Hattons Model Railways of Widnes (formerly Liverpool).

[TheSignalEngineer]

I ordered some items from Hattons Thursday evening, they arrived Monday but I noticed the delivery driver was using his own private car so I don't know who delivered it.

Sounds like Yodel. They deliver in bulk to a house near you and the resident then distributes the packages, hopefully.

[brushman47544]

Hattons has quite a few Pre-owned Hornby locos on the New Releases page of its website today. Lots of Bulleid Pacifics, some Black 5s and a couple of Duchesses amongst them. I asked their provenance and it seems Hattons has being buying used models and has now started to sell them - so they are not Modelzone or anything like that. Waiting to be able to speak to them and find this out, I missed the one I was after... oh well.

[Free At Last]

For secondhand models they are a lot pricier than what Hattons used to sell secondhand stuff for in their old shop.

[Michael Delamar]

222_23 by liverpolitan.im, on Flickr

[APOLLO]

That photo brings back memories Michael.

 

Back in the late 60's / early 70's in my Tri-ang TT days I would get a DMU from Wigan to Edge Hill and walk to Hattons down Smithdown Road. What a shop, like an Alladins cave, he always had a selection of new & s/hand TT in the shop,. Later in 1973 or so I changed to OO and still visited, still do to occasionally to the new shop, though I drive there these days.

 

Re the current S/Hand items, they seem to be over priced to me, though they still have many good bargains on new stock on their website.

 

Brit15

[Michael Delamar]

They do have some good bargains, recently bought 4 Bachmann 13t steel open wagons for £19 from there.

 

Some of my earliest memories are in that shop, sat on the cabinet picking out a Hornby class 58 from the catalogue, my dad used to take me there then we'd go to Edge hill station to watch some trains. 

[birdseyecircus]

Dapol Wagons ordered 18.20 on Tuesday evening from Hattons. They were delivered this afternoon by Yodel. Less than 24hours! 

Superb service!

 

Paul

[Stevelewis]

Dapol Wagons ordered 18.20 on Tuesday evening from Hattons. They were delivered this afternoon by Yodel. Less than 24hours! 

Superb service!

 

Paul

Yes  its  very  much  like  that  with  Hattons,  I have  dealt  with  them  for  many  years  I used  to call in  the  shop  when  my  calls  took me  to Liverpool  which  was  very  frequently!!,

 

These  days  it  is  much  cheaper  to   Mail order  ( although on a clear  day  we  can see Liverpool  from  a nearby hill!!)  I  reckon I order on average every 2 weeks!!

[Stevelewis]

 

222_23 by liverpolitan.im, on Flickr

 

What memories  that  brings,  that is  the  window  through  which  I glimpsed  WRENN   Streamlined  Coronation Class  locos being  cleared  for  £25.00  silly  me  i didnt  buy  any, and a few  years  later  they  were selling  for  Hundreds!

[Stevelewis]

Sounds like Yodel. They deliver in bulk to a house near you and the resident then distributes the packages, hopefully.

Perhaps  the  word ' eventually'  should be  added  as  well!!!

 

Seriously  though  Yodel Deliveries  from  the  actual  Yodel  Vans  are  just  about  acceptable, but  we  have  had  some  real issues  with  the    courier deliveries (ie the private  car)

I have  had  deliveries left  at  the  wrong  address,  and thrown in  next doors  garage, and a couple  of  occasions quite valuable  orders  just  dumped by the  front  door in clear view of  passing pedestrians,  I always  state  City Link deliveries  when ordering  from Hattons, unless its  less than 2 KG  and then  I use  Royal Mail

[Butler Henderson]

 

These  days  it  is  much  cheaper  to   Mail order  ( although on a clear  day  we  can see Liverpool  from  a nearby hill!!)  I  reckon I order on average every 2 weeks!!

Thats £104 per annum spent just in postage!!!!!!

