Avoght,
Keep us updated. I have some upcoming requirements I was planning on placing through them. Would be curious what you find.
Any News? 1st Place has been my vender of choice for a long time. One of the principals die?
Really like this company, this doesn't sound good!
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
I too have been a customer of Joe's for several years and cannot reach him in anyway. I placed my last order with 1st Place Hobbies on 2/21/2012 and received it quickly, no problems. I don't think the early March storms hit that far north in the state, so I'm not sure what is going on. Joe is only 46 years old so I would hope that he is in good health. Sure hope he's ok!!
Erierailfan - Welcome to trains.com!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
According to Google Maps, 1st Place Hobbies is located at 303 West Market in Bluffton Indiana, a little south of Fort Wayne.
Is there no one who lives in the Fort Wayne area who can drive to Bluffton and check out the situation and put all all of the wondering to rest?
Rich
Alton Junction
I have been trying for over a week to reach 1st place hobbies. When I try the two phone numbers I get nothing at all. And though I did get the website about a week ago, when I tried to come back to it later I got the website not found. I hope all is well with them. I use them regularly and have done so for years. Honest ,friendly and reliable would be all I can say about them. This is really strange. Hopefully someone can find out soon?
I stopped by the store yesterday evening. I didn't see anything to make me think that they had closed up shop. That's all I can add at the moment.
Here's what I found by doing a Google search and clicking on companydatabase.org link to First Place Hobbies web page..------------------------First Place Hobbies is currently closed. We appologize for the inconvenience. http://www.1stplacehobbies.com/-------------------------
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
A customer on another list made contact with the owners. Apparently, weak sales in a weak economy have taken down another vendor and they've closed shop. Secondhand info to me, so FWIW, but may help past customers know that it's time to look for an alternative.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Avoght I stopped by the store yesterday evening. I didn't see anything to make me think that they had closed up shop. That's all I can add at the moment.
Obviously did not enter the shop. May will be people inside doing an inventory for liquidation and/or bankruptcy.
Can not believe someone whent by and did not go in to be able to give a verified statement.
Website has been showing the following for about the last week or so:
mlehman A customer on another list made contact with the owners. Apparently, weak sales in a weak economy have taken down another vendor and they've closed shop. Secondhand info to me, so FWIW, but may help past customers know that it's time to look for an alternative.
I think the report also mention the price increases slowed sales as well..Of course higher prices will mean a slow down in sales regardless of the economy since its a hobby item that one doesn't really need to buy.
Its a pity..That was a good outfit to deal with.
With 1st Place gone, where have we turned to for great prices and great service? I've jumped over to Caboose Hobbies in Denver.
I normally pre-order most of my locomotives and freight cars when they are announced by the manufacturer. I stopped using 1st Place Hobbies for that about 2 years ago because they became unreliable. As most modelers know, if you don't pre-order this stuff, you stand a huge chance of not being able to get it. When I missed out on several items I started using 1st Place for "in stock" items only.
Modeltrainstuff.com aka: M.B. Klein Inc., out of Cockeysville MD. is a great source, but they don't take pre-orders. You can however, type in stock numbers etc and your email address, then they will notify you when the items are in stock just prior to listing them on the website so you have a "sneak peak"/early bird chance to buy. (24 hours ahead, I think) Another good company to deal with is toytrainheaven.com aka: Bowser Manufacturing. However, I no longer rely on any "dot com" to pre-order from. I struck a deal years ago with two local shops, I can pre-order locomotives from either shop for at least 30% off retail and at one of the shops I can order anything, at anytime, at 30% off retail because of the amount of stuff that I purchase over the course of a year. Keep in mind this is probably not easy to work out with just any shop. I have been dealing with both shops for over 30 years so everyone knows me and my purchasing history. Let's just say that with over 600 locomotives on my roster/collection, they know me! LOL
Caboose is good, used them myself in the past -- but a store visit is what I really love there.
I've used MB Klein dba modeltrainstuff.com with good results. Great pricing and good service, with a really easy to use website interface for ordering.
I use Caboose and Klein on a regular basis and they are both superb. Excellent and prompt service, friendly people, and easy to use websites. I've also had the pleasure of visiting Caboose once and they have a great store that is well worth a visit if you are ever in the Denver area.
Wayne
Modeling HO Freelance Logging Railroad.
M.B. Klein cannot be beat for pricing, customer service, and fast shipping.
Their web site is top notch.
I've always used Klein if not buying at the LHS. I'm close enough that I get my order in 2 days, hard to beat their prices, and their web site uses true real-time inventory so there are no surprises after checkign out liek I had with my ONE direct order to Walthers - item listed in stock when I checked out, AFTER checkout complte I was notified it was a back order. Never has happened with Klein, if the site says in stock, it;s there. You can even check by adding something to your cart, then going back to the same item - now there's one less. So it's more like a real store, if you take the item fromt he shelf and put it in your cart, no one else can take it unless you put it back first. Instead of the model where you are taking a marker slip and if someone grabs one and redeemsit before you, they get the item and you don't. I don't know of anyone else in the hobby business operating like this, and even in the computer business - it worked out for me recently when the online system said the local store was out of stock on somethign I wanted but I needed to stop by for something else and took alook and they actually DID have oen fo the first item left, despite the web site saying 0 stock. Usually though it's the other way, says there's one, but in reality it's zero.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I too am experiencing the same bad experience (fraud) that others have mentioned.
I have been invoiced, emailed that the items have been shipped, they took my money, they never sent a thing. My bank tells me that since I authorized the order the charge can not be reversed. I'M SCREWED.
Since 1st Place Hobbies has severed all ways to contact them the only recourse is to contact the BBB and the Indiana Attorney Generals Office.
If anyone has had similar experience or any success in contacting 1st Place Hobbies, let me know.