Jump to content
 

YOB Plasser 12t GPC in OO Gauge from Hattons Originals


Hattons Dave
 Share

Recommended Posts

12 minutes ago, letterspider said:

You can still order them on their website

Time to put your money where your mouth is and get them to change their mind with a flurry of orders?

 

Pre order option has gone, only the view and add to wish list options left so people could flood their system with wish list requests. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, letterspider said:

You can still order them on their website

Time to put your money where your mouth is and get them to change their mind with a flurry of orders?

You cant pre order them any more. Only add to your wishlist. Not sure if Hattons can see how many are on a wishlist but I have added the 6 I wanted.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've been a loyal supporter of Hattons ventures into novel areas since they launched their Co-Bo a decade or more ago. I was an early buy-in to the RHTT and would have had one of the twins from them, had they not decided to ditch the final livery in the face of competition from Bachmann.

I'd never expect anybody to produce anything at a loss, but,  I'd been eagerly awaiting my pre-ordered crane so the mail today was a disappointment.

It's also a shame as it was one of the few items I had on pre-order after the reduction in their range had resulted in a dramatic decline in my orders from them over the last 12 months.

 

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

As I mentioned before, the lesson here is if you want something pre-order it. To be fair to Hattons it's fine all of you saying, well I wanted one / two etc but didn't pre=order, how were they supposed to know, crystal ball time?

 

Moral of the tail is if you want it always pre-order!

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
1 minute ago, robf said:

As I mentioned before, the lesson here is if you want something pre-order it. To be fair to Hattons it's fine all of you saying, well I wanted one / two etc but didn't pre=order, how were they supposed to know, crystal ball time?

 

Moral of the tail is if you want it always pre-order!

 

To be fair, at no point was it made clear that there was a risk to the project. Would it have been hard to say "Subject to sufficient interest...." and then when things were not looking too rosy a bit of a kick up the backside to get your orders in?

 

Roy

  • Like 2
  • Agree 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

Just now, Roy Langridge said:

 

To be fair, at no point was it made clear that there was a risk to the project. Would it have been hard to say "Subject to sufficient interest...." and then when things were not looking too rosy a bit of a kick up the backside to get your orders in?

 

Roy

I think in this day and age we have to assume that is the case for everything produced.  Even the big boys have decided not to produce models due to lack of pre-orders.

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Part of the problem lies with Hattons marketing

 

Ive no rush to buy anything, as everything “original” is in stock. P, Barclays, 66’s, Warwells its all there.

I can order it, wait for it, ask my shop for it... but I don't need to rush for it.

 

All around me other things are selling out... so my commit and spend goes there.

 

I just saw this project slow burning, and so took it for granted that I didnt need to pre-order, as once it arrives.. its here and to stay for a while.

 

is it Hattons exclusive, original or limited ?

 

It was clearer when it was exclusive for Hattons made by Heljan, Oxford, DJ  etc...ICI, 14xx, 28, Garett etc they've all gone. 

 

The marketing makes a difference, if its clear whats being marketed.

Edited by adb968008
  • Like 1
  • Agree 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, robf said:

Moral of the tail is if you want it always pre-order!

 

As I've said up thread I tend to try and pre-order models that I want through my local model shop, but it seems that what Hattons choose to make available wholesale to other retailers is a bit hit or miss.  Therefore, although I indicated demand for this model to my local retailer, this doesn't translate into demand that's visible to Hattons until they accept wholesale orders on their entire range.

 

I'm not against pre-ordering a model direct from Hattons, but greater clarity is needed from their marketing department that that is the only way to secure this particular model - ie it's a Hattons' Exclusive that won't be made available through other retailers.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think it is an interesting situation....

 

  1. It never came across as something that will disappear if the pre orders didn't come in. Lots of people don't pre order stuff as far as I am aware?
  2. Given what happened with the 66 I think that there will have been a lot of people very keen on one but not willing to order until they had arrived and the verdicts were out as such. That doesn't mean to say that I think people expected it to have issues, more that if it was going to come anyway then why take the risk? I bet plenty might have thought differently about that risk if compared with the risk of it not happening at all.

It didn't really suit me as AFAIK there are none left out in the wild operating on the network, but it is a shame to see a good project for a bit of track plant get mothballed. There isn't enough plant available in RTR I don't think. Test trains and RHTT/MPVs yes, but not track maintenance vehicles or modern cranes.

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I'll add my disappointment to the thread. Especially so because it wasn't marketed as a “needs to hit pre-orders to proceed” type project (I still have my pre-order for two on my account).

 

Lets hope this is a “pause” in the project, rather than an end to it.

 

I wonder if this type of project has fallen foul to the sheer amount of activity in the hobby at the moment? With so many other “important” releases of big-ticket items like wagons that require considerable investment, I can only imagine that a lot of people are having to forego purchasing one-off special items like cranes and other infrastructure items?

