Why Limited Runs, Why?

Steve Mann Feb 12, 2008

  1. Doug A.

    Doug A. TrainBoard Supporter

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    Joe,

    Most retail hobby establishments I've dealt with are so out of touch with reality its no wonder you guys have trouble.
     
  2. Tony Burzio

    Tony Burzio TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like the idea of finally abolishing the Mom&Pop hobby shop all together. It's only causing more pain, watching them die off one at a time. We are quite nicely served by the 10 big Internet retailers anyway. I look forward to the day when a shop like WigWag branches out with new store fronts. Connected together via computer, all the goods in each of their stores would still be one virtual inventory. Keep the stores in borderline dangerous industrial areas :tb-tongue: and you could keep the costs down. Another train company tried the chain concept, but they were list+ and did not have the computer inventory with Internet access. You need to have each store coordinated, even if it's just to rotate stock between stores.

    If you find the concept familiar, you should. It's Walmart!
     
  3. ctxm

    ctxm TrainBoard Member

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    And what benefit would that be? Seems like storefronts would just raise the final costs? I find using MBKlein or Feather river trains easier than driving to a store...dave
     
  4. Tony Burzio

    Tony Burzio TrainBoard Supporter

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    They're not store fronts, they are distributed warehouses so that shipping is faster across the country. They just happen to have a public store as a side effect... :tb-cool:
     
  5. ctxm

    ctxm TrainBoard Member

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    Does that make them cost less than a central location? N stuff is pretty small, a manufacturer or dealer could probably fit all their stock into one location with one set of staff?....dave
     
  6. Doug A.

    Doug A. TrainBoard Supporter

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    I agree, keep the centralized inventory, no stores except kiosks at the craft store chains that have a drop box for no-fee returns with auth, marketing materials, hi-def display with product announcments, etc. Keep the standard craft-store one aisle of inventory for basics....cork, rail joiners, WS stuff, Readytrack/unitrack, a little this, a little that.
     
  7. Tony Burzio

    Tony Burzio TrainBoard Supporter

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    The problem is that you would then miss the 10% of the market which is made up of new customers and walk-ins. This market is viable IF you have enough buying power to sell to walk-ins at mail-order prices. Perhaps basics like paint and a few nice train sets would be enough? I don't know. All I know is that the hobby shop as we know it is not sustainable.
     
  8. Steve Mann

    Steve Mann TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the web links. That helps, a little. I knew people here on TB would know of e-tailers out there I havn't heard of.
    Pre-ordering is a must now days, but it still irks me when the pre-order is "sold out." I still think a money down customer by customer marketing approach after an initial run is a better way to do things. When it comes right down to it, I'd have to end up having someone else detail, paint, decal an engine which doubles the cost in the end. This 19 year old just doesn't want to mess up a project. Also, when decal companies are the same, it's hard to paint and decal your own things.
     
  9. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    I would be curious to know how train shows fit into the current economic picture. I myself spend a non-negligible fraction of my annual (train) budget at the quarterly Timonium show where hordes of east coast dealers come together. Great place to find bargains, unexpected items, or just to browse. Shows like this probably also reach a lot more walk-ins than a "mom & pop" would. Do others do the same?

    The bulk of my remaining spending is done through Chuck/FRT or Kleins. Alas Kleins is just far enough away that the ~2 hours of travel time and $15 of gas factor in to the equation (if I want to go and browse).

    Cheers,
    Gary

    P.S. I think Chuck would consider himself a "pop". ;)
     
  10. William Cowie

    William Cowie TrainBoard Member

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  11. TexasNS

    TexasNS TrainBoard Member

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    I think there are several reasons why the hobby shop as it is today won't survive. I live in one of the largest cities in the US and, unlike many places, I actually have several choices in where I spend my hobby dollar. However, as someone alluded to earlier, how much does it cost to go to the store to pick up something I want? There are plenty of e-tailers where I shop and I always consider the shipping and handling when I figure in the actual cost of what I'm buying. I think most of us would agree that it's always better to "buy in bulk" to save when it comes to S&H. But if I go drive 30 or 50 miles to go pick up a few things at one of my local shops, what did it just cost to go? Let's face it - gas isn't going to go back down to $.75 a gallon (I am just young enough to remember that).

