Bargain Hunters Mark 2

[Pete 75C]

19 minutes ago, Trojmiasto said:

I was thinking about the format of this thread...

 

What do others think of this?

 

Sounds like a good idea, but as I'm no longer an avid follower of this thread, you could argue my views are irrelevant.

I've always appreciated the bargains posted, but what has soured the thread for me are the constant comments along the lines of...

 

"My <insert bargain> arrived from <insert retailer> this morning."

 

and

 

"I was going to buy that but it doesn't really fit in with my interests or era."

 

...and various other comments which are totally irrelevant!

 

 

 

 

[Garry D100]

25 minutes ago, Trojmiasto said:

I was thinking about the format of this thread following on from newbryford's reminder regarding its purpose. Personally, I recently missed out on the Lionheart deal which I thought was absolutely fantastic. I know that I looked at the latest updates on the page on the day, however I didn't check back on the thread later on. The main reason for that was because all of the updates to the thread were around the subtleties of the Amazon pricing algorithm, none of which contained a bargain and to be honest with you I got a bit fed up with checking back constantly as it felt like people would just keep posting along those lines for the rest of the day.

 

We are getting to a similar position again now. The odd poster is putting up individual items, but the majority are from the same location - Ellis Clark and Hereford Models. Thats great, but in amongst that there are various posts on items that people have had (including the Lionheart models), opinions on whether something is a bargain or not (including myself in that!) and queries over postage charges for individual suppliers, to name a few.

 

Is anyone here familiar with the site hotukdeals? I can't help but feel that the format there would greatly help the content of this thread. This question is really addressed to a moderator, but in essence would there be a possibility to have a dedicated section of the forum to bargains akin to the Modelling Questions, Hints and Tips that this thread sits in now? When a bargain is found, people just simply start a new thread within that section and any discussions or feedback from that bargain is contained within that specific thread. Then, the core topic at the top remains the bargain, and this can be edited by the original poster should they wish to add any further bargains, along with the discussion below.

 

For example - you would have a Ellis Clark thread started by the original poster who posted the link to it initially. Then, any discussion on bargains from that page, or any links to bargains from that site would all be contained there. They wouldn't be in the thread dedicated to, Hattons, for instance, so you are not having to trawl through pages and pages of comments not related to bargains - you can literally just go to individual threads and find what you need. Likewise, you wouldn't receive notifications for threads that you didn't want to follow, such as the `A. Oakes is no-where near where I live so why are you posting about it' brigade. The threads will rise and fall as and when new bargains are posted. 

 

What do others think of this?

To follow your logic maybe you should start a separate  thread to discuss further as all you have done now is open up a big discussion point which will cloud the bargains further on this and perpetuate what you are trying to avoid.

 

Just a thought.

 

Personally im happy with the way things are and having multiple threads will surely increase the risk of missing bargains . So your idea doesnt work for me.

 

 

[YK 50A]

19 minutes ago, Trojmiasto said:

I was thinking about the format of this thread...

 

I am very happy with the current format and would rather a little friendly "off topic" chat than the less than friendly complaints.  The problem for me with your suggestion is the complexity of it.  If I look at it personally, I ignored the initial post about Hereford, then a later reply sparked my interest and I ended up spending a not so small fortune.  There would be a good chance of something relevant getting missed.  If it's Oakes and I live nowhere near, "ignore" takes a split second.

 

Apologies for adding to the weight of irrelevant posts, but please lets keep as is, be responsible and at all times be courteous.

 

[BR(S)]

For me, it's a keep this thread as-is.  The Hereford Models stuff is a good example of how well it works: a few bargains posted led to lots more being discovered.  As well as being good for the bargain hunters, I should think Hereford Models are very pleased about the amount of cash they've just had coming in from this!  I wouldn't bother ploughing through separate threads; I like it all in one place.

[Garry D100]

I came home the other day to find about a dozen notifications from this thread.

I Went through them and not one was a bargain, it was an amazon discussion.

 

It took me 5 seconds to remove the unwanted/not interested notifications which is better than endless discussions on the same point over and over again.

 

5 seconds email admin v’s days and days of discussion........ im sure im not alone thinking there are more important things to worry about.

