Questions about preorder delays.

Hi "Ogaugeguy", when production of an item is close to ten thousand miles away delivery hang ups are very common. Even for something as seemingly simple as a toy train car.

I have a engine on order from MTH and their website said it was due in August 2012 all the way up to 10/30. Now it states it's due in January, I assume they mean January of 2013.

Oh well buddy, that's life!

What is the number of the Lionel Car you preordered

Originally Posted by ogaugeguy:

quote:

So, I guess only a neophyte such as myself would order something meant to be a Christmas gift if it's release date was scheduled so close to the holiday itself?

Probably true, but new people have no way of knowing that unless they specifically asked a lot of people that question up front.  Initial instincts when not familiar with the trend would be to trust the dates predicted.  As Mario states, this is quite commonplace, but there would be no way for someone new to the hobby to know that.  (If I saw any new product declaring a shipment of next summer right now, I'd also be hesitant to order it for a Christmas 2013 intended gift - you just happened to pick one that was close to begin with)

quote:

Interesting that other items in that same catalog and presumably from the same Chinese factory have been released as schedule. Wonder how much the pre-order popularity of an item has to do with it being released when scheduled? Am guessing whether those less popular with fewer advance orders and possibly a smaller production run such as what I ordered are moved to the back of the line in order that more populat items receive priority. But hat's a matter of personal conjecture I'll never know the answer too.

None of us will ever have true insight into the factory inner workings, but it's quite probable that it is based on the level of return for a given activity.  If the factory can deliver 1000 of something vs 100 of something (presuming they collect their money on delivery), they're likely to set up to do the 1000 run first, since the more intense effort is likely in the setup to produce a given item(vs. the repeated production of a single item once set up).  This probably spreads across other items they may be manufacturing as well, since it's not a single factory with one manufacturer's name on the door.

Hopefully you can find a suitable replacement gift this year.  I'd look at the bright side: you found out now.  If it had been November and then slipped to December, would you have waited and then been under a real time crush when it didn't come in December?

-Dave

I ordered the CC Berkshire set 2129 WS more than a year ago from Charlie Ro.  It was to be shipped on or about 6/10/2012.  That date has been moved back by Lionel a number of times since.  First it was July, then August, then the shipping schedule showed November and at York, when I asked Lionel directly for confirmation of that delivery date,  I was told that it would be December. Several days ago I received an e-mail advisory from Charlie Ro that it will now be February, 2013.  At this point, I am wondering if the set will ever be manufactured and shipped, or if cancellation is in the wind.

Well, gee, that's only part of the story.  The shipping schedule Charlie of Nassau just posted the other day sez we'll see the Halloween station sometime this month...of NOVEMBER!  Those orders by our own LHS customers have already been cancelled.

And the annual Christmas cars are 'supposedly' due to arrive...LATE the same month...but wanna put money on it??  (A couple of years ago the annual cars arrived early...in AUGUST!!)  Other Christmas-slash-Holiday items don't even appear on Charlie's November Lionel ship list. 

(Yes, I did say ship list!) 

So, from the LHS's viewpoint (mine), the upcoming selling season is a LOT SCARIER than the just-past Halloween one.

Ain't it great?