Large Scale Central

What can you say? OT or maybe not

General Discussion
#1

If this is too inflammatory, Bob can remove it, but I thought some might find it interesting to discuss what is happening on the OTHER side of the counter…

I had a fellow inquire last week about a part for a toy steam engine that was built in Germany (That he had bought elsewhere). I called a couple suppliers (one long distance, one international to Canada) and managed to get him a price quote… MY cost would have been $94 plus about $7 shipping to get it to me…so I quoted him $115 on a part with a $129 suggested list. Figured I’d about break even, and help the guy out. Guy sent me a response that he felt the price was too high, so I suggested a couple ways that he could fix the broken one he had.

Guy sent me a second note this morning that he had gotten it from a firm in England for 24 pounds (about $48) plus whatever they had charged him for airmail shipping.

Yes, it is the same item, and yes, he saved money… which I’m sure he’s very happy about.

Unfortunately, my wholesale cost already includes those little (ahem) expenses like trans-oceanic shipping, customs fees (they often won’t bother to collect on a single item, but when you bring in a thousand dollars at a time, they certainly stick their hand out!), and a bit of the wholesaler’s overhead. And my sale price has to include shipping costs from the wholesaler, credit card fees, shipping materials, and occasionally a bit of MY overhead…

Sadly, it is considered petty, and in bad taste to point out that he might be helping to put a fellow American (or maybe three) out of business. So what does one say? All I’m really out is about a half hour of my time and the two phone calls… I wished him a happy Easter.

#2

Welcome to Wally Weird’s world, that is the mentality of pretty much everyone in any hobby anymore if they tell you differently they are lying. It’s a “where can i find it cheapest world anymore”. The economy has placed us all into this frame of mind. I lost out to “big business” and it is getting to everyone else. Just look at your small town main streets when “you know who comes to town”. Sadly all the big guy’s will eventually carp up the “little guys” and in the future we will just sit at home and surf the web for the best deal in town, and when we find it “we will buy it”. So having said the above “it’s a shame but the truth”. Its coming boys we all have to get used to it, i’m not sure there is anyway to fight it, if you think of a way let me know. The Regal

#3

It is EXTREMELY unusual to find that something made in Germany is cheaper in the UK - in spite of being part of the EU like us, and in the former European Common Market, we seem to get rooked rotten buying stuff here in UK made anywhere else in Europe - Germany included.

For example - Maerklin Gauge 1 passenger cars of the ‘Mitropa’ type are eu378 in germany and £360 here in UK - that’s about eu500.

Although you have lost a customer, in truth you should be grateful - you seem to have also lost a royal PITA.

Look on it as having a miraculous cure for haemorrhoids.

tac

BTW - we arrive in canada and the USA witl almost empty baggage - we buy all our outdoor clothes and shoes while we are there - prices are considerably less than half the price here for the same item. We prolly keep Columbia in business! :slight_smile:

#4

Mik,
I have the same ‘problem’ trying to sell on eBay. Five years of dealing on eBay has given me access to some extremely courteous and friendly people. Not only have I picked up some very nice items but the sellers have been very generous with lowering their shipping costs to bare minimum. Now comes the problem. Trying to pass on these items, with a sale price reflecting the lower purchase cost and friendly shipping rates obtained, I find the average local largescalers believes that they can get items cheaper by bidding themselves on eBay and paying the exhorbitant shipping costs involved. In the end they finish up paying more, but consider that they have ‘done well’ because they are not paying someone else a bit of a price markup. My price always reflected the price I paid for an item and not what the market could bear.

  My favourite is a local who regularly emails or phones me to send him photographs of particular LGB items and my price.  He then declines my 'offer' and uses my price supplied as a bargaining tool to get the price of a similar item from one of his acquaintances.  He even emails back to tell me the items he has purchased and how much he has paid for them.  Needless to say I have given up corresponding with him.
#5

First, let me state, I am not against shopping around to save money. I sometimes do it as well. I quoted my best price, someone else beat it… perhaps a bit annoyed that they can sell it retail for much less than my wholesale cost…but life goes on. There’s a guy from Europe that’s basically dumping the German made engines on evil-Bay for about 15% less than my wholesale as well…nothing I can do about that either.

The comment that got me a bit was in his second message when he said to me “somebody is trying to make too big of a profit on this”… It sure wasn’t me, If I had claimed all the deductions that the law allows, I would have shown a $3K LOSS last year. The question now is, “If (more like when) I go under will anybody even care?”… Maybe when something goes wrong and they can’t find someone to answer their questions or help them fix it…but even then I kind of doubt it. People have been conditioned to think it is normal to just chuck it out and go buy another.

