a little OT - Unhappy events at Athearn Models

So who sells trains in Middle Tennessee now? I was at Aardvark's once and they didn't have all that much or have they expanded? Bruce

Reply to
Bruce Favinger
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Jon, Our train store here in Dallas has DCC stuff and they understand that it sells and how it works. Bruce

Reply to
Bruce Favinger

Walthers passenger cars are produced in China.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

Actually, United Models Distributor was purchased by Great Planes to allow them to gain access to chain stores. United sold goods to places like Michaels etc. United did zero R/C but had a lot of crafts and models (which is what we used them for). Great Planes kept the plastic lines as part of a major expansion into plastics. The crafts as well.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

DCC today has the dedicated group and other individuals who perservered in getting specs written and agreements in place. Do you seriously expect me to believe that Mail Order folks made DCC what it is today? Perhaps it was not Al Gore but mail order that made the Internet what is is today.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

Exactly!

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

Hobby Stores definetly does not enforce any such thing. In fact they are the worst as far as selling off the back dock after delivery of open orders to the store front retailer. Hobby Stores has other problems chiefly with how the deal with their customers.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

Won't happen. Athearn is building the engines for Walthers. It's a done deal as this is not a normal production item. All normal production items will go through Horizon after March 1st. Athearn makes a lot of specialty licensed stuff for other folks as well (John Deere train sets for example) that I can see still happening.

Reply to
Dave Henk

They don't operate that way. Never have likely never will. One thing that might happen is that there will be a Minimum advertised price allowed (typically about 20% over cost). You will see still see discount prices jus not from the basement operators and Train show weekend operators. I do iffer discounted pricing although I'm not selling at 10% over cost but my store prices are good enough to maintain sales and compete with all but the lowball Larry basement operators on price.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

Was as of spring of 2003 when I bought the shop I worked in and had to fill out all the paperwork for many different distributors all over again (yes including photos).

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

That a problem with the way the shop is run. We have had store locally that did just that. They did it enough that they are no longer in business. If a shop owner doesn't listen to the customers it'll eventually cost him. I've always make it a point to ask folks what they are into. Most folks like to talk about there hobby and a store owner that listens can soon land some profitable goods to sell.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Henk

Ah, my son, the only constant IS change.

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"

Reply to
JCunington

business..Get over it.<

These discussions? really have noting to do with Athearn being bought. They all have to do with restriction of trade by the purchasing company. Selling to only certain businesses but not to other legal businesses.

Reply to
Jon Miller

dealers sell new cars. That's the point.< Actually this state is full of car brokers (he might be my neighbor, don't know). You buy the car from them but pick it up from a dealer. The dealer doesn't sell to you but to the broker, somehow. Never tried it so don't know exactly how it works. Do know it's legal and was done a lot.

Reply to
Jon Miller

You analogy is incorrect. Today's car makers put their product where ever it can be sold. Horizon will place the Athearn product into tightly restricted places. That's a big step backward. That undercuts Athearn's fifty year role as the linchpin for H0 Scale.

CTucker NY

Reply to
Christian

There have been three spectacular cases of fraud in the model railroad industry in the last 20 years. Two out of those three were perpetrated by STOREFRONT shops.

The most recent was about 18 months ago. The official story was that this guy "lost his lease". The behind the scenes story is that he went out owing in the neighborhood of $750K to various hobby distributors and manufacturers. The same guy was behind the other spectacular storefront fraud, but in that case a bunch of consumers also lost money before the sheriff padlocked his doors.

Is that what you mean by "legitimate"?

I know a lot of dealers, of all types. The days of the "fell off a truck" dealer are long over. The non-storefront dealers I know buy their products through regular distribution channels, provide service to their customers, honor warranties, accept credit cards, have business banking arrangements, collect and remit sales tax, and declare their income. What's not legitimate about that?

I have long encouraged modelers to buy from their FAVORITE dealer. There are many fine storefront dealers, who provide excellent service. But they can't meet the needs of ALL modelers, any more than a mail order/show/internet dealer can. Some people want personal service, others want low prices, still others a mix. No one type of dealer can be all things to all modelers. The modeler is best served by having a choice of the type of service and price he wants.

Peter King in NY

Reply to
Peter King

According to what some people have been saying, that's been happening for close to 50 years. So why aren't all the storefronts dead yet?

Small businesses fail. MOST small businesses fail. I've long suspected that more hobby shops fail than some others because they attract a lot of people who know the hobby, but know squat about business.

There is no doubt that non-storefront businesses have a profound effect on storefronts. That's competition. It's healthy. It's good for consumers. It makes businesses better, because they have to keep up.

I've know a few storefront dealers who closed down, and blamed it on mail order and shows. I also knew their business practices. They were lousy business people. Under capitalized, poor customer skills, store locations that were inappropriate, and other serious business mistakes. THAT'S what killed them. It was easier on them to blame competition than their own lack of skill.

Peter King in NY

Reply to
Peter King

No, it means that Walthers has CHANGED what it requires of its dealers.

Walthers now has an internet dealer program.

Peter King in NY

Reply to
Peter King

That's because they sent you the storefront application, Dave. If you had asked for the e-tailer application, that's what you would have gotten. The requirements are slightly different. (Chiefly, a higher initial order, but a few other differences, too.)

I became aware of this in January of last year when I noticed a California shop listed on the Walthers site as "internet only".

Peter King in NY

Reply to
Peter King

Then you won't like the selection at the Tennessee Railway Museum, either. Phillips Toy Mart may have some stuff, but most everybody does mail order here, which is why I gave up beating my head against the wall.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no other shops.

Reply to
Brian Paul Ehni

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