Hobby shop closing.

[Tinplate Toddler]

richhotrain

For today's kids, without model railroading being all the rage, without parents buying their sons train sets for Christmas, and without the presence of a local hobby shop to dazzle their eyes, I don't know how kids today and tomorrow will develop the passion for model railroading that we did as kids.

Add hardly ever seeing a train or riding in one to that list.

[SeeYou190]

Shame, another hobby shop I will never get to visit.

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-Kevin

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[York1]

One nice thing at yesterday's train show in Lincoln, NE.  There were lots of kids.  The show had trains the kids could ride on, and the layouts had some steps for kids to see the trains running.  12 and under got in free.

Another layout had a checklist for younger children to spot different items.

The best looks from kids was one layout with a Godzilla with a derailed train, holding a train car in its front paws.  The little ones were excited, smiling, and looked at everything with big eyes.

Attendance at a train show like that may inspire the hobby for some younger people.

[rrebell]

I do remember when I was a kid and I was the only one who liked trains that I knew of and I grew up south of San Francisco. Model trains has never been a major thing for kids, except at x-mas. It was expencive and who could afford it as a kid without the support of a parent or other.  It died for me way back in the 60's, just couldnt get N scale to work well. Then in the 80's I had money and was bored and wife got me back into it. By now the N scale stuff was pretty good.

I soon switched over into HO, almost went On30 later (wife likes large trains) but there are always space issues.

[PRR8259]

I have a 13 year old son who now wants to become an engineer (not the train driver kind) who is fascinated with big powerful machines from SD90MAC-H ( he has two of the Genesis 2.0) to DDA40X to big articulated monsters of steam (he has one 4-6-6-4 so far).

John

So much for having dieselized and left steam to the history books...now going back the other way...

[Eilif]

I think these threads would be more informative and nuanced if folks stuck to describing their own generation's situation and buying habits and -instead of offering their opinions and derogatory assumptions- asked those from other generations  to describe their own financial situation and buying habits.

Just to toss my experience into the ring.  I'm getting near 40 generation "Y".  My wife and I have a good income (thanks to her advanced degree) a house and are able to save adequately for retirement. However, despite that income we're still hamstrung by the mortgage-sized student loans that degree required leading to less disposable income, one car instead of 2, inability to save for our kid's college and general thriftyness.  Many of my friends are in similar situations.  Our income looks bigger than our actual situation and our buying habits are thus tempered.

What this has to do with hobby stores is that the shops that get my $ are the ones that deal in used and affordable NOS product.  Here around the west wide of Chicag We have Zientek which has tons of affordable NOS.  Also "Berwyns" a local shop (specializing in O) that grew their used HO selection a bit and now gets periodic purchases from me.  I've spoken to a couple hobby shop owners who confirm that there is an increased desire for used product, though I don't know how that breaks down age-wise.  

Likewise quite a few owners have said they are doing an increasing amount of online business.  There's a place in the burbs called "Oakridge" that used to be a huge hobby store and has since shrunk down to a modest shop (still nice to visit) and is selling mostly online.  Reportedly they are doing well, but they had to take the intiative to downsize their physical footprint.

I could buy far fewer items and peroidically purhcase a new, high-accuracy car but a similiar state-of-the-art Loco would be a major purchase. Sticking with the affordable range of buying lets me build a good collection and do so while remaining financially responsible. 

[Tinplate Toddler]

Eilif

I thing these threads would be more informative and nuanced if older folks stuck to describing their own generation's situation and buying habits and -instead of offering their opinions and derrogatory assumptions- asked folks from other generations to describe their own financial situation and buying habits.

Just a simple question - do you talk like this to your parents as well? I think your comment is way off! Btw, the word derogatory is spelled with one "r".

[Eilif]

Tinplate Toddler

 

 Just a simple question - do you talk like this to your parents as well?  I think your comment is way off!

I've no idea.  It hasn't come up as neither myself nor my folks are given to making sweeping "way-off" generalizations about other generations.  

 

Btw, the word derogatory is spelled with one "r".

Thanks for the spell check. I'll fix that now.  Looks like I've got a few other early-morning-spelling mistakes.

 

[xboxtravis7992]

Eilif

I've no idea.  It hasn't come up as neither myself nor my folks are given to making sweeping "way-off" generalizations about other generations.  

 

Somebody had to say it. You also mentioned you are on the older end of the Millennial generation/maybe late Gen-X. I dunno it gets fuzzy there, but the point is you made it clear; you are married, have a house of your own and work a proffessional career. I agree with you 100%, at that age you have every right to live your life without giving a hoot what your parents think about your finances and taking their advice. 

And its true, the financial advice that worked for the Baby Boomers and even older Gen-X'rs didn't hold true for the next generations. It was a lot easier to say "just work hard and do good" when lots of high paying low training jobs were available in America, before many of that moved overseas. Now the only solid ways into a career are heavily trained college degrees; particularly in medical fields or STEM fields, or specialist techincal training like electricians or carpenters who's assembly skills are so needed that they can't be outsourced overseas like a simple factory job can. Even then, its still faced with the uncertainty of the current housing market being overpriced and the fear that a second recession is around the corner. 

At the end of the day though back to using the original post, blaming a hobby store closing on "young folks" is failing to see the forest through the trees. Both a disservice to the many Millennial/Gen-Y and Gen-Z model railroaders in the hobby. 

Also a small besides... these forums really could use a built in spell checker. Most other forums and social media sites have those standard by now. Although complaining about two "r's" in one word is kind of petty to be honest. 

[SeeYou190]

xboxtravis7992

the financial advice that worked for the Baby Boomers and even older Gen-X'rs didn't hold true for the next generations.

