Does any of the big suppliers ie Hattons-RailsofShefield ect ect do discounts
for bulk purchase.
Just made a list of what will be required as to track, loco power and rolling stock, it
came to £1000,86p :o
The cost of the base and scenery, power supply and wiring is yet to be worked out :worried:
Roger
Roger
I think when you go to pay for an item with them there is a box marked discount voucher number. So it maybe a good idea to ask them, and let us know what they say.
Ray
If you call them then I'm sure you'd get something. Even the 86p! LOL
Quote from: REGP on February 09, 2014, 04:33:30 PM
Roger
I think when you go to pay for an item with them there is a box marked discount voucher number. So it maybe a good idea to ask them, and let us know what they say.
Ray
:hmmm: Will do, you never know :)
Roger
Well ... if they don't, why not pop into your local shop & tell them you want to spend a lot of money with them if you get a good price ?
Give the guy a chance; if the price is good, support him, and you might find you get preferential treatment for other things too ... :thumbsup:
Quote from: MikeDunn on February 09, 2014, 07:28:29 PM
Well ... if they don't, why not pop into your local shop & tell them you want to spend a lot of money with them if you get a good price ?
Give the guy a chance; if the price is good, support him, and you might find you get preferential treatment for other things too ... :thumbsup:
This is true. The big box movers won't remember you next time you walk in, the independent will remember you every time you walk in.
Quote from: REGP on February 09, 2014, 04:33:30 PM
Roger
I think when you go to pay for an item with them there is a box marked discount voucher number. So it maybe a good idea to ask them, and let us know what they say.
Ray
Does anyone know how to get a discount voucher, or what the criteria is?.
I have spent over £1,000 with Hattons to-date in a fairly short time but have had to pay the "full whack" each time.
Quote from: MikeDunn on February 09, 2014, 07:28:29 PM
Well ... if they don't, why not pop into your local shop & tell them you want to spend a lot of money with them if you get a good price ?
Give the guy a chance; if the price is good, support him, and you might find you get preferential treatment for other things too ... :thumbsup:
Only wish I could. The trouble is our 'local' shop - The Signal Box in Rochester High St closed down
when 'ModelZone' went t%$s up :'(
Roger
Sidcup no good ?
http://www.invictamodelrail.com/ (http://www.invictamodelrail.com/)
I agree to a certain extent with Mike.
When I was seeking a whole list of Peco code 55 I made a simple spreadsheet listing what I needed and the prices from the major box shifters. Having exhausted my local emporium, I was in York not long after and just asked the model shop there if I bought everything else would they do me a deal. They did, and I was well happy as I live 125 miles away from York so am hardly 'local' :thumbsup:
Quote from: Oldun on February 09, 2014, 09:30:53 PM
Quote from: MikeDunn on February 09, 2014, 07:28:29 PM
Well ... if they don't, why not pop into your local shop & tell them you want to spend a lot of money with them if you get a good price ?
Give the guy a chance; if the price is good, support him, and you might find you get preferential treatment for other things too ... :thumbsup:
Only wish I could. The trouble is our 'local' shop - The Signal Box in Rochester High St closed down
when 'ModelZone' went t%$s up :'(
Roger
Didn't they reopen under local management???
Cheers, Timmo
Quote from: pape_timmo on February 10, 2014, 07:31:51 AM
Quote from: Oldun on February 09, 2014, 09:30:53 PM
Quote from: MikeDunn on February 09, 2014, 07:28:29 PM
Well ... if they don't, why not pop into your local shop & tell them you want to spend a lot of money with them if you get a good price ?
Give the guy a chance; if the price is good, support him, and you might find you get preferential treatment for other things too ... :thumbsup:
Only wish I could. The trouble is our 'local' shop - The Signal Box in Rochester High St closed down
when 'ModelZone' went t%$s up :'(
Roger
Didn't they reopen under local management???
Good question, I'll give the old number a ring and see what happens. If no joy I'll
have to have a drive down, have a look see and find out.
Roger
Quote from: Oldun on February 10, 2014, 08:57:45 AM
Quote from: pape_timmo on February 10, 2014, 07:31:51 AM
Quote from: Oldun on February 09, 2014, 09:30:53 PM
Quote from: MikeDunn on February 09, 2014, 07:28:29 PM
Well ... if they don't, why not pop into your local shop & tell them you want to spend a lot of money with them if you get a good price ?
Give the guy a chance; if the price is good, support him, and you might find you get preferential treatment for other things too ... :thumbsup:
Only wish I could. The trouble is our 'local' shop - The Signal Box in Rochester High St closed down
when 'ModelZone' went t%$s up :'(
Roger
Didn't they reopen under local management???
Good question, I'll give the old number a ring and see what happens. If no joy I'll
have to have a drive down, have a look see and find out.
Roger
Don't know whether this may be of use to you, see this thread re Signal Box http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=16690.msg165370#msg165370 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=16690.msg165370#msg165370)
Hattons are already much cheaper than list price, and much cheaper than say Antics shop in Gloucester. So you are already getting a discount.
Buying the whole lot in one go is unusual since it will take you several months to consume the products as you build the layout. £1000 is not out of line - the final real spend could easily be much more.
BUT ---- you could save many many £4 and £2 delivery charges if you can accurately predict everything in one go. I have placed 48 orders with Hattons since Sep 2013 according to My Account. If the average delivery cost was £3 per order then I could have saved nearly £150 on top of Hattons already discounted prices.
Try to predict the lot including kits, glue, paint, wire, and tools, and see if they will deliver free. You would have to be very good at shopping lists though!!
