Build to order is all about managing the supply chain and with it comes efficiencies of scale at the production level. BTO also allows Lionel, MTH or any other manufacturer the ability to have more insight to the customer base. Second, in the case of our hobby, flooding the market and devaluing assets, my engines, your engines, that we have shelled our hard earned money. This was especially frustrating when you joined the CC! and CCII clubs. You paid $200 per club just to get in and then paid premiums for what was supposed to be a high value collectable. Lionel must have surely made commitments to their 3rd party manufacturers, when CCI and CCII products did not sell at the quantity levels, they were modified and sent out the next year as a "new Model" at 1/2 the price immediately reducing the value of the so called "collector" items. Remember these CCI and CCII's engines were priced around $1k, huge price in the 90's.
Can you imaging of you bought the Big Boy for $2K under the past practices and they did not sell? They remaining inventory would have flooded the market place instantly agitating the customer base again. Took me 10 years to come back to Lionel, I bought Atlas & MTH, still do, bit for 10 years I was piXXXED off.
BTO is a good think, less inventory, dealers make money (8 hobby shops in my area have gone out of business, only 1 remains within 10 miles of my house) and I therefore plan purchases. I fully expect sticker shock at the SRP level, my bet is the GG! comes out with an SRP of over $1,200.00. Look at the 2015 prices of BTO ES44 diesels, $649.00 SRP, street price between $500 ~ $575. All that means to me is I buy one this year and hope the sister unit is around. Fortunately or unfortunately my local dealer, who I try to support, did not speculate by buying a few more. Guess what, he is happy as can be, inventory in and out within 2 days.
I will look at the at the catalog, maybe I buy something, who knows but engines at the $2k level, is like a downpayment on a Lease car or a week at the shore.
Their is a limit and it will be pushed as long as people want to but them. Need a willing buyer and a willing seller. The forum is a great place to buy items. It has been very good to me and so have the shop owners who are sponsors.
Off the soap box. I can't wait to see the catalog, just hoping their is something that I like regardless of the price.
Nobody's a choirboy here, Charlie. Let's call it like it is. 
More than a few dealers have clearly shared some info with their customers. That's pretty obvious. 
REALLY??? 
But I guess importers don't care all that much now, because the risk sits largely within the dealer network for BTO items -- not in the importer's warehouse facilities.