 

You’ve missed a bargain, so have I in the past, it can be annoying but its not the end of the world, something else will turn up.

 

 

[john new]

2 hours ago, BR(S) said:

For me, it's a keep this thread as-is.  The Hereford Models stuff is a good example of how well it works: a few bargains posted led to lots more being discovered.  As well as being good for the bargain hunters, I should think Hereford Models are very pleased about the amount of cash they've just had coming in from this!  I wouldn't bother ploughing through separate threads; I like it all in one place.

Agree, it is broadly working.

[spamcan61]

Couple of half price ish  Satlink livery Bachmann wagons from Cheltenham Model Centre :-

 

https://cheltenhammodelcentre.com/Bachmann~1236-c/Bachmann-38-702z-12-ton-zdv-pipe-wagon-satlink-sampt-kdb741381-limited-edition~38702z-p.html

 

https://cheltenhammodelcentre.com/Bachmann~1236-c/Bachmann-38-750z-22-ton-stv-tube-wagon-satlink-limited-edition~38750z-p.html

[birdseyecircus]

5 hours ago, Trojmiasto said:

I was thinking about the format of this thread following on from newbryford's reminder regarding its purpose. Personally, I recently missed out on the Lionheart deal which I thought was absolutely fantastic. 

You can sign up at Dapol for an email of their monthly specials which is how I found out about the Lionheart deal.

 

Paul

[4railsman]

Personally, I think one of the main issues with this thread is the lack of visibility on the forum index. Because the thread was started some years ago, newcomers to the BRM Forum probably don't find it when they could most benefit from it. I suspect that most of the regular posters are now those people that have bookmarked the page since newbryford started the thread after the original Bargain Hunters thread was closed down through inappropriate postings.

 

On the other hand, maybe it's time to move to Bargain Hunters Mk 3 with much stricter control of what is deemed acceptable and have that new thread started as a Major Topic which has its own Heading on the BRM Forum Index Page.

 

Could AY please consider whether this or a permanent link is possible from the main Forum Index.

 

Thanks to all who take the trouble to post these true bargains, whether they are railway items or items that railway modellers need in order to follow their craft.

[Trojmiasto]

20 hours ago, YK 50A said:

 

I am very happy with the current format and would rather a little friendly "off topic" chat than the less than friendly complaints.  The problem for me with your suggestion is the complexity of it.  If I look at it personally, I ignored the initial post about Hereford, then a later reply sparked my interest and I ended up spending a not so small fortune.  There would be a good chance of something relevant getting missed.  If it's Oakes and I live nowhere near, "ignore" takes a split second.

 

Apologies for adding to the weight of irrelevant posts, but please lets keep as is, be responsible and at all times be courteous.

 

Thats ok - given the amount of agreement, probably best left as it is.

 

I just think there is an inherent contradiction in how the thread is set up at present in that it has been explicitly designed to post a bargain, yet being part of a forum people naturally want to discuss that bargain, ask questions regarding the retailer or items for sale, hence the suggestion to try to provide a platform to be able to facilitate this whilst keeping most recent bargains at the top of the section as per any other section of a forum.

 

I've just come to the realisation that it doesn't matter how many times you ask people within this thread not to post so-called 'irrelevant' posts and to be responsible, they naturally want to discuss things within the environment of a forum. As I say, it was motivated from missing a bargain myself due to discussions about a different bargain.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Trojmiasto

[Tomathee]

Also a thanks to the people that post these bargains, I don't think I've bought anything directly but it's shown me to some sites I wouldn't have known about that I have bought from at a later date.

 

Personally I'd prefer everything in one thread, having a new thread for each bargain or shop would add a lot more browsing time in entering each updated thread since the last visit to check, as the same occasional non-bargain posting would occur, however scattered over all the separate threads that it relates to. In comparison I find it's a few seconds scrolling through some of the non-bargain related posts that come up here as currently. Also I find relative to some other threads here and elsewhere there's not too much fluff, some of which does turn out to be valuable discussion if not a direct bargain. Finally I'd imagine one thread puts less burden on our fine moderators than having to check in on a few/dozen(s) as may crop up with another method.