I would never buy the lot in one go. I can't actually get past half way through building something without a design change!
Have only been N gauge modelling since September, but have already sent in and received 8 different orders to Hattons. I may pay a bit extra in postage on deliveries to Tenerife, but everything is VAT free as the Canary Isles are outside the EEC as regard VAT regulations, even though Spain itself is not.
As long as I specify Royal Mail and not a Private Courier company I am alright, as using the latter I would get lumbered with all sorts of extra charges and Customs duty.
Must say very happy with Hattons as they automatically deduct the VAT, all deliveries to-date have been well packaged and correct, although it does normally take 10 days from despatching the goods to arriving at my home.
I too have re-designed my layout a couple of times since starting out, each time requiring me to order extra track, rolling stock, and scenery, hence so many orders. Paying by Credit Card also gives me a better exchange rate, as I get full "commercial" rate rather than the lower "tourist" rate.
Getting the 20% Vat deducted, plus also getting (currently) â,¬1.20 to the pound (instead of the â,¬1.17 tourist rate) does make a significant difference on orders of £100 and upwards. I try and time my orders to when the exchange rate is good, certain days of the month always being better than others.
If I could get a further discount on top, then I might order a few more items next time! :D
Always get great service from Hattons even if the occasional item arrives in box thats ten times the size of the product!
Only one time was the order severely delayed and that wa a box of code55 track but then its an odd shape and was sent / ordered over the xmas period a few years ago.
As for credit card rate be warned that UK credit card companies add a handling charge for all foreign transactions but I assume yours is a Euro account so tbey do not.
Enjoy the sun , its cats & dogs in Northern Italy this month.
Jerry
Ordering in largish amounts will always help bring postage down but at times small -- even single item-- orders have to be made.
I tend to keep mini lists of items to obtain from various outlets depending on price and availability for each outlet.
At the beginning of a month I try and place the full months order (bank manager willing). In between I may well add an item or 2 to each list then if something becomes wanted in short time I order and clear the whole list and start a new one
Quote from: Jerry Howlett on February 11, 2014, 01:26:12 PM
Always get great service from Hattons even if the occasional item arrives in box thats ten times the size of the product!
Only one time was the order severely delayed and that wa a box of code55 track but then its an odd shape and was sent / ordered over the xmas period a few years ago.
As for credit card rate be warned that UK credit card companies add a handling charge for all foreign transactions but I assume yours is a Euro account so tbey do not.
Enjoy the sun , its cats & dogs in Northern Italy this month.
Jerry
Nationwide don't charge any extra for "abroad" purchases which is why I chose them. I think "Frizzells (Liverpool Victoria) don't either but not sure, but most other Credit Card companies do.
When going out for a meal with friends nearly always pay with my Nationwide card as it's cheaper than paying by cash as I am getting a better exchange rate, and if you pay back the full amount outstanding at the end of the month there are no interest charges either.
Yes the Sun is shining in Tenerife, although we had more cloudy days than is normal in December and January.
Quote from: Oldun on February 10, 2014, 08:57:45 AM
Quote from: pape_timmo on February 10, 2014, 07:31:51 AM
Quote from: Oldun on February 09, 2014, 09:30:53 PM
Quote from: MikeDunn on February 09, 2014, 07:28:29 PM
Well ... if they don't, why not pop into your local shop & tell them you want to spend a lot of money with them if you get a good price ?
Give the guy a chance; if the price is good, support him, and you might find you get preferential treatment for other things too ... :thumbsup:
Only wish I could. The trouble is our 'local' shop - The Signal Box in Rochester High St closed down
when 'ModelZone' went t%$s up :'(
Roger
Didn't they reopen under local management???
Good question, I'll give the old number a ring and see what happens. If no joy I'll
have to have a drive down, have a look see and find out.
No joy, all gone :'(
On the bright side though is the 'new' shop mentioned at the bottom :thumbsup:
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/model-shop-closes-as-firm-5905/ (http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/model-shop-closes-as-firm-5905/)
I've often wondered about this. I think I'd go along with the idea of making a list of everything I wanted, then go to whatever shops I was considering and ask them to give me a price.
I'd certainly consider my "local shop", which is Hattons.
Jim
Quote from: Jim Martin on February 11, 2014, 08:45:30 PM
I've often wondered about this. I think I'd go along with the idea of making a list of everything I wanted, then go to whatever shops I was considering and ask them to give me a price.
I'd certainly consider my "local shop", which is Hattons.
Jim
Lucky being close to Hattons - whereabouts in Liverpool are they as when I visit my son in Chester it might be worthwhile catching a train from there into Lime street if they are anywhere near there.
On second thoughts they probably wouldn't deduct the VAT if I buy direct. You could ask them though if they do anything like a "frequent flyer" arrangement whereby you pay less the more times you use them?
Quote from: Tdm on February 11, 2014, 09:14:24 PM
Lucky being close to Hattons - whereabouts in Liverpool are they as when I visit my son in Chester it might be worthwhile catching a train from there into Lime street if they are anywhere near there.
On second thoughts they probably wouldn't deduct the VAT if I buy direct. You could ask them though if they do anything like a "frequent flyer" arrangement whereby you pay less the more times you use them?
It's not actually all that handy for the train. The nearest station would be Mossley Hill, but it must be about a mile from there to the shop. It's at the very bottom of Smithdown Road, just by the junction with Penny Lane.
The shop has all the virtues of the mail order operation, in that the prices are keen and the service is very good, but it doesn't have the magic of a shop where you're going to unearth something unexpected that you've been looking for for years.
Jim