I think Oregon Shay has hit "the new normal" nail on the head. I'm in the same situation as he is......there are only 2 model train shops left even remotely near here. One is about 75 miles away (through mountain passes that are treacherous in the winter) and the other is close to 100 miles away. So, the majority of my purchases are online. I've bought direct from Walthers, from Ebay, from Hobbylinc (whom I've been very pleased with) and several others. I've also bought direct from several much smaller outfits, like Musket Miniatures & Hi-Ball Graphics. I've had good service & results with all of them.
It only stands to reason that as LHS's keep closing the way they are (and many larger box stores do away with their hobby departments.........as most seem to be doing........),the need for distributorships will also decline. Most of the manufacturers, both large & small, are now selling direct online & we're going to see most of the remaining, large online hobby shops buying direct from them instead of distributors. It's the new normal, not just in the hobby business but in many others as well. Like it or not, we have to get used to it & live with it.
Carl
"I could never belong to any club that would have me as a member."
I purchase the majority of my model railroad needs directly from Walthers. Some years ago I surmised that they would not be my only source of products, for several reasons. They don't carry all brands, which apparently is not always their decision to make. Some items can be found elsewhere at a more attractive price. It is not realistic to expect them or any retailer/distributor/manufacturer to have everything in stock at all times. For all of these reasons, and other considerations as well, this is why I also shop Trainworld, Caboose Hobbies, Tony's Train Exchange, and several hobby shops. As with many other aspects of our lives, you have to expect to shop around.
Walthers gets most of my hobby money because (1) they have a great selection of products, (2) they ship the same or next day, (3) their customer service staff is very professional, (4) their technical support is also very good, and (5) they know how to treat customers (they have replaced parts of kits that I destroyed, free of charge, even though I made it clear that I had ruined them, and explained how I ruined them).
I could save money by ordering from a LHS, but mine doesn't cater to model railroaders, and keeps intermittent hours. The nearest LHS that does cater to my hobby is 100 miles away through the Cascades, an unpleasant 2 to 3 hour drive each way in the winter (if you don't have to chain up). I have spoken with several LHS staff in other regions who claim to beat Walthers prices, but ordering from a shop in North Carolina, who orders from Walthers in Wisconsin for delivery to NC, who would then ship to me in Oregon, is just not practical, not to mention taking 2 or 3 times as long to receive my products.
The bottom line is, as many others have posted in this thread, shop where you are appreciated and you get satisfaction.
It is hoped my allegiance to Walthers will not provoke a continuing discussion about their inability or unwillingness to satisfy every need. This is just my humble opinion.
Wilton.
MB Klein was once a great full line model train store who also had great prices, But they have changed with the times and are not just a big discount Internet vendor like many others.
I remember as they were moving from their old location they cleared out a lot of the detail parts and such. They knew that stuff would not sell as well over the net and the net was their future marketing plan.
After they first moved, buying stuff from the retail store, that was in the "warehouse", was actually difficult. They changed that after a number of old customers simply walked out - I was one.
Rick and everyone,
I have been saying this for years, the day is comming soon when the only hobby shops left wil be those big enough to buy EVERYTHING direct. And many manufacturers of the more specialized products will only sell direct to the public, or offer a small wholesale discount to those "large" retailers, but again distributors will be cut out complelely.
Do you think there are and "distributors" in the supply chain at Wal Mart? Of course not - always low prices, always.
Bowser will do well and is already postioning themselves to do even more direct to customer sales.
It is comming, and Walthers will eventually adapt by getting out of the distributor business, and maybe out of even mail order retail of other brands.