 

Should end with an apology for adding my own non-bargain post to the thread.

[Red Baron]

Some interesting ones from Hattons today

 

Shunter + 3 wagons bundle ICI  @ 69.50

https://www.hattons.co.uk/507885/hattons_bundles_h4_b_j_002_janus_bundle_with_0_6_0_janus_diesel_shunter_in_ici_maroon_livery_with_three_mat/stockdetail.aspx

 

and  Oxford Rail Dean Goods with sound - under 150 seems cheap for anything DCC sound these days

https://www.hattons.co.uk/202880/oxford_rail_or76dg002xs_class_2301_dean_goods_0_6_0_2409_in_br_black_with_early_emblem_dcc_sound_fitted/stockdetail.aspx

[leopardml2341]

1 hour ago, 4railsman said:

On the other hand, maybe it's time to move to Bargain Hunters Mk 3 with much stricter control of what is deemed acceptable....

 

That's why Mk2 came about - all it takes is a bit of self discipline to simply post a bargain..........

 

Many times (and again) I've said a bargain is in the eye of the purchaser; I thought this offered good value:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Pack-of-4mm-Scale-00-Detailing-Assorted-Grilles-Lucky-dip-min-15-per-pack/143279689662?hash=item215c228fbe:g:p3EAAOSwTpheNDeJ

[caradoc]

Bargain Hunters Mark 2 works perfectly well for me, even though as a BR blue diesel modeller in OO many of the bargains are of no use to me ! I browse RMweb via View New Content, and if this thread has been updated it will appear soon enough as I scroll down. And if there are posts which for me are irrelevant or of no interest, I simply scroll past them (as indeed I do for any other topic).

 

[woodenhead]

Works for me too, I nearly bought stuff from Hereford and Ellis Clark but managed to resist, so the thread is doing it's purpose.

 

At the end of the day this thread is a friendly nod towards bargains not a ComparetheMarket price comparison page

[boxbrownie]

2 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Works for me too, I nearly bought stuff from Hereford and Ellis Clark but managed to resist, so the thread is doing it's purpose.

 

I didn’t resist, so the thread is REALLY doing it’s job 

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, leopardml2341 said:

 

That's why Mk2 came about - all it takes is a bit of self discipline to simply post a bargain..........

 

Many times (and again) I've said a bargain is in the eye of the purchaser; I thought this offered good value:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Pack-of-4mm-Scale-00-Detailing-Assorted-Grilles-Lucky-dip-min-15-per-pack/143279689662?hash=item215c228fbe:g:p3EAAOSwTpheNDeJ

 

Hardly up to date though, I hope the goods still exist, I quote;

 

Please note our cut-off time for last Christmas post this year 2018 is the 15th December. in order to stand a good chance of being delivered before Christmas. 

 

Mike.

[Trojmiasto]

10 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Hardly up to date though, I hope the goods still exist, I quote;

 

Please note our cut-off time for last Christmas post this year 2018 is the 15th December. in order to stand a good chance of being delivered before Christmas. 

 

Mike.

Maybe the lockdown in Doncaster started then?

[leopardml2341]

16 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Hardly up to date though, I hope the goods still exist, I quote;

 

Please note our cut-off time for last Christmas post this year 2018 is the 15th December. in order to stand a good chance of being delivered before Christmas. 

 

Mike.

I ordered some yesterday and they are on their way.....

[rodney21]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Works for me too, I nearly bought stuff from Hereford and Ellis Clark but managed to resist, so the thread is doing it's purpose.

 

At the end of the day this thread is a friendly nod towards bargains not a ComparetheMarket price comparison page

 

Agreed. Works for me too. It's absolutely fine.

 

As a rule of thumb I scan the messages for a link. If there's no link I assume there's no bargain to be had. For me this works 95% of the time. If its a response to a bargain then the header usually gives a clue.

 

The only thing I detest is someone posting that they got the last of a 'bargain'. I don't see the point in boasting and find it as irritating as being rude or abusive.

 

Lets all be polite and appreciative and I'm sure it will work for the majority of us.

At the end of the day it's akin to those who complain about TV programmes when there's an OFF button - If you don't like the thread you don't have to read it.

