Rrebell, PM me and I will send you his number, asking him your self. If he has what you are looking for I will do the packing for free and pay shipping. Just send me a check for the cost of shipping.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Yep it is well worth a vist to see his layout. PM me and I will send you his number. One Sunday a month it is open house where you can watch the layout for $2.00 or $3.00 you get a thottle and have at your self. In Dec he runs the trains ever Sunday.
No troll here NY Central.
We settled this up and well done.
Cuda, I forgot to mention that your pic of the K-10 Trains is very great! Im not too far from there being about one state away. I might think it be worth it to plan a visit up there.
We all will have a going out of business sale. Either on our own or via estate sale after we all have passed on. =)
Cheers.
cudaken wrote: Ted I have been here and the layout section with the new bench still looking for a plain. Guess one of the reson you don't see me posting as much is I am starting to master this hobby a little. I am to the point if I have a engine problem I tear it down and figuer it out. I had to open by last two PCM's (Big Boy and a Y6-b) but they run great now. Less problems less postings. I am not the child I was last year thanks to this great site and K-10 trains my LHS. I am helping Ken (the owner of K-10 Trains) this Sunday to set up his own E-bay account. He is very well stocked with HO (1 wall about 20 feet long of Engines from Kato, PK2's, PK1's, BLI, Atlas, Athearns Blue Box to Genies and others. Plus RC Cars, Boats and RC Planes. Boy I hope I nere go to planes. But there was this 13' long P-47 and P-51 that looked sweet. He all so has a good stock of O scale inc a Y6-B He all so spent $40,000.00 on a drit track with banks so RC Racers had a places to run. Far has his HO track? Just say I am blessed to run his 60' X 80 foot bench any time I want. Plus he is a mer 2 miles from my houes. As far as my account, not bad with only one - comment after around 230 transactions and that was from a none answering none shipping seller. His first goal is to sell stock that has not moved for some time. He has a new MRC Command 2000 DCC system, how old is that? Heck he has a Bloody Nose SD-45 Athearn Blue box for $24.99? Still not sure why I have not bought that yet? Cuda Ken
Ted I have been here and the layout section with the new bench still looking for a plain. Guess one of the reson you don't see me posting as much is I am starting to master this hobby a little. I am to the point if I have a engine problem I tear it down and figuer it out. I had to open by last two PCM's (Big Boy and a Y6-b) but they run great now. Less problems less postings. I am not the child I was last year thanks to this great site and K-10 trains my LHS.
I am helping Ken (the owner of K-10 Trains) this Sunday to set up his own E-bay account. He is very well stocked with HO (1 wall about 20 feet long of Engines from Kato, PK2's, PK1's, BLI, Atlas, Athearns Blue Box to Genies and others. Plus RC Cars, Boats and RC Planes. Boy I hope I nere go to planes. But there was this 13' long P-47 and P-51 that looked sweet. He all so has a good stock of O scale inc a Y6-B
He all so spent $40,000.00 on a drit track with banks so RC Racers had a places to run.
Far has his HO track?
Just say I am blessed to run his 60' X 80 foot bench any time I want. Plus he is a mer 2 miles from my houes.
As far as my account, not bad with only one - comment after around 230 transactions and that was from a none answering none shipping seller.
His first goal is to sell stock that has not moved for some time. He has a new MRC Command 2000 DCC system, how old is that? Heck he has a Bloody Nose SD-45 Athearn Blue box for $24.99? Still not sure why I have not bought that yet?
Newyorkcentralfan wrote: I'm sure we'll all enjoy the below wholesale prices at your eventual going out business sale. One Track Mind wrote:The internet is not going to kill all LHSs, just the weaker shops that will not adjust a little.I will not sell on the internet. I'm a "small" one person shop. I do one thing and try to do it well, and that is to have a good local shop. You can't serve two masters. I can't devote the time to keeping my brick-and-mortar shop in decent shape if I am also selling on the net. And these idiots selling new products on the net from a "real" shop for slightly over cost are shooting themselves in the head in the long run.I also applaud the distributors who will not sell to basement operators.And when I find out that a distributor IS selling to a basement operator, then they get no more business from me.About a year or so ago, a distributor made a mistake. They sent my box to another account. They sent me the other account's invoice. I noted on the invoice that this guy was receiving a better wholesale discount than me...kinda ticked me off a little. But when my box arrived and the other account's address came from a UPS residential zone....well that was it for that distributor. I was doing 20 - 25,000 dollars a year with them. (I know, in the greater scheme of things, that's not much business.)So this guy is selling out of his basement and he gets a better discount than me??? There's some hobby shop rage from the other side of the counter.
