Without a doubt, it's Caboose Hobbies in Denver, CO.
I do very little Internet shopping, mainly because I have two extremely well stocked LHS's here in my area (Sacramento/Roseville) and I can usually get about 95% of the things I need through them.
However, I model Rio Grande standard gauge steam, and whenever I feel the need for a new locomotive, I hit Caboose Hobbies and usually find what I'm looking for in their brass consignment catalogue at reasonable prices and the knowledge that they're not sending me a piece of junk. I've had very good luck with them.
For hard-to-find construction materials, I use MicroMark. Great place, great people, great shipping.
Like them both a lot.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
For the most part, Walthers is okay. Only bad experience was waiting 6 months for a back ordered item. Other than that, it is fine. But, my personal favorite is www.bnfhobby.com, a exclusive HOn30 narrow guage site. Ships super fast, but you have to order by phone.
1) MB Klien - because a fair pricing and quick delivery
2) Walthers - when they have deals
3) Caboose Hobbies - sometimes, when they have the stock I'm looking for
4) N-Scale Supply - cause they are dedicated to n scale and have a wide selection
I stopped doing business with Wig Wag LLC which is too bad 'cause their prices were the best I found on the specific equipment I was ordering, especially on the preorders. However, their ordering system stinks (via email), you're lucky to get an acknowledgement and any issue with ordering is the customer's, not because their archaic order process lost your email, etc. One just needs to read all their ordering policies to get a feel for what I mean. Done with them!
Bob O.
Hi!
Yes, dealing with Walthers has been a good experience for me as well, and while they are mostly MSRP pricing, they do have some deals periodically. I have also talked with the folks at Toy Train Heaven and Caboose Hobbies - both excellent experiences.
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
For those of us that model Canadian RR's I can highly recommend the gang at Canadian Model Trains. Their link: http://www.modeltrains.com/ .
They are knowledgeable, tailor their e-mails to your specific roads/scale/interests and have great custom painting and DCC/sound installations.
Cheers,
G.
Walthers is very user friendly ... and my wife has been able to buy gifts for me without any issues... They also still have a 1-800 number .... I still like to talk to humans once in a while.....
I've bought about 1% of my layout supplies from Walthers.com, and about 2% from Caboose Hobbies.com. All the rest I've bought on eBay. EBay is my favorite hobby store of all time. I find what I want at good prices. Rarely am I unhappy with a purchase.
My experience with the retailers has been positive. I especially like Caboose Hobbies for help over the phone.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
#1 MB Klein
#2 Walthers
#3 Litchfield Station
Hi,
I've spent several thousands of dollars on my HO trains/layout via internet shopping over the last 8-10 years or so. I am very happy to say I have never had a bad experience with any that was not immediately and properly corrected. One was the delivery of the wrong road on a BLI loco, and the other a damaged box on an MRC CM-20. As I said, both situations were promptly and happily corrected.
I am well aware that there have been (and probably still are) some unscrupulous vendors out there. So, I use only vendors who have been highly recommended, with many of the recommendations coming from the good folks on this Forum.
Soooo, I highly recommend - from my own personal experience - the following: Toy Train Heaven, Caboose Hobbies, NHS Hobbies, and Tony's Train Exchange.
Trust me!
I've been buying from Trainworld since the early seventies with no problems...actually I started buying from founder Peter Bianco when the Trainworld "ad" was a 2-3 line classified ad in MR. I do wish they would go a little more '21st century' with their website though, you can buy Lionel online but for HO or N you have to call, fax or order by mail.
I quit using internet hobby stores after First Hobby s*****d me over on a couple of Proto engines. I ordered 2 p2k GP38 from them and they ran terrible so I called them and sent them back. They said the would replace them, no problem. I put a small pencil mark on the boxes, and they sent the same two engines back with a letter stating that they were replaced. They were not and I ended up getting rid of them on our favrite auction site. Ever since I have gone to Discount trains in Addison Texas. I get all of my preorders at internet prices and get to test the engines when they come in, so I know what I am getting. They have a huge selection, so the only internet I do is looking at what is coming out, then I call them. I know there are many members here that don't have a good LHS near them, so the internet is the best way for them to go.
For new items of mainly, but not limited to, super detailing parts, I buy from Walthers - done this for years. They are super reliable and they always seem to respond quickly to any queries I might have.
In my experience thay are and have always been straight-up and honest and I am prepared to pay a premium for the kind of reliability I have experienced buying from Walthers.
If on the very rare accurance they make a SNAFU, they are always quick to put it right without wanting to take money from me by way of a re-stocking charge as sometimes applies to other on-line sellers.
They do hit me with an international service charge, but there seems to be no padding out of the shipping cost. Most items that I buy are at full retail unless by chance something I want to buy is on sale.
For new Items such as building construction kits I buy from either that kits producer direct or from favourite hobby stores such as Valley Hobbies, Trainworld or Toy Train Heaven.
MMore recently most of the Locomotives I missed out on first time around I buy from eBay listings and are usually bought at huge reductions from RRSP - mostly, they have been plastic and I've bought very little Brass - usually on a whim and consequently on-sold when the initial buzz of ownership faded.
Bruce
Walthers-I mostly buy structures and details (on sale) from them. Great stock. Great service.
NHS Hobbies-For my all Atlas track. BEST prices. Great service.
Don't really buy cars and locos online.
I've got two favorites. Micro-Mark for Bachmann, got a sound equipped 2-8-0 for $142.50 there a couple years back. Good service, quick shipping. My other is Whole Sale Trains, which has great prices. Got a BLI/PCM big boy for $260. Cheapest I can find around. Shipping is a little slow, but I live on the other side of the country. Also, beware when preordering, they can take some time to get the item in, or at least longer than other companies.
M.B. Klein is my favorite.
Enjoy
Paul
www.trainworld.com is the one I'd recommend first. I've also ordered from M.B. Klein (www.modeltrainstuff.com,) Discount Trains Online (www.discounttrainsonline.com) and Model Railway Post Office at www.modelrailwaypo.com. All gave good service and had good prices. I put Trainworld at the top of the list because their prices are consistently the best, they know what's in stock and my order arrives in a day or two, with only the lowest class of shipping. (Really. I've ordered at dinner time on Wednesday and found my trains in the door when I got home Thursday. Twice. Trainworld is in New York, and I'm outside of Boston.)
I use the Walthers web site, and the Walthers catalog, but then I send an e-mail to my LHS and ask him to order the items. I still get the sale price, or a discount below the Walthers price if the items aren't on sale, and I don't pay shipping. Yeah, there's sales tax, but I also have the satisfaction of helping to keep a good shop in business.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I have placed two orders with Cherry Creek Hobbies (www.cchobbies.com) and have been very pleased with their prices and extremely quick shipping. In fact, I placed an order last night and received confirmation this morning that they order had been shipped.
In additition, I have also ordered from Walthers and was very happy with their service.
I have used 2, that have been super to deal with and pretty quick on shipping your items.
http://www.1stplacehobbies.com/
http://www.yankeedabbler.com/
I've used several others, but these have been the best.
Len S.
My 1st go to sites are Walthers - a little pricey but relibale and well stocked
and https://www.hobbylinc.com/index.htm - just as relibale, GREAT prices but not as well stocked
ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”
http://www.dcctrain.com/shop/
http://www.johnshobbies.com/store/index.php
http://www.micromark.com/
http://www.trainworld.com/
I have dealt with all of these and been very pleased.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow