Where do you buy your MRR stuff?

[Anonymous]

I don't have a LHS, or rather the closest is a 2.5 hr drive. So i shop online.. Firsthobby is my fav.. fast shipping, good service, decent prices. I also use internettrains, internethobbies and walthers direct as needed and a few others on occasion. oh and of course.. EBAY!

[aloco]

I absolutely refuse to pay full-blown retail price for locomotives, so my local hobby shop gets no business from me when it comes to the big ticket items. If I want locomotives or the more expensive freight cars, vehicles, buildings, etc. I'll look to ebay auctions or online dealers of model railroad equipment. There are some great deals out there, but you have to take the time to look for them.

Furthermore, I model CN and CP, and being a Canadian modeler I'm quite displeased with my local hobby shop relying on an American supplier and getting stuff in roadnames I have no use for. So I'm left with little choice but to surf the Internet and look for the stuff I want.

[Hawks05]

i bought the ADM elevators off ebay 2 weeks ago. although i could have probably went to the hobby shop and bought them on the weekend. i sprung for the ebay purchase. at the LHS i would have paid list price plus tax, ebay i saved something like $.33 rather than buying from Walthers and probably $4-$5 instead of the hobby shop.

if i need track i'll go to the hobby store or if i need kits and there aren't many shows going on i'll go there. hopefully i'll be able to make it to the hobby shop this weekend. i need to get a couple issues of Model Railroader, a book or two, the Red Wing flour mill, and then a couple kits and a RTR piece. hopefully another double stack car or some odd car that i can't get in kit form.

[PennsyHoosier]

One has to be VERY selective on ebay. But if one puts the time into it, it can pay very nice rewards.

For me, I have several competing LHSs in my city, and the competion makes things fairly reasonalbe.

So....

Ebay, internet, and LHSs. It takes some work, but the payoff is worth it.

[Anonymous]

Unless there's a great deal on eBay, I have stopped buying from there, though sometimes I go there to look for out-of-production/old models.I buy from online stores if I can save more than the shipping cost, which generally means big orders. Otherwise I go to the local Hungates for more general hobby stuff (scenery, cork, little bags of ballast, plaster, etc.). When I want real train specific items, I head on down to the actual train hobby shop (1 hour and 45 minutes there and back driving alone. Speaking of going to Hungates, I am thinking of going this weekend and getting some plaster and a rock mold so I can work on my mountain. I will also take some much-needed photos of the layout.
Reed

[Anonymous]

I buy everything I can from Standard Hobby Supply and what they don't have I shop around for the best price.

[fec153]

Should have had - Combination as a choice. Shows- LHS- Online. IN that order. Just picked up a few items from a local show. I do not like duplicate car numbers so on-line shopping is a bit of a hazard.
Fla.Phil

[darth9x9]

Well since you didn't have combinations, I had to vote other. I think I am pretty well distributed between LHS, eBay, and shows. It is all about being a smart shopper and getting the best deal/product/service for my hard earned dollar.

[on30francisco]

Since I'm in a minority scale and gauge, I buy most of my supplies online. The LHS in this area has a fair HO section but not too many scratchbuilding supplies. They also charge list prices. There is one hobby shop in Santa Clara called The Train Shop that I patronize when I'm in that area. They are very well-stocked with supplies for all scales ang gauges and the clerks are very helpful and courteous. They also charge 10% to 20% below list prices for their merchandise. I buy a lot of scratchbuilding supplies at arts & crafts stores. These places are very well-stocked and much cheaper than the LHS.

[eastcoast]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

I get 95% of my supplies and equipment from Happy Hobo Trains in Tampa. These guys are great, knowledgeable and service oriented! When you leave, you look forward to visiting again. It's good business to support a good dealer. I don't mind at all paying for good service. The other 5% I get at model railroad flea market meets (Happy Hobo hosts one or two a year).

[:p]
Hey , I grew up near you in Pinellas County. I went to all of the H&R Trains
shows , and worked for Uptons at one time. Do they still exist ???

[AntonioFP45]

I get 95% of my supplies and equipment from Happy Hobo Trains in Tampa. These guys are great, knowledgeable and service oriented! When you leave, you look forward to visiting again. It's good business to support a good dealer. I don't mind at all paying for good service. The other 5% I get at model railroad flea market meets (Happy Hobo hosts one or two a year).

[Hawks05]

i've heard of that Historic Rail. i think my friend gave me a issue of that. not sure. does it have like books and calenders from different railroads, with some MRR stuff? if so i think i have one issue. i signed up for the Terminal Hobby mailing list. i think in a week or 2 i should be getting something. i may have to order buildings from there as i can't find squat here at any shows or the LHS.

[vsmith]

I try to buy as much as i can from some of the LHS that carry large scale near me, but they can be limited in their stock and I wont buy large scale from Walthers, too $$$. So eBay is a good source or St Aubins Station or Trainworld.

