Important Notice regarding the NGS Shop

Started by Mirrlees, October 26, 2014, 11:53:01 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Jerry Howlett

I was very sorry to hear that Carol has decided to call it a day.  Ray & Carol are not youngsters and have served the NGS and therefore the N GAUGE movement AS AN ONGOING HOBBY for many years.

If a company went bust we would all be saying shame but could do nothing about it, the NGS hopefully will find a way of re-opening the shop in the very near future. At the end of the day its not life threatening if we cannnot by a n gauge left handed sprocket for a few months.  Lets face it it closes every year for July and christmas holidays.

Oh and I have a list of stuff I was going to add to my BG order but I guess I will have to wait...   RANT OVER.

Jerry
Some days its just not worth gnawing through the straps.

red_death

Quote from: Roy L S on October 31, 2014, 10:27:48 PM
I appreciate that you made that point, but (1) as of now the shop is effectively closed and no new orders are being taken, today is 31st October which is nowhere near Christmas and (2) there is no indication or indeed even as far as I can interpret plan of when exactly after Christmas trade will resume or in what form with the possible exception of wagon kits and RTR.

I am not criticising anyone here I just think it is important that the NGS is clear that this resignation of the NGS Shop Manager for whatever reason (which we may never know) is a major disruption during which time much of the NGS's significant and in many cases unique stock will not be available to it's members. I and many others I am sure would prefer a realistic appraisal of the situation to be communicated rather then "spin".

Roy

I can't give you answers that I don't have, but at the same time please don't miss the answers that have already been given! Tim's original post already said that NGS products will be available from the stand and that we are looking into an interim solution for the majority of the Society's products.

I'm sorry that you think I'm trying to spin things - I'm not, I'm trying to give you all as much info as we can in a very fluid situation.  As I said, the reality is that the Shop was always going to have to close for some unknown length of time for two different reasons: 1) stock taking and 2) implementation of a new system.

Given that we are 1 week after Carol's resignation, our priority is to find a solution to move and store the vast amount of stock (no simple task) and that once we have a clearer idea about that then we can announce the interim system (which we already have in place and ready to go once we have the stock and assuming it is easy to get to).

We have already started to have volunteers offering to help with the Shop, though I am sure the Committee will welcome more (and indeed ask for volunteers at the appropriate time).

When we have more news then we will let everyone know.

Cheers, Mike



Papyrus

 :thankyousign:
I've only just caught up with this thread and would like to echo what everyone else has said and add my thanks to Ray and Carol for their sterling work over the years. With a stock list to rival what many 'proper' shops might sell, I've often tried to imagine what their house looks like! I haven't bought much in recent years as I have had to put modelling to one side for some time but, whenever I have, the service has always been excellent.

Just one question - where does this leave the second-hand shop? Will it, for example, still be coming to Lancing this weekend?

Best of luck to the brave soul(s) who take the job on.

Cheers,

Chris


talisman56

Thanks for that, Tim.

It is good to have some definite information about the change of management and timescales. Up 'till now it's been a more-or-less indefinite closure with no plan for future management, leading to much speculation and rumourmongering...
Quando omni flunkus moritati

My layout thread - Hambleside East: http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=18364.0
My workbench thread: http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=19037

MikeDunn

Given the uncertainty of what would happen with pending orders (mine was sent off only a few hours before we were told here ...), I was working on the assumption that it would be on hold until the new shop manager was able to process it (sometime next year, given the quantity of items to migrate to the new manager & the downtime planned for Christmas) ...

Imagine my delight last night when I got home to find the order waiting for me  :thumbsup:

15 out of 10 marks to Carol & Ray !!!  Their dedication will be hard to match & will be sorely missed - but after such a long stint, they deserve a nice rest  :D  All the best to them.

Mike

Roy L S

Quote from: red_death on November 03, 2014, 10:44:47 AM
Quote from: Roy L S on October 31, 2014, 10:27:48 PM
I appreciate that you made that point, but (1) as of now the shop is effectively closed and no new orders are being taken, today is 31st October which is nowhere near Christmas and (2) there is no indication or indeed even as far as I can interpret plan of when exactly after Christmas trade will resume or in what form with the possible exception of wagon kits and RTR.

I am not criticising anyone here I just think it is important that the NGS is clear that this resignation of the NGS Shop Manager for whatever reason (which we may never know) is a major disruption during which time much of the NGS's significant and in many cases unique stock will not be available to it's members. I and many others I am sure would prefer a realistic appraisal of the situation to be communicated rather then "spin".

Roy

I can't give you answers that I don't have, but at the same time please don't miss the answers that have already been given! Tim's original post already said that NGS products will be available from the stand and that we are looking into an interim solution for the majority of the Society's products.

