DNP – the 3 worst letters for diecast fans
Your favorite driver has taken the checkered flag! Once the interviews are over and the confetti has settled in Victory Lane, the promotional emails start pouring in. Order your race winner diecast! Order your race winner t-shirt! So like the diehard fan you are, you place your order for the diecast and the shirt and start the feels-like-an-eternity wait for your driver’s race win products to be shipped. All is right with the world. Your driver is in the playoffs because they won. You’re just waiting for the “your order has shipped” email to come in so you can camp out by the mailbox.
Finally, the day has arrived. Email notifications on your order are in your inbox! Alas, it’s the dreaded DNP notice. Your heart sinks. If only there were some way to make sure this car was produced! How could this happen? Surely there were enough fans as excited as you were, just waiting to celebrate their driver’s win in a metal fashion.
Unfortunately, there are minimum order quantities (MOQ) that must be met in order for companies to produce any product. Otherwise, there is no profit. Without profit, bills can’t be paid, payroll can’t be met, and ultimately, businesses must close. Even if the demand is there for the product, if there isn’t enough demand, it won’t matter how much you want that 1:24 race win to put on your shelf; it just doesn’t make enough fiscal sense to produce smaller quantities.
What is that magic number that ensures production? According to sources familiar with the production model, Lionel needs 2500 preordered 1:64 scale and 505 preordered 1:24 scale for production to proceed from preorders to fabrication. With preorder numbers a closely guarded secret, it’s impossible for fans to know exactly where production stands unless there’s an “order or else” notice posted on Lionel’s forums.
Fortunately for fans, Lionel posts a weekly MOQ update on their forum. (The forum can be found at lionelracingforum.com.)
MOQ updates can be found under Lionel Racing News and Announcements; confirmed DNP updates will be under DNP Notifications. Fans can use this information to help ensure the diecast they want will be made. The MOQ update doesn’t provide specific sales numbers, but it does let you know if a car is confirmed for production, in danger of being canceled, or has been DNP’d. These updates, when shared amongst fans and acted upon accordingly, can prompt fans to place additional orders to hopefully achieve the magic number that pushes a car over into production.
Ultimately, the best way to ensure production is to order early and often. Place your preorders as soon as you can. Order several of each size and finish. Duplicates can be used as giveaways, put up for safekeeping, or made part of an epic display. The important thing to remember is, only you can prevent DNPs by placing your orders ASAP.
Featured image source: racingusa.com
