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Shawn: I live in a large metropolitan area where there are 3 dedicated trains only hobby shops. Two are of the 'one man band' variety, the third is larger and though I try to spread around my purchases, for reasons of insufficient stockage, do virtually all my business with the third. It is an 'all scale house' of about 1500 square feet and has a bit of everything, at least 50% HO, scale with three operating demonstration layouts, HO, O, and LBG. The majority of the stock is of the RTR or 'shake the box' modern era variety. The shop carries a good selection of scratchbuilding supplies and tools. They will gladly order anything you care to have from the Walthers catalog, at retail with no upfront cash and no shipping charges. The various staff members strike me as well qualified and reasonably approachable, with occasional bouts of gruffness. Which is only human at the end of the day. I don't take it personally. Were I an 'old boy' of one of the local clubs I suspect I'd get a bit more warmth. One feature I like, and suggest to other hobby shop operators: a secure eye level case where recent work by local modelers is displayed with name credit. Some of it is clearly of the 'novice variety' which I think encourages younger and begining modelers. Some is by experienced modelers and serves to stimulate and educate me. As I'm a scratch builder, I tend make a written materials list and shop from it with the Walthers stock numbers already written down as a courtesy to the staff. I have had no problems with orders nor a problem with defective merchandise. Were I to, I have no doubt it would be made good. The only shortcomming I can think of is the lack of 'craftsman kits' in stock. As I model the 1900-1915 era, which is the venue of about 2% of HO scalers, I really couldn't expect the shop to stock them. Due to oddities in the ordering system of the kit makers, I can order direct at significantly less than I can get them from the hobby shop. Also, some manufacturers do not sell wholesale, thus there is a disincentive to order through a LHS. I really don't like doing it, I realize the shop has to make a profit, but there it is. So far as I know none of the 3 LHSs have periodic sales of anything which would interest me. I have the impression that the internet and mass mail-order retailers have cut significantly into the business of the LHSs here. In sum, I am well pleased with my LHS, It serves my needs as well as I can reasonably expect. I wi***hem well. Randy
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