I'm sure we'll all enjoy the below wholesale prices at your eventual going out business sale.
One Track Mind wrote:The internet is not going to kill all LHSs, just the weaker shops that will not adjust a little.I will not sell on the internet. I'm a "small" one person shop. I do one thing and try to do it well, and that is to have a good local shop. You can't serve two masters. I can't devote the time to keeping my brick-and-mortar shop in decent shape if I am also selling on the net. And these idiots selling new products on the net from a "real" shop for slightly over cost are shooting themselves in the head in the long run.I also applaud the distributors who will not sell to basement operators.And when I find out that a distributor IS selling to a basement operator, then they get no more business from me.About a year or so ago, a distributor made a mistake. They sent my box to another account. They sent me the other account's invoice. I noted on the invoice that this guy was receiving a better wholesale discount than me...kinda ticked me off a little. But when my box arrived and the other account's address came from a UPS residential zone....well that was it for that distributor. I was doing 20 - 25,000 dollars a year with them. (I know, in the greater scheme of things, that's not much business.)So this guy is selling out of his basement and he gets a better discount than me??? There's some hobby shop rage from the other side of the counter.
The internet is not going to kill all LHSs, just the weaker shops that will not adjust a little.
I will not sell on the internet. I'm a "small" one person shop. I do one thing and try to do it well, and that is to have a good local shop. You can't serve two masters. I can't devote the time to keeping my brick-and-mortar shop in decent shape if I am also selling on the net. And these idiots selling new products on the net from a "real" shop for slightly over cost are shooting themselves in the head in the long run.
I also applaud the distributors who will not sell to basement operators.
And when I find out that a distributor IS selling to a basement operator, then they get no more business from me.
About a year or so ago, a distributor made a mistake. They sent my box to another account. They sent me the other account's invoice.
I noted on the invoice that this guy was receiving a better wholesale discount than me...kinda ticked me off a little. But when my box arrived and the other account's address came from a UPS residential zone....well that was it for that distributor. I was doing 20 - 25,000 dollars a year with them. (I know, in the greater scheme of things, that's not much business.)
So this guy is selling out of his basement and he gets a better discount than me???
There's some hobby shop rage from the other side of the counter.
Oh there's no doubt there will be an eventual going out of business sale.
I've already scheduled the date for the sale: December 2040. I'll see you here.
Falls Valley RR wrote: You need to get connected.DSL at 3 miles radius isnt going to cut it. Fiber Optics is lighter and much faster than DSL and capable of reaching a farmhouse 180 miles in no where USA will be the item that gets the USA into online.I remember when Walthers and MR was the end all for product information as well as regular visits to the store to learn about new products. Today the internet can bring that information as soon as someone at a distributor or factory chooses to upload it.Yes the hobby has been improved. But also has become very focused as alot of items are researched and discarded from purchasing consideration before it even gets onto a hobby shop shelf.I hold up the MTH Triplex as a example. I learned about it here some days ago, after a few days and emails I learned enough information to decide that I dont want to buy the engine. My reason is focus on smoke devices which is a no-go and only two of three sets of drivers powered.The hobby shop might order one if at all. Only if there is some one to tell them "I want the Triplex" and makes the money availible for it.I would consider myself very lucky to even physically SEE a model of this Triplex in the hobby shop. I might see one at the next Trainshow either operating or being sold for a profit to someone who might not have internet and is unaware of the Triplex until he or she got into the trainshow building.Anyhow, just my thoughts. I do know that thanks to the internet, I dont have to call long distance or drive down there with lots of gas fighting traffic very much to get things done regularly and proper.
You need to get connected.
DSL at 3 miles radius isnt going to cut it. Fiber Optics is lighter and much faster than DSL and capable of reaching a farmhouse 180 miles in no where USA will be the item that gets the USA into online.
I remember when Walthers and MR was the end all for product information as well as regular visits to the store to learn about new products. Today the internet can bring that information as soon as someone at a distributor or factory chooses to upload it.
