"When is a sale not a sale?" - sounds like a bad Christmas Cracker joke hook line, but this is a genuine question about the so-called 'January Sales'.

I just looked at a few items in Gaugemaster's 'Winter Websale' and found that all the items I was interested in could be bought elsewhere for less before any so-called 'Sale'.  For instance, a Fleischmann 731377 SBB Re460 021-9 Lokfuhrer Electric Loco VI (DCC-Sound), was reduced from £210.00 to £169.95, but Scograil have had it listed for £159.95 for a good while anyway.

This was not the only example, and I started searching around for bargains web-wide to discover what is truly a reduction worth taking up on. One hour later I am still fruitlessly searching for anything worth my hard-earned lucre, so have called a halt.

So, if anybody comes across a true sale it might be good to post details of the true bargains (after you've snapped up what you want yourself of course) or highlight those suppliers and retailers who are genuinely applying worthwhile discounts.

At present, all seems a mirage - as usual -  rather like the eternal sales advertised by the likes of DFS and the old Dixons (Currys) chain.

January sales are about increasing footfall/internet visits not about selling things cheaply. This is on the off chance of separating more people from their money. In the model railway world no sensible retailer is going to sell off cheaply their "limited edition" rolling stock just as a few potential new customers are knocking at the door wanting more trains for their new train set.

In the wider retail world much of the sale material is bought in cheaply and specially just have something cheap to sell, alongside a few stock clearances of things which were originally priced to stay on the shelves.

We live in a retail world where everyone expects discounts from RRP whether it is a toy steam loco or an electric kettle. I will sometimes buy an end-of-range or over-produced item, but they come along at any time of the year. I recall a load of Scenecraft colliery buildings being around a third of RRP when I bought them, and they have proved to be very useful.

Yes Mike, I agree with you on the driving forces of sales, having worked as a Manager in retail for some years - now gloriously retired - and much is sold off as end of lines, one-offs, and clearances from the retailers themselves and from their suppliers.

However there are still the real bargains that are loosed upon the market as loss-leaders, or, among a myriad of possible reasons, a change of stock direction at an individual store, or perhaps moving on a returned item that is otherwise no longer stocked. These are the sales items I look for, at all times of the year, and often find, not just in the model rail realm. Often I know these can be one offs, but sometimes, just sometimes, real bargains worth having can be found.  Yes, January sales are so often a pretence, but if we find a true good deal it would be nice to pass on the find to others here, which was the pretext of my original post.

As a general rule I post any bargains notified to me by newsletters from shops in the 'Bargain Basement' section of the forum (regardless of season)....
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?board=91.0

I know many outlets have had the Dapol Westerns and Class 22s at cheap prices but, last I saw, Rails of Sheffield had the edge. Sadly, steam loco wise, bargains tend to be narrowed to regional items and I do not have the ability to change them to late crest.

Shapeways is doing a 20% off discount code through January 1 'FAREWELL2016'. It works on most stuff and is about the best discount I've seen on there. Hope everyone had a Happy Christmas

Oh and not quite a sale, per se, but all items in stock by the NGS except for the society products they intend to keep stocking, are 25% off until they are sold out, which is apparently at cost. The discount applies in your cart FYI.

Maybe not particularly with our modelling outlets but in general retail "Sales" are just a big con these days and I just ignore them.
When does one sale actually end and the next one begin
Even the import from across the pond "Black Friday" has very quickly become a weeks plus long sale with cyber Monday thrown in there somewhere.
January sales begin in December.
It just goes on and on.
I am sure they have just killed the old fashioned Sales where bargains were to be found, albeit on old last years stock. But were great if, like me, you were not really fussed that you had this years releases (as usually they were same as last years anyway  ).

I am sure there are outlets that do offer bargains, but there is so much hype and false pricing prior to the sales that I am sure many people are just sick of sales and like me just ignore them.

As mentioned already often if you search about on line you can always find somewhere selling at the so called slashed sales prices all year round.

Sometimes the best bargain to be had is free postage as if you have to pay for postage that can add a fair amount to the price.

Must remember, new years resolution is to stop ranting on about things that really don't matter

Steve

The problem is it's a very fine line between holding on for a herobargain or maybe missing out altogether
I'm sure many, like me, bought the Dapol class 22 as soon as it hit the shops and then, by the time it started appearing at around the £70 mark, couldn't resist having another one. In hindsight I could have waited and waited and then got a bargain one but, then again, how many of us have missed the initial release of something and spent time since lambasting yourself as it never appeared again?

Who could resist a Dapol Class 22 at the sort of prices Rails were selling them for? I got a beautifully weathered green one for about £80 from memory. The loco is a "Rule1" choice but it is a lovely model.

If only the RevolutioN 21/29 had made it over the line....sigh....

Roy

Quote from: newportnobby on December 31, 2016, 11:49:02 AM
I'm sure many, like me, bought the Dapol class 22 as soon as it hit the shops and then, by the time it started appearing at around the £70 mark, couldn't resist having another one.

  Sounds familiar 

I got my class 22 for £62 inc postage from the hobby shop I think that was a black friday deal and I got my class 52 for £75 inc postage from Bure valley models and both were a lot cheaper than the big suppliers at the time. I had a list of shops that I would check about once a week and usualy at least one had something at a decent discount. I think if you wait for a proper sale you'll probably be disapointed anyway so just keep searching for the models you want and there's a good chance that you will get them at a good price from one of the smaller shops. I've had three bargains from modelers mecca the last one being a class 20 for under £70 I think and they were actually the normal selling price. I think what I'm saying is there is a sale on all year round if you do your home work and keep an eye out. Just remembered the class 20 I used my loyalty discount for but it was still a lot cheaper than Hattons and rails etc before using the discount.