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(This post was last modified: 30th-May-19, 01:17 PM by
CMOTD.)
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Or they may re-release old Revell slot cars. They were fine quality in my opinion.
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I reckon the big difference will be prices going up... :- (
The 1:24 car range may come "under pressure" as the accountants might say.
Leo
Forum Precepts: Don't hijack or divert topics - create a new one. Don't feed the Troll. http://www.scuderiaturini.com
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Would Carrera have sold if they had faith in the brand's future? I can't imagine they were offered silly money.
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I haven't read up much on it but in German-language forums they are pointing out that this new owner tends to be in it for the long haul and not bumps up shares to cash out.
They have optimized operations in other brands but it has not been a slaughterhouse.
From a timing perspective I think it is a smart move (then again my recent smart move in a Go Kart race resulted in me breaking the barrier that I somehow ended up being perched on top of and need 600 mg of Ibuprofen to move reliably...) as it is well enough before Christmas to not disrupt business but far enough after the trade fairs so they can better gauge the business.
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(31st-May-19, 10:02 AM)dvd3500 Wrote: then again my recent smart move in a Go Kart race resulted in me breaking the barrier that I somehow ended up being perched on top of and need 600 mg of Ibuprofen to move reliably...
You obviously belong to the same club I do.
My last race in karts found me thinking "I know everyone says you can take that corner flat but I'm so damned close, perhaps I'll give it a go" It took more than Ibuprofen to deal with the three broken ribs
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The Carrera take-over is both surprising and not-so surprising to me. What has been announced is in line with the way that toy companies survive and then grow. Unlike the chaos at Hornby over the past decade, it seems that the Carrera brand is doing well and that the company - Stadlbauer Marketing & Vertrieb GmbH (SMV) - have looked hard at their future and sought out a corporate sugar-daddy that will ensure the sort of investment and resilience to give Carrera a bright future.
Quantum seem to be a very similar company to Phoenix, although with a larger and broader portfolio. When Phoenix finally took over Hornby Hobbies, it was certainly a long-term investment - as I am sure Carrera will be for Quantum. These companies are willing and able to remain patient and allow the businesses they take over to build on their strengths - rather than looking for risky changes to deliver short-term profits. That's why I am confident about Hornby's future and why I am sure Carrera will continue to thrive - with pretty much the same staff and set-up now at SMV. I don't see any obvious weaknesses in the Carrera product line and don't expect any short-term changes. Digital 143 may need looking at, but that could mean more investment in the medium-term if the 1/43 system is valued as a stand-alone product rather than a stepping stone to the 1/24 track.
It will, of course, be interesting to see the future plans that the Carrera team are working on - in the same way as I am looking forward to seeing the developments at Scalextric come to fruition. There are some horrible asset-strippers out there in the business world, but companies like Quantum and Phoenix make their money by bringing investment and business expertise to allow brands like Carrera and Scalextric do what they are good at.
(This post was last modified: 2nd-Jun-19, 11:17 AM by
woodcote.)