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Post by basementdogs on Feb 25, 2015 23:07:18 GMT -8
Does anyone know how to contact Detail Associates through email or phone? I have searched online and found nothing. They don't appear to have a website.
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Post by ddatrainman on Feb 26, 2015 0:31:15 GMT -8
Does anyone know how to contact Detail Associates through email or phone? I have searched online and found nothing. They don't appear to have a website. Surprisingly there is no way to get in contact with them, it's hard when you're looking for a specific part and can't find it. Their parts are becoming almost non-existent as everyone buys up what is available and the harder to find items go for three times their list price on Ebay.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 26, 2015 5:11:51 GMT -8
U.S. Mail with a self addressed stamped envelope inside for whoever at DA to send back a reply.
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Post by basementdogs on Feb 26, 2015 6:17:38 GMT -8
Figured snail mail was perhaps the only option. Thanks for the reminder to include a SSAE for reply. Been so long since I used the post office, I forgot about the courtesies.
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Post by atsfan on Feb 26, 2015 6:36:06 GMT -8
I may have to sell off some of the old parts I have.
Is the company still producing new parts?
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 26, 2015 7:40:30 GMT -8
I may have to sell off some of the old parts I have. Is the company still producing new parts? Yes, and kind of sort of too. Walthers lists a number of parts with an anticipated arrival of early March. But there is a LOT of parts Detail Associates has not produced for an extended period and others that are flat out discontinued. Not to turn this into a "the hobby is dying" thread, but dealers make squat on detail parts. For many stocking of parts is a courtesy to the dwindling few that still paint, decal and super detail. The age of RTR and the "Genesis", "Executive", etc. models especially, have made detail parts, paint and decals nearly something of the hobbies ancient past.
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Post by lvrr325 on Feb 26, 2015 11:21:17 GMT -8
And what happens frequently to detail parts is they never get used and you buy a box of hundreds of them for pennies on the dollar at the train show or estate sale.
I have a cigar box full out in the other room somewhere I've never done anything with that I got when I was cherrypicking a collection some woman was able to buy and was selling through a flea market kind of spot in a small town near here. They were old when I got them -
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Post by JohnJ on Feb 26, 2015 11:40:42 GMT -8
I've often wondered if model manufacturers use DA or DW parts (or other aftermarket parts). Some of the parts in the newer Athearn releases look familiar, most notably speed recorders. I work in the software industry, and we often "OEM" other software to fill in gaps so we don't have to distract ourselves from our main business. So, for instance, instead of having to tool up a new Mars light for a D&RGW SD45, why not come to an agreement with DW and use their existing part? Seems it would be mutually beneficial if the right terms could be arranged.
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Post by onequiknova on Feb 26, 2015 12:10:04 GMT -8
I really wish they'd rerun their truck journals. I think I've scrounged every corner of the internet looking for the square ones. I'm saving one set of each just in case I need to start casting them.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Feb 26, 2015 12:36:50 GMT -8
The reason for a hobby shop to stock DA and DW parts is the same reason for a hardware store to stock screws.
Good luck with surviving by stocking only the 100 things that turn a huge profit.
Actually, NOT good luck. I surely don't need a shop like that.
Ed
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 26, 2015 14:31:08 GMT -8
The reason for a hobby shop to stock DA and DW parts is the same reason for a hardware store to stock screws. Good luck with surviving by stocking only the 100 things that turn a huge profit. Actually, NOT good luck. I surely don't need a shop like that. Ed True, but with horns from Details West in the $7 per range, its getting expensive to stock items which are nearly dead on the shelf. How many true hardware stores remain? They've been pretty much turned into relics from the past as they can't compete with the Home Depots, Lowes, Menards, etc. on the larger items where there is good profit. The chain hardware stores like True Value and Ace are only surviving if the store is big enough and can move some bigger ticket items to make money. Those Chinese made screws cost a few cents a piece, meaning the store is maybe making a cent or two profit. You need to move a lot of screws just to keep the lights on. The hobby shop is no different, then again, what is a hobby shop? The stores need to move those Genesis DDA40X's to pay the rent, for selling one seven dollar horn every once in a while and making a buck isn't doing squat for the bottom line. You invest where you can turn money over quickly and make an acceptable return, detail parts, paint and decals are not bringing 95% or more of the warm bodies in the front door. Its the $350 discounted price on that Genesis DDA40X with DCC and sound that is bring wallets loaded with money into the store. I may not like the RTR phenomenon, with few undecorated models, reservations and long wait times from reservation to actual delivery. I may not be a smart person, in fact some people call me a moron! But even this moron knows RTR with fancy paint and lots of added parts sells fairly easily. Undecorated, detail parts, paint and decals are slow movers. I've watched undecorated units sit my local hobby shops shelves that have been deep deep discounted. My LHS(EngineHouse Services in Green Bay, WI) has a good web presence and the model still can sit for months upon months waiting for someone to want to do a build.
