I was wondering if anybody has suggested products for manufacturers to produce. I have a small list of products that I would Walthers and other manufacturers to produce.
Will
A thread like this comes up every couple weeks or so.
David B
Lots of people have lists of things they would like someone else to produce. I have a list of things I intend to scratch build or kitbash.
I’m willing to bet that items get checked off my list sooner than most of the items on the, “When will somebody make this?” lists.
Granted that scratchbuilding is alleged to be a dying art. It won’t be dead until after I am.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I was surprised while speaking with an Athearn rep at a recent show that he pulled out a pad and wrote down my suggestions for certain road names and a couple products they need to produce more of.
He said suggestions are actually given to the decision makers and factor into future production runs.
He said they don’t know what people want unless we tell them. Don’t know if all companies review info like this.
I don’t know how interested they really are in what the public wants. I know I sent them a note asking if they would ever produce the existing HO Scale car float, tug boat and apron in N-Scale and was told that have no plans to do it. Frankly if they could be guaranteed to sell 5,000 copies of each in N-Scale they might go for it but all I could promise them is 4 car floats, 2 tugs and a couple of aprons.
Frankly the way things are going right now I doubt that much of anything will come from your or my suggestions. They are in the business to make a profit and not necessarily to provide us with what we want.
Irv
corsair7 -Yeah, I agree if it’s something obscure it won’t see the light of day. But if 500 other people asked for the same thing it might peak their curiosity. It just surprised me that the guy seemed genuinely interested instead of giving me a generic blow off answer like I got from the Bachmann guys. They couldn’t even answer questions about stuff they were already producing![(-D]
I see no reason why you shouldn’t make suggestions. I have put several out, mainly for specific roadnames on an existing car. I was pleased to see that Intermountain is releasing one I’ve been asking for, was it because of me, probably not, but I did provide them with some information about the prototype so you never know. What’s the harm in dropping an email or a letter, email is virtually free (since you have to pay for the internet access anyway) and a stamp is not all that expensive. Manufacturers (good ones) will always listen, it doesn’t mean they’ll make it, but you never know until you ask.
Ricky Keil
Oh yeah obscure things don’t stand a chance. Like nobody in their right mind would make an Aerotrain or an Erie Triplex. those are really obscure prototypes that only had 15 minutes of fame and were dismal failures on the prototype. No model company would be stupid enough to model those. They would be way more likely to build something like a 34 ft truss rod boxcar that was built by the 10’s of thousands in the late 1880’s or a twin hopper bottom gon which whas one of the most common coal cars beteeen the 1880’s and WW1.
I wonder why this site doesn’t put together a running WISH LIST of items. Then anybody could browse it, add to it, comment on it, whatever, and it would be a regular feature of the site?
I am somewhat convinced that this is how they ended up producing the RTR RS-3 in Reading. I’d like to think that my input, which said rep wrote down on his pad, was at least partially responsible for this. Especially since they even took the time to do the end vertical handrails in yellow.
–Randy
I would rather it be a simple list with maybe a count of ‘votes’ for each item that makes the list. Still not a truly impartial survey, but easier to point out to a manufacturer that “hundreds of modelers are looking for this” than if it becomes a 100 page thread of "I want this and “No, this would be better”
–Randy
That voting thing is a good idea. I like that suggestion.
The problem is that each of us have a very unique “wish list” so putting up a poll with only a handful of products to choose from wouldn’t come close to serving the purpose.
I’m sort of in Chuck’s camp, where I’d just as soon build something myself rather than sit by the phone waiting for Walther’s to call… They aren’t going to. Especially since I’m modeling in N scale.
Case in point, when Walther’s produced the Auto Plant series of structures, they ran it only in HO, so the buildings were ridiculously small compared to the prototype. The so-called assembly plant amounts to far less than 100,000 square feet, which borders on the absurd. Obviously, any scale model is going to require compression, but their assembly plant was barely longer than the 86’ parts boxcars that would call on it.
In N scale, modelers have a lot more flexibility in terms of available space, and it’s easier to make a building appear to be a lot larger. Walther’s response? No, it didn’t sell well in HO, so we won’t even bother with N scale. The fact is, it didn’t sell well in HO because it was so badly done.
Personally, my wish list involves more mass produced scratchbuilding supplies.
Things like laser cut roof trusses of varying sizes, a better variety of window and door castings, a better variety of roofing materials… that sort of thing.
As for rolling stock and motive power, we’re all going to have our biases based on our favorite prototypes, so other than relatively generic products that can be rolled out in a reasonable variety of paint schemes, this will always be a moving target. A better variety of after market detail parts would be nice, though…
Lee
True, but why do you think it would only be a handful of products? Over time the list might grow as people find out about it and realize that manufacturers are listening. It could also be a good place for buyers and manufacturers to talk back and forth to each other to discuss potential features or other issues prior to, during, or after production.
Well that’s understandable. On the other hand, what’s the harm in letting mfgrs know what you want-- the worst case is you would be a community of one, the best case however could turn out that there are a lot of other people who also want it and you could be in a community of hundreds or even thousands.
Meanwhile you could continue modeling just as you always have and if the mfgrs decide to pick it up and you like it and its affordable, you win. If not, no harm done and you’ll do what you were going to do anyway.
Well, if there were a system like we’re proposing, the modelers could have given Walthers immediate feedback-- OR better yet, co
I’d like a plastic “little Joe” please.[:)]
I didn’t know that Athearn made a car float, tug boat, or apron.
Of course they’re interested in what the public really wants! On that particular subject I’m nearly 100% certain they are all ears. But historically they’ve had to guess whether nor not the guy who stopped them at the train show really represented a hidden pent-up demand or not. And how do you figure that out-- is the guy the tip of the spear or just a crazy kook? (Of course, based on some of the train shows I’ve attended, he could well be both! 
ALL businesses are in the business of selling something to people who want it-- you know, supply and demand and all of that. Most businesses would KILL to talk directly to their customers and get a true sense of what they really want. It just blows my mind the number of companies that want that kind of information but that WONT talk to their customers, or who turn it off if it becomes excessively negative or difficult to listen to.
I will never understand to the day I die why a company that’s in business to sell stuff to people would EVER stop listening or NOT try to communicate with their potential customers. And yet I know it happens. But that kind of connection between buyer and seller is the lifeline-- the “health-o-meter”. If you listen to people they’ll tell you EXACTLY what they want, and that’s all you have to do to make your money. If you do it right they’ll ask for more. If you do it wrong, they’ll tell you what you did wrong so you can correct it and re-offer an improved version. (Though its often the case that they’ll do so using strong, difficult to listen language). Why on earth would you want to stop THAT? Just so you can GUESS what they want and spend money needlessly on stuff or features they DONT want? That’s just plain silly.
Heh, maybe they should call this “The Santa List”
Here is a link where you can suggest products to Walthers.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/survey
Will
Agreed. Every business is interested in what potential customers want. But there are a number of questions the manufacturer must answer before anything happens.
Is there enough potential customers to justify making the item? This hobby is very vertical, which means small.
Then there is the question of what scale should the item be made?
Then there is the expense of designing, manufacturing, and distribution. On, yes, do not forget advertising.
A vendor could easily invest tens of thousands of dollars without making one sale. Keep in mind that a number, a large number, of the potential customers have forgotten what they wanted so badly and have moved on to something entirely different.
Just my 2 cents…