Great Gathering A4 Collection

[G-BOAF]

This deserves a topic - 6 limited edition models. Hornby don't normally do such small runs of 500 models.

 

Great idea, and given the rarity, they will probably sell out very quickly. I note that a number of retailers are already sold-out on pre-orders.

This means that during 2013, by my maths, rail modellers will be spending HALF A MILLION pounds, (give or take for retailers discounts), on Hornby A4 models. This is a bit silly, but wonderful!

 

But I am left thinking Hornby have missed a trick here. Within the collection there will be som broadly 'useful' models, namely the four UK-based A4s which are valuable to modern-image modellers as railtour locos, certainly the three mainline examples. Given Hornby are modelling these locos complete with modern OHL flashes, they have missed out on a chance to shift many more over a longer period of time. Certainly the BR Blue Sir Nigel Gresley could have sold in the thousands, and its surprising it hasn't been issued to date by Hornby.

 

I will admit a personal annoyance, as my budget can only stretch to two locos from this issue, but I'd dearly love Union of South Africa in its preserved state, and will have to resort to TMC in a few years time!

 

What do people think?

[Coldgunner]

Am I right in that there is going to be a box set of all six? I do want this collection.

[Torn-on-the-platform]

I believe that if you buy all six you get a token that can be sent to Hornby in exchange for a display cabinet.

 

I'd love one of the main-line certified ones, probably No.9 as it has stayed in the same livery for so long. Hopefully I will have the funds available when they hit the UK shores!

 

I would also be in the market for No.7 had I not bought the Rare Bird set in the summer.

[Dan Hill]

Am I right in that there is going to be a box set of all six? I do want this collection.

I thought it was just all 6 released seperately then you had the option of sending off for the cabinet if you sent off vouchers. Sadly I haven't the space for a cabinet but have all 6 on order with Hattons. I've been wanting to get a Mallard and was toying with getting a Bachmann 60007 until these were announced.

 

I assume that some of the models with be tweaked such as 60008 which has had her nameplates repainted Black when she was cosmetically restored at York and in Hornby's picture are painted in the Red she had when she arrived back here.

[brushman47544]

I thought it was just all 6 released seperately then you had the option of sending off for the cabinet if you sent off vouchers. Sadly I haven't the space for a cabinet but have all 6 on order with Hattons.

 

I would send off for that cabinet anyway. I'm sure someone would buy it off you. Sell it on Ebay and recover some of the cost of the six locos... or if the auction went mad, get them effectively for free. Now there's a thought...NOT!

[MrB]

They are only avaliable through the Hornby reps, and will be released one a month for 6 consecutive months. As you say in each is a token, and once you collect all six you can get a discounted 'Great Gathering' display case.

 

Regards

 

Roy

[Coldgunner]

One loco a month I can manage!

[Ian Hargrave]

Hornby are not revealing to retailers the numbers they will receive for retail distribution at this moment in time.I placed an order for two yesterday afternoon with 'Rails',only to find by bedtime they were no longer available to order. On smelling a large rodent,I contacted 'Rails',asking whether the order could,in fact,be fulfilled. The reply is that they cannot guarantee anything until Hornby inform them of what they would be getting.End of next week,they are told. I think all of you should be aware of this.I sincerely hope that another silly situation with Hornby can be avoided. Why,oh why does this occur time and time again ? Temptation is dangled like a mirage before our eyes only to disappear into the mists of obfuscation and broken promises. Your opinions,please,RM Webbers---let them ring loud and clear--all the way to Margate and beyond.

[Matabiau]

With only 500 of each model I can't see any shop getting more than a couple each. What is more surprising is that Rails accepted advance orders from the outset when they should have known that their allocation would be very limited. I suspect that their computer system is so automated that these locos were added to the catalogue when Hornby announced their 2013 releases and no-one thought to put a limit on the number available until it was too late!

Unfortunately this probably means that we will see many on Ebay sourced from less well known suppliers demanding very high prices.

