|
|
Post by ron045 on Apr 15, 2024 0:59:36 GMT
... If I had the funding to rip up every piece of Scaletrax and replace it, I would. Not because of the announcement, because it's a terrible track system. ... What's your beef with Scaletrax?
Too much to get into on this thread without Hijaking it. If anyone is really interested, I have lots of picture examples of just how bad this stuff performs. Bad frogs, terrible connections, uneven connections, inconsistent performing switches, warped sections causing dips. I was wooed by the Rich Bastista Videos too. But he was in influencer for MTH also. Just not on YT. By selling his videos.
|
|
|
|
Post by Traindiesel! on Apr 15, 2024 3:09:07 GMT
Ron, sounds like you are upset that Mike Wolf was able to create a business scenario with his senior execs to keep the company viable & active in the O Gauge market. So since Mike and his VP's was successful in saving MTH you don't want anything to do with the company. This looks like the only option that Andy and Rich was able to swing to keep the company in their control. For me I am thankful that the new MTH is still in business and I will continue to purchase their product. Bill www.youtube.com/user/seayakbillThe whole thing was a scheme and we all got sucked in. If he was so passionate about saving the company, they would have worked at it, come up with a plan and announced their new business model. Instead they lie about this closure, and everyone went crazy for a year buying stuff thinking we will never be able to get it again. Then magically, "Oh look, we're not really out of business". 2020 and 2021 was nothing but a money grab for MW. No thanks. Fool me once... you know the rest.
Mike’s full intention was to retire, as is his right, and sell the business. There were a couple close calls but no firm buyers materialized. That’s not his fault. His next move was to try to sell tooling but only sold about 20% of it. So rather than take a huge loss they developed the current business model, which seemingly to their surprise, turned out to be profitable for the new MTH organization. Also, with Mike retaining ownership of the DCS technology, mention of future improvements and upgrades and the leasing of DCS to Atlas O has been a huge positive for the O gauge hobby.
How this offends anyone is puzzling to me but to each his own. I’m sure it was more stressful for MTH than for any of us. We all buy what we desire and like. I never cared what color a box is, only the kind of model in it. And we can only buy what is available. It seems to me that MTH products being still available gives us more choices which keeps competition in the industry going can only be a good thing for us consumers.
|
|
|
|
Post by ron045 on Apr 15, 2024 17:16:53 GMT
You think it was a diabolical plot to destroy O gauge hobbyists?
Where exactly did I say this? Look, it's very possible I am in the minority. That's OK, I'm not here to convince anyone. It's just how I feel and what my convictions are on the subject. From my viewpoint it looks like this... Typically, you exhaust all options before you announce you are closing your doors and going out of business. I believe the company lied about the "Going out of business" and created a buying frenzy with many prices escalating unnaturally. This was all before the natural inflation of the prices of everything else in the world. Then a miracle occurs and they re-invent themselves saving the company and the name. And we as hobbyists are supposed to be thankful that this new MTH company is still around to support our needs? I'm sorry, I just don't buy it. And I don't care to do business with people who are not forthcoming and honest. If it works for you, ok. Buy and enjoy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Traindiesel! on Apr 15, 2024 17:22:27 GMT
You think it was a diabolical plot to destroy O gauge hobbyists?
Where exactly did I say this? 
|
|
|
|
Post by runamuckchuck on Apr 15, 2024 20:24:55 GMT
The saying that good intentions are the pathway to Hell may apply here to some extent. I believe that when that Mikes's retirement/sale of MTH announcement was made that was the intention. However somewhere along the way something went off the rails and it became more of a seat of the pants/ what can we manage exercise.
As such the latter days of then MTH was largely the product of Mike's operational style and conditions of the marketplace for what he was selling, not a conscious plan to trick customers in order to create artificial demand for his products. Since I got this impression from various third parties as they say, I will not go into particulars lest I misspeak.
From a consumer's standpoint IMO the best that can be said about the end of the first MTH era was that it seemed messy as well as contradictory at times. In Ron's case seeing a company Going Out of Business announcement turning out to be hardly the case was a deal breaker for future purchases of MTH products.
For those of us who admired/purchased MTH tinplate products, most of us would welcome the day that MTH reintroduced that product line or sold the assets to a company that would bring that product back into production.
|
|
|
|
Post by ron045 on Apr 15, 2024 20:39:08 GMT
From this...