    When you factor in that it is generally going to cost me about an extra 10% at a hobby shop, AND I have to factor in the 8.25% sales tax here in the Republic of Texas, I have to think that it is more cost-effective to buy online.

    I think most N scale types tend to buy more rolling stock than our larger-scale brethren (due to our more efficient use of layout space) so I don't think most of us think twice about buying six of one car or three of another so when we shop I doubt that we only buy one thing at a time - that goes back to the economy of S&H or transportation costs (making it worth our while to make the drive or keeping the cost per item down for shipping), unless of course it's a single locomotive or that one car that we just "have" to have on that auction site that we've been looking for since the day N scale was born.

    In today's world I think it is easier than ever to develop "personal" relationships to a certain extent with e-tailers. How many of us use email, IM, etc to keep in touch on a daily basis? Most of my generation, and those coming after me, have fully embraced the smaller digital world. Trainboard itself is a great example of building cyber relationships that are meaningful, fulfilling even, without ever having met. These same things are possible with places of business, and as technology evolves hobby shops will have to change to suit people's idea of commerce in the modern sense.
     
  12. J Long

    J Long E-Mail Bounces

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    Well OK. You steered me straight. Micro Trains has given me the impression of limited edition with terms like "series" or "releases". Dealers are known to hype your products as limited edition such as with your state cars. The most I payed for an MT car was $32 for an MKT Heritage hopper that was hyped as limited edition. I paid it because I liked it. I've never seen such beautiful, crisp graphics. It is running on my layout, BTW.
     
  13. wig-wag-trains.com

    wig-wag-trains.com Advertiser

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    Plenty remain available. FIVE runs were done 09/2001, 05/2002, 10/2002, 05/2004, 07/0225.

    A new run is likely to be announced soon.
     
  14. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Are you going to propose legislation to accomplish this? When you say "abolish" it sounds like you are pushing for some sort of law. Some things, like slavery, are worthy of abolition, but I don't think you're going to get a groundswell of support to forcibly shutter every hobby shop across the land.

    I like my LHS and I get hints and tips and advice (even if it is to buy the cheaper of a couple items for my particular project) that I can't get easily from an e-tailer. I also like to hold something in my hand and spin the wheels, or run it on a test track, and I can't do that online. They also tend to carry stuff more specific to my roadname (PNWR/WPRR) than anyone based online and ostensibly somewhere else in the country, and they are responsive to my requests for items.
     
  15. Steve Mann

    Steve Mann TrainBoard Member

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    *Slaps forehead* Wig-Wag. Of course! That's great to see all of those, even the Pepsi Can Amtrak.
     
  16. J Long

    J Long E-Mail Bounces

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    Etail cannot compare to a well stocked LHS. An LHS is a great escape from the daily grind and gives you instant gratification. You get to browse the merchandise hands on and pick through it all. You can test run engines. They supply modeling supplies you need instantly.
     
  17. Tony Burzio

    Tony Burzio TrainBoard Supporter

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    "Abolish", as in remove the requirement that a vendor have a brick and mortar store to be a Micro Trains dealer.

    What do you call a bus full of lawyers with one empty seat going over a cliff?
    A shame! :tb-tongue:
     
  18. zztop

    zztop TrainBoard Member

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    You do not need a brick and mortar to be a MT dealer. The purchase requirements are much higher though. Other big distributors do require the brick and mortar to purchase through tem.
     
  19. GregK

    GregK TrainBoard Member

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    I'm pretty sure Joe was being sarcastic. Note the Walmart reference. Walmart: great if you like low prices, evil if you like choice and quality. Too bad I like both.

    Anyhow, I visit my LHS about once a week or once every other week, and I usually buy something. It's a small shop and I have become friends with the Mom & Pop owners (he's in my N-Trak club). I even have him get me stuff from Walthers. (gasp!).

    As an internet professional, I know where to find the deals and will buy from FRT, BLW and others when it makes sense. BUT, if I can get the same thing today, or in the same amount of time it takes to have it shipped from an e-tailer, and I am only spending a few pennies more, I'm going to get it from the LHS (Al's Trains and Hobby - Bedford, OH <-- shameless plug).

    The other day, I had him order some stuff from Walther's made by NGineering. The cost difference was 0.00 and I didn't pay the shipping.

    I'm traveling to Pittsburgh this weekend and plan on spending some money as Esther's, too.

    Greg
     

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