[G-BOAF]

Very annoying. I placed an order a couple of days ago with a reasonably sized and very reputable retailer (who are normally great), to be emailed today saying they won't be able to fulfil the pre-order. They don’t know how many they are getting, but its below their usual number. Annoyed (not with retailer though) and very disappointed!

 

I have just had an annoying lunchtime phoning round, and have found some. BUT desperate as I am for two particular models, I have done something silly, and pre-ordered at two retailers, because I can guess that one or other will not fulfil. The first retailer I pre-ordered from almost advised me to do this to ensure I can get the models. This is just ridiculous, poor management by Hornby.

 

Come to think of it, there must globally be more than 500 Hornby retailers, therefore some may miss out completely. It would seem that even to be given the chance to sell these models is a rare privillage.

 

I seems that if you didn't pre-order in December, puting yourself at the top of retailers lists, you're potenially in trouble. Ho hum

[Ozexpatriate]

Good news for Hornby if the six A4s in this collection sell out.

[Ian Hargrave]

But not for their retailers or any punter wanting to buy. All very silly,I'm afraid . It will do little to enhance Hornby's reputation.

[micklner]

Thay could easily sell double the amount . Another bizarre decision by someone at Hornby. Or Kader restricting so that Bachmann can offload their versions ??

[Ozexpatriate]

All very silly,I'm afraid . It will do little to enhance Hornby's reputation.

Another bizarre decision by someone at Hornby.

I must be missing something. Six A4s in volumes of 500 each is a cumulative production run of 3,000 units for the "Great Gathering". In addition there are other A4s in the range this year, like the special Mallard for Concessions, Bittern with double tender, Great Snipe, plus BR Merlin, Sparrow Hawk with sound, and Commonwealth of Australia still showing in stock at Hornby.

 

All combined, that's an awful lot of A4s in one year. Production capacity is not unlimited - particularly with all the news Hornby has reported regarding restrictions in product deliveries from the factory.

 

If you want to participate in a small volume 'limited edition' you'd better pre-order.

Or Kader restricting so that Bachmann can offload their versions ??

Sanda Kan certainly limits Hornby's production slots as a pragmatic matter, and who can say whether they might deliberately reduce those slots, but I would suggest that to do so specifically to remove competition for Bachmann Branch-Line A4s is a stretch of the imagination. Perhaps Bachmann Branch-Line's March announcement will prove differently. We'll see.

[Matabiau]

In Hornby's defence numerous people, even here, have complained that previous limited edition runs of 1000 or more examples are not really limited editions given the vast number produced, even suggesting it is a cynical way of artificially raising the value of the models. Now Hornby have produced what could genuinely be described as a limited edition run people are complaining again that there are not enough!

 

Perhaps Hornby should limit its distribution to a handful of retailers or handle the distribution itself through its own website to ensure that genuine collectors can obtain a set at a realistic price without having to resort to Ebay profiteers.

[Ian Hargrave]

Missing the point ? I think you should refer to my original posting earlier.I and several others HAVE ATTEMPTED TO PRE-ORDER.When Hornby does finally release allocation numbers,there is likely to be a scramble and free-for-all that is a heaven-sent opportunity for every e-bay huckster on the planet.Matabiau's posting above is a sensible suggestion of the way the distribution could have been managed. However,that would only fuel the anger that some retailers are already feeling towards Hornby over this matter.

[40F]

Thay could easily sell double the amount . Another bizarre decision by someone at Hornby. Or Kader restricting so that Bachmann can offload their versions ??

 

Hornby no longer use Kader or Sander Kan for any ot their railway products.

[Coldgunner]

As someone who wants the whole set, I'm worried I can get some but not others.

[Ed-farms]

I can see certain models attracting higher demand than others. Lot's of people already have Mallard, Union was done a few years ago - so these 2 may not be wanted by normal modellers, but Gresley will attract a higher demand as it is a current runner and one of the more popular A4's so this one will probably go for silly money on eBay.

[brushman47544]

They are only avaliable through the Hornby reps, and will be released one a month for 6 consecutive months. As you say in each is a token, and once you collect all six you can get a discounted 'Great Gathering' display case.