The whole thing was a scheme and we all got sucked in.
You read this?
You think it was a diabolical plot to destroy O gauge hobbyists?
Wow... Guess I better watch what I write in the future.
|
|
|
|
Post by runamuckchuck on Apr 15, 2024 22:01:24 GMT
Don't worry Ron. No banning here but self flagellation is encouraged in the privacy of your own home. No videos please!  |
|
mopac
Full Member
Posts: 142
|
Post by mopac on Apr 15, 2024 22:57:06 GMT
Don't worry Ron. No banning here but self flagellation is encouraged in the privacy of your own home. No videos please! self flagellation-----Extreme criticism of oneself.....LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by Traindiesel! on Apr 16, 2024 0:54:34 GMT
From this... The whole thing was a scheme and we all got sucked in. You read this? You think it was a diabolical plot to destroy O gauge hobbyists? Wow... Guess I better watch what I write in the future. 
|
|
|
|
Post by trainman9 on Apr 16, 2024 14:34:23 GMT
The fact that Mike was not willing to sell the whole company along with the DCS system doomed it from the start. Aside from a few unique products the DCS technology was the most valuable part of the company.
Any other company that could purchase everything would have a leg up on the competition. Licensing is one thing owning the technology is another.
|
|
|
|
Post by azdutch on Apr 16, 2024 19:24:58 GMT
I love the fact that MTH is still around. I just wish they’d do more RailKing Scale instead of focusing so heavily on Premier. I got really lucky in that they did the Southern Pacific SD45 in bloody nose scheme as one of their last regular products.
|
|
|
|
Post by madockawando on Apr 20, 2024 0:58:49 GMT
I love the fact that MTH is still around. I just wish they’d do more RailKing Scale instead of focusing so heavily on Premier. I got really lucky in that they did the Southern Pacific SD45 in bloody nose scheme as one of their last regular products. And I wish just the opposite !😉 More scale sized trains and more scale sized fantasy trains. |
|
|
|
Post by g3750 on Apr 22, 2024 16:40:32 GMT
Ron, sounds like you are upset that Mike Wolf was able to create a business scenario with his senior execs to keep the company viable & active in the O Gauge market. So since Mike and his VP's was successful in saving MTH you don't want anything to do with the company. This looks like the only option that Andy and Rich was able to swing to keep the company in their control. For me I am thankful that the new MTH is still in business and I will continue to purchase their product. Bill www.youtube.com/user/seayakbillWell, that's one take on the situation. For my part, I think that the announcement and "plan" (if that's what you call the cluster-f*** that followed) was extremely poorly thought out. Even in the announcement, there were more compass changes than you would find in a magnetic storm. Whether the panic and buying frenzy was the plan or occurred as a result of the poorly handled message, Mike came out of it smelling like a rose. Not only did he transfer all the buying risk to customers and hobby shops sponsoring special runs, he got rid of customer service, transferred repair service to hobby shops, shed his warehouse (at a huge profit), and ditched his catalog. In the process several hobby stores closed (collateral damage).
Even as people lament the higher prices, poorer service, and increasingly defective products, they reward the very behavior that produces them.
If you want to know who is to blame for this sad turn of events, I suggest a number of you lemmings look in the mirror.
George
|
|
mopac
Full Member
Posts: 142
|
Post by mopac on Apr 22, 2024 20:06:53 GMT
This is an interesting video from a few years ago Mike Wolf CEO Of MTH Trains On TrainWorld Factory Tour www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYNl1D1hdMoI have to wonder who actually owns this factory ?. When they show the outside of the buildings there are no names that I can see. It looks like the video was made during a high production rate period. I wonder what it looks like today with the BTO special low production rates. |
|
|
|
Post by MichRR714 on Apr 22, 2024 20:30:54 GMT
The MTH model must be working pretty well because they continue to produce and announce new product and produce DCS boards. As a matter of fact you're likely to see even more DCS in the future as Atlas continues to integrate DCS into their product line. DCS offers the quality sound and speed control that Atlas needs to compete directly with the big L.
I sure hope both Lionel and MTH get their respective control systems to market this year!
|
|
