Where are the Hornby models?

[Mike Storey]

There are far more ready to run blue/grey period RTR models than NER/LNER North Eastern models which is my area of interest but I am not complaining.

 

Agreed, but not much from Hornby, which is what this thread is about? I can happily cope with what is available from the others and from kits, smaller suppliers and a bit of bashing, so I am not complaining! As I grew up with (Tri-ang -) Hornby, I would have nostalgically liked them to have had more of my business these days, that's all. 

[robmcg]

Ian

 

I've just done an Ebay 'completed' check and there was a Blue Star sold on Ebay UK yesterday (16th April) for £110. Don't know if this is the one Rob bought

 

Just out of curiosity, and a bit off thread, but where on Ebay is the 'completed' auction detail?  I just missed a good chance because of some misunderstanding of their ever-changing systems, and missed out on this; my last-minute quite generous bid was blocked by a new 'will not send to NZ' screen which the seller did not want, nor ask for, in fact she is as disappointed as me!

 

it sold for £129, I would have paid more. So everyone lost, (except the buyer who won.)

 

 

 

[Ian Abel]

Just out of curiosity, and a bit off thread, but where on Ebay is the 'completed' auction detail?  I just missed a good chance because of some misunderstanding of their ever-changing systems, and missed out on this; my last-minute quite generous bid was blocked by a new 'will not send to NZ' screen which the seller did not want, nor ask for, in fact she is as disappointed as me!

 

it sold for £129, I would have paid more. So everyone lost, (except the buyer who won.)

 

35026_3ab_r800.jpg

35026_1a_r800.jpg

35026_2ab_r800.jpg

Rob,

  To the right of the search button - click on Advance Search, next section below the Find Itmes/Search button, there's "Search Including" where you can checkbox "Completed" or "Sold" listings. Wasn't able to find the one you're showing though, but a few other "Lamport and Holt" locos...got me curious now also.

 

Just an FYI - I've seen similar things happen myself, and I'd not necessary blame eBay directly. I've seen a seller post 3-4-5 items and some will show as available fo rme in the US, one may show "Won't SHIP to US". I think it has to do with how the seller "bothers" with the shipping options. If you're lazy/not careful, I think it's rather too easy to exclude some areas, and one of the selections triggers a situation where eBay prevents a "foreign" location from even bidding. If I suspect an issue at all, or if I definately want to try and win something I'll just place a "tentative" bid "one higher" than the present and see if I can actually even post a bid - I'd been disappointed in the past as you were and would have won with a better bid than the item sold for, always good for the buyer! One time I couldn't bid and contacted the seller who was very helpful and corrected the shipping options - I went on to be able to win that item.

 

Sorry for the long-winded reply, but may help folks who miss out otherwise...

 

Now, where are all those other good deals on BB/MN/WC locos

[robmcg]

It is a bit off-topic but the seller is unlikely to have been remiss in listing countries to which he/she will post. I have bid successfully on previous auctions with him/her and they have been fine, usually giving me an invoice within an hour or two to pay using PayPal.  I suspect the rules have changed, and other sellers I buy from have told me that Ebay sometimes change rules,  either that or it is confusing and clunky for sellers. Some say they cannot include quotes for postage to NZ on their listings yet others can and do. 

 

I don't like to show my hand with a test bid but it looks like I would have to in future. Even then, I don't know what a willing seller can do when Ebay outright forbids a bid from a NZ registered bidder. After all a screen like this does not exactly make buying fun.

 

It looks as if the buyer has not actively listed NZ for valid bids , but it worked all last year, and nothing was changed at the seller's end, so far as I know, will know more tomorrow probably. It has somewhat put me off bidding, to be honest.

 

[robmcg]

...

 

Now, where are all those other good deals on BB/MN/WC locos

 

There are quite a few at medium-high prices, I have spent much of two grey wet autumn days looking, but there aren't many excellent buys like a rebuilt Bulleid for $50-80 unless you rattle up a seller beforehand with a request to validate a NZ bid and delivery, and take a chance, as far as I can tell. The smaller traders are understandably not keen to sell to overseas buyers if it means a complex process for airmail and customs. Those who will happily ship to NZ tend to have reserves or buy now at £85 or more.  With VAT included in the deals, there aren't many bargains.