Yes the hobby has been improved. But also has become very focused as alot of items are researched and discarded from purchasing consideration before it even gets onto a hobby shop shelf.
I hold up the MTH Triplex as a example. I learned about it here some days ago, after a few days and emails I learned enough information to decide that I dont want to buy the engine. My reason is focus on smoke devices which is a no-go and only two of three sets of drivers powered.
The hobby shop might order one if at all. Only if there is some one to tell them "I want the Triplex" and makes the money availible for it.
I would consider myself very lucky to even physically SEE a model of this Triplex in the hobby shop. I might see one at the next Trainshow either operating or being sold for a profit to someone who might not have internet and is unaware of the Triplex until he or she got into the trainshow building.
Anyhow, just my thoughts. I do know that thanks to the internet, I dont have to call long distance or drive down there with lots of gas fighting traffic very much to get things done regularly and proper.
Don't fool yourself thinking that this or any forum speaks for the hobby..Let's look closely at that Triplex.You and I may have no need for it but,rest assured there is enough preorders to justify the production..I know several dozen modelers that has computers but, don't read a topic on any forum.I know dozens more that doesn't own a computer and have no desire to.
Contrary to the BS found on this and other forums most modelers buys what appeals to them without the need to ask a forum for their opinion.Thankfully the majority can still make their decisions on their own.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Falls Valley RR wrote: joe-daddy wrote: Falls Valley RR wrote: You need to get connected.SnipJust WHO needs to get connected? Falls Valley RR wrote: DSL at 3 miles radius isnt going to cut it. Fiber Optics is lighter and much faster than DSL and capable of reaching a farmhouse 180 miles in no where USA will be the item that gets the USA into online. So, your point is? Very simple.If a person has no internet service of any quality or speed, they will never see or learn of fascinating topics such as this one.If I still had Dailup I would not expend the effort to log onto these bloated forums with it's massive pictures, links, advertising etc. With the high speed it only takes a moment to block out the bloat and get straight into the site.And faster to parry questions such as yours which appear to attempt to show me up as a dullard or lame duck who does not know what the &^%$ I am typing about.I use History as a example. The USA once relied on Muddy roads to get people around by horse and cart. When the new Autos came on they had trouble getting around anywhere. They built roads and made it happen.I see the internet as the next generation or the future that will get this nation out of the mud. Fiber Optics and long haul wifi will be the items that will do it. Not copper ethernet. Copper is obselete.
joe-daddy wrote: Falls Valley RR wrote: You need to get connected.SnipJust WHO needs to get connected? Falls Valley RR wrote: DSL at 3 miles radius isnt going to cut it. Fiber Optics is lighter and much faster than DSL and capable of reaching a farmhouse 180 miles in no where USA will be the item that gets the USA into online. So, your point is?
Falls Valley RR wrote: You need to get connected.Snip
Snip
Just WHO needs to get connected?
Falls Valley RR wrote: DSL at 3 miles radius isnt going to cut it. Fiber Optics is lighter and much faster than DSL and capable of reaching a farmhouse 180 miles in no where USA will be the item that gets the USA into online.
So, your point is?
Very simple.
If a person has no internet service of any quality or speed, they will never see or learn of fascinating topics such as this one.
If I still had Dailup I would not expend the effort to log onto these bloated forums with it's massive pictures, links, advertising etc. With the high speed it only takes a moment to block out the bloat and get straight into the site.
And faster to parry questions such as yours which appear to attempt to show me up as a dullard or lame duck who does not know what the &^%$ I am typing about.
I use History as a example. The USA once relied on Muddy roads to get people around by horse and cart. When the new Autos came on they had trouble getting around anywhere. They built roads and made it happen.
I see the internet as the next generation or the future that will get this nation out of the mud. Fiber Optics and long haul wifi will be the items that will do it. Not copper ethernet. Copper is obselete.
I am well connected, and you knew that. Your semi-ambigious post was intended to start a flame war. Perhaps we've identified another Troll.