I'm sorry that you think I'm trying to spin things - I'm not, I'm trying to give you all as much info as we can in a very fluid situation.  As I said, the reality is that the Shop was always going to have to close for some unknown length of time for two different reasons: 1) stock taking and 2) implementation of a new system.

Given that we are 1 week after Carol's resignation, our priority is to find a solution to move and store the vast amount of stock (no simple task) and that once we have a clearer idea about that then we can announce the interim system (which we already have in place and ready to go once we have the stock and assuming it is easy to get to).

We have already started to have volunteers offering to help with the Shop, though I am sure the Committee will welcome more (and indeed ask for volunteers at the appropriate time).

When we have more news then we will let everyone know.

Cheers, Mike

Hi Mike

For avoidance of any doubt, my comments were directed at the NGS rather than you personally, I appreciate that you are merely providing such information as the NGS has deemed appropriate. My point was really that this shouldn't have been a happening for which no plans were in place, both Carol and Ray were inevitably going to have to pass on the baton at some point.

Irrespective I know that people are doing their best to sort things out and things have moved on.

What would maybe be helpful is a bit more clarity put on the website regarding what is to be available from the NGS stands at exhibitions (I had possibly misunderstood this to be just wagon kits and RTR) and also to be clear what info the stand will need to deal with orders at shows (shop reference number etc).

Finally, just a thought, could (potentially) there be any way to place orders via e-mail and collect and pay at the shows it attends? Just a thought...

Regards

Roy







thebrighton

Greetings,
Ray and Carol are still doing their bit for the NGS. Both were at the West Sussex area group exhibition in Lancing today running the NGS second hand shop. That's a fair bit of travelling for a one day exhibition. Pity that 90 % of the stock was continental.........
Gareth

Papyrus

Quote from: thebrighton on November 08, 2014, 03:00:46 PM
Pity that 90 % of the stock was continental.........
Gareth

They can only sell what they have been offered for the shop. I've just come back from Lancing too and I heard them say they had recently been left 3 complete collections. That's a very nice earner for the Society, but if all 3 were continental collections then it's bound to be a bit unbalanced... Also I suspect British stock sells quicker than US and continental.

I think they could profitably get shot of the 00 stuff though!

Chris

oreamnos

I apologize in advance if I've got my information muddled.

My understanding (again, apologies if I'm wrong) was that the latest NGS RTR model is to be ready for delivery at Warley in about a week.

I put deposits down for two of these models (I confess I cannot recall what they are now!  A full brake of some sort that isn't what it started out as is all I remember.) quite some time ago and so I am wondering how I will now pay the balance and have them sent to me given that I live in California.  Any information about this would be most appreciated.

It's a pity about the shop.  I've used it fairly often to buy NGS kits and other items and have found both Carol and Ray extremely pleasant people to deal with.  I regret my interactions have only been via email.

I hope the shop situation is sorted without too much fuss.

Matt

Ben A


Hi Matt,

The NGS Collett brake was supposed to be ready for Warley, but some time ago we told members it wouldn't be.  Certainly such a notice was in the journal before last (or even the one before that!)

I was recently sent the painted samples (which is the final stage before production) and they were mostly good, with a few small tweaks here and there.   I thought photos were posted in the relevant threads on here and RM Web, and on the NGS website, but looking I can't see them so maybe I forgot, in which case apologies.

cheers

Ben A.




red_death

Hi Matt

The latest estimate from Dapol is that the Collett BG will be with us in the New Year.  Once we have them then we will contact members as usual to arrange the payment of balances. The temporary closure of the Shop should not affect that.

Cheers

Mike

(NGS Product Development Officer)



Mirrlees

The Society Shop is only closed temporarily and it is hope to be reopened partially in January 2015.

It has come to our notice that Model Master are claiming you should buy plates from them.  The agreement between N Gauge Society and ModelMaster is still in place.

You should not buy plates or transfers from Model master

David Baverstock
NGS Chairman
TEL: 0117 9763329
Tim Hitch
NGS Display Stand Manager

portland-docks

Sorry but i think thats stupid, fair enough when you close normally but closing early prevents your members buying things! The agreement should be in place under normal circumstance but should something like this arise they can go to modelmaster for that short duration, its absolutly barmy it really is!
Visit my heritage Railway "moorside Valley Railway"

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=9280.0

see first post for exhibition dates

Mirrlees

Under the agreement, Model Masters, agreed not to sell the plates or decals.  We are just asking that the NGS members support this agreement.
Tim Hitch
NGS Display Stand Manager

Please Support Us!
March Goal: £100.00
Due Date: Mar 31
Total Receipts: £82.34
Below Goal: £17.66
Site Currency: GBP
82% 
March Donations