Pre-orders
#1
I was just looking though the email sent to me by Model Railroader and noticed that there was an HO engine that they were taking orders for. This one you needed to place your order by 3-29-23, and expect the engine sometime in the spring of 2024. That means they aren't even tooled up for manufacturing and may not if they don't get enough pre-orders. There is no other industry that I know that does this. Some industries, like custom furniture will make you something to order, but to show you a manufactured product that doesn't exist in hopes that they can sell enough up front to justify manufacturing them, or they just cancel all the orders.

There is no risk to the manufacturer and I think that is an absurd way to do business. "Oh boy, I really like the pictures of that Boffo II pickup truck, can I see one?". The automobile sales guy, "well, we're taking pre-orders and Ford says that if we sell enough they will start tooling up so you have have yours in about two years, will that be cash or credit?". Icon_e_surprised

How effective is this? How many of you actually do pre-order and wait a year for delivery? Is that engine or car that unique that it's worth paying for it a year in advance? I'm not saying that it's wrong, but I'm at the age that if I see something I want, than I want it now, and sometimes even a back order on an existing product is unacceptable.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
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#2
I would NEVER pre-order anything.
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#3
Unfortunately, I see this a lot lately with locomotives.  You'll see a project announcement with "Coming Soon!" and you'll wait 2 years because of "Supply Chain Issues".  Pre-ordering just means the manufacturer can just get the MSRP right into their pocket, versus marketing to a middle man who pays less by buying in bulk and can provide a price that's below the MSRP as a result.  I'd wait until a retailer offers them up while they're "In stock".  

The announcement does get you dreaming....  It's good for something.
Check out my "Rainbows in the Gorge" website: http://morristhemoosetm.wixsite.com/rainbows
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#4
I pre-order all the time. The shops I use do not charge a deposit or make you prepay. Preordering with them is free. Yes, I have waited a long time for some orders to come in. I have a couple of Atlas S-2’s that I have been waiting nearly four years for. They are still listed on Atlas’ website with a TBA date for shipping.

As far as HO manufacturers go, I will say the following:
Atlas – preorder and forget it. Then some date in the future I am surprised by an email saying the item is on the way to the hobby shop. For example the S-4 locos that arrived last week were announced in November 2020 and arrived at the hobby shop two weeks ago. I know COVID has affected things and I believe Atlas has been harder than any other model railroad manufacturer. Their website leaves a lot to be desired regarding the status of preordered items.
Athearn/Roundhouse – They are pretty good. They announce about a year ahead of delivery and I have found them to be pretty much on time. Sometimes they are a couple of months early and once and awhile I have seen them delayed by six months. Preordered items are kept up to date.
Rapido – They have been a little erratic at times. I have experienced them taking anywhere from a year and a half to three years to deliver something. They do keep their website up to date on the status of their announced items.
Intermountain – They announce items and then they wait for the appropriate number of orders before moving to the next stage. Their website is good at telling the status of items. I have not been able to judge the time it takes from announcement to delivery. Many times I wait until the item is either in production or in transit before I order. I have found it takes about 7 or 8 months from when they say an item goes into production until it is delivered.
Walthers – On many items they announce the items when they are in production or shipping. When they do this wait time is down to six to eight months in many cases. They are still some items that they announce before production and those have taken a year or more. They are very good on keeping track on their website.
Broadway Limited – They are pretty good. They usually make announcements with a six to eight month waiting time. However, I found in reality it is closer to a year for most items. They are good at keeping the website up to date.
Accurail – Announce an item and then your guess is as good as mine as to when it is going to show up.
Bachmann – Similar to Accurail. I wait three years for my K4 to arrive. I would say it was about two years late.

Sorry for being long winded but this has been my experience with preordering. I am not a fan of it but I resigned to the fact that this is the way it is nowadays.

I will not deal with anyone that requires a deposit or prepaying. If you want the list of online shops I deal with, I will gladly post it.
Tom
Silence is golden but Duct tape is silver
Ridley Keystone & Mountain Railroad
My Rail Images Gallery
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#5
never bought a pig in a poke tike to see what I'm buying in person.
Jim
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#6
I never pre-order..... As my father used to say, I can't wait that long, I could be dead by then!

I think this overall mindset is because we don't have anywhere the amount of hobby shops that have the ability to buy 10 or 20 of something for their shop. So the manufacturers are compensating by forcing the buyers to "reserve" something so they know it's a viable product.

It does stink... I like to see it in person too.
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
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#7
(02-09-2023, 09:27 AM)ezdays Wrote: I was just looking though the email sent to me by Model Railroader and noticed that there was an HO engine that they were taking orders for. This one you needed to place your order by 3-29-23, and expect the engine sometime in the spring of 2024. That means they aren't even tooled up for manufacturing and may not if they don't get enough pre-orders. There is no other industry that I know that does this. Some industries, like custom furniture will make you something to order, but to show you a manufactured product that doesn't exist in hopes that they can sell enough up front to justify manufacturing them, or they just cancel all the orders.

There is no risk to the manufacturer and I think that is an absurd way to do business. "Oh boy, I really like the pictures of that Boffo II pickup truck, can I see one?". The automobile sales guy, "well, we're taking pre-orders and Ford says that if we sell enough they will start tooling up so you have have yours in about two years, will that be cash or credit?". Icon_e_surprised

How effective is this? How many of you actually do pre-order and wait a year for delivery? Is that engine or car that unique that it's worth paying for it a year in advance? I'm not saying that it's wrong, but I'm at the age that if I see something I want, than I want it now, and sometimes even a back order on an existing product is unacceptable.

I don't have a problem with pre-orders, as long as pre-payment isn't requested and I'm not billed until the item ships. If the manufacturers don't receive enough pre-orders then the item won't be built and it's no skin off my nose. Also, it doesn't have a negative impact upon the manufacturer. Glenn
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#8
I agree preorders are a little easier to stomach if you don't have to prepay. However as Mikey mentioned at my age and with my health issues I could be dead a year or two much less three or more years down the road.
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#9
I'll preorder if it's something I really want but if I'm undecided, I have a file where I put the brand, Car type and potential release date that I check in on. Once it's closer to being released I'll put a reminder on my calendar if it's something I want and grab it then.
Stephen 

Modeling a freelanced, present day short line set in Nova Scotia, Canada. 

https://bigbluetrains.com/showthread.php?tid=9643
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#10
If you want a certain model in a certain paint of a certain road, here on the other side of the Big Pond you have the choice of:
a) Preorder and wait several years.
b) Sold out.


And there is a third little chance:
c) The hunt is opened. Sometimes you have luck, but only sometimes.


Lutz
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#11
just last week pre-orded a Kato Big Boy , the shop did not want deposit - but tells me the sound ones are sold out from the factory

so its the DCC version that will arrive .
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