Hattons Model Railways of Widnes (formerly Liverpool).

[Steamport Southport]

I think they theme and group the items listed - more chance of multiple items being bought if you see say a Midland 4F and 3F together or a couple of LNER pacifics.

 

But they were all new additions as I've been watching the website for some time. I know what is already on there which is of interest. I actually take notes.

 

For example there was a load of carriages that I bought last week. Definitely came from one source. Massive coincidence if they appeared at the same time from other sources. They definitely weren't on the website previously as I would have bought them.

 

 

Definitely job lots from bereavements, people downsizing or just getting rid for various reasons. I think they still advertise for model railway collections in the local press. They used to do in the past. 

 

 

 

Jason

[woodenhead]

I don't disagree but on slow days i think they fill out the page - but sometimes there are influxes of new old stock and it's obvious when a collection has come in.

 

Vultures that we are waiting for those elusive models to appear as another modeller joins the big attic model railway society.

 

It's with a melancholy eye that I look at the daily list

[girlinb]

I'm finding these days that Hattons are more expensive that a lot of other places for new locos and stock post the 8 weeks imposed restrictions (which i'm sure are against retail price mainentance) and many places offer free postage on locos or on orders over £xxx price - you could order £10k from them and they'd charge you £4 postage!

[BWsTrains]

On the same topic anyone know what's going on with the pre-owned section? For the last few weeks it's been updated only fitfully. 

As I was selling to H recently, I was warned that warehouse changes would mean my items would face a 2-3 week delay from receipt at Hattons before listing. It ended up being about 2 weeks (over a week ago) . Since then less then half a doz. additional items have been added after mine.

[girlinb]

As I was selling to H recently, I was warned that warehouse changes would mean my items would face a 2-3 week delay from receipt at Hattons before listing. It ended up being about 2 weeks (over a week ago) . Since then less then half a doz. additional items have been added after mine.

 

I'm suprised anyone sells to them given the prices they offer for stuff. Not just me that thought the prices were very low, a friend of mine thought the same

[BWsTrains]

I'm suprised anyone sells to them given the prices they offer for stuff. Not just me that thought the prices were very low, a friend of mine thought the same

being overseas I don't have a viable alternative such as Ebay, which is not without its own risks. However I did get pretty good prices on my terms or I'd not have taken them, my name is Billy not Silly

 

C

Edited October 13, 2018 by BWsTrains

[girlinb]

being overseas I don't have a viable alternative such as Ebay, but I did get pretty good prices or I'd not have taken them, my name is Billy not Silly

 

C

I think opinions may vary on what pretty good prices means given what i've seen. Bear in mind Ebay is global as well 

[BWsTrains]

I think opinions may vary on what pretty good prices means given what i've seen. Bear in mind Ebay is global as well 

You'd be right there.

 

EBay is of zero use to me as my cost to deliver ex Australia into my primary market (i.e. UK for specialised UK rail items) would wipe out much of the sale proceeds. So what's good for me is a personal perspective.

 

I'm happy, not much point in questioning it! 

 

.

[girlinb]

On a different topic why do Hattons turn up to exhibtions but you can't even buy their exclusive stuff from them, they expect you to go home and order from the website or phone them, either way you pay postage but youve just paid to get into an exhibiton? That seems stupid to me, i wonder how many people looked and didn't to order when they got home vs would have bought there and then.

[newbryford]

I'm finding these days that Hattons are more expensive that a lot of other places for new locos and stock post the 8 weeks imposed restrictions (which i'm sure are against retail price mainentance) and many places offer free postage on locos or on orders over £xxx price - you could order £10k from them and they'd charge you £4 postage!

 

If you can afford to spend £10k on stock, would you really be ar$ed about £4 postage....?

 

[Steamport Southport]

What would worry me if you did order 10k of stock and pay £4 and you were out when the post man comes good luck hiding that behind the wheely bin postie

What would worry me if you did order 10k of stock and pay £4 and you were out when the post man comes good luck hiding that behind the wheely bin postie

 

Easily hidden. 

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3767203/The-frustrating-hilarious-ways-postmen-delivered-packages.html

 

 

I don't want a conversation about the merits of the newspaper. I just though it was funny. 

 

 

 

Jason

[sandwich station]

On a different topic why do Hattons turn up to exhibtions but you can't even buy their exclusive stuff from them, they expect you to go home and order from the website or phone them, either way you pay postage but youve just paid to get into an exhibiton? That seems stupid to me, i wonder how many people looked and didn't to order when they got home vs would have bought there and then.

 

Seems like you have an axe to grind with Hatton's.

[richscylla]

Really great to meet Dave yesterday and chat about the Class 66. I'm going to pre-order one for sure now! 

One thing I did notice, the RHTT (which looks great) and the Intermodal wagons both had a few buffers missing, which for display stock like that was a little surprising!

[Jonboy]

On a different topic why do Hattons turn up to exhibtions but you can't even buy their exclusive stuff from them, they expect you to go home and order from the website or phone them, either way you pay postage but youve just paid to get into an exhibiton? That seems stupid to me, i wonder how many people looked and didn't to order when they got home vs would have bought there and then.

I manage a mail order warehouse for an none model railway company. If you take stock to a show like this it quadruples your costs as you need bigger vehicles that you don’t necessarily own, you need card processing facilities, you need at least twice as many staff to handle sales in adddition to questions. All this has bigger logistics such as hotels/set up time etc etc.

 

There is also a major headache accounting for sales with computer managed stock, do you take it offline and risk losing an online sale just to bring the stock back unsold after the show, or leave it online and risk disappointing an online customer cause you sold it at the show and your real time stock was not updated.

