Steamport Southport Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 3 hours ago, APOLLO said: Memories. 180 Smithdown Road. Small shop front but seemed to go on forever inside. Second shop just down the road - much bigger. Widnes shop / warehouse This in the Liverpool Echo https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/hattons-model-railways-announces-closure-28411645 Brit15 There was a previous shop further down Smithdown Road, near to the hospital. Jason 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 About 15 years ago I bought quite a lot of stuff at Hattons. At the time I was living (as now) near Newark on Trent, so I got a lot of comments of "Why not use your local model shop?". However, my daughter had gone to Liverpool to University and stayed there for three years afterwards. That made a minimum of 6 visits a year- where were her digs? On Penny Lane about 5 minutes walk from the shop making Hattons the shop with the shortest walk to get to it. Since then I've bought quite a lot of items, though nothing since the Class P came out. As others said the prices of the secondhand (and the descriptions) were a bit idiosyncratic in the early days, but at that time I also picked up three secondhand BNSF N-gauge diesels from Rails that were cheap and described as "non runners" to find they were DCC fitted and worked perfectly- Hattons weren't the only ones who had a learning curve when moving into secondhand in a big way. I wonder how many are like me and just not buying the kind of stuff Hattons (and Rails etc) stock any more? I have nothing whatever on pre-order from anyone at the moment, though there are a couple of locos that might just tempt me. I'm saddened that they are going, though not really a current customer. Les 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PM47079 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Loved Hattons. I remember when you could get photocopied lists of there stock sent through the post in the 1980s. My first Mail order purchases were through them, and again when I started up the hobby again Hattons were the first on the list of who to buy from. I have even had other odds and ends from them not railway related. I hope that the employees who will be looking for jobs will find employment in the meantime. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSG Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 4 hours ago, stephennicholson said: Sad news, I will particularly miss the trunk service - hope another retailer picks up that idea - a genuine innovation. Also hope their originals range finds a new owner. I entirely agree. The trunk service is the reason why Hattons have had the bulk of my online business since they introduced it. I hope it's an idea that other retailers can pick up on. Hopefully the Originals will find a new owner. Possibly a little ironically, given the somewhat fraught relationship between Hattons and Bachmann, they'd be a fairly obvious fit along with the ex-DJM models in the EFE range. 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 G'Day Folks Bu@@er. manna 5 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 4 hours ago, sandra said: So sorry to hear this news and I hope that all the staff find new jobs. The very first locomotive kit I ever bought was from Hattons, a Wills body kit for a 2251 class. I have been a regular customer ever since. They will be much missed. I think many don't realise they used to sell kits. Got my first K's Kit in there a 14XX and also bought a few of the Langley kits complete with chassis when I modelled in N Gauge. Jason 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Parker Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 25 minutes ago, MonsalDale said: Well... back then we didn't have 13 years of austerity, falling wages and rising manufacturer costs to deal with. I can find you a letter to the model railway press making those exact same arguments from 1946. OK they didn't have austerity in the same way as we do, but they were in the middle of rationing and there was the little matter of a recent war... Price rises have been done to death, unless you have a desire to read endless pages saying they are too high and hurling all sorts of abuse at manufacturers and retailers. This is why I specifically asked NOT to go down that road on this thread. 17 minutes ago, phil-b259 said: As such can you ditch all this "the hobby is doomed nonsense" worth of a dads army episode and get things in proportion! Spot on. This is a bad piece of news. No need to wish to make it worse for anyone's "entertainment". 8 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke_stevens Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 24 minutes ago, ardbealach said: Looking back on all our lives we can recall the significant day that Elvis passed away, the day Princess Diana died and the day Kennedy was shot. I am sure all modellers will remember into the future where they were when they read of the passing of Hattons (Alisdair) I remember where I was when I heard Mainline we stopping production (In Eames of Kings Cross). Luke 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compound1000 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 My sympathies to everyone who works for Hattons and is being affected by this unexpected news. A bit of a shock to read about this I must say. I've been a customer since getting into the hobby in 2016 ish, so far shorter than some, but I can honestly say that they've been a pleasure to deal with on every occasion. The proportion of my collection which comes from their pre-owned listings or new models bought online from them must be significant, "this was a Hattons job" was regularly a phrase at my local club when someone opened up a new/new to them purchase. I've always had excellent service from them too and I'm very sorry to see them leave the market. I hope very much that as many of the excellent people they've employed as possible will quickly find new roles elsewhere that are fulfilling for them. All the best, and thanks. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted January 8 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8 28 minutes ago, phil-b259 said: Yes there are indeed significant issues facing UK consumers at present, and yes the retail environment is incredibly hostile at present - yet Rapido, Acurascale and Dapol to name but 3 manufacturers are still continuing to announce and deliver high quality / expensive models - and I doubt they do this simply so they can lose their owners money! Accurascale and Rapido do sell direct , although I know they also sell their products through retailers , but I don’t know the % . But the swing to direct sales , and of course Hornby are trying to increase their direct sales , could be a factor here . Again Hattons are to be commended here for a structured run down . You don’t know maybe the owners have just decided they’ve had enough and it’s time to retire and do something else . A.sad day for sure. