First Quality vs. Volume Order Cost Reduction

Many toys produced by our makers of fine toy and leisure products can be found at highly attuned specialty shops. Big nationwide retailers often select from unique offerings to seasonally freshen their mainstream product line. The massive volume buying power puts downward pressure on costs to facilitate the lowest price to that customer base. Costs are reduced in part or whole by actually degrading the product's design and/or materials while holding up the famous name's previously earned reputation. Entire separate production arrangements have been set up for special volume buys sometimes not even the same country of origin as the original. Warranty may be reduced or handled only by the retailer rather than the maker. Parts for special production may or may not match the manufacterer's available regular product parts supply. We've had at least a dozen instances of hearing from snakebit owners seeking elusive parts for special items. Of course, the word "special", a higher sounding model name or number or other superlatives are frequently used without notice of whether it means especially good- or not. We are fully aware of the game and have considered how we compete for your business in this environment by offering superior products and service. We view the practice as debasing the previously earned quality reputation for the quick cash- like "selling one's soul to the devil". Be wary of name brand products when offered for sale by a mega-retailer at a too good to be true price.

Our regular product lines are limited to first quality current products benefiting from most recent design experience and manufacturer warranty, accessory and parts support. To that we add really great customer service based on resources and decisions made here- almost always far exceeding our published hardball terms. Used, returned etc. items are also sold with clear distinction at great deals. Sometimes we are offered and have taken the opportunity to purchase for resale such "special" product to sell. Where a product is new first quality with full warranty and parts support, but otherwise not current we will simply identify it as a special purchase, note the model year or call it a limited offer or closeout- at a better deal for you. Major brand items that are cost reduced from the regular branded product line are accepted here for resale only when three conditions are met:

1. Parts availability and Warranty coverage match the regular product line.
2. A significant price advantage to the customer is a given.
3. We can clearly distinguish and identify to you the merit of the offering.

Reverse Engineered Clones

Once the reputation and desirability of something novel is well established, the look and feel of a product is frequently extended toward a larger and more affordable market. What we call a clone is a copy of a name brand item from another independent company that is designed to initially look and feel like the orginal but to sell on low price. Parts may not be available or interchangeable with the original. Accessory fitment may be missing or different, and worldwide marks of safety and industry standard compliance may not apply. Special versions of real brands are quite distinct and superior to reverse engineered copies. We actually submit information to our suppliers when we find flattery that could be confusing to our customers or a patent infringement. The brandless copies of real products will not be found for sale on our pages.

Kettler Clones & Murky Waters

Don't be swept away by the flattery of imitations of Kettler's top products. Wagon Train Toys offers Kettler products that are sourced only directly from the Kettler USA warehouse in VA. They have the five-step four-layer synthetic epoxy powdercoat finish that stands up to outdoor use and storage. The plated metal parts also have a better grade of finish. Special offers from Kettler may have brands from other lines that also meet Kettler standards and carry the three year residential warranty. Far eastern and west coast companies buy genuine Kettler products and reverse engineer them. The results look close to the same when new, but with lesser quality paint and jagged welds. They won't weather as well nor carry the same worldwide marks of product design and safety compliance. Genuine accessories and parts from Kettler may or may not fit, and warranty service? Nobody knows.

Kettler's major competitor, Radio Flyer, has established a line of tricycles much like Kettler's. They are mostly red and made in China but otherwise quite similar to popular Kettler models. Kettler has responded by introducing metal and wood red wagons and toddler toys. Kettler also added their own low cost line of mostly red feature tricycles, each made in China. Thus, Kettler offers a copy of a copy, and they have only 90 days of warranty rather than the first line's three years. Kettler has introduced a new Kiddi-o Supreme Stroller Trike which has the bright colors of German-made trikes but is made in China and has only a 90 day warranty. WagonTrainToys.com does not offer for sale these low cost products with short warranties, and does not sell no-name similar copies.  Country of origin is noted in all of our product descriptions.  Suppliers reserve the right to change their manufacturing location without notification, so we can’t make iron-clad guarantees on all origins, but we attempt to keep track of all such changes and update our country information as soon as possible.

Aside from imitation, Kettler and other established companies are subject to large custom orders, in which a seemingly familiar named item is produced in a cost-reduced form. Look out for paint, powder coating or plating with fewer process steps and layers, thus inferior durability; and a different Kettler part number suffix. A desirable feature or parental control may be completely missing from an item that yet sports a superlative moniker!  Question names like "nitro", "super", "max" and "extreme" hung on lower grade toys. Worse than that, the warranty may be only 90 days rather than the 1, 2 or 3 year manufacturer's warranty. But at least the parts that might fit both versions are of uniform top quality. For parts specific to a private brand, the only recourse is to contact the seller, and likely be charged for out of warranty parts. (We detail above our policy on possible sale of such items to our standards.) Accessory fitment may be a problem for private brands (and clones) because mounting holes may be different or completely missing. This muddies the waters because both first quality Kettler and watered-down "exclusive" items are floated for sale down the same river.

Finally, items from both low and high volume dealers may become obsolete- without benefit of the latest colors, accessory mounting points, improved features or safety standard compliance. WagonTrainToys.com always offers the latest first quality new products from Kettler and other fine toy makers. We clearly identify specific items that are closeouts, returns or scratched and list them as “manager’s specials.” You can verify the design (first 5 digits) and finish or detail (last 3 digits) of an item you are considering by eyeballing the part number shown on our pages to compare "apples to apples."