# ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST



## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

I went to my closest hobby shop today, was informed that Tuesday will be the end of the line. Buck's Hobby Barn in Terre Haute, Indiana. Steve the owner has been fantastic to deal with and was very nice. He didn't have a huge stock, but handy none the less.
My son is upset, that was one of our Saturday stops. Bummer.
That puts me an hour and 20 minutes away from the last train shop in the area which is the only remaining train shop in Indianapolis, Train Central on East Washington.
Patronize your dealers, guys. If you stop by, buy something. And make sure you stop by.
Don't whine about discounts and the better deal on eBay. Spend the cash, make a friend, be a good customer. Step up.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I ran a hobby shop in the UK which was part of a chain. The parent company were a large wholesaler of model goods, rc, aeroplanes and cars as well as general modelling stuff.

I could see the figures and that they couldn't have been making much money. Customers were always coming in and boasting about what they'd bought on eBay. Sure enough about 18 months after I left they closed all the branches. They now sell exclusively on line. I'm afraid its part of a more general trend towards internet shopping. With our hobby and others its not necessary to view the goods, you simply pick what you want and click. Retailers that have a shop front and have embraced the revolution have survived but smaller players will unfortunately fall by the wayside.

Human nature being what it is people will always be attracted by the best deal.


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## Roger Hensley (Oct 29, 2015)

Cycleops said:


> Human nature being what it is people will always be attracted by the best deal.


Or what they perceive as the better deal! I, too, had a hobby shop but was put out of business by a series of thefts. I was out of the shop for health reasons and left the shop in the hands of one of my employees. Someone I could trust. 

The gentlemen came in by two and threes and got her occupied with the other one(s) helping themselves to the stock. When I got back I checked the inventory list to see what we had and then folks would come in and ask for something. "Why. yes. That's right over here."

It wasn't. And many other items weren't there either. We closed and inventoried. I took one look at the results and decided to close. End of story.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Time Warp,
When we visit our daughter and family in Noblesville I always try to squeeze out enough time to visit the train store on East Washington in Indy.
It's a cool place with a good selection and decent prices. The owner is also willing to shoot the breeze with no pressure to push you into a purchase. I always leave a few $$$ behind.
Nevertheless, the bulk of my purchases are still online, mostly eBay,
Bob


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Years ago people always supported their local businesses. But if you think about it there was no other choices. The internet changed all that. I had a high end hi-fi sound system
store near where I worked. They had good business until the internet. They really provided customer service. They would let you bring a system home for the weekend to try out. People actually would take a system home for the weekend and then buy it on
line. That stopped that program and soon they closed. The retail merchant can't compete
with the on line sellers. Local stores have very high rent because of location location.
Location means nothing selling on line.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Inventory is a big expense for local stores. I have an on line train dealer. He works
out of his house. He carries very little inventory except maybe track, metal wheels
and kadees. Anything else you order he just picks up from his wholesaler and ships it.
Hardly any expense to him. He is cheaper than trainworld or any of the big on line train stores.
They carry inventory.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

My closest train store is TrainMasters in Buford, GA, almost 3 hrs away -- including going around or through (neither way is good) the Atlanta parking lot (ugh!).

I went there once, and was impressed with the selection and the helpfulness of the staff. They also sell via the internet. So whenever I need something, I check their site first, to see if I can get it from them. Doing what I can to help keep them in business.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Most stores have realized they need to sell on line. We don't have hardly any dedicated train stores around here. But we still have baseball card stores. They all say they sell on line to keep the local stores afloat. The buyers change and so the business owners need to change. The on line market is the biggest market you could ever hope to sell in.
Nothing local could ever compare.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

The world changes. If you want the local guy around, you have to patronize him. It's as simple as that.

Local hobby shops can't usually compete with big on-line dealers on price alone. Some hobby shop owners make it worse by sitting on dead stock, refusing to move it off the shelves unless it is sold for a profit, thus depriving themselves of cash flow that can be used to improve the inventory position.