But what do I know, I'm just a hick with a pickup, some guns, and some little trains without brains who use to work in this business.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL dti406 HaroldA Now at the risk of inflaming a few people, many times we will say we need to support our LHS. I don't because the 'train guy' is rude and obnoxious. I few years ago I went in there asking to purchase some Shinohara turnouts to which he said, and I quote, 'Old man Shinohara isn't making anything anymore.' I went to MB Klein and purchased everything I needed, at a lower price and have done so several times since. So why should I support my LHS? I checked MB Klein, they seem to only care about the RTR crowd, they have 44 Cal-Scale Parts in stock, 1 Details West, "0" Plano, and "0" Detail Associates (among others). I have more parts in one of my parts drawers! So now where do you go. Rick J The nice people at Bowser have all thre of those product lines in stock and waiting for your order. It seems like common sense to me - buy the product from the people who have expressed an interst in your business by having the prdouct available. http://www.bowserorders.com/.sc/ms/sch/ee?search=DETAILS+WEST Sheldon
dti406 HaroldA Now at the risk of inflaming a few people, many times we will say we need to support our LHS. I don't because the 'train guy' is rude and obnoxious. I few years ago I went in there asking to purchase some Shinohara turnouts to which he said, and I quote, 'Old man Shinohara isn't making anything anymore.' I went to MB Klein and purchased everything I needed, at a lower price and have done so several times since. So why should I support my LHS? I checked MB Klein, they seem to only care about the RTR crowd, they have 44 Cal-Scale Parts in stock, 1 Details West, "0" Plano, and "0" Detail Associates (among others). I have more parts in one of my parts drawers! So now where do you go. Rick J
HaroldA Now at the risk of inflaming a few people, many times we will say we need to support our LHS. I don't because the 'train guy' is rude and obnoxious. I few years ago I went in there asking to purchase some Shinohara turnouts to which he said, and I quote, 'Old man Shinohara isn't making anything anymore.' I went to MB Klein and purchased everything I needed, at a lower price and have done so several times since. So why should I support my LHS?
Now at the risk of inflaming a few people, many times we will say we need to support our LHS. I don't because the 'train guy' is rude and obnoxious. I few years ago I went in there asking to purchase some Shinohara turnouts to which he said, and I quote, 'Old man Shinohara isn't making anything anymore.' I went to MB Klein and purchased everything I needed, at a lower price and have done so several times since. So why should I support my LHS?
I checked MB Klein, they seem to only care about the RTR crowd, they have 44 Cal-Scale Parts in stock, 1 Details West, "0" Plano, and "0" Detail Associates (among others). I have more parts in one of my parts drawers! So now where do you go.
Rick J
The nice people at Bowser have all thre of those product lines in stock and waiting for your order.
It seems like common sense to me - buy the product from the people who have expressed an interst in your business by having the prdouct available.
http://www.bowserorders.com/.sc/ms/sch/ee?search=DETAILS+WEST
Sorry Sheldon, I was being sarcastic in that all these people think MB Klein is the best vendor out there, and he is not! I intend to order from Bowser for the parts I need as they have them. Also my Plano Parts from Plano as he has them and very reasonable shipping charges.
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
I received an e-mail from Walthers this morning wondering if I wanted to keep my backorder or not. This is kind of a special day for me. It's been TWO YEARS since I ordered a pair of old time rolling stock. I got the baggage/mail car but the passenger coach was B.O.'ed. I have since acquired two similar cars AND a locomotive for less than the cost of the two cars from Walthers. I guess I'll now have a three car train or a two car and one for sale. Haven't decided which yet. BTW the cars I ordered were listed at the time as available and on sale. Guess you can put anything you don't have on sale. Prefer to haunt my LHS and have gotten great deals! A turntable listed a Walthers for less than half price and NIOB to boot! I check out things in Walthers and go to my 2 LHS to buy. Works for me.
God's Best & Happy Rails to You!
Bing (RIPRR The Route of the Buzzards)
The future: Dead Rail Society
IRONROOSTERYou need to check Amazon out, they sell trains. It's under toys and games, search for whatever you want. I won't say it's all there, but there is a bunch.
I was there the other day. It seems to be many Model Power kits, some Walthers kits. a few accessories and some train sets. It doesn't appear Amazon actually stocks these - rather the business is contracted out.
I bring that point up because first and foremost we are customers. Virtually everything we use starts with us making a purchase somewhere. So many times in this forum we have carped about what are really customer service issues - this thread being one of those times. The question is, why should have to tolerate poor customer service? Granted many of the companies we deal with have captive markets/products but I believe there are always alternatives.
We are customers first and if we demand good service then maybe, over time, we will get it. In the meantime support those people/companies who are reliable. responsive, and provide good products at a reasonable price. If we buying anything else this is what we would do - why should model RR be any different?
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
HaroldA Walthers I hope you are listening. A few posts ago I said that if Amazon ever got into the model RR business they would give Walthers a run for their money. To illustrate this, I am an Amazon Prime customer mainly because I own a Kindle. That said, Amazon's inventory is, for me, always accurate and when I order anything from them it is on my doorstep 2 days later - no exceptions - and always at a lower price than I can find it anywhere else. When I have had a question or problem, which is very rare, they are very responsive and always resolve it in my favor. So, if I can purchase anything I will always do so from Amazon. That said, much of what you all have written about are really customer service issues. There are many mail order companies that can take a lesson from them and, frankly, based on what some of you have said, Walthers needs to listen.
