joined: January 27, 2011
KitMaker: 268 posts
AeroScale: 264 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 05:31 AM UTC
Hello:
Sorry to hear this... I likes Airfix 1/48 new range...!!!
I found me and my workbench out of the line all 2015 for job problems in my family bakery shop, so, i know how hard it feels...
I likes the idea of a new "Airfix IV Campaign", count me in...(The labor enviroment is slowly going better...)
I got my new Spit Mk.Vb in somewhere between Kansas and Córdoba...
Thenks You Very Much...
Diego
P/D: It is good to "talk" with you again...
Sorry to hear this... I likes Airfix 1/48 new range...!!!
I found me and my workbench out of the line all 2015 for job problems in my family bakery shop, so, i know how hard it feels...
I likes the idea of a new "Airfix IV Campaign", count me in...(The labor enviroment is slowly going better...)
I got my new Spit Mk.Vb in somewhere between Kansas and Córdoba...
Thenks You Very Much...
Diego
P/D: It is good to "talk" with you again...
PrickleHead
Joined: December 31, 2013
KitMaker: 338 posts
AeroScale: 190 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 06:25 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Hello:
Sorry to hear this... I likes Airfix 1/48 new range...!!!
I found me and my workbench out of the line all 2015 for job problems in my family bakery shop, so, i know how hard it feels...
I likes the idea of a new "Airfix IV Campaign", count me in...(The labor enviroment is slowly going better...)
I got my new Spit Mk.Vb in somewhere between Kansas and Córdoba...
Thenks You Very Much...
Diego
P/D: It is good to "talk" with you again...
Hope things continue to improve for you Diego.
2002hummer
#257
Joined: October 11, 2011
KitMaker: 812 posts
AeroScale: 458 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 06:32 AM UTC
Count me in as well.
JPTRR
Managing Editor#051
Joined: December 21, 2002
KitMaker: 7,772 posts
AeroScale: 3,175 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 06:50 AM UTC
I dunno where their main income is from although Hornby is big into model railroading; a Wall Street Journal story today relates that here in the U.S., the median age of model RRers is 64, the hobby seems to be dying out. This is an opinion by many about modeling in general. In this golden age of modeling, I sadly ponder whether the hobby today is like a shooting star - brilliant and wondrous, yet gone in the blink of an eye? 
JPTRR
Managing Editor#051
Joined: December 21, 2002
KitMaker: 7,772 posts
AeroScale: 3,175 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 06:51 AM UTC
now I've just bummed myself out.2002hummer
#257
Joined: October 11, 2011
KitMaker: 812 posts
AeroScale: 458 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 07:23 AM UTC
Jessie,
If this campaign takes off does the kit need to be a new release or can it already be released. It will still need to be purchased.
If this campaign takes off does the kit need to be a new release or can it already be released. It will still need to be purchased.
PrickleHead
Joined: December 31, 2013
KitMaker: 338 posts
AeroScale: 190 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 08:11 AM UTC
Quoted Text
and me
RussellE
#306
Joined: June 27, 2010
KitMaker: 3,959 posts
AeroScale: 598 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 08:39 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Hi Russell
Even better - they'd set up their own factory back in the UK again.
All the best
Rowan
I know what you mean Rowan, but even here manufacturing has become unviable...
Quoted Text
I dunno where their main income is from although Hornby is big into model railroading; a Wall Street Journal story today relates that here in the U.S., the median age of model RRers is 64, the hobby seems to be dying out. This is an opinion by many about modeling in general. In this golden age of modeling, I sadly ponder whether the hobby today is like a shooting star - brilliant and wondrous, yet gone in the blink of an eye?
Well, yes, the median age of RRers and probably modellers is older, but I wouldn't worry about that. Being just over 40 myself, i can tell you Frederick that I took a 15-20 year break in my 20's and 30's because of girls, studies, buying houses having kids and generally not having the time or the disposable income. As we get older and these things become available again, i think a lot of people get back into the hobby, so is it going to disappear? I wouldn't think so.
Quoted Text
Jessie,
If this campaign takes off does the kit need to be a new release or can it already be released. It will still need to be purchased.
maybe it should just be a new Airfix purchase? For the starting picture, post a picture of a dated receipt that's no older than a set time before the start of the campaign? It wouldn't matter to Airfix sales if it was old or new tooling...
drabslab
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 07:44 PM UTC
No,the hobby is NOT disapearing, the market is changing.
- because people buy huge stocks of models they can't build in a lifetime, and these are sooner than later released back into the market, often almost for free. This is disrupting the current sales of the current manufacturers and makes the market unpredictable.
- because Informatics is making model design and manufacturing a lot easier than what it used to be leading to companies popping up everywhere, often to fail after a few years, but again, this is reducing sales of the established brands.
- because established brands are conservative and can't part from their large catalog of outdated kits for newly designed models in sync with the high quality standards requested these days. Long term, the established brands see their market share go down and their cost structure doesn't permit to innovate their products fast enough compared to the new, IT oriented, start ups.
But I love Airfix, I started of with them an would hate seeing them go so yes: I will buy a few Airfix models this year, only to put them on top of my stack, and to say thank you Airfix for many happy hours.
- because people buy huge stocks of models they can't build in a lifetime, and these are sooner than later released back into the market, often almost for free. This is disrupting the current sales of the current manufacturers and makes the market unpredictable.
- because Informatics is making model design and manufacturing a lot easier than what it used to be leading to companies popping up everywhere, often to fail after a few years, but again, this is reducing sales of the established brands.
- because established brands are conservative and can't part from their large catalog of outdated kits for newly designed models in sync with the high quality standards requested these days. Long term, the established brands see their market share go down and their cost structure doesn't permit to innovate their products fast enough compared to the new, IT oriented, start ups.
But I love Airfix, I started of with them an would hate seeing them go so yes: I will buy a few Airfix models this year, only to put them on top of my stack, and to say thank you Airfix for many happy hours.
drabslab
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 08:36 PM UTC
and related to my previous email. Many companies, including Airfix, don't seem to understand what the internet, as threath and opportunity, really means.
For instance, the Airfix shop gives prices in two currencies, US dollar and British pounds. The huge number of potential EU clients, working with the EURO, have to guessculate themselves what the cost is of buying something in that web shop.
Moreover, it is stated prominently on the site that US and Canadian customers get free shipping for orders over 50 dollar leading to the inevitable question of all UK and EU clients: "why them and not us who live much closer to their warehouse than someone from California?".
For instance, the Airfix shop gives prices in two currencies, US dollar and British pounds. The huge number of potential EU clients, working with the EURO, have to guessculate themselves what the cost is of buying something in that web shop.
Moreover, it is stated prominently on the site that US and Canadian customers get free shipping for orders over 50 dollar leading to the inevitable question of all UK and EU clients: "why them and not us who live much closer to their warehouse than someone from California?".
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