 

But it's not the end of the world. That 35026 I couldn't bid on looked good, but maybe toboldlygo will offer to do better if I do some appropriate grovelling noises...   I'd put up a yellow emoticon for a smile but cannot find a static version, they are all stupid complex moving versions. See how stupid I am?

 

And I used to feel sorry for UK/EU residents having to pay VAT. <g>

[robmcg]

Indeed there will be good Hornby models on the s/h market, and some 'new' but possibly stock from closed shops?

 

From my overseas perspective in NZ I will pay for the models I want at up to a likely retail new price if the advertised photos are good and the delivery is clean and reliable, the models I choose being unavailable in shops accessible to me via the web. It is fun looking at what is available too.

 

I also sell on a local site and sometimes, very rarely, break even. <g>

 

edit; what a pity that Ebay sellers have to beware of so many scumbag buyers who demand repair or refund, or alternately, there are unscrupulous sellers, it's not very common on our local NZ s/h trading site 'Trademe'.

 

My main interest is seeing how s/h or as-new values move now that supplies of new Hornby models are so sporadic, and highly-detailed new models of say 2008-2010 standard are unlikely to be repeated at less than £150 RRP.

[gismorail]

Hornby web shop / site

I was going to start a new thread regarding the above subject but thought it might be better received in this thread.

Having spent a very enjoyable day at the York Show on Saturday and having searched every trader to see if you could purchase some of the Gresley suburban crimson coaches without success and to be honest I could find very little Hornby products full stop I thought that I would bite the bullet and see if I could get some direct from Hornby's web shop. Now I'm no computer / internet geek but what an a terrible web site to use. The search engine I my very is a total waste of good screen space and the items that I did find were out of stock. I have in the past put these items up for email notification but have never had a reply.

Has anyone else suffered the same frustrations  does this  company really want to sell products to us or not

[robmcg]

I think the Hornby on-line shop would be one of the worst on-line sales sites anywhere, it appears that management don't know if they want to sell things directly to the public or not.

[it's-er]

Just happened to stumble on these last two pages - what an interesting and informed discussion of Ebay model railway buying and selling. Many thanks to Mike The Stationmaster, Rob, Ian and adb for their contributions.

 

I had no idea that an Ebay trader might spend £12,000 or £20,000 on model railway items at an auction - goodness! This suggests there is plenty of life in the model railway market.

 

John

[darren01]

Hi 

I have been looking around on the net for a few older loco to add to my collection, and all i keep finding is sold out / not available, this just not Hornby stuff.

It getting a little bit of a desert out there for anything at the moment .

Never know it to be this bad before for getting models, even the ones that are always on the shelf  are getting like gold dust!.

[DLPG]

Hi 

I have been looking around on the net for a few older loco to add to my collection, and all i keep finding is sold out / not available, this just not Hornby stuff.

It getting a little bit of a desert out there for anything at the moment .

Never know it to be this bad before for getting models, even the ones that are always on the shelf  are getting like gold dust!.

No new items coming from the major manufacturers and it is also pushing the prices up! Possibly a good time for those wishing to thin their collection on EBay!

[Mike70]

Just having a browse on Hattons website.  Seems to be a few due for release later this month;

 

R3019 - Paviland Grange - Due 13th May
R3020 - Class 4P Fowler - Due 19th May

R3190 - Class L1 - Due 23rd May

 

Hopefully these all get released on time. 
It will be a good sign that the P2 will be with us in a few months time.

[Mike at C&M]

R3190 is not a new release, an earlier batch arrived in March. Further batches of already released new releases are shown as drifting into Hornby over the next few months.

 

R3207 (Cock O'the North) is currently shown as expected into Margate w/c 7th July (2014)

[The Stationmaster]

Just having a browse on Hattons website.  Seems to be a few due for release later this month;

 

R3019 - Paviland Grange - Due 13th May

R3020 - Class 4P Fowler - Due 19th May

R3190 - Class L1 - Due 23rd May

 

Hopefully these all get released on time. 

It will be a good sign that the P2 will be with us in a few months time.

Interesting thanks - I placed my pre-order for R3019 'Paviland Grange' in January .....  that was January 2012 and it was due in the 3rd quarter of 2012.  It was then 'delayed to 2013 due to lack of orders' but wasn't included in the 2013 catalogue but was relisted for 2014 and my order, hopefully, still stands.

