January 11, 2018 In order to keep the TroveStar N Scale Model Trains Database up to date as possible with new releases, the TroveStar team religiously checks vendor websites to see when products (that may have been announced more than six months ago) are available to the public. Well, today we checked the woo woo woo website and it looks like this shop and others across the country have received a huge shipment on a variety of products from Atlas. Not surprisingly, given the current state of the world of model train manufacturing (where pre-ordering is becoming more the norm if you ever want to know for sure that you will get your hands on that coveted box car you wanted to add to your collection), many of those products are already sold out or low on inventory. So, if you’re interested in, say, the Atlas Master Line N Shay Stream Loco, it would be prudent to act now and visit your local hobby shop or online dealer. Some of these road names are already sold out and others are very low in stock. If you like n-scale vehicles, another smaller shipment recently arrived from Oxford Diecast from England. And again, some of these are already sold out (Bedford CMP Truck, Southdown Matador Wrecker) and others very low in stock. We are always excited to know when new releases are available and try to add them to the TroveStar database as soon as they come out. We are a bit dismayed that the old-fashioned way of buying items (actually getting to see them up close at hobby shops) has gone by the wayside and been replaced by pre-order-mania.
This 'pre-order or miss out' baloney has been a huge turn off for me, for some time now. My cash flow is what it is. Not what manufacturers wish to have it be. I have bought less and less, until it came to buying nothing! After 45+ years active in this size, I am now in the process of quitting N scale. I have better things to do with my money than be forced to expend or miss out! As a business philosophy, it is simply unacceptable.
It seems to me that most of the hobby suppliers have transitioned from selling to vending. And with prepayment besides. Jim
A dark aspect of pre-order mania is also found in frustrating variations in product quality. In reading posts, I see that a number of expensive new products fail to meet expectations in appearance or operating quality. A Buyer commits to purchase with a deposit, waits for months or even years in anticipation, then is served up a high priced model that falls short. George's text is well put, that a more sensible era has passed on. I've remained contentedly distanced from the new-era Oklahoma Land Rush method of N Scale distribution. Along with Boxcab, it's quite okay if I "miss out". There are other things in life that mean so much more.
I love the preorder system. I preorder what I want, when it arrives at the vendor, I pay (I never pre-pay), then it shows up at my house. Scale Trains has a great system, when it arrives, you get a notice. You go online and your item is in your cart. You can add more things if you want at that time. I don’t have to worry about missing something I want. I have 3 pre-orders I’m waiting on right now. The manufacturers post updates, so no surprises. Life is good.
Anymore I only buy second hand. You'd be amazed how many people have to have one right now, and then it sits in a box, only to be sold "Mint Condition- as new" online at a fraction of the as new price.
This is the exact way to do it. Thank you! However, that preceding post suggesting a retailer violates our Retailer Policy.
The problem is that a link to that particular retailer, or the mere mention of their name, gets automatically censored even when sent via a PM.
That is only true for a select few retailers, where people have repeatedly failed to heed warnings and even tried using cutesy mis-spelling work arounds. So we were forced to more drastic measures.
I've been an N-scaler for the past 11 years. I have never pre-ordered everything. But pretty much 95% of the N-scale products that have been newly released within the past 11 years that I have had an interest in buying, I already own. I guess I just find a way somehow.
Fortunately, I have the skills to decorate or kit bash most things that I really want. I have been able to move beyond the "got to have that" mindset and am satisfied with all the crap I have been able to accumulate over the years. I am now in the process of working through my endless backlog of projects of building kits and other stuff. As long as I can buy glue, paint and decals I am good.
How would you go about kitbashing a model of the TurboTrain, such as Rapido currently has in the works?
Too modern for me. However, I am always surprised by what is available on Shapeways. Lots of folks are selling some really cool shells there. I would look there first before I started scratch building something that complex.
