Have you had dealings with the above online discounter? Do they handle your purchases expeditiously? I like the layout of their website, things are quick and easy to find and the selection seems good.
I have never dealt with them before and am looking for a replacement for 1st Place, which appears to have bitten the bullet.
I’ve ordered from them. They’re OK. They shipped everything I ordered, but I wasn’t impressed with their speed of service. They don’t have a warehouse full of stuff. Instead, they are a “reshipper.” If you order something, they will in turn order it from Walthers or Horizon, and when it gets to them they’ll ship it to you, hence the long delay.
Trainworld and M.B. Klein both have real inventories, and ship stuff faster. Their prices are usually just as good, if not better.
Does that mean they’re like Seinfeld’s “re-gifters?”
LOL
[(-D]
Try Model Railway Post Office or Trainworld / Trainland.
ONLY order from Discount Trains if the status of the item actually says “In stock”. Anything else (e.g. “Available”) could mean a VERY lengthy wait.
I’ve had two dealings with Discount Trains: One good; one not very good; all for the exact reasons stated above. Unless the price is substantially less than other online stores and they have the item “In stock”, order it from another vendor.
Tom
I take it one step further. Except for reliable stores like MB Klein and Caboose Hobbies, even if it says In Stock, I call to verify before ordering. Often, I am told that the item is no longer in stock.
Rich
Thank you for your comments! Although probably not in as big a hurry to buy stuff as most model railroaders today, I like the idea of a supplier carrying their own inventory. That way I’m only reliant on the people I’m dealing with, knowing what they have; or, don’t have!
You have saved me the time of finding this out on my own and I do appreciate it!
1st place will be missed by yours truly!
The re-shipping business model is used by a lot of places to provide the appearance of a huge inventory. It’s a bit of retail sleight of hand. Kind of like your LHS who hangs out a sign that says, “We can order anything in the Walther’s catalog.” Well, duh! So can I.
But your LHS can generally get it at a discount. However, that sadly seems to be changing, too.
Tom
My LHS pays wholesale, sometimes with a quantity discount; I pay retail… unless I find a sale. If my LHS chooses to sell the item to me at less than retail, then I’d get a price break.
But I wasn’t talking about pricing, only about using different techniques to make it appear that you have access to more items than you actually do. Personally, I support the LHS (I have 4 w/in a 45 minute drive) as much as possible, but I generally find better pricing on the Internet. The great equalizer for the brick and mortar store is instant gratification, which is lost if he has to order it.