With all the "another one bites the dust" posts about LHS closings, I thought it was interesting to get some good news on that front here in the Richmond area. Todd's Hobbies has opened in the same strip mall where Chesterfield Hobbies used to be. They've been open a few months now, but I just discovered them thanks to the hobby shop listing in the back of MR.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
We have a new hobby shop here in Fort Myers, Florida... well, it is about a year old now. Metro Trains is a very clean and professionally run store.
Living the dream.
What scales do they have, and which of those scales are their specialty?
Brick-and-mortar hobby shops CAN be successful and profitable -- but they have to be creative and can't go by the "old rules."
Metro Red LineWhat scales do they have, and which of those scales are their specialty?
Looks like they are primarily HO and N, but I recall seeing a Lionel loop on the window display layout.
I found another "new" hobby shop in St.Petersburg, FL. It has a wierd name, "Zitnik Trains", but it is a pretty good place. It is located very close to the legendary H&R Trains. This is convenient for the out of towner.
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There is also K&K Trains in Port Charlotte, FL, it is a few months old, but seems primarily to just be a place for people to sell their collections so they can resell them on eBay, and a place to sell the junk they choose not to list on eBay. It is not worth the trip.
There must be more new stores out there... anyone?
-Kevin
I hope they are successful.
Unfortunately for me, they aren't carrying S scale (per their MR listing).
While I didn't shop there often (being a bit far for me), I did occaisionally stop by Chesterfield Hobbies when I was in the area. And they did carry S scale as well as S gauge.
Paul
Todd's is closing at the end of the month.
carl425 Todd's is closing at the end of the month.
That's a shame, so short of a time. Mall rent will kill you. My local Hobby shop seems to be busy, just moved to current location, maybe four months now. White Rose Hobby's, York,Pa.
Edit : Oh I see it's been a year since the original post.
PC101 Mall rent will kill you.
It's been 40 years since my family had a store in the shopping center. Back then total sales were factored into the rent. After my father died, my mother discovered a "second set" of books.
Have never been to Train World, but Modeltrainstuff and Caboose Hobbies are not in shopping centers or malls.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Todds didn't last long at all. I wonder if the business plan wasn't well thought out. When I worked for a bank up north, they required a business plan for business loans.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I'll note one MRR store, not a new shop, but maybe this is the "new normal"; where the hobby shop is a revenue generator to a larger RR oriented operation. This is not a gift shop selling t-shirts and trinkets.
The Tennessee Central Railway Museum in Nashville, has a small hobby shop where they carry the usual off-the-shelf stock items and can order anything you need from Walthers at a good discount to members (who pay a nominal annual fee).
The Museum runs about 20 excursion trains each year, hosts Cumberland Division SER-NMRA events/train shows and is the home of N and HO layouts.
Its the go-to store in the Nashville area for MRR's.
Jim
Another hobby shop in Jacksonville, FL Hobby World is back open . Same strip mall on blanding blvd as it was a few years ago.
Great bunch of guys. HO,N and O scale trains,model aircraft,R/C stuff and plenty of paint selection. Prices are good to. Scratch building supplies,tools,glue etc.
If you find yourself in the J-ville, FL area. Give Hobby World a try. You'll be glad you did.
Fear an Ignorant Man more than a Lion- Turkish proverb
Modeling an ficticious HO scale intergrated Scrap Yard & Steel Mill Melt Shop.
Southland Industrial Railway or S.I.R for short. Enterchanging with Norfolk Southern.
SeeYou190 We have a new hobby shop here in Fort Myers, Florida... well, it is about a year old now. Metro Trains is a very clean and professionally run store.
For most retail businesses location is the most important factor.....but if I were starting over in the retail hobby business, and from what I have learned from actually owning a hobby/train store decades back, I'd trade the mall location for a decent spot where I could own the building. Rather than collecting expensive rent receipts which have no value, the same payments could be made towards something that you would eventually own and possibly increase in value. When time comes to sell, you actually have something to offer rather than hopefully good will and merchandise that if your are lucky will fetch 30 cents on the dollar.
There is a fine shop in Gettysburg, PA who had weathered much including the internet onslaught............why? He owns the builidng.
HZ
hardcoalcaseIts the go-to store in the Nashville area for MRR's
I worked at Aardvark's Model Trains on Gallatin Road when I was in College in Nashville. This was back in 1985-1986.
There were three good model railroad shops in Nashville back then.
I was very sad when the Chattanooga Depot closed a few years ago.
I really enjoy Dixie Flyer in Wartrace when I get through that part of the country, it is always a fun stop.
thomas81z i live in cape coral
Hey neighbor! I live there too!
Graduated from Cape Coral High School in 1985.
SeeYou190 thomas81z i live in cape coral . Hey neighbor! I live there too! . Graduated from Cape Coral High School in 1985. . -Kevin .
Howard Zane For most retail businesses location is the most important factor.....but if I were starting over in the retail hobby business, and from what I have learned from actually owning a hobby/train store decades back, I'd trade the mall location for a decent spot where I could own the building. Rather than collecting expensive rent receipts which have no value, the same payments could be made towards something that you would eventually own and possibly increase in value. When time comes to sell, you actually have something to offer rather than hopefully good will and merchandise that if your are lucky will fetch 30 cents on the dollar. There is a fine shop in Gettysburg, PA who had weathered much including the internet onslaught............why? He owns the builidng. HZ
As a person invested in rental real estate, I can say Howard is right on target here.
If you plan to be in business for the long haul, buying your own building is a good move.
And, if you are smart enough to keep the building in good repair, you will see your equity increase and your business overhead decrease as time marches on.
I recently posted a "sample" business model for a hobby shop in a different thread.
Rent was a major line item, imagine it never went up, adjusted for inflation actually went down, and eventually went away? Every year that becomes an ever increasing competitive edge.
But, it does not help much in the beginning, you still need big piles of money to get started......
Sheldon
There's a Hobby Lobby about an hour from me that's about as big as a Wally World, but they didn't have any train stuff.But if you like to knit or make dried flower arrangements they got you covered.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
SpaceMouse, I haven't seen you post in ages, or am I hallucinating?
riogrande5761 SpaceMouse, I haven't seen you post in ages, or am I hallucinating?
I believe He lost the run for president so He came back to jaw with us awhile....LOL
Take Care!
Frank
riogrande5761am I hallucinating?
Can't answer that part...but I appear to be back.
Yes, yes I did.