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You hit the nail on the head with that one. My children are all doing great, better than me. They have accomplished all this by NOT doing what worked for me and my father. They seem to have an understanding of the new economy that escapes me.

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-Kevin

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[richhotrain]

xboxtravis7992

At the end of the day though back to using the original post, blaming a hobby store closing on "young folks" is failing to see the forest through the trees.

"Blaming" a hobby store closing on young folks? Or, "acquiescing" to the reality of the situation? Has anyone read the brief article that was linked in the original post?

Rich  

[Eilif]

richhotrain

 

xboxtravis7992

At the end of the day though back to using the original post, blaming a hobby store closing on "young folks" is failing to see the forest through the trees.

"Blaming" a hobby store closing on young folks? Or, "acquiescing" to the reality of the situation? Has anyone read the brief article that was linked in the original post?

Rich  

I read the article.  "Younger Kids" not being as into railroading might be a trend, but that doesn't mean that they are at fault for the closing of hobby stores.

I think what is arguble is whether many fewer people are actually entering and participating in the hobby or whether it just seems that way to Brick and Mortar Shopkeepers because folks are doing more of their shopping online.

In the article, the proprietor does mention competition with Online Retailers.  So apparently he was aware of their effect on his business.  

[Eilif]

xboxtravis7992

 

 

 You also mentioned you are on the older end of the Millennial generation/maybe late Gen-X. I dunno it gets fuzzy there, but the point is you made it clear; you are married, have a house of your own and work a proffessional career. I agree with you 100%, at that age you have every right to live your life without giving a hoot what your parents think about your finances and taking their advice. 

And its true, the financial advice that worked for the Baby Boomers and even older Gen-X'rs didn't hold true for the next generations. It was a lot easier to say "just work hard and do good" when lots of high paying low training jobs were available in America, before many of that moved overseas. Now the only solid ways into a career are heavily trained college degrees; particularly in medical fields or STEM fields, or specialist techincal training like electricians or carpenters who's assembly skills are so needed that they can't be outsourced overseas like a simple factory job can. Even then, its still faced with the uncertainty of the current housing market being overpriced and the fear that a second recession is around the corner. 

I've never been totally comfortable with generational titles, but Y seems like a reasonably good term.  It's a bit contrived but Xennial term describes it even better. The core idea of "Xennial" is that we had an "analog childhood and a digital adulthood".  Put another way, we were the very last folks to be able to remember a time when there wasn't a computer in every house (or every pocket).

 

As for finances I've always used my parents as a resource when it comes to financial advice and generally it's been pretty sound. My dad especially is quite wise with that sort of thing. I don't know that the basics of financial wisedom have changed much. It's just that the context is radically different. 

 

The massively incresed expense inputs for school loans and increased housing costs along radically change the entire equasion.  As you surmised above, my wife's field is medical.  It really has proved to be the path to stability and we have very reasonable housing costs.  Yet we've just had to accept that we will likely still be paying off her school loans when our children are in college.  A half a lifetime for which a not-insignificant portion of our spending power will be siphoned off every month.

 

Anyway, no more griping about my finances.  In the grand scheme we are extremely fortunate, as evidenced simply by the fact that I have the free time and income to engage in model railroading.  

[rrebell]

SeeYou190

 

 

xboxtravis7992

the financial advice that worked for the Baby Boomers and even older Gen-X'rs didn't hold true for the next generations.

 

 

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You hit the nail on the head with that one. My children are all doing great, better than me. They have accomplished all this by NOT doing what worked for me and my father. They seem to have an understanding of the new economy that escapes me.

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-Kevin

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Wish I could say that about my kids but then I was a workaholic when it paid (retired the first time at 29). Still if you are willing to do what I did, you can still make it without an expencive education, just harder these days and I must say having gone to college that the networking you do there is far more important than what I was taught!

[SeeYou190]

rrebell

Wish I could say that about my kids but then I was a workaholic when it paid

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The girls all took different pathways. 

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My oldest daughter (an elder-millenial), and her husband started a roofing business and worked their butts off for 15 years. 7 days a week, all year long. They sold the business last year for millions, and decided to do the Sheldon thing. They bought a 1905 Queen Anne Victorian in Northern Illinois and plan to spend five years restoring it. Then, they plan to begin a small home rennovation business.

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My middle daughter is a software engineer living in Seattle working for a giant internet based corporation. She is killing it in the professional world. We all probably use code she wrote every day.

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My baby is a model/actress living in Los Angeles with her Record Producer fiance. They are both making serious money and living a dream fantasy. I did everything I could to talk them out of moving to LA to chase this silly dream. I am glad they didn't listen to me. She is also a nationally ranked League Of Legends player and has competed professionally twice. She hopes to get on a sponsored team this year and make this a real thing.

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I just worked hard my whole life and saved a bunch of my money and lived a modest lifestyle. They all decided to go for it in a big way.

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When they were growing up I used to tell them "Always bet on yourself, then fix the game". I guess they listened to that. My other saying was "Rules never apply to us, so just break them". They listened to that one too.

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-Kevin

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[BRAKIE]

xboxtravis7992

At the end of the day though back to using the original post, blaming a hobby store closing on "young folks" is failing to see the forest through the trees. Both a disservice to the many Millennial/Gen-Y and Gen-Z model railroaders in the hobby.

Very true..On line shopping is cheaper, faster and easier.

Sure I miss the Saturday morning trips to the LHS but, the old ways gave way to modernization. Instead of old fashion Saturday morning meetings in our LHS to share our modeling ideas and accomplishments we now meet on forums or join a special interest group on Face Book..

As far as walk in shops I don't see that many gamers flooding Gamestop looking for the newest game.