--- In [email protected], "ctxmf74" <ctxm@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> --- In [email protected], "Ed" <Loizeaux@> wrote:
> > Note I am not saying this is the best or optimum marketing scheme, >but I
> > think it is the one in effect at this time -- for better or for >worse.
> > Putting it another way, nobody uses the traditional scheme of >making a
> > mass produced product to keep on the shelf in case an order >arrives.
>
> Hi Ed, We only have ourself to blame for letting the manufacturers get
> away with this scheme. If we refused to buy stuff with pre-orders other
> companies would step in to fill the void. Old Irv Athearn didn't wait for
> orders to build his new line, he apparently had faith in his vision to be a
> mass merchandiser of HO stuff so started cranking it out at prices we
> couldn't resist. If a new uncle Irv comes along I'll be supporting him with
> my money.
> I view it as a marketing plan based on the needs of modelers both present
> and future versus a scheme based on making the models collectibles by
> limiting their release numbers and time spans. Athearn was building the model
> railroad hobby while Lionel and the other limited run guys are working on
> creating a collectibles market using trains instead of plates or
> commemorative coins :>)
> When someone makes the effort to supply us new product without requiring pre
> orders I will support them, I bought one of each style and road number of the
> new Des Plaines boxcars and must say they are fantastic in execution and a
> great value for the price.If S had a broad selection of cars with the Des
> Plaines quality and pricing HO and O scales would be in for a battle.
> ......DaveBranum
>
The world has changed since old Irv ran Athearn in the 1950's and early 1960's
when the hobby was being "built" and the selection wasn't that hot back then
either. Athearn had an F7, GP9, a poorly proportioned GP30, Hustler, RDC's and
a 0-4-2 tank loco, and 0-6-0 and a 4-6-2.
Passenger cars were RPO, Coach, Diner and Observation in heavyweights and
streamliners. Freight cars were box, reefer, flat, gondola, tank cars and the
Santa Fe style caboose.
The Athearn line didn't really start to expand until the early 1970's, most
likely to to Atlas entering the market, but the hoods on the locomotives were
still too wide. Scale width hood diesels didn't appear in the Athearn line
until 1982 when an upstart company (GSB) offered an SD40. Athearn came out
with his scale width hood SD40-2 and blew GSB off the map.
And now Athearn is now part of Horizon Hobby and pretty much bases production
on reorders. It' just that there going to be more reorders in HO than there is
in S.
When Lionel began being perceived as a "collectable" like plates and other
commemoratives in the 19080's, the hobby of scale model railroading was all
ready pretty well established.
Sorry for the history lesson, folks.
Rich G(ajnak)
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