I have dealt with N Scale supply for a good many years. They provide good service and advice and I feel that their prices are reasonable. Cheers,
Athough I preferd to buy from my LHS, I have order from MBkleins, Feather River, BLW and Rio Grande hobbies(4Nscale). I have gotten excellent services from all of them. I do preferd Kleins and FRT because of there real time inventory system.
Pete at BLW, Scott at N Scale Supply and Chuck at Feather River are among my favorites. They each have their strengths, so it sometimes depends on the nature of my order. I don't buy as much as I used to, so discount percent isn't at the top of my criteria. Both Scott and Chuck have gone out of their way to special order items for me, and done so in a reasonable time frame (2 - 3 weeks). I think Pete is a one man show, so he does what he does well, but isn't necessarily able to provide as wide a range of service as some of the others. We're fortunate in N scale to have a good selection of Internet Retailers to choose from. If any were truely bad, they wouldn't be in business for long.
My thoughts exactly! I have only dealt with woo woo woo woo woo woo to this point and have been very happy with the prices, speed, accuracy, and especially as Tony mentioned, the real-time inventory. I have saved links to many of these dealers you guys have mentioned. This has been most helpful to this newbie! Anyone besides Kleins have a real-time inventory so you know what is in-stock before you order? Some of these sites I can't tell.
I have personally found or heard that all of the vendors that support Trainboard to be very good vendors. Pacific Western: Pacfic Western Railway has an outstanding database but does not advertise on trainboard or discount as heavily as many vendors do. Their real time inventory is outstanding. Some folks have issues with the main owner. Shrug. I understand why but I think they are reading him wrong. Disclosure: I did at one time work for PWRS but have not done so in a over 6 months.
I think PWRS is just too high, but that is just me... I don't know what the deal is, I don't mean to stir up a hornets nest...:tb-err:
Feather River, N Scale Supply, woo woo woo woo woo woo, 4 N Scale, in roughly that order, only reason BLW isn't my list is that he doesn't do overseas orders, (if you're listening I'd love to be your customer, I hear such good things about you). Feather River usually shows if items are out of stock and with some how many are in stock but with all the above a simple e-mail will get you that information. Feather River and N Scale Supply usually e-mail me when a pre-ordered item arrives asking if I still want it and if I need anything added to the order. To Plaza Japan I'd add Hobby World and Hobby Search for Japanese items and I lean toward Litchfield Station for DCC supplies for quick service and availability of products.
I've never said "Sorry I don't want it anymore", but I usually add some couplers or some small items that wouldn't be worth an order on their own, and you don't get a surprise when that loco you ordered two years ago and forgot about suddenly turns up in your mailbox. The Japanese dealers also do the same with an added humble apology for taking so long.
Most of my model rail collection has been ordered via the internet. The local hobby shops here are under stocked and over priced. So I have shopped around and can recommend both Feather River Hobby Shop, Fifer Hobby Supply and The N Scale Intermodal Store as being excellent traders. Walthers is also good with a wide range of products, just a little more expensive on average and a little slower with the shipping.
Just three little letters.............FRT!!!! The chuckster runs a great operation!!! Sorry Greyone,, but why did u have to mention PWRS?????? Pacific Western RIPOFF System. Adios Wyatt
So speaking of excellent 'net retailers, all the good ones I have used have already been mentioned. BUT Speaking of not so good retailers.... I just happened to see at the top of the forums page (and most all pages for that matter) the banner ads of retailers that are sponsored here on trainboard and one of them I had the worst experience with every. Long story short, after 5 months of emails and phonecalls, I had to get the Better Business Bureau involved to get my refund. Kinda disheartens me to see their ad up there :thumbs_down: -Mike
No need to apologize. I understand and respect your sentiments. I disagree with your position. Yes they charge more. Yes, the guy who runs them can be abrasive. No, they are not a "RIPOFF". Your word choice implies intent and conveys an effort to mislead or even steal. They do neither. I do not speak for them but my perception and understanding is that their business model is one that emphasizes selling less at a higher margin. This is not ripping people off. It is a well respected aspect of capitalism. Oh, and you cannot refute the database. It is superb. Disclosure: I worked for PWRS at one time. I am not in their employ now and have not been for at least 6 months.
BLW hands down. I know Pete has taken some hits on other forums but I have been ordering with him since before he was an E-tailer. Only had one glitch on some Peco crossings [I ordered insul frog and got electro frog] but Pete made good on it in quick time. On my last order I ordered 24 of the Atlas undec offset side hoppers along with a three pack of the B&O ones. Pete was out of the B&O and only had 11 of the undecs. He sent an Email to me and I told him to ship what he had. He did so and charged me a reduced rate for shipping. But what I did not realize at the time and only sometime later learned was that the price listed on his website for the hoppers was way below [and I mean way below] what other E-tailers were charging. It was obviously a mistake and I doubt if Pete made any money on the sale but Pete honored it and even reduced the shipping charges. That shows me he has got a lot of class and you can bet I'll be ordering again from him.
I've had excellent service from: BLW (since pre-internet days) Feather River Trains and less experience with but still good with N Scale Supply and locally woo woo woo woo woo woo (woo woo woo) Mark
I use TexNRails (delivery in one day from phone order), woo woo woo Kleins, MicroMark and Walthers (on sale stuff is quick and cheap). But the all time great favorite of mine was HP "Pete" Petersen, of Johnsonburg, PA, and Boca Raton, Fla of years past. I have not seen him since a Greenberg Train Show about 7 years ago. But in the late eighties through the mid nineties, he lived winters about a quarter mile from me, and just visiting to buy something with his permission was a journey into heaven. He had an incredible shelved supply of N scale trains, locos, cars, supplies, track, etc, and those incredible aftermarket items, like shells, correction kits, loads, and the unusual stuff you never knew existed. If you ordered over $50 shipping was free, and he always included something extra in the box. Pete was "The Man!!!" Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