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, adb968008 said:

Part of the problem lies with Hattons marketing

 

Ive no rush to buy anything, as everything “original” is in stock. P, Barclays, 66’s, Warwells its all there.

I can order it, wait for it, ask my shop for it... but I don't need to rush for it.

 

All around me other things are selling out... so my commit and spend goes there.

 

I just saw this project slow burning, and so took it for granted that I didnt need to pre-order, as once it arrives.. its here and to stay for a while.

 

is it Hattons exclusive, original or limited ?

 

It was clearer when it was exclusive for Hattons made by Heljan, Oxford, DJ  etc...ICI, 14xx, 28, Garett etc they've all gone. 

 

The marketing makes a difference, if its clear whats being marketed.

I think the problem is more with everyone else’s marketing. When announcing the P, Hatton’s said that the plan was to have enough stock to be ready to satisfy demand for some time to come. I wish everyone marketed like that. Instead we have ever more models chasing the same amount of money and many of those models disappearing very quickly. In the case of Hornby’s grey “Hush Hush”, it has disappeared before it has appeared, so to speak, and it isn’t by any means alone in that. Before anyone points it out, I know there are good business reasons to aim to sell out quickly. I pre-order much less often than I used to, partly from caution and partly because my money is going on what has actually appeared or is imminent, leaving none to spare for pre-ordering.* (I find it a good rule not to pre-order anything until I can put aside the money.)

 

I had my eye on a couple of these cranes. :cry:

 

* I admit to pre-ordering under pressure, such as with GT3 and the aforementioned “Hush Hush”.

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

This is not just about those that did not pre-order, I think it more about the lack of awareness of what was happening. I had one on pre-order, had I known that pre-orders were low, that may well have been increased to two to help the situation. It was not my plan, but I would rather have had two, than none.


Roy

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

have enough stock to be ready to satisfy demand for some time to come. I wish everyone marketed like that. Instead we have ever more models chasing the same amount of money and many of those models disappearing very quickly.

 

I think the thing is it is very hard to tell what will and will not sell out quickly as we do not know how many are being made (unless its a limited edition). The W1, I would have thought the prototypical ones would have sold quickly, despite it being a one off loco it does have appeal for pretty much anyone modelling LNER or early BR ECML, but I did think the artistic license models would be a harder sell yet don't seem to have struggled. Maybe there are less of those and therefore in some sort of irony could be more sought after in years to come?

 

But on the topic of these Plassers, and in further to my post above, people also order stuff at different stages:

 

  1. Announcement (me as a general rule if its something I already have in mind)
  2. CADs
  3. Tooling samples
  4. Livery samples
  5. Near arrival
  6. Post release

This project AFAIK was at stage 2 of this.

 

I have seen plenty of models that I have been a bit "meh" about until livery samples and then thought "wow", the W1 being one of these, I didn't reckon much to it at the tooling sample stage but the painted sample would have sold me one if relevant.

 

I am expecting the same thing to be the case with the 91 and APT. I aren't that bothered about either at the moment having seen the tool samples, and the 91 is the only one relevant to era for me, but I may end up having both if the livery samples knock my socks off!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

This is not just about those that did not pre-order, I think it more about the lack of awareness of what was happening. I had one on pre-order, had I known that pre-orders were low, that may well have been increased to two to help the situation. It was not my plan, but I would rather have had two, than none.


Roy

 

Which oddly enough is what I did with the EOI for TPE 68s. I only really "needed" one as I have 034 in DRS that would work the other mk5 set I have on order, but I definitely wanted one so put my name down for two as to try and help the project go ahead.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I find Hatton's method of publicising this to be quite surprising. If I hadn't been a member of this forum I would not have been aware of the change of status re the Plasser crane. On the Hattons website there is no mention in the Product News heading. One would have to have gone to the product listing and spotted that pre-ordering had changed to wish list. How do Hattons expect possible buyers to actually pre-order if they're not made aware that production of the crane is now at risk ? Poor marketing in my opinion

 

BLK4 Y

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

My guess, with everything going on in the model market and a few challenges around the 66's and (if you look at the Hornby 2020 thread) more broadly, Hattons may have decided to stop or slow their move into becoming a manufacturer. That might explain why this model was not sold as subject to pre-order volumes and is now pulled, or partly pulled!

 

Here's hoping Makeyourmark models reissue their kits.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Part of the problem lies with Hattons marketing

 

Ive no rush to buy anything, as everything “original” is in stock. P, Barclays, 66’s, Warwells its all there.

I can order it, wait for it, ask my shop for it... but I don't need to rush for it.

 

All around me other things are selling out... so my commit and spend goes there.

 

I just saw this project slow burning, and so took it for granted that I didnt need to pre-order, as once it arrives.. its here and to stay for a while.

 

is it Hattons exclusive, original or limited ?