Joe
Falls Valley RR wrote:You need to get connected.Snip
dirtyd79 wrote:I wish I could say being an internet retailer is a license to print money but the reality is it's hard on that side of the fence too. You still have to pay hosting fees to websites as well as pay for your inventory. If your site crashes you have to get it fixed and you're out the money you could have made on that day's sales. You also have to be sure merchandise is actually being paid for especially in the age of identity theft when hackers take somebody's card numbers and ring up before anyone figures it out. And you still get deadbeats who write their checks on basketballs(bouncin' all over the place). I dealt with all of that and more as a co-owner of an e-commerce site that sold video games. All that coupled with all the turmoil going on in my life at the time I shut down figuring that it just didn't seem like a worthwhile goal. Maybe I'll consider it again someday though who knows. Contrary to what the infomercials starring Tom Bosley would have you believe it ain't as simple as "making money in your sleep". It's just as much hard work whether you open up a hobby shop in your local strip mall or park it on go-daddy.
I wish I could say being an internet retailer is a license to print money but the reality is it's hard on that side of the fence too. You still have to pay hosting fees to websites as well as pay for your inventory. If your site crashes you have to get it fixed and you're out the money you could have made on that day's sales. You also have to be sure merchandise is actually being paid for especially in the age of identity theft when hackers take somebody's card numbers and ring up before anyone figures it out. And you still get deadbeats who write their checks on basketballs(bouncin' all over the place).
I dealt with all of that and more as a co-owner of an e-commerce site that sold video games. All that coupled with all the turmoil going on in my life at the time I shut down figuring that it just didn't seem like a worthwhile goal. Maybe I'll consider it again someday though who knows.
Contrary to what the infomercials starring Tom Bosley would have you believe it ain't as simple as "making money in your sleep". It's just as much hard work whether you open up a hobby shop in your local strip mall or park it on go-daddy.
Another testimonial to my points. You have to have brick and mortar somewhere to be viable, as you cannot sell from any empty bag and make money. I'm suprised that we've not been reminded of Amazon. I'd remind them of the billions they milked out of investors and the only money they printed for many, many years was very bright red.
Someone pointed out that the Web is just another door to a business. I agree with that analogy.
I've lived 2/3 of my life in places where there were few to no LHS. The web is a wonderful blessing to them! I'd be willing to go out on a limb and say that the web is responsible for much of the growth of the hobby in remote locations. Of course, there will be those who say how do you know the hobby is growing anywhere?
Interesting!
vsmith wrote:I agree with On30fransisco about poor supply. Its also hard to support your LHS when its 90miles (or more) away, sadly for most modelers living outside major urban areas, there simply are no hobby shops, and even in the urban areas, the ones that do exist are often in reality poorly stocked, if at all. In my scale G, its even worse, for most large scalers that live the rural lifestyle, its internet, or nothing. I can actually count the major large scale supply stores in the entire country on both my hands, so for us the LHS scene is always going to be sparce at best.We (large scalers) for the most part have just accepted the internet as the primary source for point of purchase, it has been such since the earliest days. Some hardcore HO/N LHSs just simply wouldnt carry any of it early on. Any that did only carried LGB, no other brands.I'm lucky enough to live close enough (10-30minute drive) to either a hobby shop that stocks some large scale stuff or an online seller who also has a storefront operation, but the one dedicated LHS train store closest to me (a famously HO/N place) has a pitiful supply of large scale, all LGB and full MSRP at that! It just sites there. Why would I pay full MSRP when for a short drive I can buy from a store that will match any advertised internet price? Now the LHS does get an awful lot of my $$ for scratchbuilding stock/detail parts/books/paints/etc. The other LHS (major R/C place) near me has the crappiest selection of the most generic bland bottom feeder Bachmann/Lifelike/ModelPower HO/N crappola stuff I've ever seen......yet amazingly they think they are "well stocked".
I agree with On30fransisco about poor supply.
Its also hard to support your LHS when its 90miles (or more) away, sadly for most modelers living outside major urban areas, there simply are no hobby shops, and even in the urban areas, the ones that do exist are often in reality poorly stocked, if at all. In my scale G, its even worse, for most large scalers that live the rural lifestyle, its internet, or nothing. I can actually count the major large scale supply stores in the entire country on both my hands, so for us the LHS scene is always going to be sparce at best.
We (large scalers) for the most part have just accepted the internet as the primary source for point of purchase, it has been such since the earliest days. Some hardcore HO/N LHSs just simply wouldnt carry any of it early on. Any that did only carried LGB, no other brands.