Local businesses have one advantage that the internet doesn't provide, and that's service. As long as the shop can provide that service -- troubleshooting, hands-on education, product knowledge, etc. -- they can stay competitive, but too many of them can't or don't provide that, either.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

One thing I don't like about on line shopping is getting to see the product in person and maybe holding it in my hands. That you will never get on line.


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## IlliniViking (Dec 13, 2009)

My LHS is only 15 minutes away, but unfortunately they don't have a big inventory. It's better sinice I switched from N to HO, but still not much of a selection. They are mostly a radio control store. I try to stop by every so often, and very rarely do I leave without buying something. I also make it a point to stop at LHS when I'm traveling. They may not be local to me, but they are to someone and they are trying to make a buck. I found one in Gulfport, MS which is half hobby half vape so it works out great when we visit my daughter, I check out the trains and the wife stocks up on her vape supplies.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

I am lucky to have a good shop just a few miles from me. The owner is a great guy, even addresses me by name when I go in, which is not as often as I would like, but that's due to the budget. When I do go it's usually for something small, as I have made all the large purchases I need for the foreseeable future. And the great majority of them were made from him. I try to help keep him going.
The two Hobby Town's here in town don't have much in the way of train supplies. They're more into RC cars and fantasy gaming. I usually only go there when I absolutely have to have something on a Sunday, the day of the week when Randy isn't open. I usually try to wait till Monday, though.
If you have a local shop, patronize them. If you don't buy the big stuff from them, they won't be there for the small stuff!


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

My local hobby shop is over 8 hours away in Mercer Junction Pa. I don't have one here in Ct. where I live. I have never met Dave @ Mercer's but feel like I know him. He treats me very well & has great customer service. Could I get some lower prices; yes, but would it be worth it, no.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

My local train store is Great, and getting better all the time. Repair services, knowledgeable, buy and sell collections, doesn't get any better than that, something the 'net can't do.....


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Spence said:


> My local hobby shop is over 8 hours away in Mercer Junction Pa. I don't have one here in Ct. where I live. I have never met Dave @ Mercer's but feel like I know him. He treats me very well & has great customer service. Could I get some lower prices; yes, but would it be worth it, no.


Huh, no train shops in CT?

How about Amato's Toy and Hobby, in either Berlin or Middletown?
Lee's Toy and Hobby in Groton?
Time Machine Hobby in Manchester?
Tom's Trains of CT in Wethersfield.

I could go on. Another half dozen down in New Haven & Fairfield counties.

Perhaps you have some nostalgic connection to that other store, but you have a bunch of options that are much closer.

Tom's Trains is my favorite, although he doesn't do much with O.


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## dialed in (Jan 20, 2017)

After 20 years of watching them rip up railroads around my area and hear about routes being closed down across the province, _model_ trains are now slowly starting to go by the way-side too; at least around here. Like most things that are inherantly linked, if nobody sees the trains run then nobody really develops an interest to model them.

Hasn't been a model train store near me in nearly 15 years. But, i recently found a store during a little road trip that, although he is quite far, has an online portal as well as a shop front. Most stuff i've ever seen packed into a 40'x30' space!! He has a massive amount of supply and his prices as extremely competitive. And judging by his email newsletter i get with all the preorders in it, he moves quite a bit of stuff! If you're ever down in the Tillsonburg area in Ontario, check out Otter Valley Railroad! You wont be sorry!


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

I use my local hobby shop (http://www.aaahobbiesandcrafts.com/) once in a while, while they do have almost everything for model railroading in stock they are quite expensive, they do however have an online store, they are affiliated with http://www.stevenshobby.com/ who is in the rear of the building.
I did just recently purchased Lichen and a Kadee coupler from them and always use them when I need new track or other small accessories.

