THE BEST TEN BUCKS YOU'LL EVER SPEND

[stokesda]

I know exactly what you mean; I paid $2.739 a gallon for gas today and by gorry, if it wasn't for the free road maps at that price I'd stop buying gas once and for all.

$2.74/gallon! What a bargain! The price just jumped up to $2.95/gal the other day here in the lovely Pac NW. God have mercy on your soul if you have to use premium! And we don't even get any free road maps with our gas!

[loathar]

Kato-$8 for the 3 catalogs you'd need to order. $20 more if you want their complete reference guide.
Anybody know if Horizon puts out a catalog?

[DigitalGriffin]

The Walthers catalog is $10 again this year, and the 1000+ pages lists almost anything you could want, and countless hours of pleasant reading in the "comfort" room!!

Sadly I wished it only cost me $10.  Everytime I pick up a new Walthers Catalog, I'm usually ordering a small fortune of new stuff. 

[ndbprr]

No one "Reads" the Walthers catalog.  It is a reference and most of it is, "Unavailable at this time".  Get real.  If you want your hobby shop to order you something he goes to the catalog and looks it up.  Most good hobby shops allow their customers to do the same thing so they don't have to.  Nice sarcasm but totaly misplaced.

[MAbruce]

Its 10 bucks, people.  And that is 10 bucks for probably one of the greatest resources available for the hobby. 

I think the greatest resource available for the hobby today is the internet (and forums like this).  The catalog dosen't even come close.   

In my opinion, 10 bucks doesnt buy much in the world these days.  Thoes who think that is too much is just plain cheap.

David B

Yeah, that's me:  Cheap. 

[Anonymous]

awwwww, this reminds me of the the E-bay threads.....completely worthless.

 

[ndbprr]

I think it is a waste when you can use one at your hobby shop for free.  Does it hava lot in it?  Sure but really how much of what is in there is really pertinent to what you are doing.  Sorry but I still say it is a waste of money to have one.  Convenient? yes.  needed? no.

[Railphotog]

An index to mfrs would be a big help.

Wathers site does have a list of maufacturers, its on the left side of the main page.  It leads to a list and you click on the letter of the first name of the firm.  This gives you the manufaturers' code number.  Put this into their advanced search and fill in the other blanks that you have.  Works for me anyway.

[Don Gibson]

They won't get ten cents from me.  Who else sells their list of products to the consumer?  You want that Fireball model catalogue at the XYZ car dealer?  That'll be ten bucks partner.  Not from me.  Its bad enough they control so much of the hobby.  They don't need my ten bucks that badly in my opinion.

No. Perhaps you do. BETTER to buy a Computer and pay $10 mo. to your provider.

Tracklayer:

The KATO Catalog has more 'N' scale in it, and it's 'how much'?

 

Someone once told me "It's a free Country" - I'm still hunting.

[R. T. POTEET]

They won't get ten cents from me.  Who else sells their list of products to the consumer?  You want that Fireball model catalogue at the XYZ car dealer?  That'll be ten bucks partner.  Not from me.  Its bad enough they control so much of the hobby.  They don't need my ten bucks that badly in my opinion.

Huh???

I know exactly what you mean; I paid $2.739 a gallon for gas today and by gorry, if it wasn't for the free road maps at that price I'd stop buying gas once and for all.

I buy both of Walthers' catalogs every year because the HO Scale catalog has more scratchbuilding parts and tools - and other general modeling items which I might need - listed than does the N&Z Scale one; I picked up this latter one at my local today. In perusing this new catalog I observed that Preiser has introduced a new figure set, #79209 - Couples and Dog listed by Walthers for $13.99. Where, pray tell, might I have found information on this offering from Preiser except in the Walthers' catalog; I don't necessarily want one of these but where, pray tell, if I did want one, would I get it if I didn't get it from Walthers. And besides the Walthers' catalog saves me money in the long run by cutting down on my consumption of adult beverages; I don't have to get snockered so I can look at out-of-focus photographs without it taking three days for my eyes to get uncrossed.

I get a Grizzly catalog every year from Grizzly Tools - it is free of charge but I would probably buy it every year even if there was a (reasonable) charge for it; I get frequent sales flyers from other tool manufacturers and distributors. Catalogs are my means of keeping up with what items are available from selected manufactures and distributors. The Walthers' catalog does not make an appreciable dent into my model railroading budget.

[BigRusty]

I agree, the web site leaves a lot to be desired. I would prefer something more like the Internet Trains web site. All mfrs they handle are listed. Click on one, and there is a list of that mfrs' products available. I have found that it is possible to find what you are looking for at Walthers using the search function, but that can take quite a few tries to find it. An index to mfrs would be a big help.

[Tracklayer]

I personally only turn to Walther's when I have no other choice - which has only happened once or twice that I can recall, but then I'm an N scaler and they don't carry nearly as much of my scale as they do HO.

As for paying $10.00 for a catalog. I don't think so, but if the next guy wants to that's his business.

Tracklayer

[loathar]

They won't get ten cents from me.  Who else sells their list of products to the consumer?  You want that Fireball model catalogue at the XYZ car dealer?  That'll be ten bucks partner.  Not from me.  Its bad enough they control so much of the hobby.  They don't need my ten bucks that badly in my opinion.

Very few hobby companies mail out free catalogs anymore. Some still do, but I bet not for long.
I'm amazed at the nice catalog Scenic Express mails out for free. They automatically send me a new one when they're printed.
I hate the companies that try and charge $5-$7 for a 20 page "flyer" that costs them $1 to print and mail.

[ndbprr]

They won't get ten cents from me.  Who else sells their list of products to the consumer?  You want that Fireball model catalogue at the XYZ car dealer?  That'll be ten bucks partner.  Not from me.  Its bad enough they control so much of the hobby.  They don't need my ten bucks that badly in my opinion.

[jecorbett]

I get it every year. Sure, you can look up things on their website and ever order through it, but that requires you know what it is you are looking for. Sometimes, I'll browse through the catalog looking for ideas to fill a spot on the layout, or maybe have an idea for a type of structure and try to find something that is close to what I have in mind. The website is great if you know exactly what you want, but the catalog is both an ideas book and a wish book. In addition, the Magic of Model Railroading pics are almost worth the price of the catalog.

[Gandy Dancer]

And they aren't including all vendors products in the catalog anymore, so it is no longer "The Compleat Reference". 

[loathar]

And I'm sure it's search function works much better than their web site.

[Dallas Model Works]

Almost every day, someone wants to know where to get that special detail part, automobile from the 19?'s, building or ?  The Walthers catalog is $10 again this year, and the 1000+ pages lists almost anything you could want, and countless hours of pleasant reading in the "comfort" room!!

 Yes....but try actuall getting a lot of stuff in that book.

[lvanhen]

Almost every day, someone wants to know where to get that special detail part, automobile from the 19?'s, building or ?  The Walthers catalog is $10 again this year, and the 1000+ pages lists almost anything you could want, and countless hours of pleasant reading in the "comfort" room!!