[Anonymous]

I try to buy most of my stuff from "The Hobby Shop" in Ames Iowa. The owner is a genius and is the nicest guy you'll ever meet. I've never had a question he could not answer.

Thanks,
Jeremy

Go Packers!!

[CBQ_Guy]

I clicked other because almost all of my model railroad purchases came from shows AND my LHS. I have only ordered online a couple times. My 2-LHS owners discount everything 20 per cent off. The rest I picked up at shows over the past dozen years when I used to go to all of them. We usually went as a group, including my LHS owners!

[nfmisso]

Trainworld http://www.trainworld1.com/index.html
Tony's Toy Exchange http://www.dcctrains.com/
Toy Train Heaven http://www.toytrainheaven.com/
Standard Hobby http://www.standardhobby.com/
ebay
shows

Not in any particular order.

LHS - occcasionally.

[eastcoast]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05

does Terminal Hobbies prices compare with what i could get off of ebay new. i'd feel safer ordering from a vender rather than off of ebay but i want to compare the prices. i should be getting a Terminal Hobby flyer in the coming weeks but i'm just wondering for now.

[:p]
HAWKS05
I am a REGULAR customer of catalog mail order. My favorite IS the
TERMINAL HOBBY SHOP/ WALTHERS MONTHLY. It is better and
safer than online in my opinion. The prices are GREAT and I find
bargains like nowhere else. I also do not have to worry about the
identity theft crisis going on, I send MONEY ORDERS ONLY. I
would estimate that catalog mail order is about 85% of my purchase
option for my layout AND for books and momentos.Not only do I order
from Walthers, but also subscribe to HISTORIC RAIL. Ever heard of
them ??? Books a many are at a discounted price in this one. Get online
and get on these mailing lists, good option. Ebay is iffy.
ken_ecr [:p]

[bogeys]

My first choice is to shop at shows, because it's the most fun way to find stuff. But there is only one show a year around here(if that), and the nearest train shop is 60 miles away, so I usually buy mail order.

[AggroJones]

I used to buy most everything from shows and LHS. But now I order the more expensive stuff mail order to save some money.

[Hawks05]

thanks. i'll have to get up there some time. i'm not familiar with the Twin Cities. just the Woodbury area. never go to the cities. just for a twins game here or there and woodbury to shop. is New Brighten in the northwestern part of the TC?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05

QUOTE: Originally posted by GaryA

If ordering online, I recommend Trainworld, http://www.trainworld.com/, for their good sales and service.

Gary

are there any good shops up in the Twin Cities area. i'm half way between the Twin Cities and Eau Claire, WI. if there are any good shops in say Maplewood or Woodbury that you know of could you post them here.

Thanks.

Can't say that I know of any. I like Becker's in New Brighton, http://members.aol.com/wcbecker/ . Scale Model Supplies (aka the dungeon) is huge and may be worth a visit, at the corner of Lexington and University. I like Trainworld if I'm buying online.

Gary

[Jetrock]

Most of the above--In my case it's mostly local hobby shops, or non-local hobby shops--one habit of mine is that I visit hobby shops in whatever city I'm visiting when on vacation, as they will all have unique things in their discount bins!

I also use eBay, online stores, thrift stores, train shows, garage sales, wherever I can find trains for a good deal.

[Anonymous]

More than one of the options. I buy stuff from my LHS, from other Hobby Stores when I'm away on holiday, online (though I've not found a decent UK-based online retailer that stocks US-outline models, I buy a lot of my British stuff this way though). eBay is useful for those discontinued or otherwise unobtainable items - just won an Athearn BNSF Dash 9 Dummy, should look good with my powered CSX Dash 9 and AC4400!

[ddechamp71]

As I'm modelling Z scale and as this scale is almost non-existent in most stores, I purchase about 98 % of my stuff by Internet......
Cheers
Dominique

[Anonymous]

How about most of the above??? I buy from my LHS (ok ok...ill pimp it out too A.B. Charles and Son) the Greenburg show when it comes here to Moronville, the Timonium Show in MD (mostly for my brass) EBAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and some internet discount el-cheapo houses.

[IRONROOSTER]

I buy most of it at shows as my LHS carrys very little S scale.

Enjoy
Pau;

[CP5415]

Half of my stuff I've bought at my local hobby shop. A third of it I bought off a friend of mine who was 'purging' his collection to finance the purchase other items for himself.
The rest was either given to me by my dad or bought at local shows

Gordon

[Hawks05]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GaryA

If ordering online, I recommend Trainworld, http://www.trainworld.com/, for their good sales and service.

Gary

are there any good shops up in the Twin Cities area. i'm half way between the Twin Cities and Eau Claire, WI. if there are any good shops in say Maplewood or Woodbury that you know of could you post them here.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

If ordering online, I recommend Trainworld, http://www.trainworld.com/, for their good sales and service.

Gary