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Post by roadkill on Feb 26, 2015 17:09:28 GMT -8
Well, around here (SW suburban Cleveland) old school hardware stores are everywhere and seem to be thriving, for what it's worth.
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Post by atsfan on Feb 26, 2015 17:13:21 GMT -8
There are plenty of hardware and home stores out there.
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Post by atsfan on Feb 26, 2015 17:15:59 GMT -8
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Post by cannon on Feb 26, 2015 17:53:48 GMT -8
When Detail Associates was formed over 30(?) years ago, it was a partnership of four individuals. None of these did this full time. They did none of the tooling or production themselves, instead farming it out to other small independent manufacturers? They would contract the production and package and ship the finished product. One person sold his share to the others years ago. Two of the others have since passed away, leaving only one person to run the company. He has a full time architecture business, so DA is a part time activity. With over 600 SKUS in three scales and 30 year old tooling it is difficult to keep everything in stock. Most of the DA parts are the $2-3 parts and not the $7 horns Jim mentioned.
As an independent (and also part time) manufacturer with "only" about 150 SKUS and I make my own parts, I can fire up the plastic press if (and when) I'm out of stock on something. On the other hand I have some inventory that will never sell at current rates in a hundred years. Most of my parts are also in the $3-5 range and while I have a direct sale web page, the majority of my sales are to Walthers as I assume DA's are. Walthers orders usually about once a month in quantities as low as 5 of a P/N and it takes a week or so to ship to them so they can be out of stock on parts I can make and supply for at least 6 weeks. Additionally with the distributor discount I only get about $0.42 on the dollar. So this is not a get rich scheme.
However DA has to rely on other suppliers to make the parts, and there are usually minimum quantities of 200-500 shots. So he has to invest in inventory with parts that may have low turn over. I'm also sure that he has also seen a drop in sales due to the RTR and detail specific factor.
I hope this sheds some light on the small part manufacturer.
Dave Hussey Cannon and Company
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Post by atsfan on Feb 26, 2015 18:03:28 GMT -8
When Detail Associates was formed over 30(?) years ago, it was a partnership of four individuals. None of these did this full time. They did none of the tooling or production themselves, instead farming it out to other small independent manufacturers? They would contract the production and package and ship the finished product. One person sold his share to the others years ago. Two of the others have since passed away, leaving only one person to run the company. He has a full time architecture business, so DA is a part time activity. With over 600 SKUS in three scales and 30 year old tooling it is difficult to keep everything in stock. Most of the DA parts are the $2-3 parts and not the $7 horns Jim mentioned. As an independent (and also part time) manufacturer with "only" about 150 SKUS and I make my own parts, I can fire up the plastic press if (and when) I'm out of stock on something. On the other hand I have some inventory that will never sell at current rates in a hundred years. Most of my parts are also in the $3-5 range and while I have a direct sale web page, the majority of my sales are to Walthers as I assume DA's are. Walthers orders usually about once a month in quantities as low as 5 of a P/N and it takes a week or so to ship to them so they can be out of stock on parts I can make and supply for at least 6 weeks. Additionally with the distributor discount I only get about $0.42 on the dollar. So this is not a get rich scheme. However DA has to rely on other suppliers to make the parts, and there are usually minimum quantities of 200-500 shots. So he has to invest in inventory with parts that may have low turn over. I'm also sure that he has also seen a drop in sales due to the RTR and detail specific factor. I hope this sheds some light on the small part manufacturer. Dave Hussey Cannon and Company Good insight. Thanks for sharing.