Walthers I hope you are listening.
A few posts ago I said that if Amazon ever got into the model RR business they would give Walthers a run for their money. To illustrate this, I am an Amazon Prime customer mainly because I own a Kindle. That said, Amazon's inventory is, for me, always accurate and when I order anything from them it is on my doorstep 2 days later - no exceptions - and always at a lower price than I can find it anywhere else. When I have had a question or problem, which is very rare, they are very responsive and always resolve it in my favor. So, if I can purchase anything I will always do so from Amazon.
That said, much of what you all have written about are really customer service issues. There are many mail order companies that can take a lesson from them and, frankly, based on what some of you have said, Walthers needs to listen.
You need to check Amazon out, they sell trains. It's under toys and games, search for whatever you want. I won't say it's all there, but there is a bunch.
Enjoy
Paul
BRAKIE dti406My LHS owner told me to order direct, and has no problems with that. He does not have an account at Bowser although he does at a lot of other suppliers. He has always done a good job in getting me the parts and stuff I need. ------------------------------------------- Walthers carries Bowser and Cal Scale..Couldn't he just add the needed items on his next Walthers order? Now for the record if that was my shop I would have a account with Bowser since they're a major player.
dti406My LHS owner told me to order direct, and has no problems with that. He does not have an account at Bowser although he does at a lot of other suppliers. He has always done a good job in getting me the parts and stuff I need.
-------------------------------------------
Walthers carries Bowser and Cal Scale..Couldn't he just add the needed items on his next Walthers order?
Now for the record if that was my shop I would have a account with Bowser since they're a major player.
Larry,
Respectfully you need to go back to the beginning of the thread. That was the whole problem, Walthers told the LHS they could not get the items from Bowser - but Bowser DOES have them in stock.
And I agree with you, who runs a model train store today and does not have an account with Bowser? I don't get that one bit?
HaroldA I am coming in late on this discussion so I read the first and last page of posts. It's interesting how our discussions manage to take turns from the original topic posed by the OP - and I am not complaining - just making an observation.
I am coming in late on this discussion so I read the first and last page of posts. It's interesting how our discussions manage to take turns from the original topic posed by the OP - and I am not complaining - just making an observation.
I am reposting because half of what I wrote didn't get on the forum....
Anyway, what I continued to say was - returning to the original topic - I only order from places that actually have the inventory and then only after I call. The only places I trust on line inventory numbers are Amazon - who doesn't carry RR material - and MB Klein. Speaking of Amazon, I think if they ever got into the model RR business I believe they would give Walthers a run for their money.
That is the definition of a discussion, or a conversation for that matter.
Rich
Alton Junction
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Sheldon,
My LHS owner told me to order direct, and has no problems with that. He does not have an account at Bowser although he does at a lot of other suppliers. He has always done a good job in getting me the parts and stuff I need.
Amazingly enough most of his customers are N Scaler's and he does a brisk business in selling Lionel and doing Lionel repairs. HO scaler's are a minor business percentage of his and I appreciate his efforts on my behalf, and he is only about 5 miles from my house. All the other LHS's are much further away.
Walter's calls him every Wed to let him know what back orders are shipping and if he needs anything else. So the Walther's sales people are not the problem it is the Inventory Managers.
dti406 A while back I ordered some Cal-Scale and Accurail parts for some projects I am working on from my LHS to get through Walther's. They all come back as Back Ordered! I go on Bowser's website and the Cal-Scale parts I want are in stock, I go on Accurail's website and the parts I want are in stock. Remember I ordered one of these parts over a year ago and the other about 6 months ago. I sent an E-mail to Walther's and they answer that they cannot get the parts from the suppliers. I want to support my LHS but Walther's makes that impossible what can we as consumers do to rectify this situation? Rick J
A while back I ordered some Cal-Scale and Accurail parts for some projects I am working on from my LHS to get through Walther's. They all come back as Back Ordered!
I go on Bowser's website and the Cal-Scale parts I want are in stock, I go on Accurail's website and the parts I want are in stock. Remember I ordered one of these parts over a year ago and the other about 6 months ago.
I sent an E-mail to Walther's and they answer that they cannot get the parts from the suppliers.
