Large Scale Central

Hobby Shop Values

General Discussion
#1

I bought my first large scale trains from a monthly train show in DuPage county, The Great Midwest Train Show, when I was 8. I bought my first piece of LGB at a local Hardware Store which has now since closed. I placed my first mail order when I was 10 at Watts Train Shop. During my formative years I had a preference for places with layaway, like the now defunct Downers Grove Hobbies. But since entering the working world I’ve ordered from a lot of different places and had both good and bad experiences. I won’t name the bad ones here.

Over my “relatively long” train life I’ve always given people with reasonable prices and the best customer service my repeat business. While I do prefer a physical hobby shop with a display counter filled with trains, their prices have never been low enough to earn my business. I have a limited budget and like to stretch it as much as possible. So I most often do mail order (or these days over the phone and internet).

So how do others on this board decide where to spend their money?

#2

My local hobby shop (LHS) closed awhile back. It carried some large scale items at prices I wasn’t interested in. But, it had hobby items! I could go there and get some brass or styrene strips, paint, glue, wood, or whatever. Convenience is what I liked about it. I could stop on the way to or from work, or make a special trip, but it was only about 7 or 8 miles from my house.

http://www.hobbylinc.com/ has replaced them, out of necessity. Plus, they stock more and give me a better price. True, I can’t get it TODAY, but it’s never very long.

#3

Peter i guess from my perspective i go where i go! I try to find the best values for my money, the ones I’ve had a bad experience with i avoid or stay away from “fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me” I still shop at Wally Weird (only if i have to to save some money) even though they killed my business and most of the other small town businesses when they came to town 1st night i was down 35% and it never came back! I even ended up working there until i couldnt stomach theyre attitudes, policies, and bull---- I eventually quit after putting up with it, for several months, cost me dearly in the end too! I admit i still go there to save a buck but try to avoid it at all costs, and actually have paid more for things just to avoid them! I buy and sell on Evil Bay I think it is a good place to buy if you are careful, research products, and are a buyer, I can’t say its a good place to sell if you are looking to make even a small profit. “Good place to buy! not so good selling” So in the end "Do your research compare prices, go where you feel comfortable in person or electronically on web, and i guess after that where you have had the best experience, even if you pay a little higher price! I have always as a seller tried to price my things somewhere between new and used as most of my things are like new but if not i disclose everything i know about the item in my site to inform the customer at that point its up to you “To buy or not to buy” Honesty above profit is the name of the game!!

#4

I try the best I can to buy from the local hobby shops.
If there is something they can’t get me (at a reasonable price) I will web or e-bay buy.

#5

I share jb’s sentiments. Our LHS offers a substantial discount off MSRP for special order items. Since he no longer carries any large scale, everything is special order. The discount is very close to what I can get from online sellers, and with shipping added to the online sellers price, our LHS might even be a bit less. Thus I do my bit to help keep the doors open, and it gives me a great place to hang out.

#6

We are lucky (if you can call it that). There are 2 local hobby shops. Unfortunately, one has slot cars, coins, and a couple Lionel sets, the other has military kits, plastic monsters, and a couple Bug Mauler sets. There is a train shop in Greensburg about 40 minutes away, he actually has quite a good selection, but the prices are eh. There is also a full line hobby shop in DuBois, but he charges a premium ON TOP of MSRP.

Closest train show is held twice a year in Kittanning, about 20 min away…good show for HO but that’s about it. The Greenberg shows at Monroeville are 3 times a year, but have been pretty dissapointing since about the time Klambake took them over. CIA runs them now, but they still aren’t what they were before Klambake kicked out all the “non train” vendors.

Pretty much leaves evilbay… :frowning:

#7

4 Hobby shops in the area, only one carries G scale, 1 does a lot of r/c stuff mostly ho no G - so good supply place, 1 is HO only but the prick has g scale on display, just won’t sell any, the last one is O with a little HO and just G track, all within 30 min drive w/ traffic.

#8

Guess I should call myself lucky so far, there were several “LHS’s” that carried a good supply of large scale relatively nearby (within a 30min drive) but its gotten rocky of late.

San Val which was my most regular shop just closed, Train Shack in Burback is a good place but was almost exclusively LGB, as is another good shop farther east, Upland Trains, but they are also waiting out the LGB drought. Farther out, Allied Trains is too far away and is only LGB, Morgans is way too far out of the way, and Gold Coast is a special day trip for me.

Nearest to me is Whistle Stop, I get almost all my regular stock supplies there but for LS they only have a small selection of LGB with only a smattering of LS supplies, and someone recently completely cleaned them out of track too. Sheesh!

Theres also a Hobby People near me but it is the anti-christ of trainshops. Absolutely abysmal in any scale.

#9

With local retail prices at least double the overseas price (including shipping), online discounters are my main source of supplies. To support a local hobby outlet has to have fringe benefits for the consumer as well as the hobby store. Some will offer 10% off current retail price, but this in no way compensates the consumer for supporting the store. In many cases one has to drive many miles to reach the hobby outlet and then find that the item is either out of stock or as usual not a current line stocked by the seller and needs to be ordered in. Far simpler to place an order online and receive the item in far less time than ordering through the local hobby outlet.

These days I tire of walking into a supposed hobby store to see nothing but R/C cars, planes, boats and doll’s furniture. I need to search out the styrene strips and brass and glue, knowing full well that the seller rarely replenishes these items and so it is like picking over bare bones. The hobby shop is only interested in selling items that will sell quickly and not finish up in inventory.

#10

I don’t have a LHS, but I do A LOT of shopping at the local HArdware store…Most everything else is hobbylinc.com…the only way to fly!

