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Right. Here we go. For me the internet started back in the mid 90's but prior to that time you had to visit LHS's in the area constantly to stay up to date. Train shows were the places to go for learning about new things. MR was the way you learned about new items in the hobby. Brass folks stayed in thier own kingdom, the rest aspired to own a brass engine. I tried several times to write a short paragraph here explaining my view but cannot keep it impartial. Perhaps there is a view back in those days "Those who own brass and those who dont own brass" I dont know... maybe I'm wrong. You could go into a LHS and get anything you want literally on demand. 1- No deadlines for orders 2- Limited run MEANT one time runs as a SPECIAL and very high quality model not a tool to keep thousands of customers hanging for a year or more before recieving the item IF they ordered before the deadline which SOME LHS's dont get the word out in time. 3- You could pick up a locomotive from a wall filled with locomotives. Now you may see one or two engines, the rest are special order. 4- Blue Box kits and similar ruled in the day. Many many many detail parts were also on hand to help super detail the kits. 5- You either superdetailed or built from scrap materials exactly what you wanted. The mark of a true modeler was one who can build what is not offered as a factory item. 6- Clubs were places where you can really enjoy the hobby with others, but watch out!! if you dont fit in you will be wasting your time there. 7- You constantly asked questions. A hour may be spent leaning on the counter at the LHS just sorting out the options for a given product. The LHS owner is more than happy to steer you to the best item that fits your want. 8- There is always one or two people that will die in the corner of the LHS standing up and no one will notice. They seems to be pernament residents inside the LHS. 9- Anything expensive was kept out of children's reach. The lower the item was stocked, the less value if it should be damaged by grabbing hands of a child. The parent was expected to pay up for anything the kid broke. (try doing that today) 10- You could go to one store, get a price. then hit several more stores on monday to price the same item. Then on tuesday go to the one with the best price and no one will know. Today you knew what it costs the factory to make the item, what the MSRP is, who has the item even if it is OOP and how best to get to it. Or it to you. But my favorite... The train show of long ago had Pilgrims who travel from a long way to visit your show and have a good attitude among the sellers and truly treasures were to be found among the tables. You would spend a day or two there and was filled with inspiration that will carry you the rest of the year in your hobby endeavors. Train shows today seems to be losing the prestige they once carried. I will not go any further but to state that numerous posts in this forum points to problems with shows today that did not exist back then. Finally the difference between the hobby shop that was able to sustain a community with all it's modeling needs from a small downtown store that felt like home and the internet is night and day. A "Good" store will still survive today but under a much different climate that is much colder and cuthroat when it comes to hobby items and prices. Finally, I suspect customers in the day needed to know a friend of a friend and have connections to get the "Inside" info on prices and where to find a item. Today's customers are able to google a item and understand everything about it. Then search the USA for the best price with a few mouse clicks.
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