N Gauge Journal arrived - confused regarding the shop sale

[GrahamB]

Journal 5/17 has flopped onto my door mat - and I'm totally confused.

The newsletter front page is all about the 50% off sale. It says;

"All members for whom we hold a valid e-mail address have been sent a list." Spam folder checked, nothing arrived.

"A copy is available on the NGS website." I'm damned if I can see it.

I would have posted this on the horrible NGS forum but it seems I don't get a tab to start a topic.

I renewed online this year and my e-mail address has been the same for years. Anyone else had any luck?

[RailGooner]

Nothing here.

[nabber]

Hi Graham,

"A copy is available on the NGS website." I'm damned if I can see it.

It's not there yet but the 'News' section on the left of the front page has a link to it - and says that it will be published shortly before the sale.
http://newweb.ngaugesociety.com/?p=1414

"All members for whom we hold a valid e-mail address have been sent a list." Spam folder checked, nothing arrived.

Me neither - maybe it will be at a similar time to the website?

I would have posted this on the horrible NGS forum but it seems I don't get a tab to start a topic.

On the left hand side menu - below Messages and Hashtags, do you get New Topic?

Regards,
Neil

[Buzzard]

Oh dear

Is it worth mentioning that the NGS is run by volunteers so things might not happen exactly according to plan?

If you consider that the Journal, the Shop and the Website are all run by different people getting the timing right could be difficult i.e. the day job and life in general might get in the way.

[GrahamB]

The NGS link is now there but wasn't when I first looked. Clearly something has happened because it has just asked me if I accept cookies!

I've found the "new topic" tab. Thanks.

I am a volunteer elsewhere so I understand the frustrations but the way the notice is worded is very misleading.

[red_death]

The Journal notice might be confusing (I haven't seen it) but the NGS Join website ie the Shop website is clear that the sale starts on 15 Oct and the list will be published shortly before then.

Cheers, Mike

[Thorpe Parva]

To add more confusion I have a PDF titled "NGS Old_Shop_Stock_List.pdf" which I downloaded on September 11th, presumably from the NGS website.

The latest Journal has a list of all items with at least 7 items in stock.

[Bob G]

Can I ask that NGS matters are discussed on the NGS IO website or emailed to the helpline. Because that is what it is for.
I have already answered this question to a member who emailed the helpline this morning, and he said thanks.

The newsletter explains that you have been given the information on most of the sale items - over 95% of sale stock is listed in the newsletter - only very low volume items are unlisted - so asking for the list now, when it was actually in your newsletter, means you didn't get as far as pages 13-18 of the 20 page newsletter. That is 30% of your newsletter dedicated to sale items. To complete the list with the small volume items takes time, but the full list will go up as soon as it is completed.

Whenever you submit your order, they won't be read until after 15 October to give overseas members a chance to get their orders in too, so I am sure you can compile most of your order using the published list, and wait for the remaining <5% of sale items to be documented and advertised before putting in your final order.

Given that most of the newsletter content was written in August, well ahead of TINGS, I think our folk do a very good job anticipating when things will be ready, but sometimes even the best laid plans don't work.

Bob

[GrahamB]

Can I ask that NGS matters are discussed on the NGS IO website or emailed to the helpline. Because that is what it is for.
I have already answered this question to a member who emailed the helpline this morning, and he said thanks.

The newsletter explains that you have been given the information on most of the sale items - over 95% of sale stock is listed in the newsletter - only very low volume items are unlisted - so asking for the list now, when it was actually in your newsletter, means you didn't get as far as pages 13-18 of the 20 page newsletter. That is 30% of your newsletter dedicated to sale items. To complete the list with the small volume items takes time, but the full list will go up as soon as it is completed.

Whenever you submit your order, they won't be read until after 15 October to give overseas members a chance to get their orders in too, so I am sure you can compile most of your order using the published list, and wait for the remaining <5% of sale items to be documented and advertised before putting in your final order.

Given that most of the newsletter content was written in August, well ahead of TINGS, I think our folk do a very good job anticipating when things will be ready, but sometimes even the best laid plans don't work.

Bob

You have a pm.

[Bob G]

Can I ask that NGS matters are discussed on the NGS IO website or emailed to the helpline. Because that is what it is for.
I have already answered this question to a member who emailed the helpline this morning, and he said thanks.

