M.B.Klein sold
- Thread starter rgeiter
- Start date
TLOC
Well-Known Member
There are mentions in Running Bears’s diner starting in October regarding the Hatton purchase of ModelTrainsStuff or Klein’s. The shipping from “3rd“ parties is supposed to be a warehouse in Nebraska that Hatton has used to ship product from for their “own” North American sales for years. The shipping started in November per people who placed orders with Modeltrainstuff.com, including me based on the packaging label information. That should be good now for efficiency. The last big sale in early November was on product still at the Maryland location.
As long as the website works and prices are good, does it matter where it was shipped from? My order was shipped and received within 3 days of my order placement. Almost as good as Lombard Hobbies normal 2 day and sometimes over night deliveries. Normal delivery from the Maryland location for me was 4-5 days after acknowledgement of the order and that sometimes took a couple days.
At least the Modeltrainstuff.com didn’t disappear
As long as the website works and prices are good, does it matter where it was shipped from? My order was shipped and received within 3 days of my order placement. Almost as good as Lombard Hobbies normal 2 day and sometimes over night deliveries. Normal delivery from the Maryland location for me was 4-5 days after acknowledgement of the order and that sometimes took a couple days.
At least the Modeltrainstuff.com didn’t disappear
This happened in September, and MBK did post about it on their Fecesbook page. I made my last two orders, which I received a couple of weeks ago. I've since deleted the bookmark to that website, and will be making purchases elsewhere. Hatton's closed the MD store two weeks ago, and all their employees got for Christmas were pink slips.
D&J RailRoad
Professor of HO
From an amazing showroom store in downtown Baltimore to a downsized showroom store in Cockeysville to a no showroom store to gone.
Looks to me like the beginnings of a classic case of "enshitification". Someone acquires something, then "improves" it by making it harder to use, more expensive, less friendly, etc. Good examples are YouTube, e-Bay, and Adobe Acrobat. I don't do business with them, but for the sake of all of you who do, I hope I'm wrong!
Smudge617
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, Hattons is one of the most well known and respected companies in the industry, ask anyone who's bought from them, 3-4 days from ordering (from the UK) to delivery to your home in the US, having their own distribution hub in the US will I'm sure speed things up considerably (as long as they don't use USPS) and offer more diverse range of products at better prices for their North American customers, which have been growing in ever larger numbers each year.
I hope all of that happens like you say it will! I'm just a bit cynical having spent nearly four decades in Corporate America. I've been employed at a company that went through four owners during my tenure there. The first things each new owner always said was: We're all one big happy family! Nothing is going to change, your job is secure! These upcoming improvements will make things better for everyone! Or as I now call them: Big Lies #1, 2, and 3!
D&J RailRoad
Professor of HO
There is no loyalty in corporate America. You do your best for your work ethic but always keep your resume up to date.I hope all of that happens like you say it will! I'm just a bit cynical having spent nearly four decades in Corporate America. I've been employed at a company that went through four owners during my tenure there. The first things each new owner always said was: We're all one big happy family! Nothing is going to change, your job is secure! These upcoming improvements will make things better for everyone! Or as I now call them: Big Lies #1, 2, and 3!
All too true sadly!
Relating "MBKlein" to "Corporate America" is a bit of a stretch. Hobby Shops have almost always been family businesses. Families try to pass on to their children, but that sometimes doesn't work. MB Klein's patriarch died a couple of years ago, the family kept it going until they found a buyer - plain and simple.
I agree that Hattons, from all accounts, seems to be one of the best in the business. You have to be, to be successful in the highly competitive and growing British model train market. I'm looking forward to see what they can do in the US. Maybe it'll give us a leg up on the OO market, too. I've been keen to start a side collection of British steam. They need to start improving their lighting features, though. It's almost non-existent compared to US models.
I agree that Hattons, from all accounts, seems to be one of the best in the business. You have to be, to be successful in the highly competitive and growing British model train market. I'm looking forward to see what they can do in the US. Maybe it'll give us a leg up on the OO market, too. I've been keen to start a side collection of British steam. They need to start improving their lighting features, though. It's almost non-existent compared to US models.
Like I said, I'd be happy to be wrong, but I've found that foreign corporations operating in the US tend to adopt US habits. Siemens for instance. It's a completely different company to work for in the US as opposed to the branches in Germany. I don't do business with MBK, so it won't matter to me. I hope those who do have a good experience with this change.
Smudge617
Well-Known Member
That kind of does remain to be seen, the UK are well aware of "Corporate America" and all the pitfalls that come with it, hopefully, they'll appoint an experienced UK manager with US experience to oversee and run the US operation.I hope all of that happens like you say it will! I'm just a bit cynical having spent nearly four decades in Corporate America. I've been employed at a company that went through four owners during my tenure there. The first things each new owner always said was: We're all one big happy family! Nothing is going to change, your job is secure! These upcoming improvements will make things better for everyone! Or as I now call them: Big Lies #1, 2, and 3!
At the end of the day, like most American companies they're out to make money, but they also recognise that growth in this niche market (which is what the MMR hobby is) is reliant on the customer, if you annoy them, or ramp prices up, give bad service, or indifferent customer services (which I've recently experienced myself) and they won't buy from you, they'll move their business elsewhere.
I know quite a few members here have bought from Hattons in the UK and had their goods shipped to the US, but I've yet to see a negative comment about the service they've provided.
TLOC
Well-Known Member
I believe Hattons‘s will do great by the acquisition of MOdelTrainStuff. I like the Hatton’s website and hope they improve the current Modeltrainstuff website to something similar.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
As a UK based modeler, I am hoping that this helps in reverse with an improved supply of US outline models in the UK. UK supply of US HO is pretty woeful unless you are prepared to take out a mortgage for postage from the US and what few US outline stockists there are in the UK tend to only stock a small selection of the top of the range all bells/whistles/DCC versions and at well over US RRP.
Smudge617
Well-Known Member
Tell me about it, I bought a Scaletrains GE ES 44AC and a Genisis EMD SD90 (I pre-ordered the SD90) DCC ready and the total was over £500.
riogrande5761
Active Member
I've been a regular customer of MBK for over 15 years and quite frequent since the rewards program was instituted. The free shipping for orders over $99 was a nice perk too, which I did expect wouldn't last forever. Since the Hatton purchase, they raised it to $175+ for free shipping which is better than some vendors. Hattons has done away with the rewards program so that right there has been a loss that affects my patronage. I did get get a chance to burn my rewards before Dec 14 but the pickens were pretty slim by then. I have a bunch of items on my wish list but since my last purchase in the first have of December I haven't bought anything from MBK and whether I will in the future remains to be seen. I do have a couple other vendors which have also used regularly over time and it looks like I will be relying on them more heavily now. It was a good run while it lasted but MBK has changed and it will be a while before I see how the new Hattons owned MBK ends up for me.
Boris
Beach Bum
In the business world it's called synergy, meaning we killed off a competitor, and now you will pay!
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Bad news, Hattons in the UK who just bought them just announced they are to cease trading and close down. Huge shock for UK model industry and overseas too.