I'm lucky enough to live close enough (10-30minute drive) to either a hobby shop that stocks some large scale stuff or an online seller who also has a storefront operation, but the one dedicated LHS train store closest to me (a famously HO/N place) has a pitiful supply of large scale, all LGB and full MSRP at that! It just sites there. Why would I pay full MSRP when for a short drive I can buy from a store that will match any advertised internet price? Now the LHS does get an awful lot of my $$ for scratchbuilding stock/detail parts/books/paints/etc.
The other LHS (major R/C place) near me has the crappiest selection of the most generic bland bottom feeder Bachmann/Lifelike/ModelPower HO/N crappola stuff I've ever seen...
...yet amazingly they think they are "well stocked".
Well said. Although I live in San Francisco, our LHSs, with the exception of one in Santa Clara, stock very little Large Scale and are skimpily stocked - even on common items. I get many of my incidental supplies at arts and crafts stores that are very well stocked and are much less expensive that our LHSs. Ridge Road Station, Trainworld, Coronado Scale Models, and Caboose Hobbies are my main online stores - and each one is a brick and morter establishment.
That is a tad harsh there friend. I happen to go to this store locally and find no reason for him to be going out of business any time soon.
Have fun with your trains
The reality is that a successful B&M store will be more successful with an internet presence. The other reality is that a poorly run store will fail, whether on the corner or on-line.
Walther's has an interest in supporting LHS's, but it's first obligation should be to get product into the hands of consumers. The Internet isn't going away. It's getting bigger by the minute, and WKW would be damn fools to cut off an e-tailer. What they should do is request a business plan, and maybe even assist with the development of same.
I live a fair distance from any decent hobby retailers. By the time I calculate the cost of gas, I'm better off paying shipping. When I calculate not having to pay Maryland their pound of flesh sales tax, I'm way better off shopping in California from the comfort of my office chair.
But there are times when I'm in the middle of a project, and I have to go get some rail joiners or a bottle of glue, so off to the local for some basic supplies. As much as I hate paying $4 for something I know I can get for $2.50, that's a small pill to swallow when the need is immediate. The same shop has some nice stuff, but all of it is at list price, so there it sits. Then the owner complains that no one buys N scale, or no one buys model cars. Actually, everyone's buying them, just not from HIM!
I guess the bottom line is Walther's needs to retool their policy to meet the demands of a changing market.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
BRAKIE wrote:...Then theres the shop I shall call "Bubbas".You walk into his shop and you are greeted by old "Fido" that makes you feel welcome by jumping up on you and by standing on his hind legs he looks you in the eye just before he/she plants a slobbering kiss on your face.Then you proceed to look over the stock and some prices could range from $5.98 to 6.49 for the same item..You see "Bubba" didn't bother to update his prices.You ask "Bubba" if he has this or that item in stock and without removing his eyes from the ball game on the 13" TV he merely points(usually with the hand holding the beer) and mutters "over there".One time he pointed at me or through me..When you pay for your items,he puts down his beer gives your total his 10% discount returns your change,bags your goods mumbles his "Thanky" and returns to the TV.Old Bubba closed his small(but,well stocked) shop and retired in 2005 and died last year at the age of 75.He was one of a kind.
...
Then theres the shop I shall call "Bubbas".
You walk into his shop and you are greeted by old "Fido" that makes you feel welcome by jumping up on you and by standing on his hind legs he looks you in the eye just before he/she plants a slobbering kiss on your face.Then you proceed to look over the stock and some prices could range from $5.98 to 6.49 for the same item..You see "Bubba" didn't bother to update his prices.You ask "Bubba" if he has this or that item in stock and without removing his eyes from the ball game on the 13" TV he merely points(usually with the hand holding the beer) and mutters "over there".One time he pointed at me or through me..
When you pay for your items,he puts down his beer gives your total his 10% discount returns your change,bags your goods mumbles his "Thanky" and returns to the TV.
Old Bubba closed his small(but,well stocked) shop and retired in 2005 and died last year at the age of 75.He was one of a kind.
I have been in a couple of shops like that. I love 'em. It's like a museum some of the merchandise is so old.
