How to get a product on model railway stores.

[Someone]

I dunno if this is the right forum section but here it goes because I dunno where to put it.


I have started making model railway products, mostly scenic details, and I was wondering how to get model railway stores to stock without having to visit in person, as this is not viable for me.

I was wondering if anyone here might know how to do this, I have emailed one of the major ones but I haven't received a reply since I emailed a week ago.

[luckymucklebackit]

Hi - I would suggest going down the route of online sales, that seems to be best for most small fledgling traders, either by using Ebay or develyour own commercial website. The established big commercial outlets will be looking to sell anyting on for profit and preferrably in bulk, and with small items those profits will be marginal hence the lack of interest.

Jim

[Mountain]

Hope all goes well.

[Richard08]

I would also suggest on-line sales, not least as this is most likely the 'biggest' way sales are made anyway. The overheads are way lower without having to visit places when that is difficult, you also need far less initial stock. The 'big boys' are likely to be cautious about you guaranteeing supply, maintaining stock and all that. Some of the 'non standard' (on-line) shops that specialise in 'interesting'/'different' might be interested if the products in some way special, Invertrain for example is a go-to place form me when I want something outside the mainstream. The downside is that building and maintaining an on-line presence is not a simple or easy thing (15 years selling LR parts on line here), it can be quite time consuming. Also, and this is crucial, you'd have to have a well designed site - people take one look and click-on if it doesn't grab them (site stats can be very depressing!). Sending stuff to appropriate Youtubers is another marketing tactic. Another way may be to try for a deal with an established retailer that gets you on their site but you handle orders yourself (presumably with a commission).

[Bigmet]

As above suggestions: start small by online selling to explore what sort of market there is for your product, and what capacity you have to meet what demand there is. Then it is learn as you go.

Health warning! More than a few hobby product producers have discovered that what they enjoyed making in penny packet quantity, quickly becomes a nightmare if the demand means that production fills all their waking hours. Seen this happen in several hobby sectors.