Anyone know why MTH stopped making catalogs?

Instead of offering items that may or may not get orders in a catalog, MTH now primarily makes custom runs for dealers who take the risk on the product selling.   Catalogs are expensive to produce and distribute.  Sometimes items in the catalog never got orders.  Now, lower overhead costs and product made is guaranteed to sell to the dealer offering the custom run.

I also imagine Mike Wolf has enjoyed semi-retirement and smaller scale operation with only guaranteed orders. 

One word, COST!

That's right. They just do custom runs with the dealer holding the bag to sell the product. They take no risk as what they make is already sold.

It's become a digital world, catalogs and magazines are expensive to make and print. Cost is why the major train magazines publishers have all reduced the number of issues they put out a year. They have to be able to turn a profit to stay in business. MTH is not the huge company they were before, that's why they have streamlined their operations and only doing custom runs. At least they're still around and putting out quality products. It's up to us to place enough orders to get them to do a custom run, if not they don't make them.

A catalog makes most sense for a full line toy train company, such as Lionel or Atlas.  They have an interest in having a reference work for their full line of trains, track, accessories, sets etc.   MTH is no longer in the business of making track, power supplies, accessories on a regular basis, so a mailing list for custom runs of locos, rolling stock and the occasional building, at lower volumes, probably makes the most sense cost-wise, as has been mentioned.  If you are mainly preaching to the choir, a catalog is not needed. For companies trying to attract new hobbyists with sets, track, accessories, etc., a catalog makes sense and is perhaps cost effective.

@Gary P posted:

It's become a digital world, catalogs and magazines are expensive to make and print. Cost is why the major train magazines publishers have all reduced the number of issues they put out a year. They have to be able to turn a profit to stay in business. MTH is not the huge company they were before, that's why they have streamlined their operations and only doing custom runs. At least they're still around and putting out quality products. It's up to us to place enough orders to get them to do a custom run, if not they don't make them.

I'd be perfectly fine with a digital only catalog. I'm sure it would cost a bit to have someone put it together but you would save on the printing costs by going that route. However the custom run thing does make a lot of sense as to why they don't publish one anymore as that is most of MTH's products now, but I don't think everything they do is customs runs right? I don't recall the recent FM Erie's, P47's, or railking USRA's stating that they are custom runs. So to me it seems like MTH is still putting out limited quantities of products which are not custom ordered from a dealer.

I understand the reasoning behind not producing printed catalogs (even though I personally like sitting down and paging through physical catalogs), but I just wish they would compile a list of each year's production at the end of the calendar year with at least the SKU number and brief description and put it on the web site -- that way we could see if there was anything we missed and might want to track down.

Andy

@Andy Hummell posted:

I understand the reasoning behind not producing printed catalogs (even though I personally like sitting down and paging through physical catalogs), but I just wish they would compile a list of each year's production at the end of the calendar year with at least the SKU number and brief description and put it on the web site -- that way we could see if there was anything we missed and might want to track down.

Andy

Most of their products are custom ordered by one specific dealer.  Most are pre-ordered and spoken for before they arrive.  For example my recent purchase of a Santa Fe FP45 was a custom run by Berwyn's.   You would not find it anywhere else and generally there are few remaining.   A list of what was made and by what dealer would be interesting for sure.

fyi, I've seen Mike Wolf's name on a few dealers e-mail ads, he's in person at those shops promoting the wifi TIU or whatever the latest generation thing a ma jig is.

As others have indicated, this comes down to a matter of cost.  It costs a significant amount of money to produce a catalog.  With MTH and Lionel having their catalogs online, it makes sense that they would not want to continue to create and publish them.  I think Lionel produces a summary of their catalog, cost driven.  

Between, Lionel, Atlas, MTH, and K-line, I have approximately 20 years of catalogs that are sitting in a closet.  I don't recall the last time I looked at them.  I used to look at them periodically, but at some point they will head to the recycling bin.

John

@VistaDomeScott posted:

Most of their products are custom ordered by one specific dealer.  Most are pre-ordered and spoken for before they arrive.  For example my recent purchase of a Santa Fe FP45 was a custom run by Berwyn's.   You would not find it anywhere else and generally there are few remaining.   A list of what was made and by what dealer would be interesting for sure.

This is exactly why I would like some kind of "catalog." I just found some products from Berwyns which I don't recall ever seeing in MTH emails or on their website that are of interest to me. My main thing with having a catalog is more so about awareness of these products.

Similar to what Andy said, I would at least like a page on their website where I can visually see everything that is going to be produced and where I can buy it from.

@DaylightDelight posted:

Similar to what Andy said, I would at least like a page on their website where I can visually see everything that is going to be produced and where I can buy it from.

If you go to the MTH product locator (https://mthtrains.com/product_locator) page you can search "Uncataloged" items by each year. Looking at the list you can see the special run items. You may have to click on an item in the list to see who offers it but in many cases, the product page will provide a link directly to the vendor page where you can purchase the item:

@H1000 posted:

If you go to the MTH product locator (https://mthtrains.com/product_locator) page you can search "Uncataloged" items by each year. Looking at the list you can see the special run items. You may have to click on an item in the list to see who offers it but in many cases, the product page will provide a link directly to the vendor page where you can purchase the item:

Boy, oh boy do I wish Lionel would do this.