 

[Trojmiasto]

7 hours ago, woodenhead said:

At the end of the day this thread is a friendly nod towards bargains not a ComparetheMarket price comparison page

I agree with you - the purpose of my post wasn't to suggest something of that format. It was more to go hand in hand with the fact that this is a forum, and whilst the topic of what should and shouldn't be posted within this thread has come up previously, posts inevitably generate some form of discussion, so it was a thought to try to facilitate that whilst still providing a format to view posted bargains.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Trojmiasto

[Enterprisingwestern]

8 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

I ordered some yesterday and they are on their way.....

 

So is Christmas!!

 

Mike.

[newbryford]

7 hours ago, rodney21 said:

 

 

The only thing I detest is someone posting that they got the last of a 'bargain'. I don't see the point in boasting and find it as irritating as being rude or abusive.

 

 

Agreed.

 

As the OP of this thread - it's in the first post.

And that's why I'm writing this.

 

First of all - apologies as this isn't a link to a bargain.

 

I am typing this at the risk of being called "bargain hunter police" - which is certainly what I am not.

 

For those that don't know - or can't be bothered to look - BH Mk2 was started because of problems in BH Mk1 with comments/discussion regarding bargains that weren't bargains. Such as:

"I can't get there because it's personal shoppers only", or "that shop isn't near where I live so I can't get there".

" I bought the last one".

 

It seemed that bargains that weren't available online to everyone appeared to cause the biggest upsets.

Tough - that's the way it is. Just because one can't benefit, don't spoil it for others. 

 

I tried to write a set of guidelines at the time, to get BH up and running again.

It seems to have worked well for most of that time - nearly 3 years - which has surprised me - but is a testament to this thread that it works reasonably well.

 

If anyone wishes to amend those guidelines - drop me a PM and I will see what can be done.

 

Either that or someone else starts a BH MK3. I'll quite happily ask the mods to lock this thread if a new one is started.

 

I did suggest re-posting the OP every now and then, but it didn't look like there was a need to.

And running the risk of being called BH Police. (See above).

If you think it need doing - send me a PM.

Maybe it can be done automatically? 

If so a quick PM to AY can be sent to ask the question.

 

There is the odd irreverent comment - heck - I've even posted a few myself - but in general, it seems to work well, but like most of the threads in RMWeb, it goes O/T at times which seems to upset a few people. That unfortunately is the nature of the forum. And there's no wish for this to be a moderated thread.

 

But in general, it comes back to bargains - and as often said - one man's bargain may not be to someone else. If you don't think it's a bargain, don't comment unless you know of a lower price.

(There - I think I'll add that to the first post!)

 

No need to comment further - just tick the agree or like buttons or send me a PM and I'll collate the replies.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

 

 

[TomScrut]

Freightliner MJAs £36.50 a pair at KMS, only 2 numbers in stock:

 

https://www.kmsrailtech.co.uk/4mm-wagon-packs/551-mja-freightliner-heavy-haul-bogie-box-van-502005-006.html

 

https://www.kmsrailtech.co.uk/4mm-wagon-packs/550-mja-freightliner-heavy-haul-bogie-box-van-502019-020.html

 

These were at £38 for a while (as I bought my GBRF ones from there) but £36.50 is cheapest I have seen MJAs.

 

Also ScotRail HST power cars at £210:

 

https://www.kmsrailtech.co.uk/bargains/2578-135-scotrail-class-43-hst-power-cars-43033-and-43183-era-11-r3698.html#/6-dcc_options-no_dcc_added/8-custom_weathered_alex-no_custom_weathering_required

 

Not very often I see brand new power cars near £200, especially since it's this month they come into peak relevance with the coaches coming in a few weeks

Edited May 4, 2020 by TomScrut

[big jim]

I wish I’d bought some GBRf ones when they were available!

 

spotted this in the bargain bit too, Bachmann weathered green 47 £86.55 (but it does say call us to check availability) 

 

https://www.kmsrailtech.co.uk/4mm-diesel-electric/68-class-470-47256-br-green-full-yellow-ends-tops-weathered-803393042837.html