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Popular Post AY Mod Posted January 8 Author Moderators Popular Post Share Posted January 8 Final warning. Please leave armchair business economics, politics and speculation out of the topic. 15 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chev32 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Virtually no NEW stock for sale on their website for sale ATM. Where have all the myriad of items gone that were listed a few days ago ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albie the plumber Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 4 hours ago, APOLLO said: Memories. 180 Smithdown Road. Small shop front but seemed to go on forever inside. Second shop just down the road - much bigger. Widnes shop / warehouse This in the Liverpool Echo https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/hattons-model-railways-announces-closure-28411645 Brit15 Nostalgic feelings at seeing pics of the original shop in Smithdown Road . I used to regularly visit the place when staying at the inlaws in South Liverpool back in the mid 90's . Norman Hatton { In his trademark brown coat } was still there in his twilight years always ready to do a deal with you . I really miss those trips now . My laddie who now lives round the corner from the newer shop in Liverpool , alerted me to this after Hattons had posted their announcement on his local community Facebook page . Shocked to say the least and very sorry for those who will lose thier jobs 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted January 8 Author Moderators Share Posted January 8 1 minute ago, chev32 said: Virtually no NEW stock for sale on their website for sale ATM. Where have all the myriad of items gone that were listed a few days ago ? A lot of stock has been sold in the last few hours. The site has experienced heavy usage. Take the tin foil hat off. 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JamFjord Posted January 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 8 I sincerely hope that any Hattons employees who may be reading this thread are able to take from it the widespread appreciation of the fantastic, dedicated work they've done, and ignore all the rampant, unwarranted speculation on what is causing Hattons to close, along with the news being callously treated as tea leaves by which to predict the doom of this hobby. Pack it in, please, and have some compassion. 6 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaneofFife Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Can those purporting to "not being surprised" by this news do me a favour. Send me your predictions for the 6 lotto numbers in the next jackpot draw. 4 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted January 8 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8 (edited) 9 minutes ago, chev32 said: Virtually no NEW stock for sale on their website for sale ATM. Where have all the myriad of items gone that were listed a few days ago ? We don't know and Hattons are not going to tell us! Two possibilities spring to mind however.... (1) Either Hattons went and resold it to another model retailer as a retailer - retailer bulk sale with the aim of achieving a quick clear out and quick payment. (2) the stock wasn't actually owned by Hattons (i.e. it was still the property of a wholesaler or similar for example until bought by a customer) so once Hattons said they were closing the wholesaler took their stock back. Edited January 8 by phil-b259 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted January 8 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8 (edited) 6 minutes ago, AY Mod said: A lot of stock has been sold in the last few hours. The site has experienced heavy usage. Or that.... Edited January 8 by phil-b259 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBRJ Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 (edited) Out of curiosity more than anything I had a look at the Hattons website early this evening, and took another look later on... I can tell you exactly where all that stock has gone. Well, not exactly of course, but I have a very good idea that it has been sold today... Edited January 8 by LBRJ 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ruggedpeak Posted January 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 8 I was getting ready to go to my French class when I saw the news earlier this evening and there was loads of stuff available. Now most of it has gone including the Hornby Loram 08 I was after for £120. I think they sold it all once the news was out. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ruggedpeak Posted January 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 8 Of course it might have been taken by aliens, sold to Elon Musk, or bought by the Russians to convert DCC chips into guidance for homemade drones. However I'm going with fast fingered bargain hunters for now. 1 1 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I happened to read the story as it broke, and went over to Hattons to order something. I wanted at least one more parcel from them. So I am not surprised that they have made a lot of sales this evening 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1andrew1 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 (edited) 18 minutes ago, chev32 said: Virtually no NEW stock for sale on their website for sale ATM. Where have all the myriad of items gone that were listed a few days ago ? Taken offline so Hattons can reprice them for the sale? A very sad 'end of an era' day. I used to live near Penny Lane in the mid-90s so like others today, remember their physical shop. Respect to Hattons' owners for having the courage to close down the business and not wait until it went to the wall. I wish the talented staff well; it must be awful for them given the fact that the company seemed to be expanding and had invested in systems to charge EU and Australian taxes. Hopefully, good practice and experience in the UK won't be wasted and can be shared with their US sister company https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/ Edited January 8 by 1andrew1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andron Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 A real shock. The staff were always fantastic! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJon Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I really wish I had put in a few orders before I went to the pub! There is nothing left! Joking aside, as with a lot of the people on here, Hattons were my go to retailer for the last 25 years since I first went to Smithdown Road way back in 1998. Their approach to pre-ordering and innovations like the Trunk were really great. A real blow and loss to the hobby and I really do wish the best to all the staff and management. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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