 

If it is exclusives and the customer wants it then you will get the sale anyway....

 

(Admittedly We do often offer free delivery voucher codes to exhibition visitors to get round this).

[johnd]

"We do often offer free delivery voucher codes to exhibition visitors to get round this"

 

Seems a good idea and could increase sales!

[Graham_Muz]

On a different topic why do Hattons turn up to exhibtions but you can't even buy their exclusive stuff from them, they expect you to go home and order from the website or phone them, either way you pay postage but youve just paid to get into an exhibiton? That seems stupid to me, i wonder how many people looked and didn't to order when they got home vs would have bought there and then.

 

Considering many exhibition threads keep having the same comment regarding too many 'box shifters' in attendance, despite them appearing to do pretty good trade (see the current thread Great Electric Train Show thread for example) the fact that Hattons, whom traditionally have not attended shows with sales stands in the past,  have dared to be different to allow visitors to see close up the development of and finished versions their own commissioned models and give you great access to the team behind the scenes with plenty of time to discuss with them the products and canvas your opinion on future modes should be applauded.

It is not as if you have lost the ability to purchase from them at a show as that didn't occur in the past anyway, you have actually gained with direct access to the whole team. 

[Robin Brasher]

I'm suprised anyone sells to them given the prices they offer for stuff. Not just me that thought the prices were very low, a friend of mine thought the same

It is very difficult to sell anything at toy fairs or model railway shows in Dorset where I live. Sometimes the tables have cost more than the proceeds of sale so if you want to clear some space or upgrade models selling items to Hattons is a good option. Hattons supply a wrapper for a courier and the courier collects the goods for a nearby shop.

 

Having said that I wanted to upgrade a Bachmann LMS maroon Jubilee so I sold one to Hattons for about £20 and then found that Bachmann don't make analogue versions of the LMS maroon Jubilees any more.

[richarddavies]

Some nice comments about us - thanks a lot for your feedback - was great to meet many of your at Great Electric Train Show this weekend gone

 

4 weeks ago we soft-launched a new version of our site - and having listened to your views, I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me if the modifications we've made are helping take it in the right direction?

 

https://hattonshobbies.com/

 

Looking forward to hearing any views - good or bad!

 

Best

 

Richard

MD, Hatton's

[90rob]

Some nice comments about us - thanks a lot for your feedback - was great to meet many of your at Great Electric Train Show this weekend gone

 

4 weeks ago we soft-launched a new version of our site - and having listened to your views, I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me if the modifications we've made are helping take it in the right direction?

 

https://hattonshobbies.com/

 

Looking forward to hearing any views - good or bad!

 

Best

 

Richard

MD, Hatton's

 

 

I've tried to like your new site . I've tried to be objective - certainly everything seems to work OK - but the site feels uncomfortable to use The whole thing seems over complicated, with too many filters and the like, and page loading is just slightly slow so that pictures appear fractionally after text. I find that the overall experience is just not that good. Purely subjective I know - I am probably a reactionary dinosaur or something, but it doesn't work for me....and if it doesn't work for me I expect there will be other people who will find the same. 

 

Rob

[dpgibbons]

Surely the first filter should be gauge rather than manufacturer or type of rolling stock. And the sidebar filters are still far too cluttered. On the plus side the search bar works pretty well although "Dapol 45xx" also gets you unnecessary hits on 43xx, 48xx and 49xx. 

[talisman56]

Surely the first filter should be gauge rather than manufacturer or type of rolling stock. And the sidebar filters are still far too cluttered. On the plus side the search bar works pretty well although "Dapol 45xx" also gets you unnecessary hits on 43xx, 48xx and 49xx. 

 

If you go to the 'Product Index' drop down at top of the page you can choose gauge and sale type there. If you choose 'All Products' you get a list of filters down the left side of the page.

Edited October 16, 2018 by talisman56

[BWsTrains]

Some nice comments about us - thanks a lot for your feedback - was great to meet many of your at Great Electric Train Show this weekend gone

 

4 weeks ago we soft-launched a new version of our site - and having listened to your views, I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me if the modifications we've made are helping take it in the right direction?

 

https://hattonshobbies.com/

 

Looking forward to hearing any views - good or bad!

 

Best

 

Richard

MD, Hatton's

Hi Richard,

 

looks good as per my earlier feedback but I'm finding a few issues between the new /old sites on pre-owned items. Things visible on one site but not the other; dead links on the new site (item sold but not removed?)

 

I also dislike the disappearance of "date listed" as a full filter, it used to be at top and when a date range was selected, individual dates were then shown, now it's restricted to recent date ranges.

 

Sometimes I keep an eye on older listings, now they're close to impossible to find among the 17000+ items without doing detailed individual searches, not easy for common items.

 

This has discouraged me from registering on the new site. What is the timeline for when the new site is fully live and folks are asked to migrate

 

Colin

Edited October 17, 2018 by BWsTrains

[Chamby]

I don’t think you need a new site, the old one works well. It is my first port of call when making a new purchase because it is so much more intuitive than your competitors. Two improvements would be (1) to speed it up... the page turns are achingly slow at times, and (2) the ability to exclude all pre-owned items as a default, rather than after every search, would make things a lot easier for me.

[Guest teacupteacup]

Bit of praise for Hattons, specifically Keris, for helping out with DPD decided to make up their own rules

 

Continuous good service for 35+ years for me

[Geep7]

More praise for Hattons here. Ordered 3 of their Warwells on Thursday and they arrived before 1pm (using the RM service) on the Friday. Fantastic service.