Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
Just had the new catalogue delivered and it had me looking for pages possibly razored from between the covers, but that was not the case.
Looking at the listings for multiple manufacturers, it was strange to notice a dramatic reduction in the offering of product lines.
You have to ask yourself if due to a sagging economy and faltering sales;
Is Walther's limiting their inventory by not carrying complete product lines?
Are MANUFACTURERS reducing their product line so they don't get killed with over stocking reflected in a low number of orders?
I was left flipping the pages asking myself; "Where's The Beef???". Specifically looking at Faller, Kibri and a few vehicle manufacturers, the absense of the full line is perplexing.
D?
Video If the problem is Digital,
The Solution is ANALOG!!
I don't know if you've heard, but there's been a huge shakeup in China. The mininium wage has increased 21% and Sanda Kan discontinued it's contracts with several manufacteurs. Some were American Models, S-Helper Service, Weaver and Marklin/Trix. Lionel, Atlas, Hornby, Walthers and Bachmann were not affected. Sanda Kan and Bachmann are both owned by Kader Holdings. But Lionel is also ending is marketing agreement with Sanda Kan for K-Line (Sanda Kan purchased K-Line in 2006, following MDK's bankruptcy). Hornby nearly lost is contract with them in 2009. So it probably has something to do with what is going on in China. I don't know what's been going on with Faller and Kirbi.
But yes, all of your trains are Sanda Kan products.
There's probably little point in listing products that are built to pre-orders only... which is a lot of product these days.
Also, I believe that in addition to charging the consumer for the catalog, Walthers charges the suppliers to be listed in it. Not sure that would be the wisest use of marketing dollars.
Let's also remember, a lot of what used to be in the Walthers catalog was old warehouse stock from 20 or 30 or 40 years ago. A lot of the old manufacturers stopped producing new stock years ago, and Walthers has been slowly selling off what is on their shelves until its all gone. Some of the reduction also has to do with the changing nature of business in China and other industrialized manufacturing nations...
umtrr-author wrote:There's probably little point in listing products that are built to pre-orders only... which is a lot of product these days.
Also, I believe that in addition to charging the consumer for the catalog, Walthers charges the suppliers to be listed in it. Not sure that would be the wisest use of marketing dollars.
Umtrr - You are quite correct regarding the latter situation and I know that many of the smaller manufacturers/cottage industries-types are balking at this. An on-line presence is a much better situation for displaying their products in many cases. Likewise, the stocking of products by the larger manufacturers is really little practiced today. As new production items come out they are increasingly being announced on-line, so catalog listing - prepared 8-12 months in advance - don't work all that well any longer. And with the practice of pre-ordering locomotives in full swing, it becomes ever more difficult to advertise a product so far in advance when its actual production date (if it gets produced at all!) is largely in limbo.
All these factors, taken together with the current economy and the slow shrinking of the hobby, makes catalogs like Walthers an increasingly obsolete approach.