 

So basically it's just a quarter (of a year) under two years late.  No skin off my nose but terribly indicative of the state of play with Hornby's delays and their 'manufacturing problems'.  

[leavesontheline]

Hi 

I have been looking around on the net for a few older loco to add to my collection, and all i keep finding is sold out / not available, this just not Hornby stuff.

It getting a little bit of a desert out there for anything at the moment .

Never know it to be this bad before for getting models, even the ones that are always on the shelf  are getting like gold dust!.

 

There are still lots of 'older' brand new models on the shelves in many shops - you just have to know where to look! Don't forget that not all shops have an online sales facility and some don't have an internet presence at all! A shop that I have previously mentioned on this thread (no link to me - just a happy customer) that is only small but very well stocked, particularly of Hornby models but Bachmann too, is Richards Railways of Yatton, near Bristol - there must be other similar 'hidden gems' like this around the country?

 

Even some of the larger stores who do have an internet presence seem to have healthy stocks - one such example I noticed whilst surfing the web aimlessly the other night was the Hereford Model Centre (again, no link to me and I'm not even a customer as yet!). If the HMC stock levels on the website are genuine, they seem to have a fantastic quantity of recent and slightly older models from Hornby and Bachmann and at prices that don't seem to be re-aligned to current prices of similar models like many online retailers do. Some of the prices I have paid recently for brand new models from Richards Railways have considerably undercut second hand prices I have seen on eBay or on large second hand stalls at shows!

 

No doubt with Bachmann's recently announced price hikes, their existing stock currently on retailers shelves will start to shift a bit more quickly either due to genuine modellers/collectors or speculative investors/eBayers but just like the current situation with limited Hornby stocks, if you know where to look ....... you will find !

 

By all means use the internet as a means of finding/locating shops near you, even if this is by asking other 'RMwebbers' if they know of any local shops in your area, but don't rely solely on the web, or the best known online retailers, as your only gauge of the current health of the industry! I assume that the business model for some of these 'box shifters' as they are (sometimes unfairly) known as is to get product in and out as quickly as possible as stock on the shelves just costs money to store. For many smaller shops the business model, if in many cases there even is one, is probably very different!

 

Happy hunting! 

[darren01]

There are still lots of 'older' brand new models on the shelves in many shops - you just have to know where to look! Don't forget that not all shops have an online sales facility and some don't have an internet presence at all! A shop that I have previously mentioned on this thread (no link to me - just a happy customer) that is only small but very well stocked, particularly of Hornby models but Bachmann too, is Richards Railways of Yatton, near Bristol - there must be other similar 'hidden gems' like this around the country?

 

Even some of the larger stores who do have an internet presence seem to have healthy stocks - one such example I noticed whilst surfing the web aimlessly the other night was the Hereford Model Centre (again, no link to me and I'm not even a customer as yet!). If the HMC stock levels on the website are genuine, they seem to have a fantastic quantity of recent and slightly older models from Hornby and Bachmann and at prices that don't seem to be re-aligned to current prices of similar models like many online retailers do. Some of the prices I have paid recently for brand new models from Richards Railways have considerably undercut second hand prices I have seen on eBay or on large second hand stalls at shows!

 

No doubt with Bachmann's recently announced price hikes, their existing stock currently on retailers shelves will start to shift a bit more quickly either due to genuine modellers/collectors or speculative investors/eBayers but just like the current situation with limited Hornby stocks, if you know where to look ....... you will find !

 

By all means use the internet as a means of finding/locating shops near you, even if this is by asking other 'RMwebbers' if they know of any local shops in your area, but don't rely solely on the web, or the best known online retailers, as your only gauge of the current health of the industry! I assume that the business model for some of these 'box shifters' as they are (sometimes unfairly) known as is to get product in and out as quickly as possible as stock on the shelves just costs money to store. For many smaller shops the business model, if in many cases there even is one, is probably very different!

 

Happy hunting! 

Hi 

The loco i am looking for is the Bachmann Pannier tank, Early BR and no factory weathering, Can i find one out there, almost given up trying to get one.

I do not understand why this model is so hard to get hold of, they where the back bone of the WR, So there should be some about to buy.

