AAANNDD They're Gone...

[jereising]

MBK added the FVM SD70ACEs yesterday - not the heritage, the regular road names - I checked (and ordered) yesterday evening, and the BNSF and MRL are already gone...must have been pretty good demand on those.

[ljudice]

Considering a UP for run-thru power...

Did FVM ever announce SD70M-2's???

[Maletrain]

I had told MBK that I wanted 5 particular Bluford Shops hoppers something like a year ago.  Monday, that hopper showed up in one of the MBK e-mails as "New in N Scale", with only 1 in stock.  (So, I bought it.) NO prior word from MBK that they were in and my order would be filled.  Then, Tuesday, I get a recorded telephone message that something I ordered about a year ago has come in, and I need to call them to tell them if I still want it.  I managed to get the message and call a few minutes before 8pm, when they stop answering the phone.  It was my 5 hopper cars, being held out of the Internet stock listings to keep them from being bought before I could get them.  So, it worked, but maybe a little slow.  The scary thing was that MBK needed to put those 5 cars into their automated Internet store and then put in my "order" to be able to sell them to me.  Seems strange, and, given the intensity of the buying from their site, a little risky that my pre-order might get snatched up by somebody else while my order is in progress.  It worked out OK, but the salesperson at MBK had my order ready to go with the push of a button before he pushed the button to put those 5 cars on their site.

So, in N scale, "you snooze, you lose" seems to be more like "you blink, you missed it."

[OldEastRR]

How about "You blink, it stinks"?

[wazzou]

How about "You blink, it stinks"?

That's by the writer of "Brown Eyed Girl", right?

[basementcalling]

This has been a pattern on a number of popular new releases to hit their website. They later added additional stock, perhaps a reorder, or the rest of their shipment came in and was processed; the items do have to be entered into their inventory system by a human after all it sounds like.

BLW still lists the BNSF and MRL units as in stock, but Pete may be processing orders too. Last time I tried to get some extra BMLA oil tankers from him when his website listed them as in stock after MBK was out, I submitted too late to get any from BLW too. I got free shipping on the rest of my items as an apology for missing out, so it wasn't a total loss.

N scale is rapidly becoming snooze or lose if you don't pre order or make a reservation. I guess manufacturers are making shorter runs with fewer extra units. Problem is with those MRL units, Fox Valley made 3 road numbers but I almost always see them in videos in groups of 4 as mid train helpers. What's a prototype modeler to do? 

[peteski]

N scale is rapidly becoming snooze or lose if you don't pre order or make a reservation.

Wouldn't that be snooze AND lose? 

[Maletrain]

On the other side of the coin, there was just a great deal on a previous release of the same model hopper in B&O paint, but on eBay.  New-in-box, all 6 road numbers, $9.50 each, with combined shipping.  That is half of the MBK or NSS price, same shipping, no tax.  So, sometimes, its more like you jump and then take a lump, later.

[nscaler711]

Have you looked at BLW? They are a couple bucks higher... but in stock.
http://blwnscale.com/fvm-sd70ace.htm

[Mark5]

FWIW, MBK often re-stocks. Dunno if that will happen with these.

[sundowner]

I think they only got like 5 or 6 per road number, so yeah you snooze you loose.

[jpwisc]

Lately MBK has been throwing a small batch up right away and then has been doing a larger batch a week or two later. I'm not exactly sure why.

[ryan_wilkerson]

I bet they sell more or faster that way. If they only post 3, you really don't have the luxury of waiting. When they inventory at 50, there is no rush to order. Probably other reasons too.

[Smike]

FWIW other top online retailers have them in stock as of now.

[StewRRFan]

MBK has a few back in stock.