 

Regards

 

Roy

Assuming this is correct and in view of problems stated above about per-ordering, I wonder if we are to see a new approach to sales of these A4s, whereby only those retailers who sell the first release get the next one, and so on. It happens for other series of products in Italy and ensures that you buy them all, ae loyal to one retailer.

[G-BOAF]

Agree with Mr Hargrave, there are it would seem an increasing number who are having difficulty pre-ordering, and not through want of trying. This is three weeks after the announcement. So no one can accuse us of standing around.

 

Disagree with the 'selling as a set' argument. They are released as individual models, but only allocated as a set of 6 to retailers. If retailers only want to sell them as a set, that's their choice. But I'm pleased they're not. There's no way I could afford all six, nor do I want all six. What I DO want is Mallard as preserved and Gresley in its mainline condition. I don't particularly care about the limited factor (more annoyed as they cost more), just want these models as they fit my modelling period. I don't like being referred to as a 'vulture'! Sorry.

 

On the 'some are more popular than others' theme, agree, but again there will be modern-image/heritage modellers, for whom detail matters, who have not been catered for to date. The 2010 Commonwealth Collection Union of South Africa featured a streamlined (1935/6) corridor tender with bowed ends, not the ex-W1 1929 flat ended corridor tender 60009 has today! So for the serious detail-conscious hereitage modeller, it was a non-event. I know, I even tried (unsucessfully) to get an 1928 pattern Corridor Tender from East Kent Models, before giving up on that issue.

 

It may be neccary to try to obtain all 6 accross different retailers. Trying to get 'boxshifter' bargains appears to be a no-no, as those with any form of discount either sold out of upped their prices!

[The Stationmaster]

Difficult area this but one where, for once, I think Hornby are probably have the right idea although it will only be right if they execute it properly.  Some retailers, including one I know of, buy all Hornby loco releases at a pretty constant level in order to serve their regular collectors (and I mean collectors, the folk who want one of every R number).  Now it will be interesting to see this time round if Hornby are recognising the retailers who do that - possibly with some rationing because of the overall limited quantity - or whether they will take what seems to be the normal approach and meeting the larger orders from box-shifters.

 

I see that Hornby are pricing these locos at £169.99 while Hattons are offering them at £136, c.19% discount and that sounds to me more like Hattons seeing them as a usual large volume item rather than something of which they might only receive very limited quantities (and to Hornby's revised trade terms presumably?).  I suspect that sharp discounting like that on a strictly limited edition might also lead to potential distortion of the market.

 

I have long criticised Hornby for failing to understand their different markets and for confusing 'modellers' with collectors but perhaps they are at last waking up and getting that bit right.  It will be very interesting to see if they manage it in their allocation of product.

[tetsudofan]

Just wonder why they don't do such releases as production being limited to orders received by a certain date rather than a fixed number.

 

Obviously collectors may not like such a system (as they won't know how many will be produced) but it would make it easier for the ordinary punter to decide what he wants, place an order by the cut-off date and know that he will receive what he orders......

 

Keith

[The Stationmaster]

Just wonder why they don't do such releases as production being limited to orders received by a certain date rather than a fixed number.

 

Obviously collectors may not like such a system (as they won't know how many will be produced) but it would make it easier for the ordinary punter to decide what he wants, place an order by the cut-off date and know that he will receive what he orders......

 

Keith

I don't know if things have changed but the way retailers know what is coming onto the market varies enormously with some getting very good 'intelligence' through regular contact with the manufacturers and reps etc while others get nothing beyond attending official release presentations or receiving information by post (which then leaves them in the hands of prompt Royal Mail deliveries).  OK so it's the smaller ones who lose out - as my local model shop regularly used to with his invariably late orders because he didn't know any earlier.

 

So first come first served does have some good points - but I reckon it would be a very uneven playing field.

[Dan Hill]

I haven't had anything from Hattons about the number their getting and whether I will be getting my 6 (1 of each) or not. Will just have to wait and see.