I want to support my LHS but Walther's makes that impossible what can we as consumers do to rectify this situation?
This might explain why I have the Atlas rubbish containers, but still don't have the container flat cars
to put them on.
Both where ordered together a considerable time ago at my local hobby shop
regards John
dti406 When I started this thread, I did not mention anything about price or profits or RTR etc. All I wanted was the items to be in stock at Walther's when they are in stock at the manufacturer and one of the items has been on back order for over a year. I want to support my LHS by ordering these parts through the LHS but Walther's for whatever reason will not order these parts from Cal-Scale or Accurail even though they are on B/O. If I ran a business and somebody ordered something I did not have I would be busting my buns to get that ordered to have a happy customer. Rick J
When I started this thread, I did not mention anything about price or profits or RTR etc. All I wanted was the items to be in stock at Walther's when they are in stock at the manufacturer and one of the items has been on back order for over a year. I want to support my LHS by ordering these parts through the LHS but Walther's for whatever reason will not order these parts from Cal-Scale or Accurail even though they are on B/O.
If I ran a business and somebody ordered something I did not have I would be busting my buns to get that ordered to have a happy customer.
Rick, As everyone as explained at great length and detail, if your LHS is unwilling to get those items then you need a better LHS or need to be willing to call up Bowser and get them yourself.
I have read some really crazy replies in this thread, and while I understand the business practices of inventory management that some are explaining, that stuff still defies common sense in this case - this is not Sears or WalMart.
Ordering from Bowser is easy for your LHS, and if they don't have an account, Bowser will take their credit card - many small businesses do business that way today with vendors they only use on occasion.
Point still remains, it is clear from their actions that Walthers is not interested in supplying your LHS, and possibly that your LHS is not real interested in supplying you - I would shop elsewhere.
Pick up the phone, order what you need direct from Bowser, and let Walthers and your LHS miss out on the sale. Bowser will make ALL the profit, insuring that they are able to sell you the next batch of parts you need.
I ordered 15 building kits last week from my LHS. I hope they won't be back ordered.
maxman BRAKIE No you wouldn't. I really understand your desire to support your LHS. But somewhere along the way you need to starting thinking about how much money and effort it would take for either Walthers or your LHS to order that item (or items) you want from Calscale or Accurail. Do you think that Walthers would remain in business if they dropped whatever they are doing to generate the paperwork to place an order for your item from Bowser, pay for someone to receive it and re-ship it to your LHS, and then pay someone else to bill the LHS? ------------------------------ Paper work? What decade are you living in? My LHS does his ordering by computer just like I do when I order things. Most full service hobby shops already has a account with the major players-it just good business sense---if the shop wishes to stay in business.. . Besides..Did you know Accurail,Bowser and Cal Scale is carried by Walthers along with hundreds of other manufacturers? http://www.walthers.com/exec/manulist Walthers is no small time outfit..They have order pickers that fills the orders from shops,their on line and catalog sales.That's what Walthers does.. Did you know Walthers also carries railroad DVDs? HO Slot Cars? Obviously you mis-understood what I said. First off, I live in this century where margins are a lot less than what they used to be. And with slim margins, it stands to reason that any business owner who wishes to remain in business is going to apply his resources in a manner that brings him the most return for his effort. And if that means that he is going to cater to a certain portion of his potential clientele, and only stock that which he can readily turn over, I guess I have to live with that. I don't expect anyone to jump through hoops waiting for me to order that Calscale blowdown valve assembly that hasn't been sold by that shop for the past ten years, if ever. Secondly, I'm well aware of what Walthers lists in their catalog. And yes, I understand that they have pickers and grinners. They also have someone in charge of inventory. That person is not going to have his job for very long if he orders/stocks every item in the Calscale catalog waiting for Mr. OP to place an order for a single part. Now if Mr. OP were to order 25 different parts in quantity, and ordered on a weekly basis, then I believe that would be a different story. Third, exactly which companies are you considering "major players"? Would you consider Evergreen Scale Models a major player? I would, at least if I wanted plastic. However, as I stated in a previous post, when Mr. LHS was willing to order directly from them for items not ordinarily carried by his distributors he had to prove to them that he actually had a brick and mortar establishment. I don't know exactly what this involved, but I suspect it was more than a ten minute operation. Finally, I know a little about "providing good service", and what that entails. I worked for a portion of one of the conglomerates. One of my jobs along the way was to process part orders. Sometimes my customers would call looking for obscure things that had once been supplied by us, but were now supplied by another portion of the company. I would go out of my way to track down what they were looking for. Made them very happy. But those parts did not bring in any profit to the people who were paying me, plus it diluted the time I should have been spending doing what I was being paid for.
