Hattons pre-owned items

[OnTheBranchline]

And then there's this...

[Ian Hargrave]

25 minutes ago, OnTheBranchline said:

And then there's this...

And that’s a common affliction with this model.

[John M Upton]

Seem to have been a lot of undecorated Athearn Blue Box GP9's (I use the term GP9 loosely as it is a bit of a mongrel in its details) suddenly come through in the last week, despite being identical, they all commanded different prices for no readily apparent reason.

[GWR-fan]

Over the years I have found that just about everything with either "GWR" or "ICI" branding has a premium over similar rolling stock from another raillway company.  Also it seemed that the more that I purchased of a particular item,  the next time it was listed the price was always higher each time, even just over a few days.  In a matter of just two weeks an item would double in price.  A lesson that I learned a long time ago on the store was "he who hesitates is lost".  If an item looked tempting then one should not hesitate pressing the link to confirm the purchase.

 

In the past I would view all the current day's pre-owned listings,  adding each wanted item to my cart and then after viewing all the items I would view my cart and then make a purchase.  These days though that luxury is not there.  If I see an item that I "want" then I do not wait until I have viewed everything as I know that more than likely the item will be out of stock by the time I get to finally view the cart.  "Act now and repent at liesure" is now my preferred method.   

[MattR]

Quote

In the past I would view all the current day's pre-owned listings,  adding each wanted item to my cart and then after viewing all the items I would view my cart and then make a purchase.  These days though that luxury is not there.  If I see an item that I "want" then I do not wait until I have viewed everything as I know that more than likely the item will be out of stock by the time I get to finally view the cart.  "Act now and repent at liesure" is now my preferred method.   

 

Agreed, the FOMO is strong here. And the ability to remove items from your trunk made that super easy as well. I admit I probably used that feature a little too much, swapping out items when a better/cheaper version of something I had in the trunk came available. Hatton's seem to have taken out the "Remove Item from Trunk" option since their stock tack in late November. They say you can email them if you want to remove something from the trunk, so I don't know if the user's one-click option will ever come back. 

[Ed-farms]

What is the general consensus on non runners? There is a couple of N gauge DCC Fitted locos I am eyeing up that are sold as seen non runners. 

 

Could it be something simple like they didn't try any other number than 3 or will it be potentially strip down and rebuild jobs?

[John M Upton]

Generally my experience of DCC fitted non runners is once you sling the DCC chip in the bin and either fit a blanking plug or hardwire the wires back together, that more often than not solves the problem.

Edited December 20, 2023 by John M Upton

[John M Upton]

Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!  Us HO scale followers just got buried under another tidal wave of Model Power landfill.

 

Seriously, where do they keep finding it?!?

[YT-1300]

1 hour ago, John M Upton said:

Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!  Us HO scale followers just got buried under another tidal wave of Model Power landfill.

 

Seriously, where do they keep finding it?!?

I picked up a few packets of their figures, gave me enough to populate my layout.  A little bit of tweaking the arms and legs and a repaint and they done the job perfectly!

 

Some of the figs are a bit tall though so need to be positioned carefully.  I also picked up a Karman Ghia with caravan.

 

Wouldn't touch the MP trucks, loco's or freight cars though!

[MattR]

Quote

And now, for the first time in possibly ever, there's nothing right now I particularly need.

 

And 3 days after making that statement, I found myself buying something I did not particularly need -- a Heljan Class 33. With layouts based on the LMR (preserved) and the SR (1923-1930), I have absolutely no place to run this thing. But I've always wanted a Class 33 (I find them more aesthetically pleasing than any other diesel locomotive, especially in BR green with the yellow panel and those white window frames) and it was only £40 ...

Edited December 20, 2023 by MattR

[GWR-fan]

9 hours ago, Ed-farms said:

What is the general consensus on non runners? There is a couple of N gauge DCC Fitted locos I am eyeing up that are sold as seen non runners. 

 

Could it be something simple like they didn't try any other number than 3 or will it be potentially strip down and rebuild jobs?

