Once again its time to dream and hope, no matter how bad your luck runs, about winning MR's annual contest.
Knowing I don't stand a snowballs chance, I entered anyway, then I noticed something. The rules. It states the $2,000 dollars worth of goodies has to come from Trainworld.com. Also it goes on to state : Kalmbach Publishing Co. shall not be liable for any injury, loss, damage, cost or expense arising, directly or indirectly, in connection with sweepstakes and the prize awarded. I'm assuming that this means shipping too? That could be a chunk of change!
I'm wondering why they took this route, and not the "Support your local hobby shop" route. I'm sure Trainworld is gonna love it, my LHS wouldn't be so thrilled if my snowball made it to be a winner.
Remember, I said IF,,,,,real big IF,,,,in fact HUGE IF!!
Karl
NCE über alles!
Well, it's gotta come from somewhere. As a former clerk, I can tell you it's a lot easier keeping track of a single vendor for something like this than dealing with invoices from multiple sources.
My guess is that you could use part of the $2000 to cover shipping. Or spend it all on trains and pay for the shipping myself. No matter how you slice it, you're $2000 ahead in your hobby budget and I call that being a winner any day.
I'm unlikely to be a winner. My luck with these things has never been good and I think I used up all my luck recently. For the first time in my life, I won a Coors Refresherator, which for some dumb reason I entered the contest for it at the grocery while the wife was picking out chickens. Got no idea what I'll do with it. I don't drink beer anymore (sometimes a cider still tastes good), quit drinking out of cans years ago, and never drank Coors Light I may have to slap a Pabst Placard on it and give it to my brother for Xmas.
I'd much rather win trains, no matter where they come from.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Weren't prior sweepstakes channeled through an LHS? I guess that's advertising for Trainworld?
An LHS owner/employee in my area mentioned a few years ago that he had won the BLI "new release for life", or something to that effect. (Basically, he received a new release every time one came out.) I thought as an LHS owner/employee that he would be ineligible to enter something like that - even if it were for his own layout.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
In all probability, Trainworld sponsored the contest. If you are lucky enough to win, say "Thank you" and try not to whine like a spoiled child who didn't get the present he wanted for Christmas.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Yup, I'm sure that Trainworld is putting up the prize.
LION wants to win.
LION has positive attitude
Trainworld *is* the LHS of LION who lives in North Dakota.
LION visits their store each year, even if him buys nothing.
LION wants more subway trains. So if LION wins, the kids at Trainworld already know what to send to me.
ROAR...
And I will be happy to pay the shipping. It is far cheaper than carrying them home with me on an airplane.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
At least for HO, Trainworld has really good prices and has a lot of selection. I have found models or road numbers that I missed on. By waiting I was able to save a buck or two
tstage I thought as an LHS owner/employee that he would be ineligible to enter something like that - even if it were for his own layout.
Could've been a sales contest, which might be nothing but LHS owners, etc.
Karl,
Many laws in many states {in fact maybe federal laws too} require that a "prize" be made available upon inspection to regulators as "AVAILABLE" for the winner.
If it is CASH, they must provide the bank account to inspectors holding said CASH "prize".
In the event it is , say, a CAR, either the car must have been purchased and ON HAND for the inspectors, OR a PARTICULAR DEALER is to handle the "winning CAR". Said Dealer MUST have at least ONE of the model the winner is supposed to get IN STOCK for the inspectors.A CAR CAN be shipped to a local dealer SOMETIMES.
If it is say, a VACATION to NEVER NEVER LAND, the Hotel, and accutrements{trappings} must be lined up to be BOOKED AT THE TIME THEY travel within a time frame.
If it is a "XXX...OR CASH" Prize, again the cash must be shown to be "ON HAND".
Therefore, Kalmbach MUST have a company able to supply the winner with the winning goods! and Your LHS MAY NOT be able to have the "stock on hand" for $2K winner like the VERY LARGE Trainland/Trainworld Company does.
Adn YES, usually, I say usually, the prizes DO NOT INCLUDE:
!}Taxes owed state and/or Federal;
2}any "handling fees" associated with the producing of the winning goods, geting it to you {to include S&H};
3}any fees associated with things lIke TRAVEL expenses to GET TO the "winning destination"; any fees or taxes owed or due on such winnings when traveling {port fees, airport fees, tips, etc} FOr Vacations won.