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Post by Spikre on Feb 26, 2015 18:12:14 GMT -8
Dave H., seem to recall both D.A. and D.W. arriving about the same time in NJ at least. does around 1972 seem reasonable ? or was that Micro Scale Decals ? Spikre
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Post by eh49 on Feb 26, 2015 18:12:20 GMT -8
Dave, Any chance of you acquiring DA and continuing the most popular parts on a regular basis? Now, I know they have some that will never sell.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 26, 2015 18:23:29 GMT -8
When Detail Associates was formed over 30(?) years ago, it was a partnership of four individuals. None of these did this full time. They did none of the tooling or production themselves, instead farming it out to other small independent manufacturers? They would contract the production and package and ship the finished product. One person sold his share to the others years ago. Two of the others have since passed away, leaving only one person to run the company. He has a full time architecture business, so DA is a part time activity. With over 600 SKUS in three scales and 30 year old tooling it is difficult to keep everything in stock. Most of the DA parts are the $2-3 parts and not the $7 horns Jim mentioned. As an independent (and also part time) manufacturer with "only" about 150 SKUS and I make my own parts, I can fire up the plastic press if (and when) I'm out of stock on something. On the other hand I have some inventory that will never sell at current rates in a hundred years. Most of my parts are also in the $3-5 range and while I have a direct sale web page, the majority of my sales are to Walthers as I assume DA's are. Walthers orders usually about once a month in quantities as low as 5 of a P/N and it takes a week or so to ship to them so they can be out of stock on parts I can make and supply for at least 6 weeks. Additionally with the distributor discount I only get about $0.42 on the dollar. So this is not a get rich scheme. However DA has to rely on other suppliers to make the parts, and there are usually minimum quantities of 200-500 shots. So he has to invest in inventory with parts that may have low turn over. I'm also sure that he has also seen a drop in sales due to the RTR and detail specific factor. I hope this sheds some light on the small part manufacturer. Dave Hussey Cannon and Company This would explain why the brass detail parts from DA haven't been done in many years. Also, some parts like the Horst air filters in pewter are for the wide body Athearn GP7. Other pewter parts from DA can also be difficult to find. I was looking at Walthers today of DA parts which are considered sold out, discountinued or when sold out is extensive. Some of the parts like super detailing for Stewart ALCo C-628 has been mostly rendered obsolete by the new models from Bowser. Seems like the brass detail parts can go out of stock for long periods of time.
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Post by thebessemerkid on Feb 26, 2015 18:54:38 GMT -8
Great insight. Thanks Dave!
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Post by cannon on Feb 26, 2015 18:58:57 GMT -8
[/quote]This would explain why the brass detail parts from DA haven't been done in many years. Also, some parts like the Horst air filters in pewter are for the wide body Athearn GP7. Other pewter parts from DA can also be difficult to find. I was looking at Walthers today of DA parts which are considered sold out, discountinued or when sold out is extensive. Some of the parts like super detailing for Stewart ALCo C-628 has been mostly rendered obsolete by the new models from Bowser. Seems like the brass detail parts can go out of stock for long periods of time. [/quote]
The brass parts are usually the plastic parts that have been sent out to another vendor to be investment cast. So you are talking about ordering the original part, paying for it then sending some of them out to be remade into the brass version and paying for it and stocking and packing it again. It comes down to return on investment.
EA49: As to why don't I acquire DA. Are you nuts? Cannon takes too much of my time now.
Spikre, 72 era does sound about right.
Dave Hussey Cannon and Company
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Post by alcoc430 on Feb 26, 2015 21:13:36 GMT -8
When Detail Associates was formed over 30(?) years ago, it was a partnership of four individuals. None of these did this full time. They did none of the tooling or production themselves, instead farming it out to other small independent manufacturers? They would contract the production and package and ship the finished product. One person sold his share to the others years ago. Two of the others have since passed away, leaving only one person to run the company. He has a full time architecture business, so DA is a part time activity. With over 600 SKUS in three scales and 30 year old tooling it is difficult to keep everything in stock. Most of the DA parts are the $2-3 parts and not the $7 horns Jim mentioned. As an independent (and also part time) manufacturer with "only" about 150 SKUS and I make my own parts, I can fire up the plastic press if (and when) I'm out of stock on something. On the other hand I have some inventory that will never sell at current rates in a hundred years. Most of my parts are also in the $3-5 range and while I have a direct sale web page, the majority of my sales are to Walthers as I assume DA's are. Walthers orders usually about once a month in quantities as low as 5 of a P/N and it takes a week or so to ship to them so they can be out of stock on parts I can make and supply for at least 6 weeks. Additionally with the distributor discount I only get about $0.42 on the dollar. So this is not a get rich scheme. However DA has to rely on other suppliers to make the parts, and there are usually minimum quantities of 200-500 shots. So he has to invest in inventory with parts that may have low turn over. I'm also sure that he has also seen a drop in sales due to the RTR and detail specific factor. I hope this sheds some light on the small part manufacturer. Dave Hussey Cannon and Company This would explain why the brass detail parts from DA haven't been done in many years. Also, some parts like the Horst air filters in pewter are for the wide body Athearn GP7. Other pewter parts from DA can also be difficult to find. I was looking at Walthers today of DA parts which are considered sold out, discountinued or when sold out is extensive. Some of the parts like super detailing for Stewart ALCo C-628 has been mostly rendered obsolete by the new models from Bowser. Seems like the brass detail parts can go out of stock for long periods of time. Does anyone else makes the horst paper type air filters?
