Widnes Model Centre

Many thanks. I shall look into that. Some of our retailing colleagues with different banks have had to pay £25 to their own bank and approximately £13 to the receiving bank in Scandanavia. Hopefully the company can resolve the issue themselves as I know it is putting off UK retailers ordering as their is difficulty in paying for the goods. We will be changing banks soon, I had to submit a seven page form for their consideration and they still decided not to allow the money out of our bank account. Bless.

That appears to be our problem and we agree. On a brighter note: We have unlimited credit and 28 days payment terms. Fantastic, good old HMRC VAT.

I can see your point Colin. When we were starting out as a Model Shop, there were decisions to make as to set up, cost, borrowing from Banks etc. Becoming a Limited Company has costs involved. Borrowing from a Bank in 2010, impossible, no matter what our status was. They were just not lending. We went with using our own money. We knew that we would never seek to get out of any finacial trouble by partly hiding behind LC status. It was for us an uneccesary expense. We are still unable to take on any form of borrowing due to our ages without the borrowing being "secured". Not on the business but on our house. We haven't gone down that route. We all know Limited Companies who have walked away from their responsibilites this year. We won't have debts on our conscience, unlike some as you well know. This is the one company that we have a low credit limit with. The credit limit we have with a similar company is £30,000. Our current stock level is approximaely £250,000. As of this morning, we owe slightly less than £4,000. None of that debt is due just now. A bit off topic, but may show you some of the difficulties that lie ahead possibly at the end of January 2020. Part of the £4,000 we owe is to a company based in Scandinavia. It is actually £600 ish. Our bank is making it very difficult for us to pay this amount. It is a newly formed company that is part of one of the biggest toy manufacturers/exporters/retailers certainly in Europe. As they have no Credit History as the newly formed company, the Bank believes it may be trying to obtain money from us. They are, we already have the goods !! The company is opening a Bank Account in the UK to get around this problem. But that isn't as easy for them as it used to.

As a result of a PM from this forum, I have contacted the Financial Director. I await a reply. Many thanks hayfield for your input on here. Appreciated.

I don't think Factoring is involed in this situation, although plenty of other companies we deal with have used/still use that facility. As a update, the company concerned have very recently issued a Credit Note for some damaged goods we had to return. As of today, they now owe us.

Not sure you have the right angle on this. We bought our Business truck from Nissan. If he doesn't know how Nissan's Credit Facilites and decisons are arrived at I should get another Accountant? Bit harsh, especially as he has a family to support and it is Christmas.

Not sure my accountant would know.

That could be the issue we are having. The company concered won't/can't carry out credit checks on ourselves as we are not Limited. I suggested that credit checks be carried out on us as an individuals. Not possible was the reply. We have been paying this company for nine years and have never missed an Early Settlement Date, let alone paid late or missed payments. Despite our payment history we have found out that our credit limit has been gradually lowered. Not helping the company if they have low credit limits for anyone who is not limited. Hence my question if this applies across the industry. I approached them to be told that they couldn't increase our credit limit as we were not a Limited Company. We only found out how low our credit limit was when we were waiting for items to be delivered. Up to our credit limit we were told. I had to ask them, no approach was made from their accounts dept. I just paid early, but goods were delayed and we still haven't received what we needed for the Christmas period. Outcome realistically is reduced sales for the company and us.

Looking for help in determining how many Retailers are Limited Companies, Partnerships. Sole Traders etc. Reason? I have been informed that one major manufacturer determines Credit Limits by applying lower limits depending on status. Not on ability to pay or payment history. Would really appreciate your help with this. We have discoverd that our credit varies hugely with different companies and has certainly come at the wrong time of the year for us. By all means PM me or send email to barrywilliams8@hotmail.com

Hi Jason, If you can get to Widnes, ring me first to make sure I am in the shop that day and I will give you a lift to Hattons. Not that far and we have given people without transport lifts to Montague Road. We will even give you a lift back.

The latest of the Rep Specials, Class 37 ‘ BR ‘Inter-City’ 32-392RJ has arrived today.

These sets arrived and departed just as quickly in stock today. It has been worth the wait. The presentation of this pack is superb. We have more on order and I personally am looking forward to the N Gauge version for my own layout. My wife Gill has now ordered one of these for herself. IMO a real winner from Bachmann. Set Contains: - Class 37/4 Locomotive 37558 'Avro Vulcan XH558' - 1:144 Scale Vulcan in anti-flash white colour scheme - 1:144 Scale Vulcan in camouflage colour scheme - Reproduction of the English Electric 'Vulcan Works' locomotive works plate - Reproduction of the Avro airframe identification plate from XH558 - Set of original RAF training board card reproductions - Fine Art print of the aircraft and locomotive Features: - 21 Pin DCC Decoder Socket - Directional Lighting - Interior Lighting - Pre-fitted Speaker - Accessory Bag Supplied

Not sure if the latest figures have been published here... which would be unusual. Hornby2019.pdf

We have everything that will fit, on display. Stock room contains excess items that in theory will replace items sold. If a gap appears on a shelf it is immediately filled. This time of year the stock room tends to fill up with reserved items that are being bought with our savings club. Customers tend to collect everything late on Christmas Eve!!! The idea is that the shop should always look full. Not a particular lover of the Argos type setup with all the stock out of sight and only a few items on display.

That would be the total area. Store room with kitchen and toilet. THe toilet is not included in the square footage by the VOA. Probabaly 90-95% is retail area. But as it is a new building there is no obstructions, ie. all the walls are straight.

I think it is dependent on the Local Authority, VOA etc. Our Business Rates, since the new system was intoduced, circa £7000 per annum. We are according to the VOA, 15 yards approx into the town centre catchment area. Our retail area is 1527 sq.ft. The VOA have made appeals very difficult, far more than the old system.

Oh No, I always have problems remembering my "ClickSafe" password. Putting an order together now.

This cheered me up no end. Now we know just why model railway shops are opening up all over the place. Next year we'll be millionaires.....

I have a large layout (8x4, then 4x8) as a "T". as described by yourself. I only used one tube of UHU Por. Might even have some left. I used it in a 'dot and dab' even creating a viaduct height the full length of the layout.

I know of a company called RB Models from Poland. They make aftermarket parts for plastic kits. Now if they were based in Warsaw, not Walsall?

We have added these to our now very popular accurascale wagon range. Roll on January.

Probably snapped up by other Retailers.

I have to say that Fran and his team add that personal touch sometimes missing from "larger suppliers". We have been very pleased with our dealings with them and especially their products.

With our shop being an "all round model shop", it is sometimes difficult to give the average age of our customers especially appertaining to railway modelling. However I have gone through yesterdays takings sheet and recalled the customers who bought anything model train related. Just a snapshot showed me that a nine year old boy and his parents bought a Hornby train set. He already has a model railway but his parents decided to buy another set for him so he had another controller. A young man of around 22/23 years of age bought a rake of accurascale PCA wagons. Guy in his 40's bought some N Gauge wagons and a coach. Last customer of the day who arrived very late from the Wigan show bought some track. He was roughly in his early 30's. Difficult to recall if we had anyone over 45 buying model railway stock yesterday except maybe the customers who were buying for their father who had sent them in with his shopping list. They "Facetimed" him to show what they were getting to make sure it was the right products. Our experience would show that not all railway modellers are as old as "we" like to believe.

We weren't keen on this loco and could see them gathering dust on the shelves. Well they didn't even make the shelves and sold out before 3pm. Apologies to all at Hornby. Have to ring the rep to order more..... if they have any left....