Apparently, it has been reported that Kato will be receiving the Daylight sets any day now, and that they will begin shipping them to dealers. Noticed there is a guy on that auction site who is offering a 10-car set and the GS-4 for $459. Doesn't that seem kind of high? Wig-Wag's site is still accepting reservations/pre-orders at less than $300 for the same package. Seems like Kato is making a ton of these sets, and I would think that we will see a bunch available on that auction site from guys who ordered numerous sets thinking they can do well with a quick flip. How do you guys think these will shake out once they start getting into everyones' hands? Or is this seller right with his price? Are these going to be in short supply?
Remember the UP smooth sides from early '90? After Athearn's Challenger release last year you'd see 2-3x retail for a set on e-bay. (and like Murphy, Kato announced the new line a few months after I paid that price) Kato seems infamous for "limited" quantities after first release and then close decades before re-release. But thats just my observation. :-/
Kato has added a second GS-4 with a different road number to be released in Mar. / April because of the demand for the initial offering. Of course, I reserved one of them too.
I don't think that the market allows Kato to use their "limited release" model anymore. Recent examples to support my point: a) not two, but three releases (so far) of the California Zephyr b) repeated releases of the WP and D&RG F units (including ample supply of separate WP B units sold separately) c) healthy (multiple?) release of the Super Chief, including the warbonnet F units d) re-releases of the UP and GN smoothsides Also, with the fixed investment in research and tooling, they need to sell quantity in order to recoup their investment and make some profit. This is all good for us and the hobby. :tb-biggrin:
I agree the limited edition days are over. There are too many manufacturers competing for the same train dollar.
John Long wrote: "I agree the limited edition days are over. There are too many manufacturers competing for the same train dollar." Quite the contrary.... the increased competition means even smaller "limited releases".... The term doesn't mean "we intentionally hold back making as many as the market will bear because we are rolling in dough and can always sell something else" as many think it does.... ALL Model Railroad production is "limited release"....production takes place for any given item ONCE. Importers try to bring in enough to satisfy the market without leaving big inventories in stock. Interest drops off on an item once it is announced much less once it actually hits the stores. Everybody wants to know "What's New???" or "What's Next???" even before an announcement is finished being made. Production runs are smaller and more frequent because of competition, not larger. Competition is driving it as consumers have many, many more choices than we've ever had before. The few procrastinators that miss a release are not enough to drive a rerun....and with the internet there is still plenty of merchandise accessible out there in the new market and used.... maybe not at the deep discount you could get at first release, but often times so and more....if the importer miscalculated and made too many and had to dump mechandise. That can only go on for so long before the company is no longer around. Charlie Vlk
Charlie, my point was if the market wants more daylights, and Kato don't make them, someone else will. We have 3 different manufacturers offering F units for example. Kato is in this buisiness to make money. If there is a demand, it will be supplied.
The problem is that if the Kato daylight goes out of stock and still high in demand. A production run by Con-Cor does nothing for us. ;-)
I got a call day-before-yesterday from my dealer to verify my credit card info. I pre-ordered back in September. She said Kato notified them that they'd receive shipment in two weeks... so hopefully I'll have mine in 3 weeks. Add-on car sets won't ship until later, when the GS4 with the 2nd road number does.
The're Here!!!! arrived in the shop today, look super, havn't got a chance to play with one yet, but there is still six more hours til closing, if they last that long. cars packed like zephyr set with display track.
I got a call last night from an East Coast dealer stating he had them in hand and would be taking them to the Norfolk Train Show this weekend. My West Coast dealer called this morning and will have his order Friday. He uses the same supplier as the other dealer, but is delivery time is longer. He is using Fed-X air. Mine is supposed to ship either Friday or Saturday. One 10 car set, the first of two GS4's and two decoders. The wait is over...almost,
Picked mine up today as well. I'll take extensive photos later and post them. Detailing is very nice and it runs really smooth.
ARGGG........PHONE..........HASN'T..........RUNG...........YET. LHS, I'm dying with anticipation here............... Going to the California State RR Museum this weekend, that should take my mind off of the GS-4. NOPE, it won't. And I thought I was excited about the Shay release.
So I just realized..... I FORGOT TO ORDER THE DECODER FOR IT!!!! On the plus side.. mine still has maybe a week to go in transit... LSH of father to father, father to me. Maybe by then I'll have gotten a decoder from online. Probably going to act like a 12 year old when it comes!
I put in an order for some Kato decoders from Japan a couple of months ago and added an extra one for the GS4, don't want to waste any extra minutes getting it onto the layout. I've got to check how many coach lighting kits I have though.
Fool that I am, I just assumed Kato would use the NMRA standard 8 pin connector. At least the Kato EM13 doesn't cost any more than the Digitrax 8 pin decoders; $22. What bothers me is that, lacking an industry standard connector, it will be harder to put in a sound decoder. This is my first disappointment about the GS-4. But, given the demand, I'm sure someone will make a sound decoder for the Kato connector before too long. Here's a link to the decoder installation .pdf: http://www.katousa.com/N/GS-4/EM13-Install.pdf So now I have to find these Kato EM13 Decoders.