Best deals before or after holiday?

WELL, I WOULD NOT PUT MY EGGS IN THAT BASKET, WAILTING TO SEE IF THE PRICE GETS BETTER, AS MOST TRAIN SHOPS TO DOT STOCK UP LIKE A MACY'S ECT, AND THE DISCOUNTS ARE NO WHERE REGULAR STORES GET, AND I KNOW THIS FIRST HAND.

ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER, WILL IT BE THERE AFTER CHRISTMAS?

AND LAST IF  THE PRICE IS REALLY GOOD TOO YOU, THEN WHY NOT BUY IT.

AND LAST, IF WE DO NOT LETS THESE SHOPS MAKE MONEY THERE WILL BE NO WHERE TO EVEN LOOK FOR AN AFTER CHRISTMAS DISCOUNT.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE DISCOUNT SHOULD BE BEFORE YOU BUY?

MARSHALL

Well, first, this is just my experience tempered by my "buying strategy."

1) After the holidays there are really good prices on items I don't want.

2) Prior to the holidays there are fairly good prices offered on things I do want.

3) Right about now, about three to four weeks before Christmas, seems to be the time of the greatest bargains on things I want: usually some store or website offering a tremendous discount on something as a come on. 

This business has changed over the past few years.  Lots of smaller shops -- those that are still with us, that is -- still tend to have year-end closeout sales.  But by and large, the big dealers seem to be having sales throughout the entire year.

I just did some damage at Nassau Hobbies, Patricks Trains, Trainworld, and Aaron City Trains over the Black Friday / Cyber Monday weekend due to some great prices on things I was keeping an eye on and waiting for the right moment.  

Likewise, all of these places (and others like Sidetrack Hobbies) had great deals earlier in the year as well -- multiple times, in fact.   

There's no magic in waiting for after-Christmas sales anymore.  Best to know what you want... Then jump on things when you see them on sale -- whenever that may be.  

For some things, you gotta move fast though.  I was thinking of buying an extra PE gold coach or two from Pat's Trains when he announced a 16%-off sale on Thanksgiving (to add to the 5 that I purchased elsewhere a couple of days earlier).  I saw them on the website for what would have been $130 on sale.  The phone rang which took me away from the computer for a half hour or so... then when I went back to the website to purchase one or two of he coaches, they were gone!    The nerve of some people to actually buy something that I wanted.  

David

Again, my view is that by the after holiday sales the good stuff is picked clean and you are lucky to find anything you even mildly want to own.  

The only "after holiday sale" items I recall buying were three Lionel Hallow's eve locos - the scale Hall class they make (Harry Potter, etc.) but painted "spooky" and with their railsounds making haunting noises.  I got them for some ridiculous price like $69.00 each in January (so way after Halloween and even Christmas) and when rep-ainted and with new sound chips/boards they are really nice locos.  

I think Rocky Mountaineer has it right, go for the black Firday/cyber Monday deals - it when the combination of prices and what's on offer probably is at its best.