Walthers reaches out...

[sirenwerks]

What I found most interesting is that it was Phil Walthers, not a PR guy or somebody from the sales department.  Straight from the horses mouth so to say.

It probably was a PR guy, they just stamped his signature on it to make us think he cares. I sent him a message via his TB profile, inviting him here, and urged him to search for 'Walthers' in this forum to hear what's been said in the past. Maybe he'll dummy up, and pony up.

[Mark5]

Actually, the flyer includes announcements of new items (at MSRP)

Is this the same flyer available for D/L here (under promotions)?:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/ads

This in HO looks pretty cool!


http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-2853

[asarge]

No. The monthly also is available to dealers and they can order at the sale prices for you.

The bi monthly dealer announcements is not for dealers only, just a more structured environmewnt to show all the products for that ordering period along with the confidential dealer info. You guys would see th new products sheets that your LHS may post somewhere.

[bigford]

Who's Walthers :

there the seller of over priced plastic models  > $50.00 kit for maybe $2.00 worth
of plastic

[DKS]

Who's Walthers :

there the seller of over priced plastic models  > $50.00 kit for maybe $2.00 worth
of plastic

To their defense, Walthers has produced some unusual items, at some risk--how many modelers are interested in building a large steel mill, for instance? Or a Hulett?

Edit: I know there are some, but it can't be many thousands of buyers, so the unit cost will be high, particularly since they had to cut a lot of steel to make these big kits.

[John]

To their defense, Walthers has produced some unusual items, at some risk--how many modelers are interested in building a large steel mill, for instance?

Me

[bigford]

mine


and this is a $60.00 box with nothing more then the corragated walls

[Nato]

    Walters has reciently started an N Scale E Newsletter. I have been getting this as well as "New Items Just Put on Sale" E Mailings. Trouble is The N Newsletter shows only a handful of new N items being released or developed (New Passenger Cars) so we get mostly the same old stuff,RS2,GP-38, usuing up old stocks of DL109's,PA's.E-8's. The sale flyers cover mostly HO. How about they re run some really old stuff if they still have the tooling somewhere in China like those outside braced automobile box cars,especially the ones with end doors,but use alot less glue to assemble them,maybe make the side doors opening. As I have ranted here before if they really were serious about N they would start making N Scale versions of all their HO releases, like the GN Empire Builder, Milwaukee Hiawatha, 20th Century LTD, the Milwaukee Station Building, matching trainshed, I could go on and on ,but I will stop here and in closing as much as I Dis them they have contributed alot over the years to N Scale.                          Nate Goodman (Nato). salt Lake, Utah.

[Mark5]

Structures are a Wally strong point.

I just hope that they don't lose interest in the other (n) stuff.

[sirenwerks]

One of the biggest problems with Walthers is there's no way to provide input into what 'we' want. They can release an N scale product and measure its success by sales, but one gets the impression with the choices of products they make and the flaws these sometimes have that they're only half wittedly or half-heatedly adding N scale products to their line. The other means they have to decide on N scale products is to measure success of HO products and use that to gauge N scale sell-ability. And considering the differences between HO modelers and N scale modelers, that's no the brightest or most scientific method to use. Walthers could make a fair amount of money off of the N scale crowd if they'd just open their ears and eyes. To do that, they need to open their doors to input. Not just listen to what we ultimately want, but they need to take their lumps in regards to mistakes they make as well to be able understand us.

[Brakie]

Guys,Walthers is pro HO as their new releases indicate.

As N Scalers we should bombard Walthers with e-mail  asking why this or that hasn't been release in  N with every new HO product they release..

But,I suppose we just might be that redheaded stepchild after all.


I was informed by Walthers several weeks ago that  N Scale doesn't sell has well as HO when I asked about the ethanol plant..However,if there was enough interest they would consider releasing the ethanol plant or any HO structure in N.

[sirenwerks]

Brakie, I agree 100%. Rather than dream out loud and hope our wishes get through the ether to them, we should ask, and ask repeatedly. The mantra of marketing is repetition. The more we see an advertisement, the more it becomes a subconscious part of our purchasing mechanism. We need to do the same to them, ask, and ask repeatedly. And this is the email address you use to do so - newproducts@walthers.com. Fire at will, gentleman.

[Bangorboy]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I just emailed this to Walthers:

Please consider releasing the PD4103 Greyhound Coach you did in HO scale nearly two years ago in N Scale.  I need 4 or 5 for a bus station adjacent to my passenger station.  I model transition era in NScale, and there are no long-distance early-fifties buses available.

Thanks
Bill
South Okaloosa N Scalers

By the way, over a year ago, I contacted Classic Metal Works about a Mini=Metals version.  They said their agreement with Walthers prohibited them from making an N Scale version for 18 months.  That time is up.  If CMW got enough call, they might make the N Scale version even if Walthers doesn't ask for it.  I'm hounding them for some, too.  They could paint them for both Greyhound and Continental Trailways.  Peter Pan used to run the coaches in New England, and I'm sure there were many other companies that ran them, too.

Just in case Walthers doesn't wake up to N Scale requests for a while, would anyone else who want the N Greyhound please also email CMW?  Teir address is cmwsales@classicmetalworks.com

Thanks

[Walkercolt]

I keep wondering when the hobby industry will join the 21st Century and issue "catalogs" as DV-R's like Graingers and the big electronic houses have. I dream of the day that distributors have "real-time" inventory a shop can access to find out IF they have any Atlas "#xxxxxxx" cars/parts/turnouts in stock. If the cheap auto parts chains can do this for 20 years..... :

[Two Truck Shay]

What? No James K. Polk stuff?