Great Northern models sell faster than others?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

So, this is purely speculation, but it seems to me that most GN models sell very quickly. When I look on eBay, I can find many steam locos and whatnot, but when I try to find GN models, they either don’t exist, or are priced at super high prices. IE, an used BLI 2-8-0 in GN, $500, that’s more than then original MSRP! A brand new in WP? $350. Is it my imagination or does GN stuff A- Sell out quickly when new, and B- Sell higher than average for used. Am I crazy?

2

Are there other Roadnames people have notice this with?

3

Rio Grande

4

Yes, I think you are

5

Railroads are not equally popular.

Popular will draw more interest. And bidders.

If this is a problem for you, you might try researching what railroad is the least popular, and change your interest from GN to that one.

Ed

6

I can’t speak for GN because I don’t follow that roadname. But, I do notice something similar for C&NW. For the last few years, I have been downsizing my C&NW roster. The C&NW locos sell pretty fast and at favorable prices.

Aren’t we all?

Rich

7

A local guy did a custom-painted run of GN GEVOS in orange and green and sold a couple dozen pretty quick. Kind of exhausted his decal supply, apparently.

8

Nothing against Great Northern or C&NW, but my guess is that there are fewer models of those roads available, whereas Union Pacific, Pennsylvania, and other big-name roads have a wider appeal to much of the modelling public. The model manufacturers are more likely to chase the larger market.

And, just to reassure you that I’m an unbiased observer, here’s some Great Northern rolling stock…(click on photos for a larger view)

…and some C&NW stuff, too…

Wayne

9

Wayne, could you reposition that C&NW boxcar in front of Bertrams?

Rich

10

That was my assumption too, but I just don’t understand why bigger roadnames don’t sell quicker if that is the case. I’ve talked to hobby shop owners all over the country (quite literally hundreds over the years) and they all say the same thing. GN (and other select roadnames) sell 20-50% faster than other items. I don’t get it.

I’d expect this in a Midwest state. But even in places like Florida, Texas and New Jersey, it still seems to sell fast.

11

Please do not take this wrong, but you are making the rather incorrect assumption that locale has something to do with what someone would model!
There are two chaps at the local Club who are right “into” the Great Northern.
Cheers, the Bear.[:)]

12

Great Northern is a popular railroad. It’s popular all over the US. And elsewhere. Are you disagreeing with me when I say that, or are you puzzled over why that might be?

Popular railroads sell better than unpopular. Do you agree with that? Or disagree?

I’ll add in that when I bought my first brass steam engine in 1963, it was Great Northern. So was my second. And my third. And my fourth. And…

So I’m one of the guys who makes it popular.

Ed

13

I agree Ed. Popular railroads do sell faster.
I’d just think than manufacuterus would hone in on this and make more of the popular stuff.

The UP for example. Huge railroad. But, I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem super popular, but manufacturers pump out lots of models.

Note: the 4014 models are different of course. Totally different category.

14

Yep. The recent run if Intermountain GS drop bottom Gons poofed away fast!

15

GN? GEVOS? Must be Fantasy Island.

16

They do. Note that Athearn did two runs of GN GP9’s, not far apart.

If UP wasn’t popular, the product wouldn’t sell. Athearn has done two runs of UP GP9B’s, and there’s another one coming along. If they didn’t sell, they wouldn’t make them.

And the reason they sell is that they’re popular. So it appears your opinion of UP’s popularity with modelers is incorrect.

If UP isn’t “super popular”, where do all the models go that you say manufacturers “pump out”?

Ed

17

I think your looking at a supply and demand situation more than anything.
and here I thought every layout had a Santa Ge warbonet with silver passenger cars…

18

If you can’t find enough Great Northern stuff, one option is to make it yourself…that’s why they offer undecorated cars, decals and dry transfers, paint and paint removers.

I’ve probably bought at least half of my rolling stock off the “used” (and sometimes abused) tables at various hobbyshops and train shows…that’s over 200 cars.

I then altered, or repaired them, then made them into what I wanted them to be. Most of them didn’t cost much, and model paint will go a long way. The added details can get a bit pricey, but you simply do what you can afford.

Here are some that you might not find in r-t-r form, or even as kits…

This one is a much-modified Train Miniature boxcar, converted into a door-and-a-half boxcar, and lettered with C-D-S dry transfers…

…this one’s also a Train Miniature car with modified details and C-D-S lettering…

This one was an undecorated Accurail kit, but removing the cast-on grabirons and sill steps, then replacing them with metal ones made it at least a little more detailed. The lettering is decals from Champ, unfortunately no longer available…

Here’s another undecorated kit from Accurail, this one lettered with decals from MicroScale…

This car is mostly a scratchbuild, although the roof is from Red Caboose, and the doors from Bowser. The lettering is from Wright-Trak…

19

Hey, Waynucci, you dun good, but I was really hoping for a photo in front of that little multi-roof beauty. How 'bout it? Capice?

Ricardo

20

Let’s suppose you are a GN modeler. The manufacturer thinks he knows the market based on past experience. He also needs to take into account the current economic climate and makes a guess as ro the number he can sell which may be smaller or greater then the demand. You lost out on a smaller run of a GN loco last time. You jump on the next one produced causing it to sell out quickly. Does that mean there is a bigger market for GN products? Maybe. But your goal as manufacturer is to sell out as fast as possible to maximize your profit. PRR will always sell as it was the biggest railroad. Which one do you think would bring you more revenue and eventually profit. I am very surprised at some of the road names that manufacturers produce and not at all surprised they sell out quickly. It is also why many experienced modelers learn to be handy with an airbrush and decalling so they can turn an undecorated model into whatever they want. I do that even with PRR equipment even though there is a plethora of readily available models. My efforts now exceed the quality of most prepainted cars and locos. Surprisingly even undecorated rolling stock is becoming harder to obtain.