MTH Warehouse Auction

[Chris Webster]

Whole lotta dealers gave up on Mikey after that.

I used to visit the MTH Store that was in a northeast suburb of Cincinnati. I remember it being very nice, clean, and well-organized.... and completely packed with MTH products. They had all the O gauge lines, the G-gauge stuff -- I remember seeing a MTH Erie triplex there, the only one I think I've ever seen-- and there was was even a separate room of HO, nearly all of which was MTH. The HO room was very memorable -- I'd seen MTH HO stuff for sale in other train stores, but never an entire room of it!

The shop did carry stuff from other companies that you'd need to build a layout (Atlas HO track, Woodland Scenics scenery material, tools, etc.) but it was mostly MTH -- probably 80% of the store was MTH. When you bought something, they even put your purchase in a MTH shopping bag.

I just looked it up and it turns out that the store is really called "Dixie Union Station"... but I always thought of it as the MTH store since that is what it looked like inside. I hope they can survive MTH's exit from the market because it was a really nice store.

[G3750]

I have personally experienced end of product lines when I was in business. RC, first company I dealt with, over 20 years, owner retired. Sold it to some clown in the midwest. They changed the product in frequency, operation, size, then decided to not honor orders or refund money, closed down and decided to raise and sell Koi.
And I quit.
Support goes away isn't so bad if the product is effectively bulletproof (as my first RC with through-hole circuit boards still are today, or MicroSoft XP) but you have a glitchy product that needs trained repair personnel and lots of parts to keep running....no.
Probably not a good business model to buy into, especially with Barry and his fix-it books gone.

Yes, I have also experienced the end of product lines. In my case it was a product line of computers (36-bit mainframes) sold by Digital Equipment in the mid-1980s. The decision was made to focus on their VAX line and to transition these customers (some of their most knowledgable) to it. The company handled it by calling a meeting of all the people involved nation-wide. The technical folks were taken to a separate room and given a number of half-assed "transition solutions". None of the solutions had any meat to them; it would all be handled on a case-by-case basis (translation:
only the customers that squawked got any financial break). Meanwhile, the sales folks were told how this was an opportunity and were psyched up to dive on the grenade. The response from the customer base was almost uniformly "get the f*** off my lawn".

In my opinion, the MTH shut-down isn't planned 50% as well as above. Mike has always been about Mike. So why would we believe this is any different? I think a forensic audit of the company would find more holes than a Swiss cheese. There's no "there" there. I also think the parts supply, never robust, will dry up almost immediately. DCS? That's a poor bet for anyone trying to carry that as a separate business, I think.

Stores that were exclusively or heavily dependent on MTH? They're on the road to perdition, unfortunately.

George

[Neil]

I don't know this is the case, but I am increasingly suspicious. The statements about a successor parts company and a successor DCS company may be total vaporware to ensure that trusting folks will purchase items from the newest catalogs and those still on shelves. We'll know by this time next year if not sooner. Certainly pleased I'm not hardly invested in MTH products, except for some track and rolling stock. I might accept a TIU/WIU as a present, but only as a potential future doorstop .

[healey36]

DEC PDP-11/34...sold those things by the truck-load as part of Hughes' sat-net gear. I think those were 16-bit.

Speaking of Decs, sure would like to track down an MTH "Russian" in WM livery before they disappear into vapor (if they haven't already). Looks like there might one or two NOS on the bait.

[robert.]

Very few business owners think of anyone other than them self. Especially when it comes time to retire or flat out get out.

[jlong]

MTH has announced the first in a series of auctions to clean out their warehouse:

ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/148675927482436001/filePointer/148675927482436021/fodoid/148675927482436017/2020-07-22%20TCA%20Ad-MTH.pdf

OMG. They make it sound like a gold mine is coming on the block. "Historical Event" they say.

[jlong]

Gee, I can't wait to pay too much for junk.

Oh, did I say that out loud?

George

An opportunity to own a piece of history, George.

[G3750]

Gee, I can't wait to pay too much for junk.

Oh, did I say that out loud?

George

An opportunity to own a piece of history, George.

Yeah, something like that.

I’m sure I will be kicking myself later. NOT.

George

[ScaleCraft]

An opportunity to own a piece of history, George.

Or a piece of something.

Maybe I can sell of some spare copies of XP.
I do have the full set of discs for 95.....probably just as much support as what the sh....stuff you buy from Mikey will have in a year?

[Neil]

The more one thinks about what is being said by Mr. Wolf (hoped for by the public) and what is actually happening, the more one suspects this is more entirely self-serving nonsense being spouted by the great pretender. It is rather sad to see how downcast the true believers are that the company they worshipped isn't quite what they imagined it to be. How could such a dominant company just disappear? The answer(s) are no doubt the usual ones. It wasn't what you thought it was or is no longer what it once was. Much like the products, particularly PS1, PS2 and DCS to some of us. The only people who could miss DCS are those who've never seen the message "no train on track" or whatever rubbish message this kludge sends out when it has indigestion.

While I own MTH products, I will not miss Mike Wolf, who has been, as often as not, a prop-fouling mass of flotsam on the industry through much of the last 20-30 years.

[jlong]

The more one thinks about what is being said by Mr. Wolf (hoped for by the public) and what is actually happening, the more one suspects this is more entirely self-serving nonsense being spouted by the great pretender. It is rather sad to see how downcast the true believers are that the company they worshipped isn't quite what they imagined it to be. How could such a dominant company just disappear? The answer(s) are no doubt the usual ones. It wasn't what you thought it was or is no longer what it once was. Much like the products, particularly PS1, PS2 and DCS to some of us. The only people who could miss DCS are those who've never seen the message "no train on track" or whatever rubbish message this kludge sends out when it has indigestion.

While I own MTH products, I will not miss Mike Wolf, who has been, as often as not, a prop-fouling mass of flotsam on the industry through much of the last 20-30 years.

There is enough unsold MTH inventory to go around the planet twice. Collections in near mint or mint condition are coming up for sale on the secondary market for 50 cents on the dollar. Miles of it piled to the ceiling. Enough to keep MTH fans happy for years if not decades to come. The stuff isn't going to fall off the face of the earth as Mike walks off into the horizon.

[rogruth]

JLONG,
Is your mouth supposed to be censored or what???????

[robert.]

His auction will screw his vendors.

[G3750]

His auction will screw his vendors.

To quote the Talking Heads: "Same as it ever was".

George

[Tranz4mr]

Neil
"Mike Wolf, who has been, as often as not, a prop-fouling mass of flotsam on the industry"
You never let me down! Perfect! Thanks