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Heljan Class 14s for Hattons


dcroz
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Face it - we live in a capitalist society!

 

Hattons and Heljan are in business to sell models and presumably know their market.

 

They have taken a business decision that there are enough customers around who want a Class 14 and are prepared to pay the asking price.

 

If they are wrong, then they'll have to lower the price to get rid of the surplus stock - Hattons are not unknown for doing this.

 

If they are right, however, those who choose not to purchase or who wait for the price to go down will have to do without the model - it's as simple as that.

 

This isn't a new phenomenon - way back in the 1960s highly desirable Far East handbuilt brass models were being imported which most of us had to do without as we couldn't afford them.

 

The fact that the high-end models of today use the same production methods as mainstream models doesn't alter the facts.

 

The Class 14, pilot scheme Warship, City of Truro, Beattie 2-4-0T, etc. are all limited production models commissioned by others than the manufacturer, and as such are a financial gamble.

 

As in all other areas of life, just because we can't afford things doesn't entitle us to suggest that they shouldn't be marketed.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

Thanks John. An intelligent and reasoned answer. I have myself put my name down for two of those specials you mention, and although I wasn't overly impressed with the proce of the class 14, I wanted one. I decided that the anger at not getting one would be greater than the mild agony of having to let the moths out of my wallet. This hobby is getting consistently more expensive, and we have to choose what we actually want, rather than what "would be nice". But, in my opinion, there is too much "chipping" at prices. Don't like them? Don't pay them!

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I notice that the larger RTR steam outline stuff has been getting more expensive in the past year yet this hasn't caused the baaaaaawing that the price of a limited run diesel has. I've bought Hornby Bullied Pacifics in the past for ??50 - 65, yet the same model wouldn't give me much change from ??100 these days, and it's a mass produced catalogue model. They are model trains, not water and medicine, and if you don't like the prices been charged then simply vote with your wallet. As above I'm sure if Hattons have messed up their pricing then they'll discount those remaining unsold. Somehow I doubt that'll happen though......

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If you can't justify the pricing for the Hattons class 14 i'd wait a year and see what Bachmann do otherwise you can always buy one in the next batch or kit build. There are other options currently with a class 14 at least.

 

I personally don't believe this needed to be a limited edition and it seems neither did Bachmann if they;ve managed to do it in the vastly smaller n-gauge market! I really do hope this ltd edition doesn't put them off up scaling and that their perceived demand figure does allow a lower price point.

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Competition is the main (only?) reason prices drop so much from the RRP. There are many box shifters that cut their profits to the bone but make it up with quantity over price.

There are a great many markets out there where you pay full RRP and thats it! The reason some of these models appear a bit dear is cos they can charge what they want. There is noone to compete against so they stay at full price for as long as people are prepared to pay it. Hattons and the NRM are but two examples. I suppose people see them as expensive as they are a higher prive than bigger, fancier locos but the price is dictated as much by the aforementioned reasons as by production costs.

It boils down to how much do you want it?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Official announcement here: http://www.ehattons.com/newsdetail.aspx?id=20

 

Right - now to start planning !!

 

That gaping hole in the bufferbeam http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=24327 will have to go.

 

Does anyone know of a source of the distinctive lemon yellow paint that was used on the bufferbeams the D95xx, maroon Warships and Westerns?

 

Having seen brand new examples of all of these at the time, I know that it was NOT the same as standard BR warning panel yellow.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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  • RMweb Gold

Just received this email from Hattons:

 

Hello,

 

This item, viewable at http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=24329 should be into stock on Friday 5th Feb 2010. We plan to process and pack orders over the weekend and despatch the majority of them on Monday 8th Feb 2010.

 

We hope that this information is of interest to you

 

Regards

 

Richard Davies

 

---------------------------------------------------

Hattons Model Railways

http://www.ehattons.com

0151 733 3655

Lines open Mon-Sat 8am-6pm Sun 10am-4pm

---------------------------------------------------

 

 

:D B)

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There may be some spare bufferbeams supplied with the model for unsing in a showcase.

 

Werner

I sincerely hope that this is the case... I've e-mailed them, asking the question.

 

 

Edit - I've just checked a couple of the pre-production photos, and the holes are present on those bodies, yet I can't remember anyone mentioning them at the time....

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