The newsletter explains that you have been given the information on most of the sale items - over 95% of sale stock is listed in the newsletter - only very low volume items are unlisted - so asking for the list now, when it was actually in your newsletter, means you didn't get as far as pages 13-18 of the 20 page newsletter. That is 30% of your newsletter dedicated to sale items. To complete the list with the small volume items takes time, but the full list will go up as soon as it is completed.

Whenever you submit your order, they won't be read until after 15 October to give overseas members a chance to get their orders in too, so I am sure you can compile most of your order using the published list, and wait for the remaining <5% of sale items to be documented and advertised before putting in your final order.

Given that most of the newsletter content was written in August, well ahead of TINGS, I think our folk do a very good job anticipating when things will be ready, but sometimes even the best laid plans don't work.

Bob

You have a pm.

Sorry you remain confused but I don't see why. I've explained it clearly and six people gave thanks to my post.
Getting things done to meet print deadlines invariably means something somewhere isn't 100% right. Allow us to be fallible if we are working with printed material and things don't happen as we would wish them to. As someone said here before me, we do this as volunteers.

Bob (Helpline Coordinator)

[woodbury22uk]

Bob

I am glad to say that I found everything clear and easy to understand.

Looking through the list of items in the NGJ 5/17 I was surprised at the stocks of Oxford Diecast. Interestingly twelve of these are sold out completely at Oxford Diecast and only one of these is likely to be manufactured again. The Chipperfields Horsebox was withdrawn after a copyright court case which OD lost, so are hard to find. Checked a couple of the larger on-line retailers and they have no stock either of some of the bus models. So there is probably an untapped demand for these outside of the NGS.

This is the current list of "sold out" items at Oxford Diecast, though some of these will be manufactured again such as the plain white Transit van. Made my headache reading through the shop list keyed mainly in capital letters!

https://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/collections/by-scale?constraint=1-148+out-of-stock

[zopadooper]

"Made my headache reading through the shop list keyed mainly in capital letters"

Sorry about that but the list was lifted from the very old shop lists that were last published some 4 or 5 years ago and they were in capitals.

Just to clarify....... it was intended for the email to go out before the journal was published and for the sale to go live on 1st October but the start date was delayed to provide for our many overseas members who don't get their journal as quickly.

Most of the stock available is listed in the current journal and a full list is available on the website.  The on-line shop will be listing the sale items over the next couple of days and orders can be placed but nothing will be picked or despatched until after 15th October.

Happy shopping.

Alan & Gill Reed  (sale organisers)

[woodbury22uk]

"Made my headache reading through the shop list keyed mainly in capital letters"

Sorry about that but the list was lifted from the very old shop lists that were last published some 4 or 5 years ago and they were in capitals.


Alan & Gill Reed  (sale organisers)

Alan and Gill

I knew the capitals weren't your doing and I think I detected the join between your entries in mixed case and the original all capitals entries. I would not expect anyone to rekey the list either.

I am very grateful for your input to the shop and the NGS financial management and I would not want anyone to think my "headache" comment was a criticism of you. Hopefully the Shop sale will be a success and generate a good inflow of cash. Will be in contact around 16 October!

[mickd247]

"Made my headache reading through the shop list keyed mainly in capital letters"

Sorry about that but the list was lifted from the very old shop lists that were last published some 4 or 5 years ago and they were in capitals.

Just to clarify....... it was intended for the email to go out before the journal was published and for the sale to go live on 1st October but the start date was delayed to provide for our many overseas members who don't get their journal as quickly.

Most of the stock available is listed in the current journal and a full list is available on the website.  The on-line shop will be listing the sale items over the next couple of days and orders can be placed but nothing will be picked or despatched until after 15th October.

Happy shopping.

Alan & Gill Reed  (sale organisers)

Alan & Gill

Thank you very much for the clarification on the listings in the newsletter, just one question, presume the quantities shown are amended and correct? I only ask as several of the items listed I tried to purchase earlier this year when the original sale was on and was then advised they were out of stock.

Thanks for your clarification and continued efforts.



Mick

[zopadooper]

Alan & Gill

Thank you very much for the clarification on the listings in the newsletter, just one question, presume the quantities shown are amended and correct? I only ask as several of the items listed I tried to purchase earlier this year when the original sale was on and was then advised they were out of stock.

Thanks for your clarification and continued efforts.



Mick
[/quote]

All the stock has been counted, listed and physically moved 6 miles up the road so we are reasonably happy that what is listed exists.

Alan & Gill