How does stock get into the showcase?

[SoundAsAnOldEngineer]

I was wondering if forum members have any ideas about how Warmoth create the stock that's available for us to admire and (when temptation becomes irresistible) purchase in the Showcase. I've recently bought a Tele neck, a P-Bass neck and a P-Bass body from the Showcase, and I have to say that I'm delighted with all of my new stuff. The quality of these products is really excellent. Also, I appreciate the relatively attractive prices for some of the items in the Showcase.

What I was wondering was this: Have items in the Showcase been returned by a customer who ordered them as custom items? If so, the customers who returned the items I purchased must have been really fussy. Is there any chance that Showcase items could be in any way sub-standard? Or do the good folks at Warmoth manufacture products specifically for the Showcase? If so, how do they decide what to make?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Most of them are production runs specifically for the showcase, consisting of more traditional features, some with more custom features, and a few one-offs to test market demand.
Only a small percentage, like less that 5% are Other, ie; returns, CC Decline, other.

 

[Day-mun]

So (Piggy-backing on OP question), safe to assume that screamin' deals might be the other 5% stuff that is known to be stuff with low demand features as well as finish defects and, my personal favorite, "beauty marks"?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

So (Piggy-backing on OP question), safe to assume that screamin' deals might be the other 5% stuff that is known to be stuff with low demand features as well as finish defects and, my personal favorite, "beauty marks"?

And, it's been sitting in the showcase inventory so long, it's best to let it go at a "sale" price than to pay for it to sit there in inventory forever.  Space is limited, and new showcase items are coming through all the time to supply the demand.

Remember folks, Warmoth is a small business, with a very high overhead, of approximately 50 employees stuffed into an 8000 square foot whse (pole building) which also includes the machinery, office space, storage, etc...  It's very tight quarters under normal conditions.

 

[swarfrat]

Dangit, so my left hand 3 bolt basswood paisley iceman with 2tek bridge isn't going to show up in the showcase, just because you're nice people? Drat.

 

[SoundAsAnOldEngineer]

Thanks very much for all your informative comments!

 

[Jet-Jaguar]

What I was wondering was this: Have items in the Showcase been returned by a customer who ordered them as custom items? If so, the customers who returned the items I purchased must have been really fussy. Is there any chance that Showcase items could be in any way sub-standard? Or do the good folks at Warmoth manufacture products specifically for the Showcase? If so, how do they decide what to make?

Once, I ordered a tele neck, and a custom strat neck at the same time.  The custom strat neck came exactly as I ordered it, except they'd made it as a tele neck instead of a strat. I sent it back, it ended up on the showcase, and as it just so happened, someone on this forum bought it.

I've seen finish flaws show up on the showcase (and they were clearly marked as such) but I seriously doubt you'd find anything sub-standard there.