Your Thoughts On CoasterDynamix Modeling System

And just think...when they design a floorless or stand-up train all you need to do is invert the track and, viola...new coaster style to create!

I don't think $500 is steep at all.

mOOSH

From what I've heard about CoasterDynamix, it's worth the $500 bucks. I'm tempted to buy it, but hey, I can get by on a couple twenty buck K'Nex kits. Some people are easier to satisfy I 'spose.

Yeah.. $500 is like what I pay a day for my strech Escalade. ;)

But really, as an artist myself.. Maybe it doesn't even cost them half of $500 to make each model. But I still think you should pay them what you think their time, skills, and creativeness as to the product are worth. I wouldn't want some client to pay me $40 for a whole series of advertisements, just because their financial situation isn't suit.

Why don't you offer a smaller model for a smaller price tag? Maybe offer a train, small lift hill, loop and helix for $200-250? The Screamin Serpent has two models to build, this could too. Only bad thing is I am betting most of the cost is in the train and motors. Just something for those of us who can't get $500 together but would still like to support you and get you to build more of these!

I have it and it is great. So far it is worth every penny. I haven't had much time to play with it because I am moving this weekend. However, I would recommend this to anyone who can find the money.
One other thing... when I got my set, I was missing a wheel on one of the cars. A quick email and they sent a wheel out right away. These guys made a great product and will stand behind it if you have a problem.

Thanks.

You are right. The train is a good bit of the price. What everyone must understand is that this project has 4 years and hours of engineering, mold costs, prototyping, and legal (patent) research behind it. Not to mention we only have made 500 kits! If we made 50,000 like Knex I'm sure the price would drop. We have talked about a smaller kit with say a six car train,etc., but would people buy a smaller model for $250-275? Who knows? Maybe everyone would like a taste of the Dragon for a lower price, but is $275 still too much? Lots of questions.

I agree with Jack.

I think the $500 model seems worth the $500 while the $200 model may seem just a little too short and not worth the money at all.

It's like any other product. On one extreme you have a one-of-a-kind product that was hand-crafted by a single person that spend a great deal of time making it. At the other end of the spectrum, you have something like a Happy Meal toy, where millions were made and the cost of creating it can be spread across all of those units.

If you've ever had a local shop make T-shirts, you know that there's a cost associated with the screen. Buying a dozen shirts drives the cost up of every shirt because you need to pay for the screen. Buy a hundred shirts and you drive that cost down to a few pennies per unit.

Consider that the CoasterDynamix kit has only 500 copies, and there are all of those plastic molds and production costs. That makes the parts rather expensive because those production costs don't get spread over a huge number of units.

Oh, I'm not dogging them for charging what they are, and I respect all the reasoning behind it. I was just stating that at this particular point in my finacial career I can't justify paying $500 for what is literally an expensive toy. I applaud those that can, and I envy you, but as a poor grad student, money is very important to me. That and my dang car decided it needed a new compressor this month, I think that is why I am so grumpy when someone gets something cool to play with and I have to spend money to get my car fixed. ;)

I've had my set for about three weeks now and I love it. It is pretty easy to customize and amazing to watch. My two year old thinks it is awesome. (I have to watch him like a hawk)

I had to get this after the first time I saw it advertised. I have been looking for a coaster toy that I could redesign all the time and that was realistic. K-nex is nice but this blows it away. Nothing out there beats the realism of this product. I couldn't take the chance of not getting one of these if they only end up making 500. I told my wife this was birthday, anniversary, Christmas, etc all wrapped up into one! It is so worth it!

The guys at Coasterdynamix have been great to work with. Thanks for all your help!

Doug

P.S. Jeff, thanks for the picks of your custom design because it gave me some new ideas with the support structure. Also it looks really cool.

Swoosh, be patient. If you are in grad school it won't be long until you are reaping the financial benefits of a good education.

Not if you're in seminary! :P (Which is where I am...)

Jack, will there be more than the 1 "printing" or is 500 sets it?

There will definately be more than the original 500. In the fall we expect to see them in hobby shops around the world and perhaps in more mainstream shops too.

I'm amazed. Let's see, if I convinced my wife that I REALLY needed a $300 video card so I could play Doom 3 then this should be a breeze. *** Edited 8/1/2004 4:43:13 AM UTC by Frantic Ferret***

Sweet...so for the most part this set sounds worth the dough...i have $500+ (thank you life savings) and I am going to definitly consider it now... so is the track flexible, or how do you make custom models out of the track they give?

Can't wait till fall...