Just want to let everyone know about the blowout sale. RMT cars are priced at 2 for $40.00. I just purchased 3 sets of Reading coal cars.
Bob
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The RMT factory blowout earlier this year was the real cat's meow at nearly $10 per car 
, which bested even their October 2012 "York deal" of 6 cars for $100 ( or roughly $16/car).
Nonetheless, $20 per car for those "very close to scale" ore cars (the email listed CNJ, LV, D&H, and Raritan River roadnames) ain't a bad deal at all, if you're still looking to bolster your roster. But I think I'll wait to see what new ore-car roadnames RMT will release later this year.
David
The deals in that RMT blowout permanently altered my expectation of what their stuff is worth paying.
I wish I had nabbed one of those 2-car ore sets for $20 while they lasted. Now $20 a car seems expensive to me.
Oh, well, maybe if I wait a year or two the new offerings will be blown out at similar prices.
Originally Posted by Martin H:
The deals in that RMT blowout permanently altered my expectation of what their stuff is worth paying.
...That's the double-edge sword with blowouts. However, considering their ore cars are as close to 1/4" scale as you're gonna get in the RMT line (which is otherwise composed of offerings utilizing highly selective compression), $20 per car is still a good price compared to Lionel and MTH ore cars in the $30-$45 range.
But I agree that blow-outs often play "mind games" with us. I have similar thoughts about the $699-$799 Lionel steam locomotive blowouts on big articulated locos like the Giants and Mallets... along with the non-articulated Northerns -- all of which had whistle steam effects, no less. It's now very difficult to plunk down $1K+ for a steamer with LESS features. But for those with the patience and discipline, the waiting game may prove beneficial in a year or so. Just remember though, Lionel is rumored to NOT have a second catalog coming out this year... which lessens the pressure to blowout existing product to make room for the newer stuff. Good move on their part... bad news for those looking for a "repeat" of the 2012-line's blowouts. 
Back to RMT though... I'm looking forward to new ore car road-names later this year, but I HIGHLY doubt we're gonna see them at the $20/pair (i.e., $10/car) price-point so early in the game. Not gonna happen. 
David
So, what does this teach us boys and girls? Once you have amortized your tooling and other one time costs, such as carton graphics and artwork for the sides of the cars, you can pop these babies out like popcorn, sell at a reasonable cost, and still make money.
I am speaking from experiences as having spent over 40 years in high volume consumer products. Even if your tooling costs $1,000,000, make a million pieces and the tool cost is $1.00 per item.
Some of the tools in the train industry have been around for years and the costs have been long paid for.
if you like, I can also give you a first hand account of how much it cost my former employer to tool up and entire line of window air-conditioners, $0.00. Thanks to the Chinese government/industrial complex.