#11

after reading the posts after mine it is almost impossible for a smaller hobby shop to stay open because of the internet and online shopping closest shop to me is 1 1/2 hrs west caboose is 4hrs away rapid city is 4-41/2 hrs. away ft. collins is a good 21/2hrs away. We had two local hobby shops but not too much to offer in garden scale and it was mostly slot cars and some ho if you went in he said i can order it for you, asked him to get a price for me never got back to me and was out of business in less than 6mos. Always wanted to start a hobby shop, or a tropical/salt water fish shop, but with internet and fish to your door for min purchase of 79.00 and a 7,00 fee you would not be able to compete in my small area! 20,000 pop. Everybody drives out of town just for the drive on weekends, or order online as they know the smaller shops cant compete!!! In this day everybody is looking for a bargain or as least expensive (hate the word cheapest, and as a salesman trained never to use the word) as they can. That is the American way now compete or get beat, If your not the least expensive in this day and age you will be passed over before you know what hit you. And nobody knows what loyalty is anymore in the business world. Its i hate to say it but cheapie cheapie cheapie cheapest!!! thats human nature and nobody likes thinking they got a deal just to find it $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ less than they paid for anything???after the fact!!!

#12

There are three hobby shops in my area. One sells only model plane stuff. The others are mostly r/c cars and planes plus a few other things. Only one of them sells any model RR stuff – just some cheapie HO and N stuff. One of the other shops is the only one that sells styrene parts.

There is one RR-oriented hobby shop 20-30 minutes away, which has some rather expensive G stuff. I don’t get over there very often because it’s so inconveniently located.

I like having these shops for the convenience of buying basic supplies on short notice. Everything else, of necessity, comes from online dealers.

So far I’ve never had a bad experience with any of the online shops that I’ve dealt with.

#13
jerry hansen said:
Always wanted to start a hobby shop, or a tropical/salt water fish shop, but with internet and fish to your door for min purchase of 79.00 and a 7,00 fee you would not be able to compete in my small area! ... If your not the least expensive in this day and age you will be passed over before you know what hit you. And nobody knows what loyalty is anymore in the business world. Its i hate to say it but cheapie cheapie cheapie cheapest!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know what REALLY sucks? If you DO provide customer service. Answer all their questions, and explain their options. They STILL go to some other guy to save $10.....THEN later they call you again and expect you to provide more free support for something they bought elsewhere....
#14

yup that would suck!!!

#15

Hobbylinc.com as a discount on-line store puzzles me as to their prices – as “discount” status.
Bachmann 38 ton Shay = $599.00 is a puzzling price for an example of a universal competitive discount attraction.

Wendell

#16

I get most of my “little” things–details, wood, styrene–at the LHS. But I’m blessed to have three LHSs that cater to my various needs (one for trains, one for miniatures, and one for R/C and general hobby supplies.) For high-ticket items, it depends. Generally, I’ll buy from people with whom I have a comfortable relationship–whether it’s because I used to shop at their store when I lived local to them, or I’ve met them at conventions, shows, etc. I generally steer clear of the “big” on-line discounters simply because they tend to be a bit more anonymous. I’m sure 95% of their customers have never had any troubles with them, but I prefer being able to e-mail a single responsible person if there’s a problem. That’s worth a few extra dollars, even if I have to pay the sales tax to boot.

Later,

K

#17
Wendell Hanks said:
Hobbylinc.com as a discount on-line store puzzles me as to their prices -- as "discount" status. Bachmann 38 ton Shay = $599.00 is a puzzling price for an example of a universal competitive discount attraction.

Wendell


Well I don’t buy locos and rolling stock there…Mostly 1:144 Aircraft, and tons of styrene building supplies and occasional On30 track items. On the styrene they usually have god prices and have some of the more esoteric stuff in stock…at least if you can beat THE BRUCE there…

#18

I’m all for supporting my local hobby shop whenever I can. To me it’s more than just an outlet for trains, etc. It’s a place to congregate, exchange ideas, meet new comers as well as old comers. Sometimes a customer asks a question and the LHS owner might direct the question to one of us. It’s building a model railroad community. All scales benefit from this. I do on occaision avail myself to the company of friends on a “road trip” to St. Aubins or a train show. A bargain is a bargain.
Mike

#19

I’ll second that, Mike.

Peter, I have shopped in person at St. Aubin Station and also at Charles Ro, and I found good prices on selected Aristo and Bachmann items ( which I bought).

cheers

#20

I admit to regular purchases from some of teh big advertisers and from Ebay. A good share of my latest purchases have come from online Classified ads though. I’d worked in my younger days at no less than two hobby shops. One little one in the town I grew up in and live in now and he closed long ago. For while when I lived in teh Buffalo metro area I worked at Niagara Hobby & Craft Mart. A general hobby super store that carries a little of everything and specializes in nothing. They ahve almost ALL the modelling supplies though. Full racks of Brass wood and plastics and a whole aisle of paints and glues. Currently that store is my main supply of supplies but at a minimum of a hour one way trip I don’t get there often. I’d been spending my large sale dollars in brick & mortar stores at two places again a day trip away. Ridge Road Station has rarely done me wrong face to face. Wholesale trains or Lantz’s Hobbies however has gone downhill in the last few years as they’ve added more and more things to their offerings other than trains. I went in a year ago wanting track and they couldn’t/wouldn’t even order it for me. Told me to go home and order it online. there is still a small hobby shop trian shop that is closer than all three of the other ones but they stock so little that I’ve not been there in years. It’s not for lack of trying but when I’m in that town they are generally closed. Being open only 9-5 weekdays means I’ll never get there anyway.

Chas