Aristocraft have announced that due to a world shortage of copper and ever increasing prices of the raw material, the future cost of G scale track is to double in price from the 1st July. Copper forms 70% of the raw materials used in brass rails.
Graham Hubbard Managing Director of Bachmann Europe, the distributors of Aristocraft products in Europe said today "Aristocraft have held prices for as long as they could and were confident that the price of copper would reduce. The price has risen from $1 per pound in 2005 to $3.40 today and Aristocraft can no longer hold the price. We and Aristocraft are aware that demand for their track products has escalated in recent months due to the demise of LGB, but the stark reality is that without these price rises, brass track is no longer commercially viable and we are faced with price rises or stopping track production. If the commodity price of copper changes then we will review prices accordingly. Aristocraft have also advised us that the cost of steel is escalating as well, forcing increases that are outside our control".
