aviserated
Member
Whats taking so long for Athearn to release their new steam locomotive? They keep pushing the date back.
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Athearn Delayed Again and Again
- Thread starter aviserated
- Start date
Delays are becoming more common these days.
Some say it is because they wait til there is "enough interest" to produce them.Others say it is other things.
But, get used to it.
Another common thing is the "advanced order" or "preorder" thing. Again, they may wait til enough orders are in to produce it, pushing it back until more orders come in. I once preordered a set of 4 passenger cars I wanted really bad last year. I had the money when I preordered them. But then the furnace died, the roof failed, plumbing problems arose, major auto repairs and a flood with lack of electrical power for days on end ensured I threw out a full stand alone freezer full and a refer/freezer unit full of what WAS frozen food- about $800 worth. {dry ice doesn't keep a whole unit frozen} that had to be replaced once power came back on. I no longer had the money when they came in. I did get them...sold on a lay-away plan on my CC that I am still paying on, but didn't really help the $250 in added expense of them I could no longer afford. SO I WON'T do that again!!!
There used to be firery arguments form customers whose cards were charged when the order was placed on a preorder as opposed to being charged when the item SHIPPED, and now most hobby shops don't charge a card til the item ships fortunately. SOme had the item paid off on their cards and then the item was cancelled!!! THAT is another problem...the item you really want being cancelled..usually due to lack of "enough orders".
If I can't see, touch, feel, smell it on the shelves or it isn't "available" or "in stock" {preferably} at the LHS or online LHS, I won't get it anymore, simple as that.
I learned a lesson, and will never repeat my mistake.
Some say it is because they wait til there is "enough interest" to produce them.Others say it is other things.
But, get used to it.
Another common thing is the "advanced order" or "preorder" thing. Again, they may wait til enough orders are in to produce it, pushing it back until more orders come in. I once preordered a set of 4 passenger cars I wanted really bad last year. I had the money when I preordered them. But then the furnace died, the roof failed, plumbing problems arose, major auto repairs and a flood with lack of electrical power for days on end ensured I threw out a full stand alone freezer full and a refer/freezer unit full of what WAS frozen food- about $800 worth. {dry ice doesn't keep a whole unit frozen} that had to be replaced once power came back on. I no longer had the money when they came in. I did get them...sold on a lay-away plan on my CC that I am still paying on, but didn't really help the $250 in added expense of them I could no longer afford. SO I WON'T do that again!!!
There used to be firery arguments form customers whose cards were charged when the order was placed on a preorder as opposed to being charged when the item SHIPPED, and now most hobby shops don't charge a card til the item ships fortunately. SOme had the item paid off on their cards and then the item was cancelled!!! THAT is another problem...the item you really want being cancelled..usually due to lack of "enough orders".
If I can't see, touch, feel, smell it on the shelves or it isn't "available" or "in stock" {preferably} at the LHS or online LHS, I won't get it anymore, simple as that.
I learned a lesson, and will never repeat my mistake.
Mac Loco Works
Member
Athearn is not the only one.
Exactrail, Inertmoutian and Fox Valley are also having problems getting there shippments out of china.
What I have been told is that the earth quake about a yr ago shut down some of the ports in the area and more shippments are going thur hong kong than normal.
The holidays also put a large demand on all of the shipping channels here and in china.
Exactrail, Inertmoutian and Fox Valley are also having problems getting there shippments out of china.
What I have been told is that the earth quake about a yr ago shut down some of the ports in the area and more shippments are going thur hong kong than normal.
The holidays also put a large demand on all of the shipping channels here and in china.
Selector
Well-Known Member
I believe the Chinese factories are now the owners of the manufacturing of toys businesses, and they can call the shots. Specifically, the itinerant and skilled worker in China can call the shots, and they are in high demand. So, they move around from job to job, always looking for an advantage. Funny how that works from population to popultation, from culture to culture.
This means delays in filling positions, training to specs, getting assembly underway, and then doing QC...except by then another 15-20% have up and left for 'better' conditions or circumstances. And that doesn't include all the tooling and proofing that comes first. Everyone in the hobby is backlogged. When the first toy train factories open in Namibia, you can expect some other troubles at first, then a good 8 year run of fast deliveries.
This means delays in filling positions, training to specs, getting assembly underway, and then doing QC...except by then another 15-20% have up and left for 'better' conditions or circumstances. And that doesn't include all the tooling and proofing that comes first. Everyone in the hobby is backlogged. When the first toy train factories open in Namibia, you can expect some other troubles at first, then a good 8 year run of fast deliveries.