The non-runner situation is either a goldmine or a dog's breakfast.  I purchased a super detailed Hornby Castle class for the princely sum of GBP48.00 as a non-runner.  Not only did it run perfectly out of the box but it also had a fully functional ESU sound decoder.  Several non-runners were purely down to the loco being fitted with a decoder and running perfectly on analogue after removing the decoder.  At the other end I have received non-runners missing motors, bodged wiring, destroyed power pickups, shorted wiring, damage not disclosed and a myriad of defects.  Non-runners are a lucky dip.  After buying dozens of non-runners I am technically in front but there have been some heart aches along the way.

 

There are several Hornby models that I will not touch as non-runners and also any Bachmann split-chassis either stated as an inconsistent runner or as a non-runner.  Simply not worth the trouble.  

 

Specificially "N" gauge non-runners I have no experience of but for peace of mind would avoid.  I would consider them purely as a source of spare parts and not as "cheap" alternatives to functional models.

[John M Upton]

N gauge is more tricky admittedly.  In that scale I regard all 'non runner' and 'spares/repairs' lots as parts donors as will only pay accordingly (unfortunately since Farish themselves now seem to think an exorbitant fifty quid just for a body shell is a reasonable price, prices for non runners have skyrocketed as a result) and sometimes you get lucky, other times you have more bits for your spare parts box.

[GWR-fan]

I do wonder why people bother with the likes of this offering.  For just a couple of pound more one could get a mint running model.  After many years of selling the N class,  the store still does not realise that the locomotive is definitely not a split-chassis design.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1559175/bachmann_branchline_32_152_po36_class_n_2_6_0_31813_in_br_black_with_late_crest_pre_owned_noisy_runner_body_s/stockdetail

 

Just a week ago I purchased a pre-owned mint looking and running (apart from a broken tender drawbar) Southern olive green N class for GBP21.00 (GBP17.00 after VAT).  It was a simple fix to get rid of the problematic stock drawbar assembly which often results in derailments and replace with a simplified attachment by modifying the stock drawbar attached to the loco body.

[tomparryharry]

On 23/08/2023 at 12:04, HExpressD said:

I'd be willing to bet that the prices are set by a person, or team of people, presumably some more aware than others as some prices seem pretty good, and some are completely out there

 I'll bet a certain E-Bay retailer works there part-time.....

[tomparryharry]

In fairness to Hattons, some their offerings are pretty good, whilst some are less so. I managed to buy 20+ Airfix mineral 16t  wagon kits for £25 some years back. Likewise, a Baccy 56xx for £30, with a loose wire. A 5 minute fix, and it happily ran, but in wrong direction.

 

Yes, I'd reversed the polarity.....

 

Don't mention their rubbish H&M knock-off point motors... Oh dear.....

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

3 hours ago, tomparryharry said:

In fairness to Hattons, some their offerings are pretty good, whilst some are less so.

Absolutely so. It's a game, the occasional trawl through their s/h stock to spot useful items at low prices, particularly because incorrectly identified in some respect.

[tomparryharry]

34 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Absolutely so. It's a game, the occasional trawl through their s/h stock to spot useful items at low prices, particularly because incorrectly identified in some respect.

Slightly off-topic, but relevant, nonetheless.

 

A friend accompanied me to a Kidlington railwayana auction, many years ago. He was amazed at the amount & diversity of things on offer. But! He also had some money, and it was burning a hole in his wallet. 

 

I told him to view meetings like this as a circus, or a merry-go round. Bid on lots by all means, but don't get too hung up on missing out on lots. The chances are that the same item, or similar, will come around again.  Sure enough about 2-3 years later, he bagged what he wanted, which was a pannier numberplate.

 

I'm sure other readers can recall similar situations. 