[Ian Abel]

Hi 

The loco i am looking for is the Bachmann Pannier tank, Early BR and no factory weathering, Can i find one out there, almost given up trying to get one.

I do not understand why this model is so hard to get hold of, they where the back bone of the WR, So there should be some about to buy.

http://www.oliviastrains.com/trains/model-trains/Bachmann-steam/Bachmann-steam-pannier-class/Bachmann-32-209-pannier-tank-3711-in-br-black-early-emblem-livery/

 

http://www.mibmodels.co.uk/Bachmann_32-219_57xx_Pannier_tank_black_livery.htm - factory weathered, but still...

 

http://www.ekmpowershop15.com/ekmps/shops/fishnthings/Bachmann-32-201-8750-pannier-tank-1825-p.asp

 

http://pufferwillies.co.uk/uk2ecommerce/product/bachmann_32-219_oo_scale_br_7717_ex-gwr_57xx_class_0-6-0pt_pannier_tank_black_early_emblem_weathered_dcc_ready/ - another factory weathered, but I've got a BR Std 4 tank and the factory weathering is very light...might be an option if you really want a Bachmann Pannier???

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

Try Alton Model Centre Darren but Kernow had the weathered one recently if you can go with that.

[leavesontheline]

Hi 

The loco i am looking for is the Bachmann Pannier tank, Early BR and no factory weathering, Can i find one out there, almost given up trying to get one.

I do not understand why this model is so hard to get hold of, they where the back bone of the WR, So there should be some about to buy.

Hi Darren, I would try Richard's Railways, 01934 876328, as he probably still has some of the earlier Bachmann Pannier tanks. I have purchased about three from him over the past few months, all of which have been brand new, in the older style dark blue boxes, and priced at original prices (i.e. rrp at the time minus approx 20%) only adjusted for more recent VAT changes. Thus the cheapest I got for about £42 and the most expensive was just under £50. On the same shelf he had one of the latest releases for £65! Basically the same model!

 

I'm pretty sure he does mail order on request too.

 

He does have a website but it doesn't contain any stock info, just contact details and opening times.

 

Hope you find what you are looking for!

[Dunsignalling]

Just having a browse on Hattons website.  Seems to be a few due for release later this month;

 

R3019 - Paviland Grange - Due 13th May

R3020 - Class 4P Fowler - Due 19th May

R3190 - Class L1 - Due 23rd May

 

Hopefully these all get released on time. 

It will be a good sign that the P2 will be with us in a few months time.

Just spotted that 'Okehampton' has been put back by another 5 months to November - is anything else similarly affected?

 

John

[coachmann]

I've been searching for a 'C' Class but it's Bachmann so off-topic....

[APOLLO]

Not Hornby - but related (China manufacturing problems)

 

I model in O Gauge North American. Looking tonight at the online Weaver catalogue I see the diesel loco line has disappeared. A little web searching came to a forum stating Weaver has problems obtaining parts. (Drivelines made in China) - hence no diesels for a while - or could be for ever - no one knows.

 

http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/weaver-models-diesels?reply=27193597333650253

 

Also difficulties with Atlas O track, none being made this year.

 

http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/no-atlas-o-2-rail-track-in-2014

 

So its not just us lot in the UK. One has to wonder that due to the world wide model railway production being centred on a small number of manufacturers, in China, one big one (Sanda Kan) has gone, leaving the whole world's model railway industry in a mess.

 

Probable meltdown soon for some companies / retailers as cash flow dries up..

 

God help us all if this happens with more vital everyday objects, (electronic components etc) - China will control the world via output (or lack of it).

 

Brit15

[leavesontheline]

I've been searching for a 'C' Class but it's Bachmann so off-topic....

 

Before too much longer this thread might have to be re-titled "Where are all the Hornby models" anyway!!

 

Perhaps a new thread is needed, e.g. in the Products and Trade area, titled "I am looking for product x, has anyone seen one?" !

[7013]

Well today I went into my local shop to find the Hornby. 61XX at £120, now I know prices have gone up but this is the ex Airfix model that has had minimal tarting up over the years but is hardly the latest tooling. One model that will remain on the shelf for a long time.

[Ian Hargrave]

Our friend "Gostude" has a 51XX on e-bay (since the end of March) at £54.50. It beggars belief.Does anyone out there put two brain cells together to raise a spark ?