Once I’m gone some other sucker will probably come along and pay the table fees to go to shows where people can see and touch the stuff before buying it off somebody else online, and explain their options so they can make an informed purchase when they call the discount house…

#6
Mik said:
Maybe when something goes wrong and they can't find someone to answer their questions or help them fix it
When I get quotes on large purchases of computer equipment at work, no supplier gets a look-in unless they meet the criteria you specified. Actually, I'll go further - I don't want "help" fixing it, I want it fixed, on site, for 4 years, no questions asked.

Price only comes into it after we’ve agreed on the level of service to be provided. Even then, I’ll have a good, hard look to ensure that the supplier can, in fact, deliver on a 4-year commitment before signing off on a deal. I have a good idea of costs, and I’m particularly suspicious of quotes that look too good to be true.

When I buy trains, given that I live a long way from anywhere else, I expect to have to do my own service and repairs. Therefore, I’m utterly hard-nosed about price, including shipping.

Get in touch if you ever move to Perth!

#7

In a similar situation, I said, “Cool, you got a pretty good deal!”

#8

Regrettably. all this is not an issue here in AK where no large-scale stores exist anywhere in the state (although one hobby shop does offer a few LS items–darn few !). I used to visit a hobby shop in Tigard, Oregon, but traffic congestion got so bad that I had to give up on that outlet. Too bad. It it the last one of its type that I can find in the entire Portland area.

#9

Where is Tigard? My daughter lives in Vancouver, WA. My bride and I frequently visit. Do they still stock the big stuff?

Ron, have you been to Eastside Trains in Kirkland, WA, just across Lake Washington from Seattle? They carry a large selection of Large scale stuff.

#10
Steve Featherkile said:
Where is Tigard? My daughter lives in Vancouver, WA. My bride and I frequently visit. Do they still stock the big stuff?

Ron, have you been to Eastside Trains in Kirkland, WA, just across Lake Washington from Seattle? They carry a large selection of Large scale stuff.


I misspoke. Tammy’s is in Beaverton.

Haven’t been in the Seattle area in so long I cannot even tell you–too much traffic for me.

#11

My “issue” is with selling on ebay. I’ve done reasonably well but have had a policy of NOT shipping out of North America (mainly due to shipping costs) mostly because of the hassle! I had one gentleman that begged me to sell him a Bachmann D&RG coach that I had modified by painting the roof silver. He absolutely HAD to have it to complete his collection (?) Well, long story short, I told him we would send it to Switzerland (big mistake!) but that it would go UPS and he would have to pay shipping and insurance. He bid on the coach and won. THEN he tells us that he had TWO cars recently sent to him from the USA and the shipping was only $45! I don’t know who or what he was dealing with but I have HAD IT with bargain hunters overseas! I ended up PAYING $7 to essentially give away my coach by the time it was all said and done (and all to keep the guy happy so my feedback wouldn’t suffer…) NEVER AGAIN!! So, for those of you in the rest of the world “sorry!” One guy ruined it for everybody!

#12
Steve Stockham said:
My "issue" is with selling on ebay. I've done reasonably well but have had a policy of NOT shipping out of North America (mainly due to shipping costs) mostly because of the hassle! I had one gentleman that begged me to sell him a Bachmann D&RG coach that I had modified by painting the roof silver. He absolutely HAD to have it to complete his collection (?) Well, long story short, I told him we would send it to Switzerland (big mistake!) but that it would go UPS and he would have to pay shipping and insurance. He bid on the coach and won. THEN he tells us that he had TWO cars recently sent to him from the USA and the shipping was only $45! I don't know who or what he was dealing with but I have HAD IT with bargain hunters overseas! I ended up PAYING $7 to essentially give away my coach by the time it was all said and done (and all to keep the guy happy so my feedback wouldn't suffer..) NEVER AGAIN!! So, for those of you in the rest of the world "sorry!" One guy ruined it for everybody!
Steve from one fellow Ebayer to another I have sold several times out of u.s. What you tell bidder is that you will not send him an invoice until after you have the amount after you have pkgd up and had weighed and then send the buyer a final invoice with actual shipping on it, and insured! Works good for me and I have had better success selling out of us than here doing so. They are willing to pay higher prices for theyre things, also use usps not ups its way less expensive, and most of the out of the u.s. people will request that. Sorry for your bad experience, I have had some myself, doesn't feel good, leaves a bad taste in your mouth both for buyers and Ebay itself.