(snip) >> >> Well the American Models car is now that only "modern" gondola that is >> on the market. There was a great gondola kit of the Evans 100 ton >> Gondola, produced by BTS, but for some insane reason he decided to pull >> the plug on the project and they are no longer available. >> (snip)
Michael, gotta love that 'insane reason' comment. Just because I now have a brain tumor does not mean I am insane!! A decade ago, I really had a good feeling about doing a line of 'modern' equipment in S scale, and figured this gon would be a key piece on just about every layout, and most layouts would use multiples since it was owned by a group of railroads. So in 2008 we spent the money to get the patterns made, and ran 50 kits in early 2009. We sold 22 in 2009, 6 in 2010, and NONE for the next 16 months! So I 'insanely' decided to clean off the shelf and told folks to buy them or they would be scrapped for a tax deduction. The rest sold in less than a month, but my money had been tied up for years, and my arm got tired of dusting the boxes! Similar experience with the 50' pig flat based on the SRR conversion from a boxcar. I knew this was a unique item, but felt it would be a welcome addition for the 'modern' modeler's layout. Again, I was surprised when out of the 50 kits I produced, we sold 3 in 2008, 3 in 2009, NONE in 2010, and finally 8 in 2011 when we announced they would be scrapped at the end of the year. Nice lose on that one. Now the bench-sitting fans who have never opened their wallet and taken a risk on producing a product can speculate all day long and blame the item selection, marketing, price, phase of the moon, etc. as the justification for poor response. I saw it as an extremely small market of 'modern' modelers who, like so many of the S modelers, have a long list of wants, and slow response supporting those who try to fill that list. As a result of the above, the center-beam flat, mech reefer, coil car, and a couple other projects have been pulled from the to-do list. So if I am insane for discontinuing products that do not sell, and for not producing similar products that probably would not sell either, then so be it. Take care Bill -- == Scale Model Railroad Products == == Manufacturer - Retailer - Importer == Bill and Diane Wade B.T.S. RR 1 Box 141A Belington, WV 26250 Phone: 304-823-3729 FAX: 304-823-2901 http://www.btsrr.com We wish you Fair Winds and Following Seas. ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/