BRAKIE No you wouldn't. I really understand your desire to support your LHS. But somewhere along the way you need to starting thinking about how much money and effort it would take for either Walthers or your LHS to order that item (or items) you want from Calscale or Accurail. Do you think that Walthers would remain in business if they dropped whatever they are doing to generate the paperwork to place an order for your item from Bowser, pay for someone to receive it and re-ship it to your LHS, and then pay someone else to bill the LHS? ------------------------------ Paper work? What decade are you living in? My LHS does his ordering by computer just like I do when I order things. Most full service hobby shops already has a account with the major players-it just good business sense---if the shop wishes to stay in business.. . Besides..Did you know Accurail,Bowser and Cal Scale is carried by Walthers along with hundreds of other manufacturers? http://www.walthers.com/exec/manulist Walthers is no small time outfit..They have order pickers that fills the orders from shops,their on line and catalog sales.That's what Walthers does.. Did you know Walthers also carries railroad DVDs? HO Slot Cars?
No you wouldn't. I really understand your desire to support your LHS. But somewhere along the way you need to starting thinking about how much money and effort it would take for either Walthers or your LHS to order that item (or items) you want from Calscale or Accurail. Do you think that Walthers would remain in business if they dropped whatever they are doing to generate the paperwork to place an order for your item from Bowser, pay for someone to receive it and re-ship it to your LHS, and then pay someone else to bill the LHS?
------------------------------
Paper work? What decade are you living in? My LHS does his ordering by computer just like I do when I order things.
Most full service hobby shops already has a account with the major players-it just good business sense---if the shop wishes to stay in business.. .
Besides..Did you know Accurail,Bowser and Cal Scale is carried by Walthers along with hundreds of other manufacturers?
http://www.walthers.com/exec/manulist
Walthers is no small time outfit..They have order pickers that fills the orders from shops,their on line and catalog sales.That's what Walthers does..
Did you know Walthers also carries railroad DVDs? HO Slot Cars?
I understood what you said..Walthers survives by service and pays employees to do that picking and packing as well as having a accounts payable section..Even Evergreen has a on line ordering department as does Atlas and every major player you can think of..Even the small Mom & Pop operations will pick and pack orders.
A hobby shop isn't a corporation its a small business that survives or fails on service-fail to keep your customer satisfied he will go elsewhere or order it his self and that means another lost sale.Its that simple.
Even your customers will go to your competitor in order to get their items-your company will loose money with each lost sale and a red bottom line means layoffs or closure.No company or hobby shop can survive on red ink-every sale counts toward the bottom line not just the big orders..
dti406 When I started this thread, I did not mention anything about price or profits or RTR etc. All I wanted was the items to be in stock at Walther's when they are in stock at the manufacturer and one of the items has been on back order for over a year.
When I started this thread, I did not mention anything about price or profits or RTR etc. All I wanted was the items to be in stock at Walther's when they are in stock at the manufacturer and one of the items has been on back order for over a year.
It's called a conversation. The forum is like any conversation. Someone starts it, others join in by responding. In the process, other issues are raised as part of the conversation.
If the rules of the forum required that all replies strictly hold to the original question, it was fully answered within the first four replies and should have been locked at that point.
dti406 If I ran a business and somebody ordered something I did not have I would be busting my buns to get that ordered to have a happy customer.
Same thing with the LHS. Someone has to generate an order with Bowser. If they don't have an account, they have to establish one. Then they have all the same paperwork as Walthers.
I don't know how Walthers operates, but I suspect that someone keeps track of inventory as well as how often items in inventory turn over. I don't know what particular items you are looking for, but if it is something that they haven't had any call for why would anyone expect them to have that item, plus every other item Bowser sells, on a shelf waiting hopefully for someone to order?
BRAKIE Russell,Maybe I should have said some? I've had several to fall off on these boxcars:5347,5277s,and the 5344.. The last three I purchase had at least one step laying in the car's tray.One(LVRC) had two. Again its a very easy fix.
Russell,Maybe I should have said some? I've had several to fall off on these boxcars:5347,5277s,and the 5344..
The last three I purchase had at least one step laying in the car's tray.One(LVRC) had two.