 

It was clearer when it was exclusive for Hattons made by Heljan, Oxford, DJ  etc...ICI, 14xx, 28, Garett etc they've all gone. 

 

The marketing makes a difference, if its clear whats being marketed.

 

I suspect that - unless it is something really special (like Rails SECR van!) - most people are now no longer pre-ordering anything given all the constraints that are currently being imposed. Equally a lot is being proposed.

Net result is that there is a lot out there which has me "that's nice but I'll wait to see if prices drop or something else I prefer more comes along".

 

The problem is shops will eventually feed back "its not selling", Manufacturers will make smaller runs, which then puts prices up further still and leads too many situtations of "how the hell did that sell out so quickly?".

 

I ordered this crane right away but hung on a bit for the genisis coaches.

Edited by JSpencer
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Dungrange said:

 

As I've said up thread I tend to try and pre-order models that I want through my local model shop, but it seems that what Hattons choose to make available wholesale to other retailers is a bit hit or miss.  Therefore, although I indicated demand for this model to my local retailer, this doesn't translate into demand that's visible to Hattons until they accept wholesale orders on their entire range.

 

I'm not against pre-ordering a model direct from Hattons, but greater clarity is needed from their marketing department that that is the only way to secure this particular model - ie it's a Hattons' Exclusive that won't be made available through other retailers.

On the whole I'd agree with you in supporting your local model shop.  However when it comes to items like this, commissioned directly by an organisation, in this case Hattons, I would support them by pre-ordering directly.  It would appear either not enough people did or, as been mentioned before, someone else may be looking to bring one out. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

A real shame that this has been suspended. I, like many others, would definitely have purchased one. I tend not to pre-order, as lead times are often quite lengthy and there's usually no saving in doing so – I'd probably end up forgetting about what I have on pre-order as well!

If Hattons had said that they were looking to reach a minimum target, I'd have definitely pre-ordered. I just didn't think it was an option that this wasn't going ahead.

Ah well.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

To echo comments already said, a shame that it is shame it is not being taken forward.


However, there has been little information / marketing  around the project compared with other Hattons projects and now this short post about ‘pausing’ the project on here (not even on their website as I type this), makes me think that it won’t happen at all (I can’t think of many pauses projects that have actually gone on to be released).

 

So, personally, I will be cancelling my pre-order for two Balfour ones (if I’m contacted about it, but I’m not holding out much hope of that), and looking for some form of alternative.

 

Now, if someone was just to do a Kirow Multitasker...

 

Simon

Edited by St. Simon
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
20 minutes ago, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

To echo comments already said, a shame that it is shame it is not being taken forward.


However, there has been little information / marketing  around the project compared with other Hattons projects and now this short post about ‘pausing’ the project on here (not even on their website as I type this), makes me think that it won’t happen at all (I can’t think of many pauses projects that have actually gone on to be released).

 

So, personally, I will be cancelling my pre-order for two Balfour ones (if I’m contacted about it, but I’m not holding out much hope of that), and looking for some form of alternative.

 

Now, if someone was just to do a Kirow Multitasker...

 

Simon

 

I received an email explaining the pause in relation to my pre-order.


Roy

Link to post
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, St. Simon said:

Now, if someone was just to do a Kirow Multitasker...

 

That would be great - I'd be in the market for a Kirow crane, but somehow I think it's much less likely than the Plasser.

 

I'm hoping that Hattons have just paused the project because of an uncertain economic outlook and they may reconsider at a later date.  If they haven't actually started tooling, then I can appreciate why this may be the one that they pause, to allow them to concentrate on some of their other projects.   However, I tend to agree that we may never see this model.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
22 hours ago, BLK4Y said:

I find Hatton's method of publicising this to be quite surprising. If I hadn't been a member of this forum I would not have been aware of the change of status re the Plasser crane. On the Hattons website there is no mention in the Product News heading. One would have to have gone to the product listing and spotted that pre-ordering had changed to wish list. How do Hattons expect possible buyers to actually pre-order if they're not made aware that production of the crane is now at risk ? Poor marketing in my opinion

 

BLK4 Y

 

I'm sorry but too many people expect to be spoon fed everything these days and that just isn't possible when dealing with hundreds of customers at the same time.

 

I found out about it via an email from them before it was posted up on Rmweb which is the correct way to do the marketing. You can't expect them to contact every single person persoanlly to say sorry we decided to suspend this project.  Bachmann is great for cancelling things and not telling any one about it until you suddenly think where is X model and go to Bachmann to check.

 

The project is mentioned in the product listing on the 1/10/20 which they have now amended to say what is happening.

 

The easiest way to keep up to date with things in this day and age is to sign up for newsletters. I know you will be thinking but all those emails coming to the inbox. A nice a simple soultion is to set up a free email account and put that email in to the newsletter sign up box and then check though it once a week. Nice and simple to keep track of things.

 

If its something more important like say a pre-order etc then you put your mail email address.

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...