Enjoy
Paul
cudaken wrote: I skipped the the 2 center pages so what I am posting more than likely will have no meaning. But SUPPORT YOUR LHS! LHS is a dieing breed, I see it at my HLS one of the best in the U S I will add. K-10 Trains mark up is so little I feel bad about paying what I do at times. I finaly think I got him to start selling on the internet. I gave him my E-bay acoount to use as his own so he can buy and watch what is selling. I will do the packing and shipping for free (not the cost just the labor) just to make sure this great LHS does not go under. Owner has helped so much on my quest I feel I owe him. Cuda Ken
I skipped the the 2 center pages so what I am posting more than likely will have no meaning. But SUPPORT YOUR LHS!
LHS is a dieing breed, I see it at my HLS one of the best in the U S I will add. K-10 Trains mark up is so little I feel bad about paying what I do at times. I finaly think I got him to start selling on the internet. I gave him my E-bay acoount to use as his own so he can buy and watch what is selling. I will do the packing and shipping for free (not the cost just the labor) just to make sure this great LHS does not go under. Owner has helped so much on my quest I feel I owe him.
Ken,That is a two way street that many LHS owners has made into a one way street...I been in shops that had excellent service and discount prices..I been in full price hobby shops where the owner was grumpy,rude and could care less if I bought anything.
One Track Mind wrote: Well there are certainly a lot of short-sighted folks in the world.This thread kinda got off topic from the OP, and admittedly I didn't help that any.If you want to hear it, I can address many of the issues brought up about LHSs right here in this thread, or I can start a new post.However, I have to be ever mindful that anything I say abour a local train shop is of course going to be mainly based on what I see in my own store...and I am always aware that it's hard to explain some things without that explanation coming off as advertising.I'll be glad to tell you all why LHSs need to survive, and it's got nothing to do with me needing an income from this store. But quite frankly, I sliced my finger open this morning, it's still throbbing...and so I imagine this is all I'm gonna post for today! Be careful with those axes boys!
Well there are certainly a lot of short-sighted folks in the world.
This thread kinda got off topic from the OP, and admittedly I didn't help that any.
If you want to hear it, I can address many of the issues brought up about LHSs right here in this thread, or I can start a new post.
However, I have to be ever mindful that anything I say abour a local train shop is of course going to be mainly based on what I see in my own store...and I am always aware that it's hard to explain some things without that explanation coming off as advertising.
I'll be glad to tell you all why LHSs need to survive, and it's got nothing to do with me needing an income from this store.
But quite frankly, I sliced my finger open this morning, it's still throbbing...and so I imagine this is all I'm gonna post for today! Be careful with those axes boys!
I suspect you and I could exchange a lot of hard facts from both sides of the counter..
cudaken wrote: I skipped the the 2 center pages so what I am posting more than likely will have no meaning. But SUPPORT YOUR LHS!
Ken,
You really haven't missed much; the last few posts tells the tale pretty clearly. Your post has as much meaning as anyone elses.
LHS is a dieing breed, I see it at my HLS one of the best in the U S I will add. K-10 Trains mark up is so little I feel bad about paying what I do at times. I finaly think I got him to start selling on the internet. I gave him my E-bay acoount to use as his own so he can buy and watch what is selling. I will do the packing and shipping for free (not the cost just the labor) just to make sure this great LHS does not go under. Owner has helped so much on my quest I feel I owe him. Cuda Ken
I respect and admire the support you show for your LHS and it's owner and I'm sure everyone else here does as well. LHS's ARE a dying breed. It's sad but true. Same goes for hardware stores, pet stores, etcetera. Suggesting the internet to him and offering your ebay account was probably the best thing anyone could've done for this man although helping him set up his own account is IMO, better for him with regard to building a solid selling reputation for himself. I know that if it was me, I'd be very grateful to you.
In my case, where I live, there are four [serious] hobby shops, each specializing in something different. Only two of them have a decent, somewhat complete selection of HO mrr stuff, the other ones specialize in RC cars, planes, helicopters and boats. The train shops are 100+ miles from me. I live in Naples and they are in Fort Lauderdale (look at a map). There's about 76 miles of swamp between here and there.
The LHS here in Naples is a train shop, but not HO. Yes, they carry some HO items, but most of what I prefer would have to be ordered. Maybe, I'd buy from them if they carried the things that I like and was looking for, but they don't. They'll be alright though, they sell a lot of RC and Lionel.
