Walthers Retired/Backordered

[csmincemoyer]

Noticed on Walthers website that alot of popular models are currently backordered (New River Mine, Mills Bros Lumber) Is this a precursor to retirement or just normal off season out of stock? I also notice they list the Refinery kit as being retired. They seem to have a strange track record for retiring what I think are pretty popular kits.

[nfmisso]

Retirement can be for reasons other than popularity, including: damaged tool, relations with the supplier gone bad, unable to get mold time, etc.

[rexhea]

Typical way of handling business that Walthers is known for.
Big catalog...small inventory. [V]

[NZRMac]

I searched the internet stores yesterday looking for the New River Mine most emailed me saying on back order (they were pretty fast replies too).
I should have looked more locally, I found one in Auckland NZ, their last one, it's on it's way now!

Ken.

[MisterBeasley]

Look on the bright side. Limited runs and retired items force us to keep looking. It adds variety to the hobby. It gives smaller suppliers an opportunity to get their models seen by the public, and it helps make every single layout unique. Nobody is going to wow me with a standard building, but I'll stop and look twice at a rare one, or a common kit that's been bashed beyond recognition. The Web has given the hobby the true global marketplace - take advantage of it.

[twhite]

Well, for one, I can tell you that sometimes Walthers seems to really like playing with our minds. When the Troop Sleepers came out, I ordered both multiple sets plus two kitchen cars. This is the day I got the Walther's monthly catalogue, mind you. Got one set, was told that the other set was a one-time offer and was not longer catalogued. No word on the kitchen cars. Found the kitchen cars a month later at my LHS in Roseville. This was WAY before Christmas. Now two days ago, I get the second set of sleepers. The set that was no longer catalogued, by the way. Heck, I'd forgotten I'd ordered them--I sure hope they don't do the same thing with the Pullman Standard diner and obs--right now I've got a neat train, but no place to eat on the darned thing! They certainly are a MYSTERIOUS company sometimes, aren't they?
Tom [:O]

[csmincemoyer]

Thanks for all the responses. Heck there are Heljan kits in the catalog that are at least 20 years old (I can remember when TYCO was selling them) and I just can't understand why Walthers kits seem to have life cycles of less than 5 years.

[Ibflattop]

Would it be called Supply and Demand????????????????? Kevin

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csmincemoyer

Noticed on Walthers website that alot of popular models are currently backordered (New River Mine, Mills Bros Lumber) Is this a precursor to retirement or just normal off season out of stock? I also notice they list the Refinery kit as being retired. They seem to have a strange track record for retiring what I think are pretty popular kits.

Walthers has all of their kits made overseas, structures probably by Heljan in Europe. They have to order X number of each kit. If they sell out quickly there is obviously a demand, then they may place another order.

If some kits are rather specialized like the refinery, pehaps there aren't enough modelers out there who have the desire, space, ability, and money to want one, then they may retire it. The old days of keeping everything in production and on the shelves is more or less gone. Shelves full of inventory that is not moving is costing them money. Most major industries use the "just in time" production process so they aren't inventorying costly parts and supplies.

It all breaks down to money - are they making and on some kits or not? Is it worth their while to spend thousands of dollars to have another run of a kit made, hoping that they will be sold eventually? Probably not.

Just my thoughts. [:D]

Bob Boudreau