Model trains + New Business Model = Stories for Success

The good old days

Hornby, sadly, are in trouble. They just issued their third profit warning in less than two years.

It was Christmas eve. Dinner was over. The four kids in my family were going crazy with excitement. Tomorrow .. presents!!

I reluctantly headed up to bed. Just as I passed the lounge, I caught sight of a large, previously unrecorded and therefore unpicked at, gift under the tree. This one was huge.

This was something special. I could somehow tell, and not simply because it really was, huge. And heavy.

Grandpa had somehow snuck it in and slid it, not under, because it was so big, but to the side of our Christmas tree.

That night, it was harder to get to sleep than ever.

The following morning we tore in it. It was for the four kids, from Grandpa and Auntie Millie and we were going to have to share it. Damn.

A Hornby train set! “The best model train set in the world”, according to Dad. And it really was huge; and from the pictures on the side of the box, far too complicated and difficult to assemble but it invited the challenge and we, yes, we, were up for it. In fact we couldnt wait.

Wow. Let’s set it up , Let’s set it up… and play.

It saddened me to read this news from Irish Times today. Hornby are in trouble and they hold such a special place in my memory and no doubt for many others too.

But what if they shifted their focus from selling, to sharing?

What if they could embrace the collaborative economy to help save themselves, enabling the  continued creation of the stories that make special brands so, well , special.  And what if they could do that over and over and over, without having to simply keep building more sets and selling them..?

Hornby Model Train + Pley Collaborative Business Model

= Excellent prospects for  business revival

From young to old. Memories do not suffer from age discrimination