All comes down to what they call Lean Manufacturing. Produce only enough to cover preorders with a percentage of overproduction. Which is much much less today than it was years ago. Todays plastic market is handled much like the brass market. One must preorder what they want or there is a good chance you wont get it or you will have to camp out on ebay and search online sources to find one at a shop that ordered that version for stock. I dont see this changing any time soon either. The markets will remain soft and volitile for years to come. I know my hobby spending dollers have shrunk to almost nothing in recent years. I preorder very little, instead I watch for deals online and in the second hand market. Mike
LHS mechanic and geniune train and antique garden tractor nut case!
Tough economy and shrinking (some say) MR business means local HS don't have money to keep extra inventory. Same goes for MR manufacturers, hence the strategy to manufacture enough units just to cover pre-orders, strategy which I really dislike.
As I sit here wondering How long before I can Get a replacement locomotive from my local hobby shop. I wonder who came up with the marketing Idea of No inventory is good for business, I recently purchase 2 new Ho models , An Sd70 Ace and an Mp 15ac engine, Both had to be returned due to the fact neither ran out of the Box.Many years in the hobby along with my fellow Modelers at the local hobby shop Are amazed that in this day an age of instant everything I have to wait Months for a replacement engine due to the fact I missed the pre order date?. the pre-order dates are fine for buying new engines , but what happens when that new engine dosen't work,. the manufacture can not help because his inventory is O . How can this be good for the hobbyist who has cash on hand , and no place to spend it? kinda wishing for the older days when you could pick up a catalog , place a call and have your item within a week. so much for technology.