Who pays MSRP for locomotives?

[bikerraypa]

I just don't do it. It's silly to me to buy something for a high price when the exact same thing is available for a low price. That said, I do probably pay too much for scenery materials, because I buy them all from the LHS. I'd like to give them all of my business. I really would. I just can't justify it, especially since the LHS isn't very L (about 48-50 miles).

By the same token, I probably spend more TOTAL on MORE stuff because I do my buying online. The prices are cheaper, but an impulse buy is a lot easier to justify when all you have to do is left click instead of writing out a check.

Ray out

Ray out

[Anonymous]

I dont pay MSRP.

If I did I would be paying 525 for that new QSI 2-8-8-2 instead of 340 something.

[Wdlgln005]

Sometimes it depends on how bad you want a model. Some issues sure evaporate fast. I don't pre-order anything. I want to be sure something is well-made, first. For junk models, Any price is too high. For the Atlas Trainmaster in Wabash colors, I may have to pay more than I want to.

[Anonymous]

I consider mysel lucky, there are two excellent HS within a 30-minute drive of where I live. One of them sells their non-brass stock at 25% off list [got four SD38-2's from there], the other discounts 20-25% depending on the mfgr [got a Atlas Gold Series CW40-8 from them].

MSRP? Only if I'm really desperate, and it's a discontinued item.

[Pruitt]

I haven't since the advent of the internet, until last week -

I've been searching and searching for a Life-like Heritage 0-8-0 in CB&Q livery, to no avail. I've been looking for over a year. I probably missed one or two on ebay - I don't get on there more than once a month or so.

So I spent the last three weeks in Amarillo for work. Last weekend I went to Hobby Time to pick up some #58 couplers (being stuck in a hotel is a great way to find time to build freight cars!), and sitting there was one of the Burlington 0-8-0s. At full retail.

It hurt, but I didn't hesitate. Now it's MINE!

Hope that doesn't happen TOO often!

[Anonymous]

I paid MSRP for.....um....uhh....

I've never paid MSRP for a loco. I've bought rolling stock, couplers, decoders, track, details, parts, etc that way though. Almost always, I justified it by telling myself that I needed the part to fini***he project on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and mail order would take a week. The 'convenience tax' levied by most of the LHSs I visit is reasonable.

I'm getting very disappointed in one of the shops near me though. I went to one of the better stocked, but less local ones today to pick up a decoder and some LEDs. While I was there, I thought about geting a pair of close coupling kits for my P2K PAs/PBs, and checked the counter copy of the Walthers catalog for the part number so I could have them pull it for me. Walthers catalog price was $8.95 for the Kadee 455 kit. The bag was stickered 9.99. I asked if that was the right price, and after the confirmation, had them put it back. I can understand matching the catalog prices, since the Walthers supported dealers pay less than is printed, but going 10% over a source we all know is rather pricey just seems like suicide. The thing that keeps me going back are the good customer discounts and the 15% off locos. If either of those go away, I won't be able to justify the 35 mile drive any more.

-dave

[on30francisco]

I've never paid MSRP for locomotives. I refuse! Although the LHSs have to make a profit, the mark-ups on their products is way too high; not only on locos but on most hobby supplies. I buy my locos, trucks and most detail parts either on-line or at The Train Shop and purchase my scratchbuilding supplies at several of the big discount arts & craft stores in the area.

[philnrunt]

I just picked up 2 SD38-2s from 1st Place Hobbies, which is located just to the north of me. If I had tried to get them at the shop, I think they would have cost a bit more than the price I paid by ordering them off the website. And I can guarantee they would not have had them in stock. They were by far the most expensive locos I've bought, but I'm ok with that, I haven't bought a new loco in years, so I averaged the price over the 4 years I went without a purchase.
I can rationalize anything if I really want it!

[Anonymous]

If Bruce's would sell the upcoming BLI 2-10-2 for $300 or less, then I'd buy it from him. But internet dealers are offering it for $280. $350 vs $280? Hmmmm, lets see...

I'll never pay msrp for anything anymore!

[Anonymous]

My LHS doesn't sell locomotives at MSRP. For example, the Model Power Pacific (N scale) MSRP is $139 but they have it marked $99. Usually new Atlas Nscale locomotive that lists for $94 are sold for about $64-$67. They have always been that way and I appreciate it. Our former dominant LHS always used to sell at retail or above.

[Anonymous]

It's too bad that most LHS's don't get it. Some are full list price all the time. Take it or leave it. Most knowledgeable modelers will leave it. I assume newbies into the hobby and those with more money than brains may pay full list price but I sure won't. Here in Canada it is especially a problem. Our money is worth less than the US dollar, so even out list prices are over the top. I used to assume anything I would have our LHS order from the Walthers catalog would cost me about 50% more than the catalog price, and I was usually right. An item at $10.00 would cost me $15.00 or more.