4} any taxes/licensing/insuring of a CAR to be shipped to, or delivered thorugh your local dealer
5} ANY Other such costs/expenses to be born by the winner.
Often times, "winning" costs MORE than the item/items/things would have straight out. FOr example a CAR can cost 1/2 the sticker price in TAXES!
Winning a "NEW HOUSE" is NO picnick either! Usually a MODULAR, it is stored until "delivery" and It must be shipped, placed or built on your lot and foundation At YOUR EXPENSE. I KNEW The winner of a "PEPSI NEW HOUSE": Cost them $158K total for the "free house" in Taxes, lot, foundation, shipping and well, septic, electric/utiltiy hookups AND the areas avaialable to them for the shipping limits meant it was NOWHERE NEAR where they {and I} lived, so they sold it at a "loss of the value of the FREE House". HGTV winners of the FREE HOUSES, find the taxes are half the costs of the HOUSE WON, and often not in a location they would have choosen.
I won a vacation ONCE. AND ONLY ONCE, It cost me 2/3rds what it would have in fees and expenses to: get there to USE my FREE VACATION, and in taxes/fees owed, and nominal expenses like MEALS that were not included.
I learned A LONG TIME AGO: NOTHING is for FREE!!
AND I learned NOT to enter "winner contests" unless you are willing to pay for it, except maybe the ocassional lottery ticket, which WILL COST ME A TRIP TO ALBANY TO CLAIM, and roughly 40%-50% in TAXES to get it!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
mlehman tstage I thought as an LHS owner/employee that he would be ineligible to enter something like that - even if it were for his own layout. Could've been a sales contest, which might be nothing but LHS owners, etc.
What I do remember of the contest, Mike, it was definitely geared to the public. That's what raised my eyebrow.
kbkchoochIt states the $2,000 dollars worth of goodies has to come from Trainworld.com.
The rules don't say that the prize is $2000 to be spent wherever you want. The prize happens to be $2000 to be spent at TrainWorld. Just as first prize (worth $1000) comes from Woodland Scenics, second prize (worth $750) comes from Walthers, and so forth. I don't see any distinction between these.
However, if you do happen to win the grand prize and are unhappy with it, the rules also state that if you don't complete the required paperwork within 14 days an alternate winner may be drawn. That being the case, I'd be happy to take that gift certificate off your hands since I really have no use for the Woodland Scenics $1000 gift certificate that has my name on it.
That $2000 will go further at Trainworld than at most stores, even with the shipping. So, they are doing you a favor. Trainworld also has a large selection in all the major gauges. They ship fast, too.
Still, if they gave me the money with the only restriction being that I had to spend it at a train shop, I would go to my LHS and go crazy. He's been there for me ever since I came back to the hobby, and if I had the chance to share the wealth, that's where I'd rather do it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
mlehman. No matter how you slice it, you're $2000 ahead in your hobby budget and I call that being a winner any day.
Oh I agree Mike, in fact I'd be flippin overjoyed with the shot in the arm it would give my train budget! My eyebrows just got raised when I saw that all the goodies had to come from Trainworld. A company that I normally would not do business with, mainly because I have an amazing local shop, in fact, 5 good shops within an hours drive from my house. I don't normally go out of my "network" of shops, because I want them to stay as they are.
Funny, as I am typing this, there is a large Trainworld banner to the right side of the forum. Maybe they made the free trains for free advertising swap?
However, upon further reflection I did think of 1 benefit for me. If I won (There's that IF again) At least part of the shipping charges (which I'm sure it would incur) would be offset by the fact that I wouldn't be paying taxes as I would here.
Oh, and Dave, I wouldn't be whining IF (there it is again!) I won. It hard to whine when you are passed out on the floor!
Thanks for pointing out the sweepstakes. I entered online.
Trainworld is one of those places I already shop. And I won't have any trouble spending it there.
Same for Woodland Scenics.
Enjoy
Paul
hmmm
If you have to buy something to win, Isn't that considered gambling and subject to gambling rules?
I have to put up $2000 to have a chance to win.
Just saying.
Lee
Delete all I misunderstood.