Pre-Ordering - Your Key To Getting The Jump On Your Competitors

Not gonna sell any equipment with this column - gonna sell a thought...

It will be available on a strictly first-come pre-order discount cashback bargain 3-for-1 quote this advertisement online in-store summer/winter/spring/autumn clearance. Unless otherwise notified.

Aww, heck. You can have it free.

When you see a marvellous new camera, lens, or accessory on the net - DP Review or Ken Rockwell or Somebody's Rumors or wherever - it can be in a number of conditions; a mock-up at a trade show, a projected device, under manufacture, boxed and in the containers in the aircraft hold, sitting on the wholesaler's shelves, or hanging on a peg in the retail shop. Sometimes the internet reports are unclear as to which stage the thing is at.

In the past there have been products promised that took longer than anticipated to arrive. Natural disasters, factory construction hold-ups, and manufacturing glitches have all delated the deliveries - and more than one manufacturer has been embarrassed by it. Nowadays most of them try to have a firm idea of manufacture and delivery dates before they let the advertising department loose with the rainbow unicorns and golden trumpets.

Thus they generally predict the arrival of the actual goods pretty accurately - extremely so in the case of makers who have been burned before. Still - for the eager triers and buyers there is always a hiatus between the announcement and the devices in hand. In this period of time the wholesalers sometimes conduct display evenings and launches to keep up the interest and give some encouragement. Those who eagerly seek the new stuff are well advised to make use of these beanfests. They get a play, a beer, and a couple of bits of cheese on a stick, and nearly always there is a company expert there to extoll the virtues.

Even more wiser, if you don't mind the tortured English, is the idea of pre-ordering the new gear. Because sometimes it arrives in dribs and drabs and the first units disappear into the void before you get a chance to come down and ponder. If you want to take advantage of the new facilities before your professional or enthusiast rivals do, you need to be at the front of the queue.

The key to this is not elbows or arrogance - it is a credit card. Ring up, email up, or show up and sign up for the new gear right now. Put a deposit down and don't grumble while you are doing it - you may well be doing yourself a very good thing...particularly if your tardy competitor prefers to leave it to chance and next month. A lot of contracts and club prizes can disappear in that month.

A case in point. People anticipating the new Fujifilm X-Pro2 or the Canon 1DX Mk II can come in and speak financially to the staff for pre-ordering and be very politely received. Those who wish to attend the Fujifilm X-Pro2 circus at the shop on the 10th of this month will do well to mention it now - it promises to be quite a show.