There are two other local hobby/train shops in the area, one we visited the other we have not been to as of yet.

http://www.etrains.net/

http://www.roadsandrailsnj.com/


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

Unfortunately the local shops have been closing in my area too. Or there hours are during my work day and only part of the day Saturday. When you have to drive a ways to get their and often the answer for what you want is we can order it you begin to think why don't I just order it myself. When the shop was near and well stocked then I was a frequent visitor during the fall and winter months. Spring and summer for me are spent working on a car.


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

Again, my rant and rave: I live in a smaller town, Bullhead City, AZ.
It is nothing but a town to give shelter to the workers of the casinos across the river in Laughlin, NV.
The kids here do not have it good. There's nothing to do if you're not 21.
Some city-sponsored events, but not a whole lot.
The rest of the town should be named Meth-ville.

To find a hobby shop, I travel 1 1/2 hours to Las Vegas. There is located The Train Engineer, with Janet and Martin.
They have been there 29 years. Inventory is so stocked, sometimes you have to move boxes to walk in the aisles.

Prices are a bit higher than what I have seen other places. But understandable. He has overhead, bills, other expenses.
But you can't find a more knowledgeable guy in the business.

Good for PR too. I had a tin truck that made the passenger car look like a clown car. It wobbled! I brought it in one day.
He looked at it, went in the back room and brought out an exact matching truck.
He gave it to me. No charge. Find an internet store that will do that!

In summary, I buy online a lot. I have to. I live on Social Security. But I make it a point to stop in a buy something from Marty and Janet whenever I can. They more than deserve it.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

I miss the TWO hobby shops I had nearby when I lived in WV. Well-stocked, with friendly knowledgeable people. Interestingly enough, both stores had the same owners - the husband ran one and the wife the other, and they were maybe 15 miles apart? Half of both stores were devoted to crafting supplies, and the larger of the two also had space devoted to RC.
Now in TX, in the DFW Metroplex. I haven't yet scouted out all the LHS - I do know there is a great one on the north side of Dallas I've been to before. it's kind of a once-a-year trip category, as the maze of super highways you have to negotiate is a deterrent....and yes, those prices are too. 
So 99% of my hobby dollars go to ebay sellers and train show vendors.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

Part of my issue with prices is not caused by the LHS. It is the manufacturers. They have priced new items so high that I cannot afford it anymore. Instead I have been buying more on the used or NOS market at shows / online. I cannot justify buying a new Proto 2000 DCC engine for $200 when a similar DC model NOS at a show is $40 and an NCE decoder is $15. I am building a new layout soon and at $30 a turnout new or $15 at the show what can I say.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

It's true, if you are on a limited budget you have to go with the lowest price. 
That said, we do need to support our hobby shops - but sometimes it's hard to strike a balance.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

Personally, I won't pay $30 for one piece of rolling stock. I wait for the train shows and then stock up at $7.50-$10 a pop. I just can't afford the new stuff.


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

tkruger said:


> Part of my issue with prices is not caused by the LHS. It is the manufacturers. They have priced new items so high that I cannot afford it anymore.


I agree 100% especially on accessories like vehicles, tree's and painted figures.


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## Shadow001 (Dec 15, 2016)

I went to my LHS today to get some prices on NCE Power cab, Digitrax xtra, and MRC Prodigy Express and she asked me what they were for. I do not think I will be going to my LHS for advice.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Shadow001 said:


> I went to my LHS today to get some prices on NCE Power cab, Digitrax xtra, and MRC Prodigy Express and she asked me what they were for. I do not think I will be going to my LHS for advice.


Not a good sign, but to be fair it sounds like you had already decided and wanted to buy. Could have been a part timer or someone on a learning curve.


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## Tom_C (Jan 8, 2016)

Cycleops said:


> Not a good sign, but to be fair it sounds like you had already decided and wanted to buy. Could have been a part timer or someone on a learning curve.


Yep. Not everyone in every store is an expert. My LHS is a family biz (like many) and the granddaughter-in-law of the owner may not be an expert in the stuff... she just works there


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