Limited Production
~ This article first appeared in The Leader-Vindicator newspaper. ~
It’s no secret that I’m a train fanatic. My son Henry has inherited a love of railroads, and the two of us take a great delight in making short trips to watch the daily northbound B&P pass through DuBois. Not long ago my wife organized a day trip to the Horseshoe Curve in Altoona where Henry got his first look at Norfolk Southern locomotives and some serious mainline railroad action. He loved it.
Henry’s fourth birthday is June 28. I’m terrible at giving gifts and usually dread being empty handed on a loved one’s big day. Imagine my delight when I discovered The Whittle Shortline Railroad, an outfit that sells realistic wooden toy trains that are compatible with Henry’s extensive wooden track layout. Here is a perfect gift: They sell Norfolk Southern locomotives; they are a family business; all their toy trains are handmade; the toys are age appropriate for four-year-olds (and 35 year olds); the price for such a unique gift is attainable. I was thrilled.
Upon checking Whittle’s website, I found their Norfolk Southern GP 38 locomotive to be out of stock. Bummer. But, no problem, they’ll email me when it becomes available. I signed up and waited. Not long after I found the note I’d been waiting for: The locomotive you want is back in stock!
I clicked the link and was stunned to read that the train was no longer available. What? This must be a mistake. I double-checked the website and confirmed that the dang engine was indeed sold out. The email came late in the evening; I read it about nine the next morning. Obviously we’re in the Big Leagues of shopping here. I needed to step up my game.
Once again I submitted my email for notification of restock. I was primed to jump all over this toy train as soon as my note came through. And I was fast – 45 minutes from notification to discovery, ten seconds to follow link, and…sold out. AAAHHHH!!!
What the heck do you have to do to get one of these things?? Out of desperation I had Gina sign up, too. She missed it. Apparently Whittle Shortline wooden Norfolk Southern GP 38 locomotives are desired by each of the 9 billion people on Earth
The feelings of missed opportunity, disappointment, and competitive failure made me angry with The Whittle Shortline. I thought I might email them, explain my situation, and ask for special service just for me. I surmised that I could pay a little extra to jump the line. In fact, I schemed for a few hours before I realized my folly: I’m one of them!
My family’s beef business is special, and we’ve earned a reputation as a trusted source of very high quality small batch steaks, roasts, and ground beef. Through the years more people have learned of our reputation than our production can sustain, resulting in shortages of popular cuts. In some cases we will accumulate so many private orders for a specific cut that the steak will be completely absent from our retail space for months at a time. In other words, people learn about us, become excited, try to buy, and discover they cannot get what they want.
Frustration ensues. Tempers flare. People attempt to receive special service and jump the line. Anger is sometimes a byproduct of the feelings. I get buried in requests trying to remember who wants what where and when, the strain of which makes me mad. From a business standpoint, too much demand is exasperating and I am certain the people carving wooden toy trains are feeling the same pressure I encounter. With so much experience, I’m surprised at myself for falling so easily into the frustrated customer trap.
It’s kind of ridiculous, when you think about it, that we desire special products and expect of them generic availability. I don’t want to get Henry a wooden Brio train locomotive, which I can order today and receive tomorrow, because they aren’t unique. I want the handmade train. I want to support the creative family business. I want the thing that nobody can get, but I expect to get it myself. If I could get it on a whim, and so could everyone else, it would be similar to the Brio company and not as desirable, completely defeating the appeal of the handmade toy train company. But I get mad when I can’t get it. Hilarious.
What small business needs is grace in the midst of enthusiasm. I think The Whittle Shortline trains are a spectacular product, even though I didn’t get to participate. It’s ok. Knowing the little company exists has to be enough. Its existence gives me hope that something similar can pop up in our region, and maybe I’ll be able to get in on that action. It’s a fun thought. That’s the purpose of small business: To inspire masses, not to serve the masses. The next time you feel angry by a shortage of something special, stop. Turn the anger into inspiration and start something yourself. Or use your resources to help someone else get started. Small business is inherently short supplied but infinitely inspiring. Go out there and get motivated!