I was really interested in Bachmann's On30 Shay when it first came out, but it's list price of around US $245.00 made me lose interest in ever acquiiring one. I was at the National Narrow Gauge Convention in Denver in 2003 and a dealer was offering them for US$150.00, so I grabbed one. This worked out to around $190.00 in Canadian money, and I was happy!.

Last year I visited an out of town area hobby shop, and they had one of these Shays in their display case - for a price of $387.50 Canadian! Add to this our 15% tax and it would have cost around $445.00! Will they ever sell it at that price? Who knows, but I do know that I would not have been even remotely interested. It might just sit there and gather dust for years.

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

I will never pay full price for a loco all I will have to do is go to Ebay and the brand new locos that come out are at least $25-50 cheaper than MSRP. And when they are out for a while you can get a KAto AC4400 on ebay for $85 and as low as $60 compared to $119 as a "sale" at the Hobby shops. Never buy MSRP

[Roadtrp]

I've never paid MSRP for a locomotive. I've only been in MR for a bit over a year and only purchased 6 locomotives. I've purchase four over the internet, and two from the LHS. I always check the locos my LHS has for sale when I go in, and if they are offering one I want at a good price I buy it. One of my LHS locos was priced LOWER than I had ever found on the net, and one was priced about the same.

I spend far more at my LHS than on the Internet since I buy all of my scenicing supplies and most of my rolling stock there. I give them enough business that I feel no obligation to purchase my locos there, but I do if it fits my needs and budget.

I also don’t believe that the loco business is that large a part of any LHS’s profit. I would be pretty willing to bet that the profit % on a Bulk Pack of Woodland Scenics trees is far better than the usual profit on a locomotive. My LHS has a HUGE supply of structures, structure kits, and scenicing materials. He has a modest supply of N scale rolling stock and usually just a few N scale locos in inventory. I may not be 100% happy with the service I get from my LHS, but the owner isn’t a dummy. He stocks what he makes money on, and it isn’t locomotives.

[twhite]

80% of my locos are used brass. And 80% of those were bought at my LHS. What's retail?
Tom [}:)]

[AggroJones]

Not me. Ever. If I had to, I wouldn't own the few items I do.
In most cases, the locos I aquired came through a blowout sale.

[egmurphy]

I'm one of the group that splits my purchases with most non-loco stuff bought at my (not so local) LHS and my most recent locos purchased from on-line dealers.

I'm in the 10% discount group at my LHS, and a long way from ever getting to the next discount rung.

I don't buy very many locos anyway, just one last year. This year could be between 1 and 3 (depending on how manufacturers promised release dates hold up).


Regards

Ed

[rexhea]

There is no way I would pay MSRP for a Locomotive unless it was the only one I could find. The markup is already outrageous without me encouraging such prices.

Sorry, but I will not pay my LHS MSRP for anything. He either gives me a reasonable discount or I can find it discounted elsewhere. Every extra penny I pay just to keep him in business subtracts unnecessarily from my layout budget and I would rather keep my business open.

[selector]

Same here. I paid full listed price for my first loco because I had walked into the store for the very first time not ten minutes earlier. But, as my total bill climbed with other items, he said he would discount them by 10%.

My second loco was on-line and about 15% better than MSRP...plus shippping (sigh).

That same LHS gives me regular discount now, but I'm not yet a $5K regular, so I only get 10%. Hey, it saves me the gas money to drive there (90 mins).

[tstage]

I usually try and give my LHS business on most of my "non-locomotive" items, which would be 80-90% of my purchases. I have bought a few items over the Internet though. I bought my first locomotive from my LHS and my second one from Trainworld.com. The TW loco was 72% off list.

Tom

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by aloco

I'm wondering how many model railroaders pay retail price for new locomotives? I know I can't afford it. I look for sales, shop on ebay, and look for used stuff when I want to buy locos.

You are correct, most of us do not pay list price, but I try to purchase at the local store too and that means I pay more than I want some of the time. I am fortunate to have a LHS that usually discounts 20%, and that makes it easy to purchase items that I would not want to send away for. I don't believe it is right to look at you LHS and then buy it wholesale someplace else.
I have never paid near list price for cars or trucks either.
Just my thing.

[aloco]

I'm wondering how many model railroaders pay retail price for new locomotives? I know I can't afford it. I look for sales, shop on ebay, and look for used stuff when I want to buy locos.