[truffy]

I guess the one advantage of living here is that Hattons cannot bulk-ship via cheaptastic couriers.

 

Gotta love the Hattons service though. Top!

[truffy]

They're passionate and knowledgeable, although not infallible (but, then again, who is?), which alone lifts then out of the box-shifter league.

 

Not having a local model ship that stocks OO gauge or 4mm, I'm pretty much limited to online shopping anyway.

Edited November 21, 2013 by truffy

[New Haven Neil]

Oh, that photo!  I attended Riversdale college in Aigburth in the 70's, and Hattons was a regular visit!

[APOLLO]

Oh, that photo!  I attended Riversdale college in Aigburth in the 70's, and Hattons was a regular visit!

 

 

Riversdale Tech !!! More memories (I did ONC Mechanical Engineering there 1969-71).

 

Remember the huge meat and potato pies with fluorescent green mushy peas ?, followed by a walk down to Otterspool Promenade to watch the sewer outfalls !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . The lecturers were nearly all ex merchant navy, strict and knew their stuff. NO messing around whatsoever. Train every day Wigan to Lime St, then the airport no 500 bus or single deck no 85 through Toxteth.  Sometimes we caught the DMU from nearby St James (I think) station to Liverpool Central just before it closed. Liverpool buses back then all seemed new, with state of the art (at the time) weekly tickets that you cancelled on a machine next to the driver for every trip.

 

Riversdale has now completely gone, now housing.

 

Brit15

[Gwiwer]

It is becoming widely known that Hattons are now offering pre-owned items which show up in their listings alongside new ones.

 

I was a little surprised to see this however

http://www.ehattons.com/68079/Bachmann_Branchline_31_235ZLN_Class_205_2H_Thumper_2_car_DEMU_in_BR_Green_Exclusive_to_Kernow_Model_Centre_L/StockDetail.aspx

 

Brand new ones are still available "Exclusively" from Kernow MRC at £139.99.  Quite why Hattons, who are free to charge what they feel the market might pay, are asking £160 for a pre-owned one is beyond me.  The statement on their page that the item has also been previously sold brand new by them is misleading.  It may well be a standard inclusion on the "pre-owned" page format for items they normally stock new but is not true in this case.

[Stevelewis]

Thats £104 per annum spent just in postage!!!!!!

Well that  is  quite  economical actually,  This  refers to  post #158

 

If  I were  to actually  drive  to  Hattons   it would  take  up at  least  2 hours driving time most likeley  more for the double  journey, then time in the  shop to sort out the  purchase.

 

Then  theres  the  cost  of  fuel!  The  round  trip  is  around 55 miles  so at  around £6.00  a gallon is  around  £8.50  and  then The  Mersey Tunnel Tolls x 2 (actually not  sure  what the toll is  these days but  it  was  around  £1.30 last time  i used it)

 

So my cost would be  around £10.00,   I could  actually  avoid the Tunnel by using  the  Widnes/Runcorn  bridge  route  off the  M 56  but  that  is longer  mileage and driving wise and more likely to have  delays!

 

So I save  both  time  and  money by using online  sales

Edited November 22, 2013 by Stevelewis

[JCL]

They're passionate and knowledgeable, although not infallible (but, then again, who is?), which alone lifts then out of the box-shifter league.Not having a local model ship that stocks OO gauge or 4mm, I'm pretty much limited to online shopping anyway.

I'm with you there. Had a small box of stuff delivered to western Canada in less than a week for $3.50 - strangely it was cheaper than getting it delivered to my mother in law's place in the Wirral!

[Tase]

I'm with you there. Had a small box of stuff delivered to western Canada in less than a week for $3.50 - strangely it was cheaper than getting it delivered to my mother in law's place in the Wirral!

Can't help think that we in the UK subsidise overseas shipping to an extent. Another online retailer that I frequently use offer first class post for only £4 (which often is delivered next day btw) against Hatton's 2 day tracked service which costs the same but doesn't always ship the same day.

