To Pre-Order or Not To Pre-Order

Pre-orders are often a controversial topic among collectors. Many airplane model stores, at least in the U.S., take the payment as soon as a pre-order is placed, but most collectors know that in many cases it can take more than a year for the model to arrive. In some cases, the model never arrives, as releases that don't generate enough demand (pre-orders) do get cancelled before going into production.

It takes a while to get used to handing out your hard-earned money in hopes that you will eventually receive either a model or a refund. Many collectors prefer to wait and buy models once they are in stock, understandably so.

Manufacturers and retailers, on the other hand, love pre-orders. Holding inventory costs money and takes up space, so having a some of your stock already sold before it arrives, or before it even enters production, is wonderful.

There are some downsides for retailers, though. For instance, sometimes manufacturers cannot fulfill orders in their entirety, which can leave retailers with no option other than to issue refunds, which usually irritates customers; talk about a lose-lose situation. Also, pre-orders increase the workload and stress associated with record-keeping and customer service. 

Nonetheless, there are good reasons for any new retailer looking to get a strong foothold in the market to put in the effort and try to develop strategies to capture some pre-orders regularly.

It is worth noting that undercutting everyone else, though tempting, is not a good long-term strategy to gain market share. Many retailers already list models at the minimum asking price, so anyone who undercuts will be automatically violating the policies of many manufacturers and distributors; not a good situation to be in, especially as a new retailer. In the same way, and more importantly, there is not a whole lot of room to offer discounts before starting to flat-out bleed money. 

Note: When I first started brainstorming ideas for this article, there was a lot of price competition taking place among the newer generation of retailers, as well as some not-so-new ones. However, by the time of the publication, it seems that a majority of retailers are starting to raise prices in unison. Probably as a result of the tariffs of 2025. And also because it is a matter of time before one understands that model retailing is a business, a hobby at best, but seldom a charity. However, for this article to make sense, and for future reference, the paragraph on undercutting will be kept.

All retailers should aim to be one of those outfits whose loyal customers would not mind, care, or notice paying a buck or two more than the competition for certain models.

And how do you do that exactly?

There is an infinite number of ways. Everyone has to develop their "secret sauce." 

One thing that I have done at Yankee Victor 400 is come up with a method for customers to pre-order in an easy, reliable fashion without having to pay up front. It is a quite simple solution; it is the same method that manufacturers and distributors use to gather orders from retailers. Also, a method that some stores already use: a Pre Order form. As the name suggests, it is a signup sheet of sorts.

Not only does it allow customers to pre-order without having to pay up front, but it also allows me to post new releases quicker, as I don't have to upload them to the site, which can be quite time-consuming (even when uploading in bulk). 

You can access the Yankee Victor 400 Pre Order forms for the different manufacturers on the drop-down menu under the Pre Orders tab.

Below:

Left: Mobile, Right: Desktop/Laptop. If hovering over the "Pre Orders" tab on the desktop version doesn't drop the menu, click around and try again. Most pre-order forms are active only during the manufacturer/distributor pre-order period. Sign up for the mailing list to get notified when new pre-orders are added to the site.

Yankee Victor 400 Model Shop Pre Order Forms in the mobile format.

Yankee Victor 400 Model Shop Pre Order Forms in the desktop format.

One issue that I quickly found after rolling out the Pre Order form is that it did not account for shipping costs. To save my customers the unpleasant surprise of last-minute added shipping costs, I have recently included a shipping estimate table with the form. I hope that in this way, customers can get a highly accurate estimate before submitting a Pre Order form at Yankee Victor 400.

I don't expect, nor want, anyone to abandon their go-to retailer in favor of some random new outfit. After all, I still have my go-to retailer and have good relationships with many others. But if you are new to the hobby and haven't established a long-lasting relationship with any retailer, or don't currently have a go-to retailer for whatever reason, check out www.yankeevictor400.shop and maybe use one of our pre-order forms for the next set of new releases that includes something you like. 

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