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Post by bar on Feb 27, 2015 9:04:55 GMT -8
Dave's post was by far among the most insightful I've seen since this forum was created. Thanks.
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Post by NS4122 on Feb 27, 2015 11:14:08 GMT -8
I don't understand why small companies like DA and the like stay in business when they don't have the time or resources to produce products, respond to customers and otherwise take care of a business they created. Either you're in business or you're not. I don't think it is a valid reason to give any company a pass on poor customer response just because they are a part time enterprise.
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Post by MONSTERRAILROAD on Feb 27, 2015 12:18:22 GMT -8
The biggest issue I have with Details Associate is getting the only thing I buy from them as often as I can, the #2902 flasher/beacons. They are so hard to come by. I need them to make my custom lit beacons for my Monster Line and I was only lucky to get 6 at the Amherst Train Show even though I was looking for about 20-25. So i am always in need of those but no one every has them in stock or there is NO WAY for me to put in an order for 20 at a time to keep my stock up. I am not impressed with DA lack of contact options. What makes it worse, is when some "Dealers" or "Ebay Hobby shops" have those $2.40 #2902 beacons in stock they charge $3.40-$3.80 a pack and $6-$9 shipping!! If I want to get robbed I will simply walk down a dark alley at night in the projects rather than order the 4 or 5 #2902 a shop has in stock for $30 including shipping.
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Post by lvrr325 on Feb 27, 2015 13:11:23 GMT -8
This is where a resourceful guy would start looking into casting his own.
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Post by scl1234 on Feb 27, 2015 13:54:56 GMT -8
This is where a resourceful guy would start looking into casting his own. Quoted for emphasis. He's right Al. You should search the archives for some of the work onequicknova has done with parts casting.
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Post by cannon on Feb 27, 2015 16:11:01 GMT -8
I don't understand why small companies like DA and the like stay in business when they don't have the time or resources to produce products, respond to customers and otherwise take care of a business they created. Either you're in business or you're not. I don't think it is a valid reason to give any company a pass on poor customer response just because they are a part time enterprise. So if I understand you correctly, you would rather that DA and other small business that are "part time", go out of business if they don't respond or produce to your standard. I guess that they provide a product or service doesn't count. Geez. Dave Hussey Cannon and Company
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Post by cannon on Feb 27, 2015 16:22:24 GMT -8
The biggest issue I have with Details Associate is getting the only thing I buy from them as often as I can, the #2902 flasher/beacons. They are so hard to come by. I need them to make my custom lit beacons for my Monster Line and I was only lucky to get 6 at the Amherst Train Show even though I was looking for about 20-25. So i am always in need of those but no one every has them in stock or there is NO WAY for me to put in an order for 20 at a time to keep my stock up. I am not impressed with DA lack of contact options. What makes it worse, is when some "Dealers" or "Ebay Hobby shops" have those $2.40 #2902 beacons in stock they charge $3.40-$3.80 a pack and $6-$9 shipping!! If I want to get robbed I will simply walk down a dark alley at night in the projects rather than order the 4 or 5 #2902 a shop has in stock for $30 including shipping. Their packaging provides a PO box. There is something called US Mail, use it to contact them, The address is PO Box 5357 San Louis Obispo, CA 93403. You say you want 20-25. Why can't you put a direct order to DA for 50 or a hundred then you will not have to scrounge and complain about shipping. Or is spending a couple hundred dollars too difficult. Dave Hussey Cannon and Company
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Post by atsfan on Feb 27, 2015 17:54:41 GMT -8
It would seem to me an email address in 2015 is a minimum. I mean email has been around for 20 plus years now.
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