Does anyone actually order anything directly from Walther’s knowing that you are going to pay full retail, when you can buy discounted items at so many on-line retailers?
To answer your question no I don’t even though Walthers has some items on sale.
rlandry6, YES, i order from walthers often. yes in most cases you pay retail, however, many times they have items i want on sale. i really like their website, easy and quick to find what your looking for. in most cases they have a picture of the item you are searching for, unlike many other online sites, where you are buying blindly. delivery is 3-5 days. i have ALWAYS got real good service from them. i have only ordered instock items though, so i have never had to wait on an order, dont know how that is with them.
Yes, actually I do. Mostly small odd-ball detail parts, decals, etc. Also, when they are running a sale on an item I need. They offer good service and are quick to ship.
Several LHS have told me that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a postive relationship with Walthers. It seems as though they want the end user to puchase items directly from Walthers without any form of a market discount. I will not comment on their costs or profit margins but their prices seem excessive. If Walthers would offer consumer a price break for direct orders, I would be more inclined to purchse from them. I have to wonder how long decent prices from on-line retailers will last with the current attititude toward LHS. Walthers deserves credit for helping to build this hobby into what it is today. However, it seems as though recently they have lost their way.
I have purchased items direct from them. Then I learned that my LHS will get the item at the same price and I don’t have to pay the shipping. I look at their cataloge on line, find what I want and have the LHS order the item. I get the item as quickly as If I ordered on line. True, I have to go to the LHS, but that is always fun. This way the LHS makes some money and I save some.[:D]
Bill
For the most part, I use the catalog and then order what I want through my LHS. They give me a discount off retail (catalog price) and don’t charge shipping for regular orders (they order once a week). If the item is on sale in the flyer, they meet that price - still no shipping. I do order direct on occasion when i am impatient or just to keep the flyers coming, but ordering trough the LHS saves me a couple of $ and helps them keep their volume up with Walthers. In fact i visited the showroom in Milwaukee this fall and you also pay list price there as well. You do get a card punched for a coupon good for $50.00 off once you get all 20 punches (at $25 a punch), but the real benefit is digging through the returns rack next to the register. J.R.
I buy stuff from them frequently - turnouts and some of the stuff when it’s on sale.
Certain items I don’t buy from them includes bulk track (I always buy boxes of 100 for flextrack), Tortoise switch machines, and ALL electrical components, including DCC equipment.
As a matter of fact, I will be ordering some military pieces from the Winter Walther’s catalog when I get home, to help flush out my military train. I have been looking and looking and tried to order the same tanks from other suppliers, only to be advised that the item was not available…so if it’s in the Winter catalog, I’m assuming they have them in stock! And the price is the same as the other on-line stores, so why not???
I normally only buy direct from Walther’s if something’s on sale. And even then I normally order though my LHS. Sometimes, my LHS’s regular mark-down is a better deal then the Walthers sale.
Nick
Walthers’ does have a monthly flyer in which some items are discounted. Occasionaly there has been
good deals.
I’ve purchased from Walthers a couple times. Things from their sales flier, but mostly detail parts and other things that most LHS’s and internet guys don’t seem to stock. I’ve found ordering directly from Walthers is painfree and quick.
I do understand Walther’s position concerning prices offered to consumers and I do think doing that is in the best interest of the hobby.
I find this comment interesting as I have not heard it at all about Walther’s. At the checkout at their site, you can choose to have them send the order to your LHS and fini***he transaction there. I think Walther’s policies are good to the LHS and help to protect their business. I have ordered from Walther’s on a few occasions. Usually I look at their flyer and go to the LHS and order there. No Shipping costs and most often a discount on top of that.
Between the discount at my LHS, and the wholesaler that I order from I don’t use Walthers directly anymore. I used them quite extensively when I was in the military though and had no real problems or complaints. Their customer service is awesome and shipping is quick. The postal service lost an order of mine once and Walthers went out a replacement order no questions asked. The just wanted me to send back the original order if it ever showed up, which it never did.
A+++++, Great Seller, Would buy from again!!!
I order my yearly HO Walthers catalog directly from them, it always ships with a $25 gift certificate good for the first purchase over $100 direct from them (thru Terminal Hobby Shop) so I usually do at least one order from them each year. In some cases they’re the only place you can get something, and I prefer to go direct rather than go thru a LHS (esp. since my nearest hobby shop is closed now!!) But I’ve bought stuff from them direct for about 20 years.
The maybe are a little bit out of the loop as far as prices. I was invited to be part of a seminar with some Walthers people, when we pointed out that the prices in their sales flyers were about the same as the ‘normal’ prices charged by mail order places they seemed surprised, they said that couldn’t be right, that their sale prices were the best prices going.
I have placed a few orders with Walthers since July this year. Their shipping is quick and items are well packed. There was a small mistake in one order , they promptly sent a replacement. no problem. They may be high on price but they are also high on service.
I do order from others as well.
I would love to visit their shop sometime, maybe next year I’ll get to visit the USA, that is if George will let me in.
William
I order often from the flyers they send out, cheap shipping and items arrive quickly
Not me. I don’t have money to throw away like some folks.I just wasn’t born that lucky.
Why order from Walthers when there is an on-line hobby shop like 1stplacehobbies.com where you can get most everything Walthers has in stock for 20-25% off? They have a shopping cart that stays active for at least several weeks so you can build up an order to where the shipping is less than what you save. (They have a flat rate).
This was only one example as there are several other on-line shops. BTW I always check my LHS first and then if they don’t have the item I order on-line.
Bob DeWoody
I ordered my Christmas presents and used my 25 dollar gift certificate.
I was pleased with the service and quick shipping.
I have ordered from them before with great success.
I would recommend them for in stock items anytime.
Mark