I’m wondering how many of us pre-order HO locomotives without seeing what they look like first. Personally I’ll never buy one before seeing what the finished product looks and runs like, even from Atlas or Kato.
Bob DeWoody
I have pre ordered a Proto 2000 E8 UP set back a few months ago. On items like these you may not get another chance at them. The last batch never made it to the shelves around here. I’ve always been pleased with the others I have so I’ll take a chance.
RMax1
I have done some ‘pre-order’; but I have found most everything I want does show up on the train show circuit, and at the same discount. I thought about ‘pre-ordering’ the P2K GP9 ph1 engines last year, but I got all 4 road #'s I wanted at train shows or via normal mail order after they were released - at the same or better discount. I even picked up a 5th one just last month for $62($135 MSRP). I ‘looked’ at the P1K RSC2’s and Athearn(MDC) rib side boxcars at the National Train Show, and bought them a week later at a summer train show(and at a deep discount).
That said, I suspect some of the ATSF or UP stuff may sell out very fast and a ‘pre-order’ may be the best way to go. A LHS took lots of orders for the ‘Super Chief’ trains last year(and at a good price). They got ‘shorted’ by Walthers, and had to scramble to fill orders. The ‘only’ time I ever got ‘burned’ was many years ago with the Walthers ‘Airslides’ - I ordered the single and twin kit for the ‘Golden Loaf’ cars. The LHS put my ‘twin pack’ on the shelf and it sold before I got down to the store(honest mistake). They re-ordered it and Walthers was out of stock already. I had to pay full price for it at another store about two weeks later.
I am currently watching for the release of the Intermountain FP7’s - and will buy one(with sound) when then start showing up.
Jim Bernier
I used to occasionally pre-order, when a reliable brand well-known to me and an item / road that I expected to sell out quickly. But nowadays, between E-Bay, on-line retailers and expanded mail order service (often with on-line stock lists), I take a “wait and see” approach. By the way, this is not to say that I don’t use my LHS - but they always sell out of such items before I’ll get there.
speaking of pre-order…I have the new atlas MP15-DC in SP paint on order and they just got released yesterday and I hope they are in before the month is out…been waiting for an MP-15 AC or DC to come out for years!..chuck
No way! I wait until the new product is out and everyone has tested and reviewed it. Then I make a decision on whether or not it is worth my money. If it is what I want, I wait until the new has worn off and the price has dropped. Then I’ll pick it up somewhere cheap.
I used to all the time, but probably won’t from now on, unless it’s something VERY unusual. I had good luck preordering Spectrum steam, only OK luck ordering P2K steam (the new Berkshire, while a good overall engine, has horrible drivers and poor pulling), and absolutely LOUSY luck with preordering BLI engines (the USRA light, while nice, was WAAAYYY overpriced, and I ended up cancelling my five at $295 apiece, in favor of Ebay prices in the $150 range). From now on, unless there’s going to be a limited run of NYC H-5 Mikes in plastic, or TP&W F-3a’s, there’s no way I’ll buy without a test drive.
I have never pre-ordered a locomotive. I did pre-order a business car from the Coach Yard that will not be delivered until April. This is my first pre-order so I am very apprehensive. I guess it is going to be a very limited run car so I don’t want to miss out!
I would never buy a locomotive without seeing it first!
I answered “Sometimes”, because I have ordered one pre-order. If you had a “Once and Only Once” option I would have choosen that.
The model I ordered is a Atlas RS-3 Canadian National Road (green and yellow livery). I ordered it back in May 2005. It was originally scheduled to arrive in August 2005, but due to delays in China with the painting house, it has been moved back to November 2005. I spoke to the primary supplier and they have given me a date of November 15th, 2005 for delivery. I wait with baited breath…and never again, even it it’s the best loco I ever own!
Trevor
On my short history in HO, I have only pre-ordered the BLI K-4. The price was “okay”, but better than at my LHS by nearly Cdn $100. I figured that the engine will be good quality based upon my Hudson experience, and that BLI will come good if I have troubles, also based on my Hudson experience.
I am now tapped out of loco $, but my next order/pre-order will be either a Connie, Niagara, or a PRR J-1.
Brass is all pre-order or you generally miss out. I have pre-ordered a couple of BLI locos (steep discount) but generally I wait for the loco to hit the market. Years ago I preordered a MArklin California Zephyr set (I know the spelling is wrong) and paid about $1000.00 for it. I then saw them on Ebay going for as little as $370.00 Since then I have been leery about pre-ordering.
I don’t buy anything until I have seen it first!
I just preordered a Sound SW8 fm LL. I trust LL P2K. I have several and they are good loco’s so I don’t think I am going out on a limb on this one. I also preordered a BLI SW7 with sound same reason. I figure I aught to get at least one of them.
Terry
snooze ya looze
In many cases, you pay a premium price if you pre-order, because you’re usually going to pay full MSRP.
For example, a member of our local HO scale club pre-ordered a Burlington Zephyr from Con-Cor. Two weeks after he received it, he saw four of them on the shelf at a hobby shop in Tucson, Arizona, for almost $150 less than what he had just paid.
He was not at all happy about that!
I look @ pre-ordering as a 50/50 chance. Meaning it might be the greatest thing on earth and gets sold out and you lost. On the other hand , it comes out @ $200.00 and afew months later it’s $99.00 and is a good deal. I can use a very good example of a couple of years ago, Athearns GENESIS BNSF SD75M (#g6134), after it was out for a few months i found it for $49.95. it’ like the stock market, your are taking a chance.
I only pre-ordered once and regretted it. Paid too much. They showed up later all much cheaper. I have never “lost” anything by “snoozing” but quite the opposite. I get the exact same item much cheaper just a few months later. Or even worse the manufacture re-runs the item at a cheaper price with all the fixes of defects discovered in the first run.
Current case in point. Proto-Heritage 0-8-0. The new ones with DCC & sound and much better electrical pick up for less total cost (after adding DCC & sound) than the originals.
I ordered the Santa Fe 2-10-4 from BLI in July from a hobby shop, BLI was taking orders for this locomotive and was going to be released in ‘Summer 05’. Well, BLI had some problems with this locomotive not being completely accurate. (The Santa Fe historical society has a review on this pre-production model). I looked at the pre-production pictures that BLI put out on there website and I was hooked! I really don’t care if the road number on the sand dome is too big, etc. Well now BLI has announced on there website that they will release it in Dec 05…Will See!!! I paid this in full, and I hope this does not turn out to be nightmare! [xx(] Well Mr. Santa Clause, I hope you can get it and put it under the Christmas tree! [:D]
I pretty much rust that BLI and LL Heritage steam will be good, so I will pre-order those. Others I’ll check out first.