How long has that been there?

[ericsp]

Here is a question of any of you who have worked at, managed, and/or owned a hobby shop or model train distribution business.

What is approximately the longest, usual time a product sticks around for?

Here are the reasons I ask. At all of the local train/hobby shops that I have purchased Athearn cars from recently, I have bought ones without knuckle couplers (horn-hook only). According the instruction sheets for the ones with knuckle couplers Athearn starting putting these in the kits in 1998. That means these have been sitting around for 6 years. Also, at the local franchise of a national hobby shop, they recently (past month) got in three Athearn Southern Pacific 5-unit container cars. All are in the boxes with the old graphics. The one I bought had only horn-hook couplers. I guess the distributor had these sitting around for years.

The nice thing about this is I can get out of production kits.

[Jetrock]

Not too unusual, I'd suspect...occasionally when cruising hobby shops I have found products that are probably decades old! In some cases these may be resale of used items or some liquidation the hobbyshop took advantage of, but in some cases if the hobbyshop has been around for a long while, the parts may have as well. Sometimes stock just gets stuck behind something and forgotten about...

[rogerhensley]

Not at all unusual. Most manufacturers including Athearn, don't run all product all of the time. Indeed, they make 'runs' and may not run that item again for several years. What I am saying is that it does not make it 'old stock' because it has the horn-hook coupler. It is possible that the product actually came from Athearn not long before you bought it.

These aren't GM or Ford automobiles where the assembly line runs all of the time. They are models that are made in batches. Just buy them and enjoy!

[ndbprr]

Welcome to business 101. How long should a company or business allow its capital to be tied up in inventory before dumping the hard goods, freeing up the capital and reducing taxes? Athearn kits will eventually sell and are probably not sold ata distress sale to often. Early Bachman or AHM cars an entirely different story. I've been in some hobby shops that have some inventory going back to the 1950's hoping someone would want that particular item. With the compuetrization of business I have witnessed the ability of major business to go from talking an entire quarter to figure out the previous quarters books to knowing the day the quarter closes what the results are. Small business benefits even more because the accounting programs available allow then to make forward projections unheard of even five years ago. Sometimes it is smart to move something and sometimes it is smart to hold an item.

[BNSFNUT]

I was in the hobby business for 5 yrs and had some stock for a long time.
The name of the game in any business is inventory turn over. If you get stuck with some thing it is best to sell it at a discount or at cost to free up money for stuff that will sell.
With low cost items like Athearn you can can hold on to them longer because you do not have a lot tied up. But more costly stuff you have to turn it over quickly or discount it to recover cost.
It seemed if I got 4 of any one product 3 would sell and I would get stuck with the last one. I would have to sell the last one at about cost to get rid of it but made money on the other 3 so it was not a problem. It seemed every once an a while I would get stuck with some thing that was around for ever. Once at a show I sold some thing that had been around forever and said to my helper I hope that dosn't gobble before he gets it home.[:)]

[Anonymous]

Old stock sometimes turns up unexpectedly - I recall a story about one supplier over here where stock was stored in several places, the result being that sometimes a box of items long thought to be sold out would be found and sold in their factory shop! An online store over here has also recently listed some locos that were thought to be long out of production - E R Models FP7s and Sharknoses. I guess at least some of this would be due to clearance deals and items found in a forgotten corner of the warehouse - the same supplier had Airfix coaches made sometime in the mid '70s until very recently, if you ordered one of those you got a coach in an original blue '70s Airfix box!

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rogerhensley

It is possible that the product actually came from Athearn not long before you bought it.

Only if they had it in storage. Like I said, Athearn started putting knuckle couplers in its kits in 1998. This car did not have any.Therefore, it is logical to assume it was packed at least 6 years ago.

Also, most people are answering the question "Is it unusual for a kit to sit around for a few years?" However, I asked "What is approximately the longest, usual time a product sticks around for?" Let me rephrase it. What is the approximate longest amount of time that it is common for a kit to sit at a shop or distributor?

[Anonymous]

A few months ago in Athearn's newsletter they announced they had found a box or two of plows for their small Hustler switcher. I think the Hustler itself has been out of production for many years. I sent in and got a pacakge (3 for $10.) mostly out of curiosity, as I had never heard of them. Kind of neat, fits right on either end of the swticher, over the coupler.

Bob Boudreau

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

A few months ago in Athearn's newsletter they announced they had found a box or two of plows for their small Hustler switcher. I think the Hustler itself has been out of production for many years. I sent in and got a pacakge (3 for $10.) mostly out of curiosity, as I had never heard of them. Kind of neat, fits right on either end of the swticher, over the coupler.

Bob Boudreau

Snow plows? I never knew Athearn made them.