BTW, where have you been hiding? I haven't seen a post of yours in awhile. Not to suggest that you haven't been logged in anytime lately, just that we haven't shared the same thread in quite some time. It's good to see you're still around and seemingly doing well.
Ted M.
got trains?™
See my photos at: http://tedmarshall.rrpicturearchives.net/
Dustin wrote: Competition is what drives a successful economy. In order to stay one step ahead of the competition one has to be creative and think outside the box. The guy who sells me a piece of 30" atlas code 55 flex-track for $3.75 for example will likely go out of business if he continues to do so. If Internet sales are cheaper, then that is where my dollar will go. If the local hobbyshop offers a decently set price-point on an item then I'd get it there. This is an expensive hobby for sure and every $ saved can definately be used somewhere else on the layout. Now, if the hobby shop dealer lowered the price of the flextrack by $1.00 a piece I would get more for my dollar at his store and would thus buy something else with my savings at the store while I was there. Selling well-priced items in a volume is how large chains make their money. It may be worth it for the dealer to consider selling only one item that is set at a pricepoint that just covers cost and has marginal profit and be so competitively priced that everyone wants to buy it off of them. This then creates lots of revenue which can be used to offset lowering the cost of the other items in his store, thus causing those items to be attractively priced and increasing sales there as well. You can sell anything for the right price. We just sold our condo in only 8 hours on the market. We needed a quick sale and so priced accordingly... it cost us about $15,000 to do this in lost profit, but the $30,000 that we ended up taking away paid the down payment on our current house which we wouldn't have gotten if we waited to sell at a higher price. The three other similar units for sale sold months after us because they wanted more $. If I knew of a vendor that sold something very cheaply because he sold lots, then I'd buy it that way. If that vendor was the LHS, then I'd buy it from him. So, in conclusion , I support both types of business. In this day and age just doing the status quo won't be enough. It takes some ingenuity to stay ahead of the competition and if it means using the internet then so be it. I challenge any hobby shop to do better, internet or otherwise. If you do what you've always done, then you will have what you've always had. If you do different, then you will have different (Dr. Phil!).Just my 2 or 3 or 5 cents!
Competition is what drives a successful economy. In order to stay one step ahead of the competition one has to be creative and think outside the box. The guy who sells me a piece of 30" atlas code 55 flex-track for $3.75 for example will likely go out of business if he continues to do so. If Internet sales are cheaper, then that is where my dollar will go. If the local hobbyshop offers a decently set price-point on an item then I'd get it there. This is an expensive hobby for sure and every $ saved can definately be used somewhere else on the layout. Now, if the hobby shop dealer lowered the price of the flextrack by $1.00 a piece I would get more for my dollar at his store and would thus buy something else with my savings at the store while I was there. Selling well-priced items in a volume is how large chains make their money. It may be worth it for the dealer to consider selling only one item that is set at a pricepoint that just covers cost and has marginal profit and be so competitively priced that everyone wants to buy it off of them. This then creates lots of revenue which can be used to offset lowering the cost of the other items in his store, thus causing those items to be attractively priced and increasing sales there as well.
You can sell anything for the right price. We just sold our condo in only 8 hours on the market. We needed a quick sale and so priced accordingly... it cost us about $15,000 to do this in lost profit, but the $30,000 that we ended up taking away paid the down payment on our current house which we wouldn't have gotten if we waited to sell at a higher price. The three other similar units for sale sold months after us because they wanted more $.
If I knew of a vendor that sold something very cheaply because he sold lots, then I'd buy it that way. If that vendor was the LHS, then I'd buy it from him.
So, in conclusion , I support both types of business. In this day and age just doing the status quo won't be enough. It takes some ingenuity to stay ahead of the competition and if it means using the internet then so be it. I challenge any hobby shop to do better, internet or otherwise. If you do what you've always done, then you will have what you've always had. If you do different, then you will have different (Dr. Phil!).
Just my 2 or 3 or 5 cents!
pilot wrote:I shop where I get what I want, when I want it, at the price I want. All venues are open to me. LHS, wholesaler, Ebay, train shows, any and all venues. I buy the "best" without any artificial rules about "who to support" where it is made or nonsense like that. Just find what I want, wherever it is, and buy it.