[Bernard Lamb]

It is becoming widely known that Hattons are now offering pre-owned items which show up in their listings alongside new ones.

 

I was a little surprised to see this however

 

http://www.ehattons.com/68079/Bachmann_Branchline_31_235ZLN_Class_205_2H_Thumper_2_car_DEMU_in_BR_Green_Exclusive_to_Kernow_Model_Centre_L/StockDetail.aspx

 

Brand new ones are still available "Exclusively" from Kernow MRC at £139.99.  Quite why Hattons, who are free to charge what they feel the market might pay, are asking £160 for a pre-owned one is beyond me.  The statement on their page that the item has also been previously sold brand new by them is misleading.  It may well be a standard inclusion on the "pre-owned" page format for items they normally stock new but is not true in this case.

Could be that they have seen what other traders did with their Class 14 and decided to do the same.

They probably also read the Ebay madness thread on here.

Second hand stock selling for more than the price of new goods is a fact of life that we all need to get used to, particularly in these times of limited runs and new issues selling out very soon after release.

Bernard

[Gwiwer]

If the original run had sold out I could agree.  

 

It hasn't.  The item is still available at list price from its commissioning retailer.

 

As a post-script and to place on record the full and fair outcome I received a most unexpected international phone call from Hattons manager in the past few minutes accepting that the statement regarding Hattons having previously sold the item new is misleading, is a standard template, will be modified (for at least this item) and that the asking price has been reduced to slightly below Kernow's price for the new Thumpers.

 

I'm happy to settle for that as a result.

[New Haven Neil]

Riversdale Tech !!! More memories (I did ONC Mechanical Engineering there 1969-71).

 

Remember the huge meat and potato pies with fluorescent green mushy peas ?, followed by a walk down to Otterspool Promenade to watch the sewer outfalls !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . The lecturers were nearly all ex merchant navy, strict and knew their stuff. NO messing around whatsoever. Train every day Wigan to Lime St, then the airport no 500 bus or single deck no 85 through Toxteth.  Sometimes we caught the DMU from nearby St James (I think) station to Liverpool Central just before it closed. Liverpool buses back then all seemed new, with state of the art (at the time) weekly tickets that you cancelled on a machine next to the driver for every trip.

 

Riversdale has now completely gone, now housing.

 

Brit15

 

  OT warning !!

 

I was Merchant Navy at Riversdale,, I was an enginner cadet.  Some of the lecturers were strict, yes, but some were also quite human, especially to ma after having suffered less than humans at the rather posh grammar school I went to. Bad memories there!

[oreamnos]

Can't help think that we in the UK subsidise overseas shipping to an extent. Another online retailer that I frequently use offer first class post for only £4 (which often is delivered next day btw) against Hatton's 2 day tracked service which costs the same but doesn't always ship the same day.

 

Dunno about subsidies, but since it is clear from post #172 that Hattons monitor this board, let me say that one of the primary reasons I give them 90% of my custom from overseas is precisely because their airmail rates to California are reasonsable.  Long may Hattons continue the practice.

 

It may be that Hattons have negotiated with the Royal Mail more favorable overseas shipping rates because it might be able to guarantee to RM a certain minimum amount of total shipping business.  Such deals between big shippers and the US postal service are not uncommon.

 

Matt

[Butler Henderson]

 As a post-script and to place on record the full and fair outcome I received a most unexpected international phone call from Hattons manager in the past few minutes accepting that the statement regarding Hattons having previously sold the item new is misleading, is a standard template, will be modified (for at least this item) and that the asking price has been reduced to slightly below Kernow's price for the new Thumpers.

 

I'm happy to settle for that as a result.

Still at £160, and is slightly below Kernows new price reasonable for a used item?

[truffy]

It's really up to Hattons to determine their pricing, isn't it? If it doesn't sell at that price, it doesn't sell. If it does, someone didn't do their checking.