Again its a very easy fix.
This is the new definition of a "KIT."
My point: Production values and productivity have made great leaps in the past 50 years. I expect my inflation-adjusted money to buy a LOT more than it did back then. So what-your-money-bought-then comparisons are of very limited utility, because NO amount of money would buy you a lot of what we have now (DCC, for one obvious example).
You're forgetting something. The MR market for HO was a lot more homogeneous then than it is now. It's fragmented into a lot of mini-markets (micro-markets, actually), markets that wouldn't have been served at all 50 years ago. You couldn't get a Maine Central GP7 50 years ago, let alone be able to get 4 separate road numbers. However, Athearn's got some, in stock according to their site http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=gp7loco+ATHG&CatID=THLD&RN=MEC . They've also done MEC F3's, both in the orginal B&M inspired maroon and gold as well as the later green and gold. How many people model the Maine Central and in the time period when you could see those engines painted like that? Certainly not a large target market, but somehow it's being served.
You are getting more for your money in the incredible variety of product that's being offered in an amazing variety of variants. Of course, what the fragmentation of a previously relatively homogeneous market has meant is that production has to batched and production runs have to be relatively small to serve any given micro-market at any given time. There isn't any other way to do it given the relatively small overall market (HO in this case) and the variety of mini/micro-markets.
If you don't understand the concept of a mini/micro market, I'll give you an example. Joe Fugate and I are both SP fans. Same market, right? Wrong. Joe's interested in the SP in the 1980's and I'm interested in the SP for the period roughly between 1947 and 1954. This pretty much means we're in two separate markets for major items like locomotives and rolling stock. Amazingly, Athearn can actually sell stuff to the both of us, but the items will be totally different because we're in two distinct markets. In many respects, I have more in common with someone modeling the NYC in the early 50's than I have with a fellow SP fan who happens to go for tunnel motors painted gray and red whereas I prefer Black Widow,Tiger Stripe and steam power.
I'd love it if all the manufacturers were 1947-1954 SP all the time. I know probably 5 or 6 people who would agree with me and 1 who would grimace a bit, but bear it since he's going to be building a layout depicting the area between Gilroy and Salinas (including the Monterey Branch) as it was in 1943. Of course, backdating to 1943 means getting rid of his diesel power, making sure that the steam locomotives are lettered Southern Pacific Lines rather than Southern Pacific and that the lettering is smaller. He's also going to need to gear his motive power more to 2-8-0's, 4-6-0's and light 4-6-2's which are, unfortunately, only really available in brass.
RTR rolling stock prices are absolutely outrageous. When the same car as a $10 kit costs $30 RTR and the assembly labor is getting one or two bucks an hour, somebody in the chain between manufacturer and customer is cleaning up on these RTR prices.
Where are you finding $10 kits? According to the Atlas site, the former Branchline series of kits are going for around $16/ea unless they're undecorated, in which case they're a buck cheaper. As far as the Athearn RTR equipment based on the old BB kits, the painting and graphics are light years ahead of what was available when the BB kits were still being made.
In 1957, I bought an Athearn ATSF caboose kit for $1.98. In 2008, just out of pure nostalgia, I bought the RTR version for $18.98. The $1.98 in 1957 was the equivalent of $15.17 in 2008 dollars. The painting and graphics alone as far as I'm concerned justify the higher relative price (we'll forget about the crappy 1957 trucks with the rubber "spring" inserts, plastic wheels and those abysmal X2F couplers).
It just boggles my mind that people think there are enormous profits to be made in the MR business. Apparently, it's never occurred to anyone that MSRP's may be inflated not so much to make a huge profit, but to allow for retailers to discount 20 to 30% from inflated MSRP's back to where the bloody things would actually sell if people weren't so hell-bent on convincing themselves they're getting a bargain. If Athearn lowered MSRP's by 20% across the board, would people be then willing to pay MSRP? Nope. They'd want an additional 15-20% off. Even if Athearn (or anyone else) were selling items below the cost of production, there'd be people insisting on discounts and complaining about prices.
Andre
keithh9824I do miss the BB locos though i think the drives on the ready to run are not as Robust as the blue box.
Most are ok..My beloved GATX GP38-2 started whining..The flywheel came loose on the cab end..A easy fix and all is smiles again. However,of late I been preferring older P2K,Atlas yellow and red box locomotives since Athearn seems to be upgrading some of their more popular RTR locomotives to Genesis..I won't play their game.