Bratton's Catalog

Bob Bidonde

Bob Bidonde

Well-known member
The last Bratton's catalog was issued in 2019, and there may not be a 2022 catalog. I highly value Bratton's catalog. My 2019 catalog is very ragged, and the prices are out dated. In my opinion, there needs top be a hard copy of Bratton's catalog for 2022 and subsequent years.



One argument against producing a new catalog is changing prices. Prices have been changing for many years, and I deal with it when I place an order, so price changes are not a good excuse to deny our hobby an excellent catalog.


So, I would appreciate it if you all would contact Bratton's and lobby for a new catalog.
 
The best argument for not printing catalogs is that they are prohibitively expensive. They are also out of date the second they are printed. Especially now when supply chain issues destroy availability almost immediately.

It's not just price changes.

I understand much of this might be more generational and I do love having a good catalog around as much as the next guy but I don't hold it against any small business electing to no longer produce a print catalog.

...now if I could just get uline to stop sending me print catalogs every week....
 
I would like to see a book of Brantton's illustrations and a separate price list that could be altered as required.
 
Please Do not Contact Bratton's regarding a print catalog at this time. There are a lot of issues in addition to price changes that is making it difficult for us to print a catalog. When prices and parts stabilize we will look into printing another catalog. But right now with the very limited staff that we have we are spending most of our time just trying to keep parts in stock and ship orders as quickly as we can. If everybody starts calling that takes us away from getting orders out the door. If you want to print a new copy of your 2019 catalog you can click on this link and print a copy for yourself.

https://www.brattons.com/CURRENT-CATALOG/productinfo/10/
 
I just got a new catalog from Mike's AfFORDable parts. It has no prices at all. They just removed them.
 
Bob Bidonde said:
The last Bratton's catalog was issued in 2019, and there may not be a 2022 catalog. I highly value Bratton's catalog. My 2019 catalog is very ragged, and the prices are out dated. In my opinion, there needs top be a hard copy of Bratton's catalog for 2022 and subsequent years.



One argument against producing a new catalog is changing prices. Prices have been changing for many years, and I deal with it when I place an order, so price changes are not a good excuse to deny our hobby an excellent catalog.


So, I would appreciate it if you all would contact Bratton's and lobby for a new catalog.
Click to expand...

And are you going to volunteer to pay their printing costs????
 
I might have a near-mint 2019 catalog I could mail you, Bob. I'll check when I get home. That might tide you over until they print another.
 
I know I have catalogs from most of the vendors, seems like they are newer than 2019, but, maybe not.

I just look on-line and place an order when needed. If I remember correctly the illustrations are there also. If I have a question I just call.
 
Here is ONE THING going on in the supply chain:

Machine shop nearby is looking for 12 machinists !!

Multiple that by several million and you get an idea what is going on.

This is going on over MANY industries not just automotive parts suppliers, manufacturers and their suppliers.
 
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I have been buying Model A parts for over 65 years. First it was junk yards, no catalogs, then Ford dealerships, no catalog then JC Whitney and finally a catalog. We were in heaven drooling over that one, but still bought most parts at the junkyard using the Whitney catalog as a guide.

25 years ago I got in to the Model A seriously again. Had one of most everybody’s catalog. Mostly I used Bratton’s, Mikes and Snyders.

Now in 2022, I use Brattons almost exclusively for parts. I had commercial accounts with Brattons, Dearborn, Snyders, Brassworks and others for parts. The workings of a catalog has gone by the way like Sears and Roebuck. Does Harbor Freight, Amazon, Lowes, NAPA and the other big guys that for some reason some of you buy your parts from have a catalog? Not anymore.

Don’t use the excuse you are not computer literate, because YOU are reading this. You can down load the Brattons catalog any time you go to their web site and page thru it.

It is 2022 guys get with it. I will be 80 on my next birthday and going to the websites is a lot easier the poking around junkyards.
 
I talked to Brattons a few days ago and was told that at this time it costs too much to put a new one out. You can get it on line.
 
It’s a new world folks. When you buy a new TV, iPad, cell phone, dishwasher, printer, do you get a printed owners/operator/setup manual. No you don’t. You download them from the net.

I just bought a new laser printer and had to go online to learn how to set it up. That’s been the norm now for several years.
I spent $2000 for a electronic aircraft Attitude Indicator; no instructions in the box.
The installation and programming instructions was over 100 pages that I down loaded to my iPad which is part of the airplane now days.

I just completed my taxes and submitted them all on line.

By the way I’ll be 84 in May and I have managed to get by just fine in today’s digital world. I find Brattons electronic catalog easier to use than the paper one.
Adapt or Stagnate.
My rant for the year. I hope I didn’t offed to many people.
 
It is an electronic world now I agree. It seems the "banger" itself is beginning to be phased out. I will have to say there is something fun and more personal to having a catalog in hand you can flip through and look at parts. I've sat down with my workshop manuals and my catalogs and just read and studied before and/or dreamed about what I would get next for my projects. I also am more willing to bring the catalog out to the garage than my laptop I understand there is definitely an expense for each company to produce a catalog and I've certainly paid for catalogs from different companies in the past. Never much $5 maybe $10, maybe not even enough to fully pay the expense but I was willing to share the burden. I'd rather have a place to order from than a catalog to look at.

One nice thing about the online catalogs is you cant wear it out and it can always be found, as long as you didnt misplace your device!
 
I use my hardcopy of 2018 Bratton's catalog to get part numbers then order online. Works for me.

The only new catalog I get is from MAC's, seems like I get one every couple of months. But I get several different ones, Model A, 30's Fords. 50's Fords, etc.
 
I have an old obsolete lap top on my garage desk with a printer. 10x faster than thumbing through catalogs and diagrams can be enlarged and printed on the spot. There are several companies in the automotive aftermarket business that do nothing but up date online catalogs that can be down loaded by stores and shops with current pricing and product availability.
 
Yeah not sure with wrong the online info….
Access is much quicker. Vendor could update prices immediately as they change
 
I tossed all my print catalogs just before Covid 1. Shoulda kept ‘em. Didn’t know the world was going change so significantly in only two years. Glad I’m not in the middle of a restoration!
 
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