 

 

[GWR-fan]

Oxford Diecast Bofors 40mm gun,  pre-owned for GBP13.00 or buy new for GBP9.50.    Another pricing oddity.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1558897/oxford_diecast_76bf001_po28_40mm_bofors_anti_aircraft_gun_as_used_with_the_british_army_navy_1937_late_1980s/stockdetail

 

[John M Upton]

17 hours ago, GWR-fan said:

Oxford Diecast Bofors 40mm gun,  pre-owned for GBP13.00 or buy new for GBP9.50.    Another pricing oddity.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/1558897/oxford_diecast_76bf001_po28_40mm_bofors_anti_aircraft_gun_as_used_with_the_british_army_navy_1937_late_1980s/stockdetail

 

 

And yet someone seems to have bought it!!  Of course it could be the irresistible allure of the words 'Very good box' that did the trick...

 

One born every minute as the old saying goes...

[OnTheBranchline]

Is it just me or are there more "non runners" being sold lately?

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

21 hours ago, OnTheBranchline said:

Is it just me or are there more "non runners" being sold lately?

Yes, and I feel their operational model has changed very significantly over perhaps the last 18 months, effectively increasing the buyer's risk. Won't stop me looking for useful items at the right price, but I do look as closely as possible for visible damage on any 'non runners' that are of interest. The last three 'non runners' bought over this period had trival causes for their lack of movement.

[John M Upton]

Too many items coming through and not enough time to test them all perhaps?  They need to lower their prices for untested "non runners" accordingly though, a very good box just doesn't cut it, especially as most boxes I get wind up in the recycling anyway.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

5 hours ago, John M Upton said:

...a very good box just doesn't cut it...

I have most assiduously inspected their entire 'select by' column for the 'Box can be in buried in a dunghill condition for all I care' factor, but it is strangely absent. Perhaps those that only want what's inside the box are not the prime target customers?

Edited January 5 by 34theletterbetweenB&D
for the purpose of clarification

[GWR-fan]

After a discussion with store staff some time ago what was apparent was that the box condition was the discerning factor in whether a locomotive would be removed from its packaging for inspection prior listing.  Maintaining the condition of the packaging was a priority.   

 

The determination by the staff of what is a non-runner has me baffled.   I have received mint/unused models described as untested (no doubt due the pristine condition of the packaging) that actually were non-runners even though not listed as such and models described as non-runners that I could not find fault with.   Do not assume though that a "non-runner" will arrive as a functional model though,  as from my experience it is a lucky dip,  ranging from basket cases to simple maintenance being required.

 

As noted previously the price of non-runners has escalated in recent times to the point that in many cases it is financially of no benefit to purchase when a fully functional model is just slightly more expensive.  Barely twelve months ago one could purchase a mint functional model for what is now being asked for a non-runner of the same type.  Given the general unavailability of spare parts outside the UK it is no longer feasible for me to consider models that may require replacement items such as gears or valve gear so I avoid these.  If cheap enough I may consider purchasing a non-runner simply as a source of spare parts.  My philosophy is that a model is the sum of its parts.  An example is a recent purchase of a locomotive model with a damaged body.  Costing me just GBP11.50,  I did not want the body but had a need for the chassis for another project.  

 

Edit:  the chassis in the above paragraph was described as a "wobbly runner".  Received today and found that the motor mount screw had stripped allowing the worm to lift away from the driven gear.  Fitted a slightly longer screw and tested just fine.

Edited January 8 by GWR-fan
Additional information

[GWR-fan]

Another "victim" of the store's policy to not remove seemingly pristine models from their packaging for listing as "pre-owned".  The item in question is a single Pullman "late crest" smoothside car from the R4169 "Bournemouth Belle" supplemental coach pack.  The lisitng showed a single image of the coach in its original packaging.  Upon removal it was obvious that at one time the coach had been used in a "Golden Arrow" rake as the coach sides were smeared with a rubberised glue in the location where the arrows would have been placed.  I could not use a solvent as I did not wish to damage the finish on the coach so resorted to using tissues and kitchen detergent and elbow grease.  Fortunately,  this cleaned up the mess but it has left a sour taste in my mouth.  Obviously,  the coach was never removed from its packaging to inspect prior listing or else the glue marks would have been mentioned.  While a devoted Hattons customer I am tiring of receiving "like new" items which do not match the listing description.  The original packaging was pristine so perhaps I should be eternally grateful.