Walthers, self-congratulating with “Your Number One Resource for Model Railroad Product Information,” immortalized the model railroad image of large scale in their April Flyer. Their only large scale image in the entire publication was singular: Lionel’s Coca Cola Battery Powered Train Set, with the commanding caption: “This set is sure to inspire family traditions and happiness for years to come.”
I’m sure it will.
Why not just give the finger to the large scale model railroad hobby.
Wendell
Its not personal, Wendell, its just business.
Wendell, those of in the hobby don’t take Walther’s too seriously when it comes to large scale. Some of us don’t take them seriously in any scale. I am amazed that they stay in business when every time I want to order something from them they do not have it.
But, seriously, what do you think they should say? They have the sets (maybe) and they need to sell them.
I had great hopes that Walthers would do to LGB what they did with Life-like (Proto 2000). It seemed to me that Walther’s was the distributor to the neighborhood train shop. With changing times in retail they have managed to live on where others have not. It’ll be interesting to see how they proceed with G scale. I wouldnt think Lionel was the future of G, but who knows what can happen.
who’s Walthers? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
Clarity before agreement…
Walthers is the company that extolls their being the information source for model railroaders of all scales - they mail monthly to thousands. They have chosen the only large scale information for Flyer readers is an 1/8th page ad of a children’s battery train set. That’s it. There are 70 HO and N gauge product information pages reinforcing the significance of their share of the model railroading hobby. In that context, large scale is represented and depreciated to one single, tiny, solitary little ad showing a children’s toy.
The message is no other large scale products are worth Walthers promoting before serious modelers.
Cale Nelson said:
who’s Walthers? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
Never heard of the guy
Back in my Lionel days, 1970/80s, I thought them too expensive.
It’s nice to see that some things don’t change. Back in the '70s when I first got into model railoading, Walthers was the catalog every hobby shop had available for visitors. Their products were above average pricing and availability was spotty. Same tune, same player…
Bob “IA3R#7” Cope said:
It’s nice to see that some things don’t change. Back in the '70s when I first got into model railoading, Walthers was the catalog every hobby shop had available for visitors. Their products were above average pricing and availability was spotty. Same tune, same player…
Same thing in the 80’s and 90’s when I was in smaller scales, and in the 21st century when I wanted the LGB loco prominently displayed on a page of their large scale catalog. We used to joke that Walther’s main business was selling catalogs, and actually selling trains was a side business.
Somewhere I have a dedicated large scale ONLY Walthers catalog from the 90s and it AIN’T thin…my my how the world does change.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)
dbl post - dont ask me why
Walthers Catalogues etc. are the same world over Guys. great pictures, super layouts. Buy the catalogue, find what you like/want, then find it elsewhere, cheaper. lol
Rod, not only cheaper elsewhere, but actually in stock elsewhere too.
You would be surprised how many Hobby store would order from Walthers and had the same issue with getting items for the store. i would be in a hobby store and see customers ask about their order and get the same answer. " it is on back order and do not know when we will get it"
No wonder the Hobby stores are going out of business.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Dennis
My comment exactly mirrors Dennis’, that Walthers was about the only place that “had” “everything” and many dealers “simplified” their ordering by only ordering from Walthers.
So, it turned small hobby stores to mirrors of the whims of Walthers. Actually not whims, but pretty much the “big box store” mentality. You can’t blame them for taking this approach, but it’s really a downward spiral for a LHS in my opinion.
Greg
I had always dreamed of visiting the Walther’s “store” in Wisconsin. finally got a chance back in the 90’s. Boy was I disappointed. Not much on the shelves and when asked if something was in stock - well - same answer as I got at the local hobby shop when asking about my order - it’s on back order. Sometimes I wonder if they don’t do drop shipping - get enough orders for something, order from the manufacturer and have it drop shipped to the shop or individual.
Back in the day, their slogan was “Your dealer can get it from Walthers”. Maybe the definition of “it” has changed? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Dennis Cherry said:
You would be surprised how many Hobby store would order from Walthers and had the same issue with getting items for the store. i would be in a hobby store and see customers ask about their order and get the same answer. " it is on back order and do not know when we will get it"
No wonder the Hobby stores are going out of business.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Dennis
Add in Walthers “scortched earth” policy if vendors ever decided to try and circumvent them. They have/had a policy where if a vendor they had a supply agreement with EVER used a different distributor, or undersold Walthers pricing, they would forever be banned from ordering from Walthers, the same was true for manufacturers who might try to sell direct to customers, and since so many manufacturers had exclusive distribution agreements with them it stiffled the hobby for decades, giving Walthers a virtual monopoly in model train circles. If you want to know a big reason why the hobby is so expensive and supplies are so messed up, blame them.
dodgy joke deleted, something about prepending a couple of letters to “it”…
Greg
